Online Sales - The importance of buying from local businesses

[Cacia]

It makes him an a__hole if he is 99% sure he going to buy it for the absolute lowest price and wastes the LDS's time by pumping him for information, then to save a few dollars, buys it on line

yea, I don't want to ever be accused of beiing one of those, so I never go in dive shops. It's just too heavy to deal with all the icky politics. Around here, I'm friends with all the operators and everybody is very (too) competitive, so it is better to just avoid the whole situation than be smoozing up with the "competition". You saw what happened when one guy in the Hawaii forum made some benign comments about shop A or B running late? He was pounced....the scuba crowd is pretty rough at times. We joke around here about the "scuba mafia" finding out.

We support or local bike shop, just spent 7K there because (partly)they happily helped troubleshoot our cycle Garmins that they KNEW we had bought on-line. (100 dollars less apiece) When the time came, we wanted to give them our dollars because we
we think they are cool dudes It feels good when it is not always about the money, but enthusiasm for the sport, to a degree. I think it might be called enlightened self-interest. On both sides, because I plan to milk them forever. They will probably regret selling me a bike, lol.

 

[garyfotodiver]

OK, another real world situation... Last year I converted my Atmos 2 computer that I purchased in-person from Divers Direct from wrist to console mount. Called up a dive shop in Chicago to get two sets of the Aeris quick release devices for the hoses. I have two regulators and want to use the same console on either. He had in stock another brand that was twice the price of the Aeris, which he did not have. So I ordered two sets of the Aeris.

This was more than one month before I planned to travel to Florida for the T-day holiday. I called once or twice to see whether the items were delivered, but not yet. The day before travel, I called again. Still not in. The owner asked when I was leaving, I told him, he said, "Oh."

"But they will be here when you return."

So I will pick them up one day this month, as I expect to return to Florida the end of February. But I am in no hurry.

I could have ordered the items from LP or DD, but I wanted to give some business to the guy who fills my tanks. Usually I make several small purchases from a retailer before I spend a lot of money. Example, the shop that I purchased my new road bicycle from serviced my old bike for me and I bought a new seat for my 55 year-old a**. Only then did he get the $1000 bike purchase. He is interested in my business.

I cannot say that about several of the dive shops in the Chicago area. Look at Dive Right In's answer to my question in a post above.

So I make my major new purchases from on-line shops that really value me as a customer. My next new purchase is a Seaquest BC. It will come from LP. Never had a problem with them or with DD or with Dive Sports or with Divers Supply.

Customer Service, people! It is the 800 pound gorilla staring you all in the face!

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

I cannot say that about several of the dive shops in the Chicago area. Look at Dive Right In's answer to my question in a post above.

Im assuming your referring to my post where we are closed on Sundays due to diving with our customers and keeping them diving.....How is that bad customer service? All of our customers love that we go and keep opportunites for them to dive, our new students are thrilled about this. They get to keep diving unlike most shops that dont do anything then the divers end up once a year divers and not do much diving. We even got someone on here that wants to join us...Your the only one I have ever talked to that says this is a bad idea. This, I think, is better customer service than only being open on a Sunday....... Sorry, if this inconveniences you......but why dont you come in sometime anyway and see what we are about, and why we are customer service oriented and go out diving all the time with our customers.....

Gary, we are a newer shop(less than 2 years) and have a total of 3 store employees including myself....when we can afford to both be open on Sundays and go diving with our customers by having more staff, we will do it. As of now, a couple tank rental possibilities doesnt exceed the need for us to be at the quarry diving with 5-20 of our customers and keeping them involved in the sport. You cant appeal to everyone, but we are trying Join us sometime or stop in.......

 

[redacted]

Im assuming your referring to my post where we are closed on Sundays due to diving with our customers and keeping them diving.....How is that bad customer service? All of our customers love that we go and keep opportunites for them to dive, our new students are thrilled about this. They get to keep diving unlike most shops that dont do anything then the divers end up once a year divers and not do much diving. We even got someone on here that wants to join us...Your the only one I have ever talked to that says this is a bad idea. This, I think, is better customer service than only being open on a Sunday....... Sorry, if this inconveniences you......but why dont you come in sometime anyway and see what we are about, and why we are customer service oriented and go out diving all the time with our customers.....

