LDS won't viz my tank...

[CT-Rich]

We don't necessarily know everything about this instance or the history of the parties involved. An hour drive or buying and maintaining a compressor don't sound like the best solution for either the divers or the shop. If I couldn't get tank fills, a compressor would be too expensive for my blood. As much as I love diving there are financial limitations. I am sure most of the people here have either said or done things early in there career that were stupid and regrettable. Saying let them sink seems like an easy solution for people who have no skin in the game. How much extra would you be will to pay to have a local shop where you can hold the gear or trying it before you buy and not having to ship off your gear for servicing (and the hassles of having mistakes corrected). Yep easy to say the world can do without another dive shop...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

We had a shop owner like that in our area ... he went out of business. I had a friend who he once told "I don't want your business" because my friend purchased a $30 item online. My friend went on to spend about $20,000 at another shop over the next couple years.

Dumb.

Is it just me, or does it seem like we're seeing a few threads like this one coming out of Ontario lately? I wonder if they're all complaining about the same shop ... perhaps so, because it seems like there aren't that many shops up there.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Lorenzoid]

We don't necessarily know everything about this instance or the history of the parties involved. An hour drive or buying and maintaining a compressor don't sound like the best solution for either the divers or the shop. If I couldn't get tank fills, a compressor would be too expensive for my blood. As much as I love diving there are financial limitations. I am sure most of the people here have either said or done things early in there career that were stupid and regrettable. Saying let them sink seems like an easy solution for people who have no skin in the game. How much extra would you be will to pay to have a local shop where you can hold the gear or trying it before you buy and not having to ship off your gear for servicing (and the hassles of having mistakes corrected). Yep easy to say the world can do without another dive shop...

You're right in the sense that the free market will find a solution. For example, if there are enough divers in the area who want to form an air fill co-op, then it will NOT be "too expensive," since the cost is spread out among a number of divers. If there are not enough divers to make that option more attractive than the option of just paying a higher price for air fills, then someone will charge higher (that is, market-rate) prices for air fills. You ask "How much extra would you be will to pay to have a local shop where you can hold the gear or trying it before you buy and not having to ship off your gear for servicing (and the hassles of having mistakes corrected)." That's a good question. It seems to me that if those benefits are important enough to enough people, then they will pay the premium that the dive shop charges for those benefits, and the shop will be able to survive financially. But from what I read, it looks to me like not enough people value those benefits enough to keep dive shops from closing. The market is speaking. Many shops that are attempting to rely on retail sales to subsidize their other services will need to take a different approach.

 

[Paladin]

There is a shop about fifteen minutes from my house and another that is 45 minutes away. I go to the one 45 minutes away because the owner of the closer shop is an ass. The farther shop treats me like family when I go in and even lets me sell some of my used gear through their shop.

 

[MKrauter]

Well I won't make the shop. It's obvious enough who it is if you're in or from the area.



Had a nice and frank discussion with the shop owner. He gave his side I gave mine. Met in the middle and hopefully we can continue to have a good relationship.

 

[Aguablanco1]

Glad it has all worked out, so to speak. Watch your back and enjoy the close service.
RichH

 

[Colliam7]

A bit late to the party on this one, but it touches on a subject of some interest to me.

So I just bought a 40 cu/ft tank from LP . . . . go to get it a visual and fill . . . . the shop owner asks me where I got the tank from, then refuses to service it on the grounds that buying online kills LDS.

It is his right / privilege to do so. Like other respondents, I think his behavior and attitude are asinine. And, it is his right and privilege to be asinine, as well. That doesn't help business, but sometimes people can't see the forest for the trees.

Never mind the fact I have signed up for the dive club, was talking to an employee about continuing courses there and had bought tidbits there.

Not really relevant. You are 'talking to them' but haven't bought classes, you have bought tidbits, etc. You are not (yet) a valued customer based on history. But, as I said, his behavior is asinine.

Then he goes on to tell me he is charging less then online shops.

