BC manufacturers must be Raking it in...

[The Chairman]

Some manufacturers adapt and you can find them in our ScubaBoard - Q and A for Scuba Manufacturers. These manufacturers are dedicating TIME to research their customers wants and desires and they are seeking them out here rather than waiting for them to come to their site! This new proactive assault to market their products will make them tomorrows big leaders.

But hey, when you get big you often feel you HAVE to play it safe. I hope that never happens HERE. We will only remain the 800 pound gorilla if we keep innovating. (Psssssssssttttt... Thal: that ain't no shop monkey you're funnin' with! )

 

[Thalassamania]

that ain't no shop monkey you're funnin' with!

tank monkey! ... TANK monkey! ... TANK MONKEY!

 

[cool_hardware52]

Tobin, you said that if you and I can do this, then they can.

That's not what I said. I said if you and I can do it's a long way from impossible.

Whether or not "Big Scuba" can adapt remains to be seen.

Tobin

 

[cool_hardware52]

My wife and NetDoc just have me (independently) in a "be a nicer guy" guy training program.

Any idea when we might see results?

Tobin

 

[The Chairman]

tank monkey! ... TANK monkey! ... TANK MONKEY!

Endure my delusions of Grandeur! It's probably better than being one of those cutesy seamonkeys that my daughter loves to grow! Google Image Result for http://www.microimaging.ca/animal/17shrimp.jpg

 

[MikeFerrara]

I see third party reg service centers. It's already happened in LA. Lots of dive shops send their regs out to a service now. No real reason the manufacturers can't contract with this type operation to service there regs. Nothing dictates that regs either be serviced by an employee of the manufacturer or an employee of an authorized dealer.

Tobin

When I was a dealer, the manufacturers simply would NOT "authorize" you to service their products unless you were a dealer. I tried.

Maybe there is a way around this but my insurance company wouldn't cover me for the liability of sevicing equipment that I wasn't "authorized" to service.

Additionally, you have to get parts. There are more manufacturers making parts available but with others it's still sort of an underground thing.

 

[cool_hardware52]

When I was a dealer, the manufacturers simply would NOT "authorize" you to service their products unless you were a dealer. I tried.

Maybe there is a way around this but my insurance company wouldn't cover me for the liability of sevicing equipment that I wasn't "authorized" to service.

Additionally, you have to get parts. There are more manufacturers making parts available but with others it's still sort of an underground thing.

Mike,

I understand how the system is currently setup (rigged?) On the other hand there is nothing that would keep a regulator manufacturer from training and authorizing an independent regulator service company to perform this same task, same with making the parts available. All that's required is for the reg companies to choose to do it, and that there be sufficient demand to keep the service company afloat.

This is not a radical service model. I'm sure you are familiar with industrial goods that are produced by Company A, Represented by a independent local Rep, sold via a regional distributor, and ultimately serviced by a technician employed by a "factory authorized" service company.

While there are very good reg tech working at some LDS's who would you prefer service your regs? Somebody who does a few a week, or somebody who does regs all day long?

Tobin

 

[MikeFerrara]

Mike,

I understand how the system is currently setup (rigged?) On the other hand there is nothing that would keep a regulator manufacturer from training and authorizing an independent regulator service company to perform this same task, same with making the parts available. All that's required is for the reg companies to choose to do it, and that there be sufficient demand to keep the service company afloat.

This is not a radical service model. I'm sure you are familiar with industrial goods that are produced by Company A, Represented by a independent local Rep, sold via a regional distributor, and ultimately serviced by a technician employed by a "factory authorized" service company.

While there are very good reg tech working at some LDS's who would you prefer service your regs? Somebody who does a few a week, or somebody who does regs all day long?

Tobin

I'm following your line of reasoning. It's just that the manufacturers have actively worked to prevent this....for obvious reasons.

 

[redacted]

While there are very good reg tech working at some LDS's who would you prefer service your regs? Somebody who does a few a week, or somebody who does regs all day long?

Tobin

I'd rather have a competent mechanic who understands how to recognize, troubleshoot, and correct problems than a shop monkey who has learned to tear them down, clean them, replace the parts, and reassemble them. I'd be less conserned with how many they do a week.

 

[cool_hardware52]

I'd rather have a competent mechanic who understands how to recognize, troubleshoot, and correct problems than a shop monkey who has learned to tear them down, clean them, replace the parts, and reassemble them. I'd be less conserned with how many they do a week.

Ok who do you think is more likely to have seen a wide variety of problems, and solutions, the "few a week" or a few dozen a day mechanic?

Tobin