Dream dive shop

[I_R_DIVER]

If you could create a perfect dive shop, what would it be like. Where would it take you, how will it make you feel. What is that special something you want out of a LDS.

Me and a friend are in the process of putting a shop together so I am looking for a couple of tips and tricks to make an excellent shop.
I thought SB would to be a good place to start gathering some intel on what is the "need" out there. So any suggestions?

 

[amascuba]

The shops that keep me coming back offer:

• A professional looking and managed shop
• Customer service as a priority
• Honest and up-front
• An understanding that it's my responsibility to shop around to get the product that I want.

A shop employee that tries to blow smoke up my ass about government laws and regulations, and/or agency regulations isn't going to get much repeat business.

A shop employee that immediately treats me as a second class customer just because I bought a piece of gear on the Internet or from another shop is not going to get much repeat business. A LDS isn't able to carry every line of gear or even able to compete price wise with some retail markets. It's my responsibility to make sure that I get the product that I want whether it's a line that the LDS carries or not at a price that is reasonable. That does not necessarily mean that I'm going to go out and automatically choose the cheapest retailer. I'll look for specific features within many different vendors. If an LDS carries the item I similar to what I want, but from a different vendor. More than likely I'll give that LDS a shot if I'm in good standing with them. My current LDS is awesome. Very friendly and customer oriented owner that has owned his shop for 30 years. He mainly focuses on the retail and classroom portion of classes now and lets instructors teach the majority of classes. He's honest and doesn't try to pawn something on you that doesn't fit your needs. He doesn't carry every line of gear and he understands that he can't provide everything that I want. It more shops tried to emulate his business model they would probably have a better shot in the industry.

 

[TSandM]

You're posting the same questions in the Tech Diver forum, so I assume you want answers from the technical standpoint.

I want banked standard gases. I want to walk in and get a 32% fill while I stand there. And I'd like it to be 32%, not 30 or 34. I'd like to be able to get a He fill within 24 hours.

I'd like a ready supply of the things I lose or run out of -- good bolt snaps, triglides, buckles, cave line, webbing, etc.

I'd like a service tech who's in the shop most of the time, so I can bring in a failed piece of equipment and possibly get it fixed to save the next day's dive.

I definitely want salespeople who recognize that they're serving an educated and discerning population. Blowing smoke at tech divers doesn't get anybody very far. We all know where we can buy stuff cheaper.

Having demo items of new "cool" stuff would be a big selling point. If I had an opportunity to dive the next new thing in backup lights, or computers, or undergarments, I'd be far more likely to buy.

The tech market is tough. They're customers with knowledge and a short fuse. But the tech market is reported to be less than 2% of the scuba market altogether, so it may not be worth aiming your shop in that direction, unless the area is underserved for tech and you can draw from a big catchment area.

Oh, and BTW, the environment that makes tech divers happy -- gear and scooters partially disassembled all over the floor -- doesn't please the average rec diver customers AT ALL. Neither do dirty restrooms with no toilet paper (a staple of one of our local tech shops).

 

[deepstops]

It would be exactly like Fill Express except it would carry more brands of gear.

 

[daniel f aleman]

deepstops,

What does DiveRite not offer that you would want? One of the things that makes Fill Express so effective as a retailer is that they only offer one equipment line (it could be another brand). One brand simplifies their business model completely - a holy grail for retailers. Now, they do fill out their retail offerings with brands of equipment that DiveRite does not manufacture: tanks, accessories, etc.

I once watched a "well-known" tech diver walk into the store and purchase everything that he needed for three days of wreck diving and two days of cave diving. Right next to him was a father and son signing up for an Open Water course.

One place that offers all the equipment that you need on the floor, a booking agent for boat dives and trips, knowledge of local dive sites, and training from in-house instructors that can take you from OW to Trimix 2.

 

[deepstops]

deepstops,

What does DiveRite not offer that you would want? One of the things that makes Fill Express so effective as a retailer is that they only offer one equipment line (it could be another brand). One brand simplifies their business model completely - a holy grail for retailers. Now, they do fill out their retail offerings with brands of equipment that DiveRite does not manufacture: tanks, accessories, etc.

I once watched a "well-known" tech diver walk into the store and purchase everything that he needed for three days of wreck diving and two days of cave diving. Right next to him was a father and son signing up for an Open Water course.

One place that offers all the equipment that you need on the floor, a booking agent for boat dives and trips, knowledge of local dive sites, and training from in-house instructors that can take you from OW to Trimix 2.

Jetfins. Halcyon wings. Gavin or SS DPVs.

Yes, DR may have every piece of gear I might need (except the the DPV) but there are certain things I like better from other manufacturers.

Choice, it's what I like :shrug:

PS. I wish they still banked 30/30 trimix.

 

[daniel f aleman]

I agree that one might/will like specific items made by different companies over each DiveRite product, but that particular company does offer almost all that is needed. And, you probably will only buy Jetfins, Halcyon wings, the Gavin or SS DPVs once, knowing that they'll last quite a while.

I think of a great LDS as one that offers what is needed for daily diving for all types of divers. (A similarly designed shop in say, Minnesota or Hawai'i, most likely would offer a different main product line.)

 

[electric_diver]

It would be a lot like divetech in Mallorytown. Dive Tech Training Centre - Home Page

Almost everything you could possibly want under one roof.
The key thing is that everything is in stock. You don't have to wait weeks and weeks for stuff to be ordered in.