LDS Closures

[ReefHound]

Maybe we can get them to do it for free! Or maybe the Government can pay for as it should be a right to have a hydro!???? All business charge service fees even if its not preformed in house! It amazes me how people want the dive industry or LDS store to give their services away? So dive them all out of business and get good service over the internet! I will continue to support my local Dive shop! There should be more to a dive shop than hydros!

Your initial argument was that divers NEED their LDS to perform certain services, suggesting these services would not otherwise be available. You listed hydrotesting as one of those services. Several responded to point out that shops do not perform hydrotesting, that this service is done at hydrotesting facilities that will perform this service directly to the public, cheaper and quicker. The point wasn't that the LDS charges too much for acting as the middle man for this service but that the service would still be available without the LDS.

Repair and maintenance is also available from online shops, cheaper and often quicker, even with shipping fees and times factored. Dive shops do not teach classes, instructors do. Instructors can teach independently without going through the shop. Travel service is readily available from traditional travel agents and online booking sites. Social activities are available through dive clubs.

The one and only essential service a dive shop provides now is air fills. There are alternatives in some cases - fire stations, home compressors, club compressors - but generally speaking those are not available to the masses. If dive shops ever lose their exclusivity on air fills, they are toast.

 

[Nick_W]

I wouldn't say they're toast. There is still a segment of the population, myself included, who likes to have some personal interaction. Now, I'm not going to pay a twice as much for something just to get it, and that personal interaction had better be in the form of a knowledgable, friendly staff who appreciates me as a customer and doesn't spend every moment we're together trying to upsell me, but if when I find a shop like that (and I have before) I will spend a little extra to see that smiling face when I walk through the door.

The online shops will never be able to duplicate that. Sadly, neither will a lot of brick and mortar shops. Those are the ones that are going to disappear. And frankly, I'm not going to shed a tear over it.

 

[ReefHound]

I wouldn't say they're toast. There is still a segment of the population, myself included, who likes to have some personal interaction. Now, I'm not going to pay a twice as much for something just to get it, and that personal interaction had better be in the form of a knowledgable, friendly staff who appreciates me as a customer and doesn't spend every moment we're together trying to upsell me, but if when I find a shop like that (and I have before) I will spend a little extra to see that smiling face when I walk through the door.

The online shops will never be able to duplicate that. Sadly, neither will a lot of brick and mortar shops. Those are the ones that are going to disappear. And frankly, I'm not going to shed a tear over it.

Obviously not all shops will be toast, I'm referring to the many (if not majority) that seem to think that divers *need* them and that they can dictate the terms of business. I don't think there are enough people that need that face 2 face warm 'n fuzzy to support shops in most areas.

And I would disagree that online shops can't provide that, some of them already do. Active members here like Phil, Tobin, Joel, and others put a face and character to their respective online shops. They also provide ready access to technical information, answers to questions, and problem resolution.

Added: I knew I shouldn't have named names lest I omit some. I have had so many online chats with Larry and Joe from Scubatoys that I feel like I know them better than any LDS owner.

 

[ClayJar]

I have a great local dive shop. I hear about all these people having problems with dive shops owned by less than savvy "businessmen" (although to call some of them that is a disservice to the term). Thankfully, there are still some shops out there who deserve credit for being intelligent.

The shop I use most often has survived quite well in spite of all the other shops that have opened and closed in the land-locked locale that is Baton Rouge. I don't really care how many bad shops come and go, as the decently good ones tend to remain. If a day comes where I have no local shop, I'll just have to get some divers together to form a compressor co-op, and reg service will be do-it-yourself of send it to ScubaToys.

[hijack]

As far as the Travel Part so what, they have to generate interest in diving to stay in business.

Papa Bear! You missed one! You actually ended this sentence with a plain old period!

