Industry Perks for Dive Pros?

[cbrich]

Key man deals are generally available only to shop.employees as others have said. Sometimes shops get keyman deals but do not pass them on even to shop employees. They take the deal and sell the stuff at full retail to their other customers. There are those however that do pass these deals on to instructors that are affiliated with or just bring business in to the shop. Those are the ones I work with.

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Makes sense.

Got a question. Let's say you also run a dive charter business on top of your dive shop, and one of the perks your DMs get is free air/Nitrox, meal, and charter when they are working the charter. You have 2 DMs come into your shop, DM-A and DM-B, both are have driven a ways to go on your charter. DM-A expects to go for free because he is dive pro, and he comes by himself. DM-B says he can fill your boat, and ask if you could cut his group a discount, but DM-B is still paying his way. What are your reaction to DM-A and DM-B?

Would your reaction be any different if DM-A wrote a negative report about your business on an internet forum. What would your reaction be toward DM-B for giving a positive report?

 

[RJP]

Makes sense.

Got a question. Let's say you also run a dive charter business on top of your dive shop, and one of the perks your DMs get is free air/Nitrox, meal, and charter when they are working the charter. You have 2 DMs come into your shop, DM-A and DM-B, both are have driven a ways to go on your charter. DM-A expects to go for free because he is dive pro, and he comes by himself. DM-B says he can fill your boat, and ask if you could cut his group a discount, but DM-B is still paying his way. What are your reaction to DM-A and DM-B?

Would your reaction be any different if DM-A wrote a negative report about your business on an internet forum. What would your reaction be toward DM-B for giving a positive report?

Who needs DM-A?

 

[cbrich]

Who needs DM-A?

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I feel like some folks are DM-A.

 

[tracydr]

Along the same lines as the OP's question, any shops give military or retiree/disabled vets discounts?
I'm retired Army (Major) with a 100% disability.

 

[chrpai]

Who needs a DM?

 

[tstormdiver]

I've been very blessed with my LDS. Note: I am SSI/ SDI, so MUST be affiliated with a dive shop/ resort. Like anything else,... It has its good & bad points. The owner/ head instructor of my shop treats all of his professional VERY well. Since the Dive Control Specialists don't typically get tips (we're in the mid west,... so no boat charters or such), They do get their insurance paid for them (we are all under a shop blanket policy- the entire cost is split amongst the instructors) by the instructors because they are a great help to our classes. The owner also allows us to purchase our equipment at his cost + shipping, if not ordered in a normal inventory order. He also extends to us Keyman pricing, if the manufacturer allows it. If we are leading a trip for the shop, all but our transportation is covered (but the customers must be kept very happy during the trip). It is a working vacation, for sure. We get free air & Nitrox (Nitrox expected to be used judiciously) & use of the shop cylinders to teach. The owner sees a symbiotic relationship between his shop & his instructors. We have 6-8 active instructors (some only teach when the shop absolutely needs them) & 5 Dive Control Specialists on staff. It all really boils down to the shop ownership/ management, what perks are handed out.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Along the same lines as the OP's question, any shops give military or retiree/disabled vets discounts?
I'm retired Army (Major) with a 100% disability.

I do! My son is currently a staff sgt with USAF Intelligence. So I automatically give active and vets regardless of when they served $125.00 off OW cert, and also discounts on specialties that vary by actual cost and number of other students. Direct dependents - spouse, kids, parents, grandparents get a discount of $60.00 off OW and 25.00 off specialties.

Only caveat I have is I need two people to make the class go for OW. That is because of pool rental mostly. But I can do private classes with the same discount off of my private rate. And send me a PM regarding gear. On new stuff free shipping for military, fire, police, ems.

And everyone gets my referral rebate. Refer a student who takes a full class at regular price and you get a check for $25.00! Heck refer enough people and you can pay for your training!
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[Divin'Papaw]

As most have mentioned, here in the US you can expect close to nothing ... and that's if you DM for them! If you have no affiliation with a shop and you show your DM card expecting a discount, you'll almost certainly get laughed at. Shops don't give pro discounts to anyone, only to pros working for them. Even at that, when I was DMing, I got no pay, free air only when DMing (nor for my own personal use), tips if the instructor remembered to encourage it, and occasional the instructor I was helping would cover some of my expenses. I never came close to breaking even. I couldn't even cover the cost to me of DMing. Thus I'm no longer doing it.

 

[cbrich]

Along the same lines as the OP's question, any shops give military or retiree/disabled vets discounts?
I'm retired Army (Major) with a 100% disability.

All you have to do is ask. I bet the majority will give a discount of some kind, but DON'T expect to get keyman, or dealer cost.

Whether or not a shop gives out a discount should not be the deciding factor on selecting a dive shop. It should come down to the quality of employees that work there. I had shops rub me the wrong way, but instead of posting it on the internet, I went to another shop. I believe a lot of folks forget that shop employees, owners, instructors, technicians, and DMs are still human, and they too have bad days. Any number of things can cause someone to have a bad day, just think about your worst day, and then throw on top of that, a customer that is also having a bad day.

 

[arthurmnev]

In exchange for free labor, DMs and instructors in the US usually get a discount​

That would be the same as getting paid for labor and having no discount -- you work for your gear