How do Local dive shops stay afloat?

[Firefyter]

They'll do pretty much anything they can to make their customers happy.

I could probably have found a better price somewhere, but I could never have found a better deal.

Terry

THIS is exactly what will keep an LDS in business. Kudo's to them and those like them.

 

[Florabama]

I can get better deals in my LDS than I can get on the Internet especially when you consider shipping costs. The reason is because I am a very loyal customer and have spent lots of money there over time. There are some things I will simply not buy over the internet -- one is electronics like dive computers. If it craps out on the first dive, you are in for a lot of trouble getting it repaired. Buy it at the LDS and if it craps, they give you a loaner until its fixed, and they take care of all the mailing. In short, the LDS is a better deal.

I will say this, we have shops in town that have exorbitant prices. I found a shop I liked that had reasonable prices and built a relationship with them. They know me by my first name when I walk in. I even fill my own tanks, since I've gone through Dive Master with them. That's how you have to do it.

 

[hardhat]

Well guys, I'd have to say most every one sounds like they understand most of what their LDSs go through to stay in business, so now we all have to make it our mission to get others to understand what you do, get them all supporting their LDSs. That way maybe your LDSs can support you better. Remember what goes around comes around. Cheers all and have a great holiday week-end on both sides of the boarder.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Sure. I kept my own compressor untill I recently sold it after lossing my job...and some one without a job doesn't do much diving anyway. All the tech divers I know have to pump their own because no shop around here sells anything but air. And since we often pump the air in on top of pur O2 we make sure that it's as clean or cleaners than anything you'll find in a shop. I still have my air sampling kit so if any one local needs to get their air tested we're in business.

Not true. Most DO give warranties, only a few don't such as ScubaPro and Aqualung.

Mares, Dacor, Oceanic, and Sherwood will not warranty gear bought over the net. Nor will Bare, and Suunto. Who's left, out of the big manufacturers out there?

Sherwood products can be sold online and it's been that way for a few years. Off the top of my head sherwood, Genesis, Zeagle, diverite and Halcyon can all be sold on the net and as long as the seller is an authorized dealer the products are supported. Unfortunately, authorized dealers are bound by the pricing restrictions in their dealer agreements.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Well the real reality is that if every one was to buy off the web and the LDS goes under then every one that dives will not have any one around to show them how to maintain their gear, show them how to use their gear properly, service their gear, provide warranties, and the biggest reason you don't want to see anything happen to your LDS is where would you get you air fills from? I'm pretty sure the bulk of divers wouldn't want to put the money out to buy and maintain a compressor. Something else to keep in mind is that most of the manufacturers will not give a factory warranty on gear purchased off the internet. As far as I've heard most of the online stores won't do anything to help you out with your gear you've bought from them if you have a problem with it. So by all means buy off the internet if you don't see any value in having a local dive shop.

I'm thinking that a diver should be able to figure out how to use a new piece of equipment without a dive shop to show them how.

If the manufacturers would sell service manuals and parts like they should service is a piece of cake. The manuals generally give step by step directions that a total idiot could follow using the the most basic of tools. In fact the service training that most manufacturers provide is little more than handing you your own official copy of the service manual. LOL

 

[OceanusDC]

This e-mail was just sent to us from Sherwood Scuba. As you can see there are minimum prices that can be charged...

In its continuing effort to eliminate product sales which violate its
internet policies, Sherwood Scuba has announced that it will take new
and aggressive steps to prohibit illicit product sales.

Effective July 1st, Sherwood Scuba will institute the following
measures: Firstly, Sherwood Scuba’s Minimum Advertised Pricing policy will
include all Sherwood Scuba products. Secondly, Sherwood Scuba will take
broad steps to increase the monitoring and identification of illicit
product sales. Thirdly, Sherwood Scuba will institute an aggressive
policy of immediate account suspension and/or termination for accounts found
to be in violation of its internet policies.

Sherwood Scuba is absolutely committed to its world-wide dealer
network, and we at Sherwood Scuba recognize that illicit internet sales
negatively impact our brand in the broader marketplace. We further recognize
that such sales are detrimental to our authorized dealer network, and
we are committed to doing everything we can to actively support our most
important asset, our authorized retailers.

Details of the new Sherwood Scuba policies are available at
http://www.sherwoodscuba.com/map.html

 

[cdiver2]

This e-mail was just sent to us from Sherwood Scuba.

we are committed to doing everything we can to actively support our most
important asset, our authorized retailers.

Details of the new Sherwood Scuba policies are available at
http://www.sherwoodscuba.com/map.html

Our most important asset???? I would have thought that would be the customer. I guess the divers now know where they stand with Sherwood

 

[Debraw]

I never let a customer walk out the door. I pull up the prices on Leisure Pro/Scubatoys/Divers Direct, etc. etc. right there in front of them and match it. If I don't have it in stock I call around to other dive shops and see if they have it. Then I send the customer there to purchase it. I can't tell you the number of times I have sent people to Scubatoys or given them there phone number. It's about the customer, not me. That's what people remember and that's why they come back to me, first. I don't even pretend to compete with Scubatoy's ....(anymore). I am not even in the same league! I concentrate on what I saw missing in my LDS's when I first started scuba diving 7 years ago.

1) Scuba trips for individuals, not just groups
2) local organized activities for divers
3) small classes for instruction
4) attention....let me say that again ATTENTION!

 

[MikeFerrara]

Our most important asset???? I would have thought that would be the customer. I guess the divers now know where they stand with Sherwood

The dive shop is the customer of the manufacturer though they often aren't treated like it. If Sherwood doesn't make the dive shop happy they just sell another brand. In reality mostr of the manufacturers treat the shop as though the shop was working for the manufacturer. With so few of them and even fewer of them being "big names" getting and keeping a dealership can be a little like getting a liquer license in Chicago. LOL...time to kiss some major booty.

On the other hand if the end user was the customer they'd be glad to sell you service manuals and parts. BTW, I haven't ever seen a dealer agreement that prevented a shop from selling parts. Most just don't want to.

The same is true for the agency. A shop can issue any agencies certs and most people walking in the dive shop door to get certified don't know the difference and don't care. The agency makes their moiney from the shop, instructor dues, teaching materials, cert fees, ect

 

[MikeFerrara]

I concentrate on what I saw missing in my LDS's when I first started scuba diving 7 years ago.

That's what I did when I opened my shop. I knew exactly what it was that I didn't like about the shops I'd been around and tried to do things differently. I think a lot of people liked it but there wasn't much money in it.

Aside from the internet, the shops I've seen that make money are the ones who play the standard game well. Cheap, short classes, issue lots of certs and push entry level equipment packages hard and for top dollar. This is after all how so many of the manufacturer reps will coach you. Give away the class to get em in the door and sell equipment. It's no skin off the reps nose if you bust your back teaching around the clock to earn them their commission. If you do it right you can make a pretty good buck off a new diver before they wise up. The casual vacation diver may never wise up or even want to.

Dive shops and their whole business model fits a certain type of diver very well. To many others they are totally useless.