fisheater
Contributor
If the grocery store on the other end of town has a sale on your favorite cut of meat, do you feel bad about driving past your local grocery store to buy it?
Dive Shop Etiquette
- Thread starter pajuffin
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phoenix31tt
Contributor
if i'm happy with a dive shop.. i will give them a call first when i want to go diving...
if they are unavailable i will dive with somebody else... they should not expect you to only dive when they are available...
also it's quite ok to get experiences form other dive shops...
if they are unavailable i will dive with somebody else... they should not expect you to only dive when they are available...
also it's quite ok to get experiences form other dive shops...
sphyrnidus
Contributor
They can't deliver at the moment: a dive trip. Dive shops are just commercial enterprises. It's nice when they are friendly, but they live off what you spend there, so they should be.
I always go to the same shop and we have a club related to that shop. But if I want to buy something and they don't have it or are more expensive, it 's bussiness as usual: I go elsewhere..
I always go to the same shop and we have a club related to that shop. But if I want to buy something and they don't have it or are more expensive, it 's bussiness as usual: I go elsewhere..
tplyons
Contributor
I feel there should be some loyalty, but within reason.
In my experience, my dive shop is like a second home for me. I pop in around once a week for fills, see if anything is new on the shelves, new trips planned, etc. They know my preferences and tell me about the things that interest me. My shop is priced competitively with everything in the area, and because of my relationship with them, will often work with me on pricing for something I found online.
But I knew that loyalty goes two ways when they told me "the online price is lower than our cost, you're better off ordering there" or turning me to a competitor when I need something for the weekend and they don't have any in stock.
Be loyal to them, and let them be loyal to you. A good relationship with a dive shop goes both ways. Have that open dialogue. Discuss what you like to do with diving, your goals, and hopefully they'll let you know when something along those lines comes up.
Just don't let the relationship be detrimental to you. I spend thousands a year at my dive shop. I have no problem spending a few hundred on something somewhere else. I just don't advertise that I bought it from a competitor.
In my experience, my dive shop is like a second home for me. I pop in around once a week for fills, see if anything is new on the shelves, new trips planned, etc. They know my preferences and tell me about the things that interest me. My shop is priced competitively with everything in the area, and because of my relationship with them, will often work with me on pricing for something I found online.
But I knew that loyalty goes two ways when they told me "the online price is lower than our cost, you're better off ordering there" or turning me to a competitor when I need something for the weekend and they don't have any in stock.
Be loyal to them, and let them be loyal to you. A good relationship with a dive shop goes both ways. Have that open dialogue. Discuss what you like to do with diving, your goals, and hopefully they'll let you know when something along those lines comes up.
Just don't let the relationship be detrimental to you. I spend thousands a year at my dive shop. I have no problem spending a few hundred on something somewhere else. I just don't advertise that I bought it from a competitor.
Carlos Danger
Contributor
I wouldn't worry yourself about any of this, or be intimidated. You spent the money and invested the time in completing your training, and now it's time to go have fun. You are the paying customer in the equation, so I would not let whatever loyalty you feel stand in the way of you getting to go on a trip. Trust me, they would do the same thing. But, if you are still feeling uneasy then maybe you should just ask your shop for some recommendations on other shops/options for trips since all of theirs are full. I would like to think that a good shop would at least try and provide you some additional guidance since you are new to the sport.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
John_B
Grasshopper
Check the instructor signatures on the first four dives in your log book to see if there is a clause that says, "Til death do us part". 
iluvtheocean
Contributor
one thing i base which shop i go to for something is their hours --- many of the shops around here for some reason shut down early on the weekend. close at 3pm on sunday? since i'm still renting tanks - that gives me no time to get back - unless i want to pay for an extra day 
freewillie
Contributor
If they are as friendly and supportive as you indicate then there should be no problems. You wanted to go diving, their trip was full, and you took an available opportunity to dive albeit with another dive shop. You gave them the first shot at your business but they couldn't accommodate you through no fault of either party.
