Dive shop versus online

[BurningChrome]

thanks for all of the replies; a lot of food for thought!

 

[PvtStash]

cant beat those low low internet prices cus' he's an AquaLung shop and flexibility is limited, but he Does make up for it in other ways...

for instance ifyou buy your BC/Reg from him you get free use of a wetsuit, weights & a tank (with fill) for an entire year...

this More than made up for the few hundred dollars more I spent going through the shop... its a win-win... and probably why he's doing well while so many others are going ghost town.

 

[TheScubaBOB]

I don't understand this continuous debate as if there is some sort of "loyalty" required of your customers. I know of no other industry that store owners feel betrayed if their customers went somewhere else to buy. Sure, they may feel disappointed, and that's good.

I think this is the crux of the burn for this whole issue.

A good LDS will understand that Loyalty doesn't mean exclusivity. I buy some stuff online and also pick-up some used gear here & there. My LDS does all of the service on it and has never got an attitude when I bring any of it in.

In turn, I buy my airfills 20 at a time paid in advance from him and always give him first crack on the major purchases.

A good example of this is the gear I'm buying for my wife, comparing LDS & LP I could save $200 buying through LP but I'm going to purchase at the LDS (yes for the warranty and 20% discount on labor if purchased through LDS). When it came to the Dive Computer the difference on the single item was almost $300 so it will be purchased from "other" sources but I've already bought two Suunto Dive Computers from the LDS.

I paid about $130 more for my Vyper Air than LP lists it (including taxes) but I don't mind so much because of the Loyalty he has demonstrated to me. For example, when I order the wife's gear the regulator set will have to be ordered but we need gear to dive this weekend so he will gladly loan us a rental Reg Set (at no cost to us).

A shop that understands they should earn our business & loyalty is a shop worthy of said loyalty.

 

[seco divemaster17]

when purchasing equipment are you better served in the long run if you buy your equipment at your local dive shop--especially if that's the place you intend to do additional training?

it appears that the prices might be better with the online stores, but you lose out on the personal attention and if something breaks the local shop is around the corner but the online store is...???

or is all of that moot because you've just gotta find the best deal no matter where you find it?

...just askin'...

i feel that to get the best out of your monies is to go to the shop and get the one on one feel that you only get from the shop. i mean deals online are great but i like the shops better:cool2:

 

[on_two_wheels]

Remember, they are just dive equipment sales just like anyone else. I've seen LDS grow in spite of this competition, and I've seen some go away. If you don't keep your business model effective, you're going to go away. I've seen too many dive shops run like a hobby rather than a real business.

If you can't compete using your current business model, you've gotta change. If you don't think change is necessary, just ask a dinasaur how that worked for them.

AMEN!!!!

View attachment 60120 Click for a larger version.

Are you a loyal dive shop customer? Here is the SSI Customer Loyalty Cycle. The merchant has invested in a business designed to keep people diving and spending. It starts as a curious individual walks in the door. (Notice the Education and Bonding Phase.)

Note that the key to making sure the customer moves to every new step is satisfaction. That must include satisfaction with the pricing. An online business does the same thing but their "education" might be explaining the pros/cons of gear, latest developments, etc.

A local LDS just made a deal happen the other day for me. I was shopping for an analyzer. His was $229, the exact same price & model I saw online. I mentioned that online I didn't need to pay any tax. I walked out with it for $217. That will remain a successful LDS and I'll continue to give them opportunity to match any online deal I find.

 

[RJP]

A shop that understands they should earn our business & loyalty is a shop worthy of said loyalty.

You've hit the nail on the head. The ideal shop from a "business model" perspective is the shop which works to enjoy the loyalty of their customers to the point where people gladly pay MSRP to shop there because the LDS provides that much value!



I'm blessed with a great LDS, literally a mile from my house. They are open 7 days a week. They are a family owned business and have an incredibly knowledgeable and friendly sales and instructor staff. They have a heated indoor pool that is there for you to try out any gear you want, from a mask to a rebreather and everything in between. They spent 3hrs with me when I bought my first BP/W setup, working with me to get the fitting perfect. Then I got in the pool for an hour or so and tweaked some more. Decided I didn't need the weight pockets, so they went back on the shelf. Swapped for different wings, adjusted some more in the pool and got my rig nailed down perfectly. Yes, I could have saved a few bucks by purchasing the same gear on line, but would have gotten nowhere near the same VALUE.

