Does your LDS support you?

[nonameisgood]

Well, while I agree with every thing previously said...
My first trip to a larger LDS in Dallas is as follows:
- sales guy wanted to be helpful, but wasn't too good at salesmanship,
- he quoted MSRP-sounding prices (about 2x internet) on everything.
- he offered no advice, even after I explained my newness to diving
- he finally said something like, "if your gonna buy one of everything in the store, we might make a deal"(PP)
- his sales pitch on buying from him was that they would ONLY charge me for labor on the annual check of the regs, since Scubapro (one of two brands he carries) covers parts under the warranty. ("and parts usually run about $80 for other regulators" EVERY YEAR?)

That said, I'll probably look around, but who knows. You can't judge a store by one visit.

I really expect alot of support for these prices.

 

[divegirl]

Our LDS is very customer oriented. They want to do anything they canto keep you coming back.

Every student gets a discount on any gear they purchase, not just at time of certification, but forever.

What to participate in the monthly dive and don't have equiptment, you'll get a set for the dive free.

Bring several other students into the shop and get a discount or free class for yourself.

How about the best dive instructors in the area as well as great equiptment service and staff knowledgable about everything related to scuba.

Just a place to hang out and chat with other divers.

They certainly support me and foster my enthusiasm and education.

 

[Texass]

My basic philosophy is I use the LDS for service. If the equipment needs regular maintenance, I buy it from them. If it doesn't I buy it online.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by divegirl
They certainly support me and foster my enthusiasm and education.

Good morning Leslie!
I noticed your glowing report in the parallel thread to this one about how you support your LDS...

Question:
If your LDS did not support you would you support your LDS?

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Texass
My basic philosophy is I use the LDS for service.

You know I have been trying to establish a philosophy to guide my relationships in several other retail venues and I think that you may have given me some nutritious food for thought here.

Perhaps I have been desiring too much camaraderie from my LTS (sometimes it is so hard to break into the clique and if you displease them you will have to buy a ton of stuff to get them to like you again.)

I will admit that once I did buy tires from a discount store (but never online!) and perhaps that disloyalty is why they treat me so churlishly... though they did fix a flat in a discount tire for me once (for $20) but with so much sullen contempt I felt like... horrible... dirty... undeserving... yes, disloyal.

I so desperately wanted them to like me... and since we are talking life support equipment here I really needed to be able to trust their goodwill.

But then I read your post and realized that maybe they are just playing upon my self generated / LTS exacerbated personal need to belong.

What I really need are tires... and at a good price... and with good service... and when I want them... on my schedule not theirs...

And when I stop and think about it... there are a lot of people driving around safely on tires that they did not buy from my (former) LTS!

 

[Windknot]

Does my LDS support me???

Yes and no. They like many of the others that have posted cater to the recreational market. I think that statistically only 1.5 - 2.0 students are continuing to dive regularly after thier class here in Michigan. (The water temperature probably has something to do with it)

There is a strong undercurrent of dislike for anything "TECHIE" there. If you cant do it with an HP100 and a 30 sq/Ft. pony, then you SHOULDN'T be doing it. I have seen people cringe when I bring in my "FAT" tanks for fills and have to really bust some chops to get them to fill them to thier PLUS rating. My long hose was the topic of good hearted teasing when I was at the shop last week.

ON THE OTHER HAND......

When I am challenged about my gear, my configuration, my attitude, I have given myself the education (from many hours of reading books and posts here and elsewhere) to DEFEND MYSELF and my position, and in most cases....force a pause in the conversation, followed usually by some reflection and occasionally capitulation on their part.

Even as a new diver, my DIR-Curious mentality, gear configuration and general never quit, never die, and NEVER SURRENDER attitude has provided me with some validation however. I have two examples from which to cite now...and hopefully those will continue to grow.

1. My BOW instructor is/was considered the shop's "Techie in Residence" he's a diver of 25+ years and does SILLY things like dive doubles, tri-mix etc. He has come to me poolside and asked insightful and serious questions about my gear and setup. Furthermore...and as far as I am concerned, the most flattering is that he has invited me to dive with him...actually encouraging me to complete my AOW certifications so we could be "silly" together.

2. The instructor that precepted our Open Water skills certification last year was diving with a group of OW students this past weekend. He decided that he wanted to see what all of the fuss over the long hose was about....only problem was that he didnt understand how it was configured or WHY he had it in the first place. Well, after his first dive and the tangled mess that he returned with, he came to ME and asked for help. I showed him how to route the hose, explained the benefits that it possessed while instructing and that he could continue to use it in regular recreational uses afterward.....by the end of the weekend, his regular buddy wanted one too...

DO THEY SUPPORT ME????

Yes, but not without a fight....I've got to think though, that if I can convince the the employees of the shop through educated dialogue the benefits of a KISS system, that they will in the long run the fight will be less, their inventory will be more diverse and my wallet will continue to empty.

 

[MASS-Diver]

One thing I like about my LDS:

$40 = unlimited air fills (any tank size) for the year

 

[Rooster1]

So far my experience with the all the lds I have visited (7 of them)and dropped cold hard cash in is that, I have been treated no better then any customer who walks in to a Sears and buys a shirt or a pair of shoes and says bye and thank you. That is fine with me. I don't need my bum rubbed when I am buying gear. As far as loyalty.... after all who's doing who a favor??? There are other dive shops all of which will love if I walk through the door and spend more money on what they are selling then what I really have to. I have decided to keep my purchases at the lds to what I need at a fair price, other then that online all the way.
Much of the gear I have bought online I got for 30 to 50 percent less then walking into a lds and if you are starting to get into the thousands then that 30 to 50 percent on various gear is a whole lot of savings to put towards more gear, including what is fairly priced at the lds. Now with this in mind there will be no doubt questions, comments, etc ( I have gone through this with my instructor who has owned his own dive shop)?

Questions, comments, and answers
1- you have to support your lds
answer...I do when it is a fair price!
2-what about servicing your regs on a yearly basis??
if I buy from the lds or not servicing the regs iis not free. They still make money off the service. If they don't want to service the regs cuz I didn't buy them there, then someone else will get my money, not to mention many dive shops don't carry the regs that various customers want.
3-Yeah well are you going to get those online guys to do your tanks filled??%^(??
No I am not! I will pay the lds the money to fill it and again it is money in there pocket every time I need tanks filled and if they refuse to because I have not bought enough gear from them, then option (A) is go to the competition..(B) the local fire extinguisher filler up shop, fill your tanks, not to mention vip and hydro a lot cheaper. option (C) if you know a lot of dive buddies there is a chance one has a compressor. I am lucky to have access to 3 compressors. (love thy buddies)
The point in all this is not to bash or trash the lds guys.
The point is since this seems to keep coming up about loyalty and support I thought I would express what seems to be logical.
Do you buy a coke and a hot dog for a buck or do you buy it for two bucks?? Do the math. If your hungry you can eat twice as much for the same cash.
If you want to feel guilt about saving money, well maybe you should have that checked out. You could give your savings to charity if it makes you feel better...or if you want you could send your savings to me, I won't feel guilty.
I leave you with this..
I pay for what I get...
If the price is good , I'll be back!..
I DO NOT buy lds relationships, just gear.

 

[Windknot]

Geeze,

You must be in shopping heaven!! You actually have a CHOICE!!

 

[Rooster1]

Originally posted by Windknot
Geeze,

You must be in shopping heaven!! You actually have a CHOICE!!

I am fortunate enough to live on the border Windsor,On and Detroit, MI. There are actually a lot more then that but I don't want to go all over the place....that is unless the $ is right.