LDS Bashers

[PerroneFord]

Vtdiver, I am truly glad you invest that amount of time in your work. I have to say though, it seems rare from what I've seen and read. Good employees are hard to find in ANY industry, but in an industry where the average worker seems to be young, in school, is getting no health benefits, and a generally low wage, I would not expect to find a large group of highly skilled and highly motivated employees.

We thank those of you who DO take your jobs seriously as you are the reasons there is still value added from the LDS.

 

[CBulla]

Thanks for stepping in on this Kim... see what happens when I take a phone call or two??

 

[scubafool]

If I have to pay $20 for a fill, and $600 for an OW class, but can buy a basic setup for $1000 instead of $2000, than so be it. If the added cost of training stops me from getting into diving in the first place, so be it.

If you don't make money selling instruction & fills, making up for it on the gear sales, and someone takes away your gear sales, but can't offer the training & the fills that you do, than what can you do to stay in business, huh? Maybe the "brick & mortar" establishments need to focus on what they CAN do that the online stores can't, instead of fretting about what the online stores can do that they CAN'T.

 

[JeffG]

No, I don't need to. I asked you nicely to keep things civil. It's obvious you can't or won't and I refuse to continue this. It appears you just enjoy inciting others and are willing to print anything to do it.
C-Dawg

I was civil. And its also what I have seen in the diveshops that I have entered. (and in fact others in this thread have echoed the same sentiments.)

Just because you perceive it to be some highly insulting thing is not my problem, it was just my opinion and observation.

 

[Vtdiver2]

Hey guys.....what happened to the Christmas spirit? Maybe it's a good time to back away from this one.

I agree...while there was a lot of spirit in this thread, I don't recall it feeling "Christmas-y". But whatever it was, I've had enough of it.
C-Dawg

 

[CBulla]

I agree...while there was a lot of spirit in this thread, I don't recall it feeling "Christmas-y". But whatever it was, I've had enough of it.
C-Dawg

Hey buddy, there is an "Ignore User" feature that is available to. Before I was mod'd I used it on a few folks who were nothing more than muck rakers and I didn't really care to read their 'rants' in threads that were otherwise perfectly healthy.

 

[colby]

I'm a new diver and new to ScubaBoard. Coming from the IT world, I can understand the firm loyalty that people feel towards things. And from what I've seen on ScubaBoard, it's not just LDS vs. Online, it's almost anything. DIR, DIY, this reg vs. that reg, and substitute any brand name or product in there (computer, BCD type, etc, etc.) And having been around the Internet for a while, no matter how someone preaches, the person with the opposing view will NEVER change their mind. What does it usually bring? 14 pages of back and forth debate with the occasional lapse into name calling and raspberries!

Scuba products are really life-saving devices. If yours doesn't work properly, you could be seriously injured or killed. It really doesn't matter where you buy or have your gear serviced. You have to TRUST that party, or yourself for the DIY crowd. If you don't like any of the LDS available in your area, or can't find one reasonably close, don't use them. I wouldn't in that case as I wouldn't put my life in their hands. If you do find a good one, then excellent. Use them.

I personally have a very good relationship with my LDS and in the 2.5 months I've been diving, have gotten to know them fairly well. I bought my basic kit there, fins, mask, snorkel, boots and weight belt, and took my OW through them, getting a referral to take my OW dives in the T&C. I liked it so much, I looked around and ended up buying a package from an online retailer for BCD, reg, octo and computer, all for a price lower than my LDS cost. I just got back from trying it out in my LDS pool. They understand economics, and that if I can save that much, then my budget is stretched to do other things. They have created a good value-added service, pool nights, trips, dive club, etc, that keeps me there. I have bought a bunch of other stuff there also, slate, light, knife, etc, and I will keep going back as it is convenient and I trust them. They are also an authorized dealer for my reg, which is why I bought that particular model.

/rant off

 

[Vtdiver2]

Hey buddy, there is an "Ignore User" feature that is available to. Before I was mod'd I used it on a few folks who were nothing more than muck rakers and I didn't really care to read their 'rants' in threads that were otherwise perfectly healthy.

Thanks, I'll have to try it in the future.
C-Dawg

 

[Daxter]

We've seen this thread so many times that all I can thinks of is Troll, Troll, and Troll. Here's one for you, do a search for LDS vs Internet.

 

[xiSkiGuy]

As someone who works in a LDS part time, I find your post insulting. There are a lot of people who work in LDS who are very well informed. I've spent a lot of money out of my own pocket to attend training seminars, read up on the equipment we carry so I am informed, and try different equipment when I can so I can advise based on my experience. What I do is no different from many other people in shops around the world.
As for your experiences in the LDS you've been to, based on your tone and demeanor in your post, perhaps they'd rather you took your business elsewhere and didn't offer you the answers you were seeking.
Try keeping it civil and the derogatory remarks to yourself. As I stated in a previous post, remarks like yours, when used in other conversations, are seen as racist, sexist, or bigoted. They shouldn't be tolerated here either. Please tone it down.
C-Dawg

As someone who also works part-time in a dive shop, I can see why you took offense to JeffG's remark. Unfortunately, his remark isn't too far off the mark in some shops and with certain employees. The lack of good employees has kept more than a few conscientious dive shop owners and managers chained to their shops and not out diving as much as they'd like. Your shop is lucky to have a part-timer as dedicated as you Vtdiver2. Everyone would benefit from your kind of help.