Out of curiousity, is this true? Could you have purchased the bottle from him for less? You might use that statement as a seque to a discussion (see below). We charge a price that is 'eventually' cheaper - if you add in the cost of the cylinder, the cost of shipping, the cost of the first VIP and the cost of 10 air fills - our selling price, which includes all of these items, is ultimately cheaper than LP, or ST. But, if someone buys online and brings it to us for VIP and fill, we are happy to do that.

I know he just lost my business completely (closest shop is an hour away. But am I being unreasonable here or should I try and talk to him about this decision and it's ramifications?

I won't say you are being unreasonable at all. Possibly a bit impractical, though. So, I will disagree with some of the other posts. Email him, tell him that you were surprised - and disappointed - by the vehemence of his behavior, but you would like to discuss it more with him. You would like to know what he means by 'he is charging less then online shops'. You might get him to see a different view, he might ultimately appreciate your giving him a second chance, etc. And, he might be right - it would have been cheaper to buy from him, in which case you say, 'Thanks, I didn't realize that. In the future, I will know better.'

If he continues to be a jerk, you haven't lost a lot, and you still have to drive an hour.

 

[fdennis]

Had a nice and frank discussion with the shop owner. He gave his side I gave mine. Met in the middle and hopefully we can continue to have a good relationship.

Good! Then you can hopefully make use of his shop in its last remaining days before it goes under. Why do I say that? Because he's not a very smart retailer.

Ok - so you had the effrontery, the outright gall, to buy gear from someone other than him. That's water under the bridge now - he's not getting that sale back, and (as this entire thread so aptly demonstrates) his attempt to 'punish' you accomplishes nothing more than generating bad feelings all around. More than that, however, is the fact he doesn't see the opportunities wandering around under his very nose. I mean - when I get an air fill at my LDS, I'm either dropping off in the morning/picking up in the evening or waiting on the fill. Either way - on the evening pickup, or while I'm waiting - I generally end up sending variable amounts of time wandering around IN HIS SHOP. I'm a captive audience waiting on my tank - and if he has any sense at all about what gear he's carrying and how to display it, that's going to translate into additional sales for his shop. How do you think I came to pick up my latest SMB? My newest reel? This really cool little Oceanic knife which custom-mounts directly onto my BCD? And I'm pretty sure my guy knows this, because every time I walk in he says, "Hey! Be with you in just a couple of minutes!" - and then disappears for abut ten. His allowance of 'wander time' to pick up the odd impulse buy probably pads his sales by about 8% or so - more if the customer is like me.

 

[Scared Silly]

I try to support local shops but at the same time sometimes shopping on line is just easier. Recently I went into one of my shops and asked the owner if he could match a price on a part. He looked it up and said sure no problem he would order it and give me a call when it came it. Such a sale is a no brainer - as all he had to do is order the part as it was sold went it arrived. Now on the flip side I have taken items in and he had the tool to take them a part or provided small parts (o-rings). In both cases, though I was pretty sure he was doing it free, he is in business to earn a living so I have asked what I owed him. It was free - but on my next visit I brought him some of my home brew and multiple times old but usable parts for regs (which he can give to a customer for free).

 

[corvettejoe]

Something I always ask my LDS before I buy online: "I am about to buy this expensive piece of XYZ gear. I am going to pay this price with shipping from this online store. Can you match that?" If they can, I'll gladly buy it from them. Even if they make a profit from shipping, I don't mind because I was going to pay it anyway. If they say no, I'll go buy online.

So far, it's always worked out for me and the LDS owners have respected the fact that I have always brought my purchase requests to them first. They usually help me out, or suggest better options to save me even more or get a better item for the same price as the original item.

I had one time where my LDS didn't carry a certain brand, but suggested I try another LDS in the state that he used when he was up in that area himself. I called that LDS and he gave me a cheaper price than any online store for the item I wanted, even with shipping. But I also have a good relationship with my LDS's because I always go to them first with purchase requests and needs and have bought a LOT of gear from them over the years. I really appreciated the first LDS sending me to the second LDS. It saved me a lot of time and money searching for said item.