Indoor places in MD to test gear

[oly5050user]

But what if you only purchased some gear from you?

Purchase regulator system from us,go use the pool ..very rarely anyone only buys a regulator from us and shows up with a bcd from elsewhere..If buy only some gear you mean a mask and then shows up with online regulator/bcd purchases-there is a charge for the pool.
It would not be fair to offer an extra service at no charge to a person who shows up with gear purchased elsewhere and wants to just use the facility at no charge and the same to one who is a loyal customer.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

All this talk about only buying gear from one shop sounds to me like they (the shops) don't get many divers coming in from other shops or moving into the area already owning gear. Interesting.

 

[ScubaSteve]

There are an infinite number of variations to what everybody here is saying so it is impossible to make any blanket statements. Either you charge for the pool for everybody, or it is free for everybody......anything in between is playing favourites and at the discretion of the shop. That is their choice and I can accept whatever each shop chooses. Quite frankly, more shops around here have no pool than have a pool (that I have been to anyways). Pool sessions are done at local pools so divers wind up paying for it anyways. One of my two primary dive shops that I use has a pool and I am welcome to use it whenever I want as long as it is not being used for classes and as long as a qualified person is in attendance at the shop (i.e. first aid/CPR etc.). I do not use it often but when I do, it is with a mixture of equipment that came from his shop and others (including online). If he ever says "that'll be $15", then I will be happy to pay. Much more and he would lose all my business. We each (the shop and the customer) have choices to make.

I am fair to my shops as I expect them to be to me.

 

[oly5050user]

its just as Scuba Steve wrote " I am fair to my shops as I expect them to be fair to me"...that is what it should be ,but is not. A person that comes into the store and uses it as a fitting room and then goes on line is the same type of person that expects to use the pool for free.Where does the line get drawn so that the owner of the facilty gets his share? That is why the policy is if it is serviced here-no charge to try it in the pool to is if all is fine to the customers satisfaction.Purchased the regulator and or bcd here-no charge ever to use the pool.

 

[jeffloughridge]

Last summer I took an OW class at a local dive shop. My daughter took the class with me. We bought all of our gear there; masks, fins, snorkels, boots. I even bought the same for my other daughter who wasn't taking the class. In addition, I bought my BCD (Zeagle Ranger), Regulator and Octo (Zeagle), computer (Aeris Atmos ai), and gear bag from them.

They let me use the pool one time before I went on a trip where I did my OW checkout dives, to get a feel for the gear and gave me a free Equipment Specialist class for buying from them. When I returned I asked if I could use the pool again (willing to pay extra) and was told no; they had too many things going on in the pool. It's a public pool and they have limited time on Sundays, I understand but that sent me looking at other shops in the area. I found several that welcomed me. I don't mind paying for the use since the shop is renting the time themselves. I just appreciate the opportunity to work on skills and get wet every now and then without having to travel.

I now have ay least 3 shops I buy from, instead of one.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

Silly them, here you are, a multi-purchase, multi-thousand dollar customer initially devoted solely to them, and thanks to their short-sightedness, you are now spreading your dollars ( and recommendations ) around to their competitors.

Folks wonder why shops fail, often trying to point the finger outward and use excuses, such as the economy, or the internet.....they might do better to stand in front of a mirror when pointing that finger - they'll see where the real obstacle to their business success lies.

Thanks for sharing that.