Local dive shop in Venice CA, refuses to fill tanks

[ChrisM]

And I supppose there might be marine companies out there that do a decent business installing the electronics that the above mentioned companies pass on...God bless them, too.

Hell, I guess the way I see it, if your business is doing well enough that you can turn down the customers you want, then more power to you......

I don't have an ethical or business problem with the dive shop doing what it did.... I am a firm believer that a vendor can refuse to do business with anyone it pleases (within legal grounds).

I just always hear how hard it is to run dive shops these days....so it doesn't mke much sense

Chris

 

[jengineer]

.....
I don't have an ethical or business problem with the dive shop doing what it did.... I am a firm believer that a vendor can refuse to do business with anyone it pleases (within legal grounds). ...
Chris

What I am reading here is that these stores with such high ethics of if you diodn't buy it from us don't expect us to service it or you should have a sign similar to what some restaraunts have.

"We reserve the right to refuse service" something similar to no shirt no shoes no service.

The shops I frequent really don't care who you got your stuff from. As for Nitrox fills, since they use partial pressure they are a bit persnickity about the proper sticker. Since the Nitrox junkies are still a minority group the customers are generally known. Yeah if you bring in a cylinder from somehwere else you will catch hell for it but it will get filled.

je

 

[ChrisA]

Ah right, Splash

Speaking of fills... Sport Chalet Torrance is now FIVE DOLLARS for a fill...sheesh!

Dive N Surf was 4.50 last time I checked......

Chris

Pulling fill card from wallet, Reading price stamped on back, doing some math..... OK the price is $2.75 per fill at Dive N Surf.
They sell cards for 32.99 and the card is worth 12 fills. Oh but
they charge CA sales tax so it's 2.98 per fils tax included.

 

[ChrisM]

Pulling fill card from wallet, Reading price stamped on back, doing some math..... OK the price is $2.75 per fill at Dive N Surf.
They sell cards for 32.99 and the card is worth 12 fills. Oh but
they charge CA sales tax so it's 2.98 per fils tax included.

May be, but a walk in fill was 4.50... or 33 for the card.

 

[saf_25]

Wow, this talk of the cost of air fills really makes my membership in a former Sport Chalet dive club pay off. The $30 membership comes with a free air fill card. At the Brea store, whenever I mention that I'm a dive club member and pull out the card, they just wave me off and give me my tank - haven't had the card marked yet in 6 months! The free fills (and convenience, too - I pass it on my way to/from work every day) are really the only reason I go there over the 3 other local dive shops in O.C.

Actually, when I bought my used computer online, the first thing I did was bring it in to Sport Chalet to look at. Granted, we all knew they got nothing for taking the time to inspect it with me, but they still helped me look to see if there was something with it that I should be concerned about before I took it in the water (there wasn't, but it gave me peace of mind to have someone else look at it). They also helped me install spring straps (bought online) on my jet fins (bought from Ebay). Again, nothing in it for them, but I remember that they helped me, and that they appreciate the realities of the marketplace they are working in. Of course, too, both of those times, I ended up buying some defog, chem sticks, and other accessories I needed from them. Maybe just small items and not worth the time they spent with me, but when I wanted to upgrade my regulator, they were the ones who got my business. It's funny that other businesses don't understand that.

 

[jagfish]

Sports Chalet could be a bit of a different case as we are talking about a corporation as opposed to an individually owned business. Sole owners tend to take things more personally I find...

 

[ifukuda]

Check out American Diving (in south bay area) for the best prices on air cards. Their 15 fill card is $30, and their 100 fill card is only $125!!
http://www.americandivingca.com/

 

[Snorkeld]

I have worked in a few dive shops both ma & pa and sport chalet. If the customer comes in alot and is a good customer I usually would give them a free fill. Even if I had to pay $5 for an air fill ,no problem I also spend $4 on a cup of coffee, and I drink that in 15 mins.... Happy Diving

 

[RonDawg]

Sports Chalet could be a bit of a different case as we are talking about a corporation as opposed to an individually owned business. Sole owners tend to take things more personally I find...

Sometimes people like to bash Sport Chalet because they are so "corporate" but then they forget (or weren't even aware) that Sport Chalet up until recently was a small-time operation.

Until the early 80's there was only the original La Canada store, still in operation today. Then they added a second store in Huntington Beach. Their large "corporate" expansion only happened within the last decade or so.

While I am only a recently certified diver I am a long-time snow skiier and thus I have been familiar with SC for a long, long time. If you visit the original store sometimes you'll see Norbert, the man who started it all, still being hands-on.

 

[Seabear70]

Actually, when I bought my used computer online, the first thing I did was bring it in to Sport Chalet to look at. Granted, we all knew they got nothing for taking the time to inspect it with me, but they still helped me look to see if there was something with it that I should be concerned about before I took it in the water (there wasn't, but it gave me peace of mind to have someone else look at it). They also helped me install spring straps (bought online) on my jet fins (bought from Ebay). Again, nothing in it for them, but I remember that they helped me, and that they appreciate the realities of the marketplace they are working in. Of course, too, both of those times, I ended up buying some defog, chem sticks, and other accessories I needed from them. Maybe just small items and not worth the time they spent with me, but when I wanted to upgrade my regulator, they were the ones who got my business. It's funny that other businesses don't understand that.

That kind of service I've always been willing to pay for if I needed it done. I never expect anything for free, and even if they don't charge me for looking over a piece of gear, I'll usually slip the tech a $20.