What are you looking for in a dive shop?

[RU4SKUBA]

I like a LDS that doesn't give a care where you got your gear. When a dive shop owner asks me that question I silently resolve to buy as little as possible at that shop. Its none of their business where I got my gear, since its already purchased, so they should just be happy I'm standing in their shop!

 

[Davidstealey3]

one thing we did is lower the price for the servicing of gear if it was bought through us.
our price for a regulator service is 17 per stage plus parts. now if they bought the reg from us we will only charge them 12 per stage. not the biggest saving in the world, but 15 dollars a year over a couple years adds up.

 

[ems_is_4_me]

Keep Your word. I just droped 1000.00 in gear at a LDS what he had didnt fit so he said he would have is ship direct to my house. I live two and a half hours from the shop so i thught that was nice. I called to get the tracking number for the gear. Well now i cant get a hold of him. I have Emailed and left messages and no calls or anything. Once i get the money back or the gear i will not be doing anymore business there.

 

[Abaco24]

EMS - My case exemplified.

You LDS boys/girls need to get a clue. You asked, we're answering only to hear the same responses as to why we don't buy from you in the first place. High prices, no loyalty to your customers, no or little discounts to keep diving with your shop, and most of the time you insult our intelligence on the products you carry, like we can't or haven't done research on what you carry vs the web. It's 2009, get a clue, compete or compromise.

 

[Jax]

EMS - My case exemplified.

You LDS boys/girls need to get a clue. You asked, we're answering only to hear the same responses as to why we don't buy from you in the first place. High prices, no loyalty to your customers, no or little discounts to keep diving with your shop, and most of the time you insult our intelligence on the products you carry, like we can't or haven't done research on what you carry vs the web. It's 2009, get a clue, compete or compromise.

Jeeez, Abaco, give 'em break! Bad experiences with your dive shops don't mean they are all bad. Accusing them of BS'ing, no loyalty -- you don't even know them! You made that up, decided it was true, and you're reacting as if it were true.

One might be tempted to color you in the same light of the folks that come in, milk the shop for all the info and help they can get, and then go buy Internet.

Lighten up, huh? Legitimate small business that care about their customers are hurting right now, and I applaud their thoughts to apply to this forum.

 

[Abaco24]

First of all I do know my LDS, and as I have stated I wish we had the same dive instructors who encourage their new divers to come along on dives at minimual cost to advance their skills alone vs asking to buy an AOW course up front. Dive for fun as they say.

"milk the shop for all the info and help they can get, and then go buy Internet" ......my point sir is that 99% of all shoppers do look on the internet (or should) before stepping foot one in an LDS, so they are educated as to the current market price of products.

"you don't even know them! You made that up, decided it was true, and you're reacting as if it were true"

I guess you're omnipitant to my city and conversations for buying equipment, so good luck with that on Oprah. I never make up facts to support an arguement, what's the point?

When I'm told a set of dive gear cost "$1800" but I'll sell it to you today for $XXXX, when the same gear sells for $ 500 online at reputable dealers, yes that kind of turns me off to buy from that LDS. I don't know, call me crazy but I work hard for my money, I research and know the fair market value of items before I purchase them.

Lastly, yes sir you're correct that an LDS or OP came here to ask a questions as to why we don't buy locally and I personally am giving my answer only. I do not condone the behavior but obviously it is a trend and LDS's want to know why. You have my answer which may be likely others and you can agree or disagree, that's why we have a constitution.

I'll lighten up when I see......Lower margins, keep in touch with your students/divers, improve your websites locally, e-mail promotions and you'll see increased loyalty and sales. One small dive shop with the right technology, good will and honest prices can beat Diver Supply any day and others.

 

[ptyx]

So what I am asking is what are you looking for in a dive shop?

First and foremost: convenient fills. Fills are the main reason I return to a shop every week, and most of the time it's only for fills. I want reliable, fast, good quality fills - preferably those where I don't need oven mitts to handle my tank. I want flexible hours where I can drop my tanks after work and pick them the next day. I want nitrox any day of the week. I want to be able to pick up and drop tanks without waiting when I'm in a rush. Sadly, I want a short drive as well, so to some extent you're competing against geography.

