Do you hate your LDS?

[SailNaked]

Have you come to odds with your local dive shop? will you never spend another dime in some shop for some reason? please let us know how your local dive shop has wronged you? (no shop names please, just the reason).
Edit: the reason I ask is maybe dive shops are alienating their customers and maybe there is something we can learn so that we maintain the loyalty needed to survive in a slow market.

 

[SkimFisher]

Edit: the reason I ask is maybe dive shops are alienating their customers and maybe there is something we can learn so that we maintain the loyalty needed to survive in a slow market.

Attitude and price are everything to me. Actually, if the attitude and atmosphere in a shop are good then I really don't even mind spending a little extra.

 

[ScubaFeenD]

I have very mixed experiences in LDSs around me. One really great experience, a couple OK experience, and a few really bad experiences. As a result there are some stores I will never support.

Basically, my bad experiences are related to rudeness and pushy salesman tactics. I have been looking for specific gear lately, and all I get is a classification that I am a tech diver, because surely in their minds no recreational diver would ever want to dive a BP/W. As a result, I get a lot of, "why do you need that." Dive shop owners have also tried to persuade me away from a brand they carry that is cheaper for more expensive brands they carry because, "this is life support equipment, and you get what you pay for." It's hard for me to justify spending more money at LDSs though, when a majority of my experiences have been negative.

That being said, there are a couple in the area that were really friendly and have been very helpful--I will continue to use them exclusively even though the drives are much longer for me. I wish I could name the excellent places, but I will just leave all names out to make this post more neutral and stay on topic.

-ddd

 

[ScubaFeenD]

Attitude and price are everything to me. Actually, if the attitude and atmosphere in a shop are good then I really don't even mind spending a little extra.

I second that! Great attitude and service are always worth a little more to make sure they stay in business and can continue to hire great people.

 

[Kingpatzer]

My shop is fantastic. They recognize me as a valuable customer. They have: helped every step of the way in my quest to become a better diver,; guided me to purchase items from someone else than them when it suit my needs better than an item they carry; provided me significant price breaks due to my frequent shopping; provided me plenty of free fills; and on and on.

Since I've taken my DM, they've: picked up my insurance; provided me breaks on travel; scheduled classes around my ability to DM or AI so I can get experience; and frankly done everything one could ever hope for short of providing a free ride to help me achieve my goals.

There may be better businesses out there (in any area of retail, not just Scuba), but I'm not aware of one in my area.

 

[H2O 70]

It would be interesting to know how many shops are in your region. Here in Baltimore I can think of 10-11 within 30 miles.

 

[Wookie]

Boy, me too. I agree totally with doctor doctor diver. Attitude is everything. I am a dive professional, and I wholeheartedly support my LDS, wherever I happen to be. I hate walking into an LDS to get a widget, which I have researched, and decided which one I want, and the counterman doesn't want to sell it to me because the Underwater Kinetics widget isn't as good as the XS Scuba gadget, or vice versa. And when you reject their helpful advice, they get all pouty and want you to leave. For instance. I wear O'neil booties. I like them. I go through 2 sets a year. I buy 4 sets at a time. They are distributed through Aqualung dealers. When I walk into an Aqualung shop, I want O'Neil boots. Don't show me the Body Glove, Mares, or Tusa boots, I want the O'Neils. I know you'll have to order them, I'm willing to wait. Yup, I know that they will be full retail. Now, if I can convince you to take the order, please give me a status update now and then. Don't call every day, but call when the order goes to AL, call when they ship, and call when they come in. If you don't call, I just might go to the online retailer who has them in stock, and I get a shipping e-mail, and a arrival e-mail. And they will be cheaper.

Short answer is, a lot of LDS's make it hard to buy from them.

 

[caymaniac]

There is one local shop that insulted my wife. While she was trying to become certified the shop owner offered to take her to a lake/cabin for the weekend ... without me. My wife swears she'll never spend another dollar in a shop this idiot owns.
The guy (owner) is a jerk, one of the last times I visited his shop I took in a customer looking to become certified, latter after the customer left the owner asked me if the customer thought he (the owner) was an a$$. I never answered.
If you live in my area, you would know who this dive op is I don't need to name him.
This owner has photos of himself on the walls in his shop, he also has pressured other divers to buy scubapro equip.

Q.How does someone like this stay in business? A. It's beyond me.

 

[BrotherBear]

...
Basically, my bad experiences are related to rudeness and pushy salesman tactics. I have been looking for specific gear lately, and all I get is a classification that I am a tech diver, because surely in their minds no recreational diver would ever want to dive a BP/W. As a result, I get a lot of, "why do you need that."

...
-ddd

I am getting similar reactions in my area, there are two shops and while one is better than the other neither shop seems to take my desire to go Hogarthian right from the start with a BP/W and simple harness seriously and they try to steer me toward sticking with recreational equipment that I don't want...I don't dare discuss long hoses or ask for help in setting up my rig.

I don't hate either of these shops but neither do I look forward to walking into either one. If I can find a shop that doesn't make me feel that they think I'm an idiot I'll be there.
OTOH maybe I AM an idiot??

 

[SkimFisher]

I have very mixed experiences in LDSs around me. One really great experience, a couple OK experience, and a few really bad experiences. As a result there are some stores I will never support.

Basically, my bad experiences are related to rudeness and pushy salesman tactics. I have been looking for specific gear lately, and all I get is a classification that I am a tech diver, because surely in their minds no recreational diver would ever want to dive a BP/W. As a result, I get a lot of, "why do you need that." Dive shop owners have also tried to persuade me away from a brand they carry that is cheaper for more expensive brands they carry because, "this is life support equipment, and you get what you pay for." It's hard for me to justify spending more money at LDSs though, when a majority of my experiences have been negative.

That being said, there are a couple in the area that were really friendly and have been very helpful--I will continue to use them exclusively even though the drives are much longer for me. I wish I could name the excellent places, but I will just leave all names out to make this post more neutral and stay on topic.

-ddd

If I could "thank" you more than once for that post - I would.