And in fact I have saved lots of money shopping there, even if based solely on the purchases they have talked me OUT OF...times I've gone in there with something in mind and in talking it through with them they suggest something else which is much cheaper, somehow more appropriate, or more often than not suggesting ways to configure what I already have to meet my desired purpose. Recently I was going to Truk lagoon and stopped into the shop to buy a 40lb H wing to use with AL80 doubles on the Truk Odyssey, figuring my 60lb H wing I use with steel 119's here at home would be too much. One of the shop owners said "The 40lb Evolve would be much more streamlined than the 60, and since you're diving there for three weeks that'd be the way to go for sure. But, hell...don't buy one. Borrow mine!" So I went into the shop with $400 in hand ready to make a purchase, and walked out with the gear I wanted and my $400 still in my pocket!

In fact on Sunday of this week my buddy and I were diving at the local quarry. My buddy got up at 6am and drove more than an hour to dive there, before realizing he forgot his reg bag with his doubles rig in it. DAMN! Well, the owner of our LDS was there and immediately started rooting around in the back of his own truck and came out with several reg sets and some tools and in just a few minutes my buddy and I were geared up and diving.

When my new DUI drysuit was delayed at the factory for a few weeks, I was given a brand new rental suit at no charge to use while waiting for mine to come in. Saved me from needing to cancel several boat dives I'd already paid for.

Had a Princeton Tec light that crapped out last year. Brought it back in, walked out with a brand new one in about 5min; new upgraded model in fact. The shop said "Here you go, we'll work the details out with Princeton Tec." Yeah, I could have gotten that light $5 cheaper online originally. But how would that have gone once it crapped out?

When the handle on my Salvo light needed to be replaced, the option to take a handle off one on the shelf or borrow a light from one of the owners while awaiting a new one was immediately offered. I didn't need it for a few weeks, so I declined and waited for them to get a new one in for me, but the point is I would have been able to get my problem fixed immediately and on the spot.

Do I pay MSRP at this shop? Not usually. They are smart enough to work with customers on price as best they can. But the point is that "price" is not the reason that I shop there. VALUE is. And they provide it.

To steal a line from Oscar Wilde "I have very simple tastes. I am always satisfied with the best."

In fact, if YOU want to shop at my LDS you can...

www.DiveSeekers.com 1-888-728-2247

If you see something you're interested in - or if you DON'T see something you're looking for - give Wayne or Jason a call directly and talk to them in person about what you're looking to do and how they can best meet your needs...with gear, with price, with advice. I think you'll see the value they bring goes well beyond the price you pay.

 

[Lead_carrier]

You have gotten a full range of answers here and most all of them with good advice. I was actually surprised that it was so civil.

I work part time at a dive shop so I am a bit prejudiced. I don't expect to sell to everyone that comes in the door, but I don't want to used as an online fitting shop either. If you do go to a LDS shop and are serious about getting your equipment from them. Give them a fair chance. Don't go in, look at their top of the line reg, computer and bc then go online and get entry level or middle of the road. Compare apples to apples. If you look online, choose a setup, PRINT it off and take it to your LDS. At least give the lds a chance to make you an offer. Account of any extras they can throw in, both immeadiately or down the road. It may add up to be close enough for you to live with. If not, oh well, they tried. (or at least they could have)

The only time I get truly po'ed at someone for buying online is when they come into the shop, look at a MK25/S600 w/ computer then come in with a MK2/R190 and console and tell me they bought online because it was so much cheaper. Those are the ones that I will hold in low esteem. Not for buying else where but because they are dumber than rocks.

 

[Stu S.]

Note that the key to making sure the customer moves to every new step is satisfaction.

That circle is the ideal win-win for merchant and customer. It must be tough to achieve. Due to recent dive store closings around Orlando, no one merchant has "all the bases" covered right now. Equipment service is a weak point. That takes away a good reason to buy gear locally.

 

[on_two_wheels]

Stu, I hear ya. Even harder to achieve in times like this when the average joe is tightening the belt. People start thinking their reg will last a few more months between services, dive less, etc. So the shop reduces staff. Then it takes longer for services to be performed which can irritate the customers. That circle goes both way, unfortunately.

I just had an LDS say they'll match the online company's best offer. I will absolutely drive the 40 miles to the shop to pick it up if they do.

 

[Teamcasa]

Even if this question comes up every so often, the answer differs based on the LDS location and the gear needed vs cost, availability and serviceability.

For me, I always check with my local shop before I buy anything. If they are competitive, (they don't have to be cheaper, just close) and have access to the gear I want, I'll buy it from them.

If they are not competitively priced, at least they now know what that gear is selling for elsewhere. This helps them in their marketing and pricing programs. I want them to stay in business for my sake as well as for the sake of our sport so I do try to do my part.