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. You just remind me of my excessively perky sister, who speaks with all her sentences ending with exclamation marks. (She's also the sibling of mine who *everybody* invariably likes, so perhaps I should try it sometime. :biggrin Unlike you, she has no inside voice, but please, *please* don't start SHOUTING EVERYTHING... Having a loud-talking sister is plenty enough for a quiet, reserved ham like myself. [/hijack]

 

[Nick_W]

Obviously not all shops will be toast, I'm referring to the many (if not majority) that seem to think that divers *need* them and that they can dictate the terms of business. I don't think there are enough people that need that face 2 face warm 'n fuzzy to support shops in most areas.

And I would disagree that online shops can't provide that, some of them already do. Active members here like Phil, Tobin, Joel, and others put a face and character to their respective online shops. They also provide ready access to technical information, answers to questions, and problem resolution.

Added: I knew I shouldn't have named names lest I omit some. I have had so many online chats with Larry and Joe from Scubatoys that I feel like I know them better than any LDS owner.

I by no means want to knock any of the online retailers you've mentioned. I've dealt with some of them and they have, as much as they can, done a great job of trying to replicate that face-to-face interaction you can get at an LDS. But the fact of the matter is, no matter how awesome those guys are, they aren't located down the street from me and I can't just drop in and pick their brains for a little while.

Not that I could do that with many local shops, nor would I really want to. But that is an advantage they have and they need to exploit if they hope to survive.

 

[ReefHound]

You just remind me of my excessively perky sister, who speaks with all her sentences ending with exclamation marks. (She's also the sibling of mine who *everybody* invariably likes, so perhaps I should try it sometime. :biggrin

She's probably just better looking than you.

 

[ReefHound]

I by no means want to knock any of the online retailers you've mentioned. I've dealt with some of them and they have, as much as they can, done a great job of trying to replicate that face-to-face interaction you can get at an LDS. But the fact of the matter is, no matter how awesome those guys are, they aren't located down the street from me and I can't just drop in and pick their brains for a little while.

Why not? The ones I mentioned are more than happy to chit chat with you online about nothing in particular. Doesn't have to be about a transaction.

 

[Nick_W]

Why not? The ones I mentioned are more than happy to chit chat with you online about nothing in particular. Doesn't have to be about a transaction.

Its just not the same though. Call me old-fashioned, but I still like to lean up against a counter and talk to a person. Not to mention the fact that if that shop is local to you, that person you're chatting with probably knows a lot about the local dive spots, and you may even see them on a dive from time to time.

Again, nothing against those guys, they do what they can.

 

[ReefHound]

You're starting to sound like those folks who just can't let go of the roatry dial on the telephone.

I guess some people need their shop for local dive site info, on the other hand some of the dive shop people spend so much time in the store they have forgotten what it's like to actually dive.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Your initial argument was that divers NEED their LDS to perform certain services, suggesting these services would not otherwise be available. You listed hydrotesting as one of those services. Several responded to point out that shops do not perform hydrotesting, that this service is done at hydrotesting facilities that will perform this service directly to the public, cheaper and quicker. The point wasn't that the LDS charges too much for acting as the middle man for this service but that the service would still be available without the LDS.

Repair and maintenance is also available from online shops, cheaper and often quicker, even with shipping fees and times factored. Dive shops do not teach classes, instructors do. Instructors can teach independently without going through the shop. Travel service is readily available from traditional travel agents and online booking sites. Social activities are available through dive clubs.

The one and only essential service a dive shop provides now is air fills. There are alternatives in some cases - fire stations, home compressors, club compressors - but generally speaking those are not available to the masses. If dive shops ever lose their exclusivity on air fills, they are toast.

Whatever your smokin I hope you enjoy it! I am seeing a trend here say someone said something and they must have said it, right? I never said anyone need a LDS for Hydro or anything else! My point was it's a nice thing to have and they have a right to charge for any service offered. If you want to do it your way be my guest but don't put words in my mouth! I will still support my locale dive store, too many horror story about on-line stores and grey market products and the ones bought from stores going out of business!