As long as you give them the majority of your business they shouldn't blink an eye if you but something elsewhere. If they are smart they appreciate the ancillary income that comes from servicing the gear. I bought a BC for my daughter online since it was a clearance and the price was just too good to pass up. No problem, my LDS got business out of that since I had to take the BC to them to add a cummerbund. Win win for both of us.
LarryHinDC
Contributor
Exactly. I'd say other things being equal (or close to it), give them the business. But if they would rather you sit home than go on a trip with another shop because their trip is full, then they don't have your best interests in mind. And if they have a trip scheduled to a place you don't want to go, don't go with them out of loyalty if it means passing up a trip that another operation is offering. They should want you to do whatever it takes to keep you interested in diving more.
I too felt this way when I started diving. I was afraid to go anywhere else. I felt I was only safe using out of town shops (while on far off trips) and when I was back home, I HAD to use the one shop I started out with... loyalty and all that.
Now... my LDS did give me a reason to be loyal. Ive yet to see anyone give me the same deals, often even beating online pricing when I ask what "MY" price is vs what's on the tag vs what I can buy it for online. So, I tend to stick with them as they've always been fair, helpful, and once in a while go out of their way to help me out. I will also go out of my way sometimes to help them out (help with an event, recommend EVERYONE to their shop, personally bring people in and introduce them to the owners as potential customers, etc).
I've also made friends at some LDSs that I frequent in other towns, so I tend to just stick with them...as gaining that friendship of the owner, you want to be loyal to them and help their own business out and you get to visit and hang out too
Of course you can only go so far with your LDS as far as some things go. For instance, I am not going to purchase some $1000 item that's listed for $100's less online. BUT... what I WILL do is ask them "Hey, I see this item online, it's $100's less than you sell it for in store. What can you do for me?".
You may find, if you've put in the face time and grown the relationships with the owners, that they will give you better deals. I have a couple owners I will go out of my way to help them with things outside of diving, or I just stop by to chat with them on my way home or coming back from a trip, even if I don't need anything, just to say hi and see how they are doing... the friendship thing. I help them out...they help me out. It keeps me loyal to them.
As far as trips and diving goes? I don't do any diving out of my LDSs at all. I dive with all my own group of friends, or the boat dives I do are out of town anyway, so I can't exactly use my LDS for that. All my cave diving I do I am loyal to one shop, with the occasional use of a 2nd one in a different area, but I will often go out of my way to use the one specific one that is my favorite because of the service I receive and the friendships I made with the owners.
I hope thats a little help on insight and thoughts into LDS loyalty.
Now... my LDS did give me a reason to be loyal. Ive yet to see anyone give me the same deals, often even beating online pricing when I ask what "MY" price is vs what's on the tag vs what I can buy it for online. So, I tend to stick with them as they've always been fair, helpful, and once in a while go out of their way to help me out. I will also go out of my way sometimes to help them out (help with an event, recommend EVERYONE to their shop, personally bring people in and introduce them to the owners as potential customers, etc).
I've also made friends at some LDSs that I frequent in other towns, so I tend to just stick with them...as gaining that friendship of the owner, you want to be loyal to them and help their own business out and you get to visit and hang out too
Of course you can only go so far with your LDS as far as some things go. For instance, I am not going to purchase some $1000 item that's listed for $100's less online. BUT... what I WILL do is ask them "Hey, I see this item online, it's $100's less than you sell it for in store. What can you do for me?".
You may find, if you've put in the face time and grown the relationships with the owners, that they will give you better deals. I have a couple owners I will go out of my way to help them with things outside of diving, or I just stop by to chat with them on my way home or coming back from a trip, even if I don't need anything, just to say hi and see how they are doing... the friendship thing. I help them out...they help me out. It keeps me loyal to them.
As far as trips and diving goes? I don't do any diving out of my LDSs at all. I dive with all my own group of friends, or the boat dives I do are out of town anyway, so I can't exactly use my LDS for that. All my cave diving I do I am loyal to one shop, with the occasional use of a 2nd one in a different area, but I will often go out of my way to use the one specific one that is my favorite because of the service I receive and the friendships I made with the owners.
I hope thats a little help on insight and thoughts into LDS loyalty.
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