Industry Perks for Dive Pros?

[chrpai]

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.

Welcome to the customer service / retailing industry. If you can't handle it, then you should be doing something else. It's not only the customers right to go to another shop but to also build or diminish the business reputation through word of mouth. It's 2012 and the old days of pissing on customers and expecting the word to not get around are long gone.

Personally I work on the corporate side for a fortune 50 retailer and I've also worked on the store side for smaller companies. I understand the need for an LDS and the pressures that they face but the business model really needs to evolve. The markups are insane and the "no refunds" policies are astounding.

It's a never ending cycle what to stock, how to price it and then buyers not buying because it isn't what they want and the prices are too high. Which actually gets me back to the DM/Pro discount. So someone will give you a 10% discount on a wetsuit. Whats the point when you can get a 40% discount at Leisure Pro?

Oh but you're supposed to be loyal and forgive when they have a bad day and never say anything bad about them while paying high mark ups. Man, I feel for them but something needs to give. There has to be a way to meet the needs of the community and still make a profit while enjoying what you do.

 

[cbrich]

I know where you are coming from, but my views have changed in the 12 years (I don't feel like discussing them you.) You have the right to say whatever you want, but then I also have the same right to say whatever I want. We don't have to agree.

I see why you HATE the local dive shops.

 

[flots am]

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.

That's a good way to become a "former dealer" for whatever brand it is.

flots.

 

[chrpai]

I see why you HATE the local dive shops.

You seem to think that I hate but I don't hate at all. I want a really good relationship and I want them to make a profit. I also want to be able to buy the stuff that I want at fair prices.

Man, we've never met yet but you seem to be sure of exactly what I think and feel. Must be hard to make friends with that level of prejudgement. But I know, you don't want to do me the solid of even discussing it.

 

[cbrich]

You seem to think that I hate but I don't hate at all. I want a really good relationship and I want them to make a profit. I also want to be able to buy the stuff that I want at fair prices.

Man, we've never met yet but you seem to be sure of exactly what I think and feel. Must be hard to make friends with that level of prejudgement. But I know, you don't want to do me the solid of even discussing it.

Your not a friend, you are just another internet forum user.

 

[chrpai]

Well, it's pretty clear the type of person you are then. And it's very fitting that you are "affiliated" with the dive shop that you think I "hate".

Time to go find that "ignore" button. (Done)

 

[cbrich]

I don't care what you think of me.

 

[James R]

You seem to think that I hate but I don't hate at all. I want a really good relationship and I want them to make a profit. I also want to be able to buy the stuff that I want at fair prices.

Man, we've never met yet but you seem to be sure of exactly what I think and feel. Must be hard to make friends with that level of prejudgement. But I know, you don't want to do me the solid of even discussing it.

I couldn't care less about the argument between you two, but I can easily see where people would think you have a very low opinion of your local shops and the people that work there just by reading your posts on this board. I've seen you call the service techs "reg monkeys" other people "tank monkeys" and so on. To me, calling someone a monkey is not very friendly. Maybe that impression is wrong, but it is what I have taken from your posts.

 

[TMHeimer]

I haven't yet gotten any sort of break from the numerous shops I have patronized in the States. Here a working DM (4 OW courses) gets free air, 15% discounts on a number of items and $300 to DM an OW course. Don't believe other DMs get anything, like stateside.

 

[chrpai]

Maybe that impression is wrong, but it is what I have taken from your posts.

Fair enough. To be fair I don't use that term to describe everyone who fills tanks or works on regs rather the underqualified underexperienced that hang up a shingle and start doing the work without really knowing what they are doing. I'm pretty sure we can all agree that they are out there.

BTW, what should we call the good ones? Regulator technicians? Mechanics? Engineers? I guess that's another thread.

BTW, I've searched the forums and in the past year I've used the term twice. Once I was trying to say be careful who you let work on your reg and a second I was really trying to say I was providing an answer that I had researched but wasn't actually qualified to answer.