Things I hate about LDS's

[1RUSTYRIG]

Things I hate about LDSs. I will put my list up top here with my rant down below (think of it as "optional" reading )

1. Don't bad mouth your competitor in town just because your competitors. If you don't have anything nice to say, shut up. Listening to a 15 minute diatribe on what a bafoon the other guy is won't earn my money.

2. Don't tell me that every other piece of gear on the planet save what is sold in your store, is junk. It removes your credibility and demotes you to used car salesman, not dive shop operator.

3. Organized dive trips can be fun for some people, but not for me. I don't like crowds and usually prefer to do my own thing. So please, stop pushing that "total bargain" trip to Belize for $3K. I am going the week after you for half that.

4. Stop bad mouthing online sales. I have bought THOUSANDS of dollars worth of gear online and any problem was rapidly resolved by the online retailer. I don't have any pity for you anyways since you screwed me with your 80% markups prior to online sales. I figure this is your "just desserts".

I finally went "back to school" after an extended break to further my PADI education. I selected an LDS after visiting the 3 in my area (and the one I selected was the furthest away by far!). Now, I have been diving for 15 years and my wife has been diving for 3. We own all our own gear.

I tell the shop manager that I might need to rent a suit because my henderson 7mil semi dry will be way too warm for the local lake we will be diving. He immediately launches into the "Henderson? You actually bought one? Good luck trying to get support out of them down the road." Whatever...I love my henderson and as far as I am concerned they have my brand loyalty.

Then I tell him that the lake he has chosen is supposed to have 0 visibility in it right now. When he asks how I came about that information I tell him the owner of one of his competing dive shops "How the hell would he know, he's never there!" I guess it would be this new fangled thing called the EnTireNet. Sure enough, as the public works website indicated, the vis was crap the entire time...nothing like 8 - 10 INCHES of vis.

I am done ranting...thanks for listening to me *****. rock on.

 

[djanni]

Not sure if you anticipated responses to your rant but I wanted to say I can see why you would be upset.

On a positive note, in my experience the number of LDS's who behave in that manner are very few.

 

[1RUSTYRIG]

Not sure if you anticipated responses to your rant

I guess its just an open letter (or thread) for any LDS owner who visits. I know I am not the only person to experience this so if anyone else has complaints, post em up.

 

[Rick Inman]

Not all divers have excellent diving skills - and an LDS owner should.

Not all divers have excellent diving skills, and good people skills - an LDS owner should.

Not all divers have excellent diving skills, good people skills, and knowledge of the diving industry - an LDS owner should.

Not all divers have excellent diving skills, good people skills, knowledge of the diving industry, and a good work ethic - an LDS owner should.

Not all divers have excellent diving skills, good people skills, knowledge of the diving industry, a good work ethic, and good business management skills - an LDS owner should.

There are many LDS owners who have 3 or 4 of the 5 pieces of the equation.

 

[ktrjc]

1. Don't bad mouth your competitor in town just because your competitors. If you don't have anything nice to say, shut up. Listening to a 15 minute diatribe on what a bafoon the other guy is won't earn my money.

2. Don't tell me that every other piece of gear on the planet save what is sold in your store, is junk. It removes your credibility and demotes you to used car salesman, not dive shop operator.

I visited one shop like that in town here, never went back. He told me how bad Aqua-Lung, Apeks and Scuba-Pro are and how he only carries the best equipment made. Too much hot air in that shop, got out of there real quick.

I now visit 3 of the 5 shops in the city, good prices and just good to chat with the people working there. Answered all of my questions, my wife's and even took the time to talk to the kids and point out some cool pictures to occupy their time for about 20 seconds.

Good luck with another shop.

Ken

 

[Moogyboy]

I have limited experience with different LDSs (most of my business is with the one I was certified by, and the owner is a cool guy) but I think that the problem is that a lot of LDSs--and other small businesses of all kinds--are run by people who have a lot of knowledge of their product (a good thing), but who frankly have almost no business acumen (not a good thing).