Gary, we are a newer shop(less than 2 years) and have a total of 3 store employees including myself....when we can afford to both be open on Sundays and go diving with our customers by having more staff, we will do it. As of now, a couple tank rental possibilities doesnt exceed the need for us to be at the quarry diving with 5-20 of our customers and keeping them involved in the sport. You cant appeal to everyone, but we are trying Join us sometime or stop in.......

Some of your tank renting customers might actually appreciate it. I'm assuming if you rent a tank out on Saturday, then it is due back on Monday with no charge for Sunday.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

Some of your tank renting customers might actually appreciate it. I'm assuming if you rent a tank out on Saturday, then it is due back on Monday with no charge for Sunday.

You are correct....I have even let people pick up a tank on Wednesday return Monday with only 1 day charge...We are flexible on things like that......We even take tanks to the quarry for our customers to just meet us there instead of coming in. No one has had an issue as they love the fact they now have a dive buddy(single divers, new divers, exp. divers) and someone to keep their interest up.....

Yes, Im sure we lose a little bit of business from being closed Sunday, but our customers prefer to be closed then and go dive with us. Sundays typically saw 0-2 customers...and those 2 customers if they came in, just came in to see when we go to the quarry and wanted to dive. We didnt just close on Sundays...we did a deep analysis and figured out which would be better for the store and our customers. Being open and not going to the quarry and being active with our customers was not an option! We decided our customers are getting more from us being at the quarry on Sundays and having a cook out and they love it.

Most of the shops in our area are closed on Wednesdays. You know how many complaints I get about that...people try to stop after work and cant. We are open till 9pm so it fits everyones schedule....

PLUS people love having an extra day of diving rentals with Sunday being FREE

 

[garyfotodiver]

... you would pick them up the day prior instead of wastin the time and going out of your way to come to us then to your dive site....

It is my decision and business as to what constitutes a "waste of time." The ONLY time I have to dive here in Illinos is Sunday. Even if I plan something in advance, I like the comfort of knowing that I can pick up something at the last minute.

Let's see; Frogg Pond and Elmers are closed on Sundays. The closest LDS to Illinos Beach Park is closed on Sunday. Scuba Systems and Underwater Safaris are open on Sundays, but they open late.

If you want me as a customer, you have to make me want to do business with you. As an example, and no finger pointing, but I do not want to listen to some 18-year old kid tell me that if I dive with gages instead of a computer I will kill myself. It did happen. Or tell me that every idea I have about recreational scuba diving is wrong. Come vsit me; I still have 10 fingers and 10 toes. So I like to descend head-first. Big deal. Incidents like these that have happened to me simply tell me that that dive shop doesn't want my business.

Now you are right; I am not driving to Plainfield in order to dive off Evanston or at IL Beach. But the LDS that I use when I am in Florida is open at 6AM on Sunday. I can pick up a tank, weights, and just about anything else I might need. I can book a seat on a dive boat then. So I do not wonder why they have stayed in business for 30+ years when many other shops have closed up.

Good Luck to you.

 

[Stu S.]

What the merchant thinks of himself means nothing.

How the customer regards the merchant is everything.

 

[Eastbayfe]

Being new to the sport I've discovered first hand just how costly the sport is. I would love to totally support the LDS but if I did I'd still be renting gear. I usually weigh purchases on the level of hit I can take in an effort to support the shops. We are lucky to have a couple of really good ones in the area. With the money saved on some purchases online I can justify the dive trips offshore and additional training that the LDSs provide. After the initial setup I'll probably lean more toward shop purchases as I replace and upgrade gear.

 

[ev780]

It makes him an a__hole if he is 99% sure he going to buy it for the absolute lowest price and wastes the LDS's time by pumping him for information, then to save a few dollars, buys it on line ...

I am totally that guy. Deal with it!!!

 

[chipwd]

What the merchant thinks of himself means nothing.

How the customer regards the merchant is everything.

That hits the nail on the head!

200 posts on this topic and counting just for this particular thread and if you do a search I'm sure you'll come up with many, many similar ones. All this emotion over a really basic business concept; Customer service!

The only ones fighting this are the ones that will never understand why they went out of business.

You're hearing the last roars of the dinosaurs as they rumble towards extinction.