These are people who see customers as sources of revenue, not as people to assist. They think it's enough to hang their shingle and expect people to come to them because they have specialized knowledge and products; and they get jealous, spiteful, and territorial when others make the same claim.

One way of putting it: Instead of asking "what do my customers want and how can I serve them better than the other guy?", they say "how can I get them to buy at my shop instead of theirs, and still maintain the biggest profit margin I can?"

Another way: one type of businessman is customer-oriented, and is genuinely interested in serving the customer's needs, and directing her elsewhere if he can't give her what she needs; the other is interested only in himself, and will try to convince the customer to go with him at all costs, even if what he offers not what the customer needs or wants.

One understands that the customer is the reason he's there and treats her with respect; the other not only treats the customer as his property to protect from the clutches of the shop across town, but as if the the customer owes him her business.

When things go rough, one accepts it as a challenge and tries to do better job of reaching his customers; the other *****es and complains about the competition and blames them for his misfortune, because he doesn't have that basic grasp of why people go into business and why successful businesses succeed.

For one, doing business is a joy, and that joy rubs off on the customer who'll come back again and again For the other, it's a dog-eat-dog world in which there's little pleasure, a lot of fear and frustration, and ultimately a lot of cynicism--all of which will rub off on the customer, who will ask her question and end the conversation and relationship with "Alright, well let me think about it and call you back," and she never does.

The trick is to find the LDSs which are run by good businessmen, but don't turn up your nose at any well-run business that serves your needs, whether they are a brick-n-mortar, mail order, or dotcom. LDSs aren't inherently "better" than a dotcom; if your LDS treats you like meat, are they worth supporting at all cost? The good shops will adapt and succeed; the bad ones will tank.

cheers

Billy S.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Not all divers have excellent diving skills - and an LDS owner should.

Not all divers have excellent diving skills, and good people skills - an LDS owner should.

Not all divers have excellent diving skills, good people skills, and knowledge of the diving industry - an LDS owner should.

Not all divers have excellent diving skills, good people skills, knowledge of the diving industry, and a good work ethic - an LDS owner should.

Not all divers have excellent diving skills, good people skills, knowledge of the diving industry, a good work ethic, and good business management skills - an LDS owner should.

There are many LDS owners who have 3 or 4 of the 5 pieces of the equation.

The problem is this ... at least in our area ... the shop owners who I have known to display the above qualities have pretty much all gone out of business in the past 18 months or so. The latest one just told me last week that he's closing down at the end of August ... he can't compete with the sharks.

The successful stores around here are the ones who (a) offer $89, week-end OW classes, and (b) convince all those students that the only gear on the market worth buying is the stuff they carry.

People love to complain ... but in the end, it's the consumer who determines the success of a business. And it seems that for the most part, the people who want to get into scuba want quick, cheap, and easy ... and hard-sell works for the majority because it meets that criteria.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[all4scuba05]

i've never been DS owner...but i imagine its hard to find a balance between making money from it and making happy repeat customers...very few humans would get it right...i've been to a couple of the LDS' around here and am totally happy with the one i go to...never pushed and and always advised well...not only that but, others have told me the same thing about my LDS...guess i'm lucky to live near it...

 

[Sylvain]

I am near Fredericton NB Canada and there are a few local store and here the same problem EXEPT for this LDS and this one is different because HE does not need to sell at all cost as he is also a LOCKSMITH so if he does not sell he still has income from the second half of the buisiness that is why I deceided to chose that store. When I look for equipment he gives me all the info and at the end his words are and I quote " if you can get a better deal somewhere else don't think you will offend me if you don't buy here" so far I think I baught 85% of my gear from him even after checking other store I buy from him as the other store like to put pressure on you to buy. The other store see your $$$$$$$$$$ and I think that being open to discussion and not having to sell makes it a better place to be able to look and make selection.

When I go in a store that $$$$ is the only thing on their mind and that it does not take long for you to figure it out usualy a simple question will be enought then I am on my way OUT.

 

[djanni]

I guess its just an open letter (or thread) for any LDS owner who visits. I know I am not the only person to experience this so if anyone else has complaints, post em up.

....