Then, I want good service. Good prices I can get on the internet. Being able to try out a pair of fins before buying: not. I don't care much about stock - once advised, I don't mind if it takes two or three weeks to order the item I want. But I want service and advice I can trust - and sometimes it means you'll advise me to buy from the internet because you can't get me a good deal - or just tell me that you don't know. That's fine. I'll appreciate the honesty and I'll come back. (However, if you sell me crappy stuff because that's why you had in stock, and you knew it wouldn't be what I wanted: you can be pretty sure I won't come back).

Finally, I'd like the shop to be a meeting place for divers. Organize classes, demos, presentations, etc. Free or cheap (just to cover the drinks) preferably. Sell me some training I need (a first aid refresher for instance). Have me try new stuff (I've been wanting to try doubles, underwater video, scooters...). Who knows - maybe I'll buy something - and you can be sure I'll remember who got me to try it when I buy it.

 

[sabbath999]

I want a shop to stock all sizes of wetsuits for the brands they sell. Now, I don't mean they necessarily need to stock every style in every size, but around here the 5 mil is the most common... so if you sell Henderson have a 5 mil in every size so I can try them on. If I need to order a 7 mil, that's fine, at least I know the sizing will be right.

I don't expect the shop to carry some of the weird stuff I use (photographic stuff like filters, for example) but I want them to be able to order it for me and ship it to my house.

I want to be able to trust their service, and I don't want to have to wait a month to get my regs done... I bought the stuff to dive with, not to have it sitting on their shelves waiting for the parts to come in or whatever.

I want a shop to realize I am not going to buy everything from them, and just deal with it. After all, how many of them only go to just Sears or Pennys or Macys and nowhere else? None. Scuba gear may be specialized, but unless you carry every single brand I need I will be going elsewhere when I want that other brand.

I want every shop to carry backplate/wing configurations, in addition to jacket style BC's. I don't want to have to send off to Scubatoys because I need a couple of sex bolts and a single tank adapter and some D-rings.

That is enough for starters.

 

[CamG]

Greetings wreckdiverbob and I feel for your friend and I have one also new the LDS business. I think there have been some great posts to your thread already.
For me personally it is about customer service plain and simple! I want to purchase the right thing the first time, I am of the try before you buy camp! I do not paying more if this is possible and return policies are important and should be explained at time of the sale.
Probably the easiest way to make people happy put 3000 psi in their tank when that is what they pay for. No joke I hear more complaints about light fills than anything.
I love the air fills for a year idea. It makes great sense and would make it simpler for the LDS when charging is an issue. I understand compressors require filters and oil changes but please heed the advice given.
Try to covet the Tech crowd but know what you are doing! WARNING THESE GUYS AND GALS KNOW WHAT THEY WANT! It is a awesome opportunity for a retailer but can be a double edged sword. The gear is expensive to stock and not all is created equal. Depends what is popular in your local scene.
When it all boils down it is about relationships that one establishes with a customer that brings them back time after time. If you can communicate a honest, caring, go over and above attitude, look out. You earn trust and loyalty. Does that mean you get to take advantage of that? Absolutely not! But it is a powerful marketing strategy in these tough days. This winter is going to be really hard on everyone. I hope that LDS's all over can stay open but in reality not everyone will make it. But that is the way it is, the industry as a whole has taken a bounce due to the economic crunch.
What sets her shop apart from the others in your area?
What one thing can she offer that no one else is doing?
Does she have a strong enough financial base to weather the storm?
Does she have the buying power to remain competitive with on-line retailers?
These are just a few questions to think about and I am not trying to be discouraging.
I am just trying to help think of new ideas, different angles of reason.
Please give her my best wishes and keep at it being there to encourage her in the days to come.
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[Slonda828]

I want a place that is run by professionals. I don't want a guy who happens to think he can make money selling dive gear with a day job as something else. I want instructors and staff that are divers first, not just guys making trips to certify students who spend their dives overweighted and on their knees. I want prices that are at least close to the internet's. I'll pay more for your help and knowledge, but not 100 dollars more. If I am serving as a DM for you, then I want my insurance paid for by you. I want you to be open the hours that you say you will. I don't want to hear you badmouth the internet, Ebay, and every brand of gear that you do not sell. I want you to understand how a regulator works, and to not say things like "this one flows more air than that one". I want a pool that I can tinker around in, regardless of where I got my gear. I want to be able to buy parts for my gear when I service it myself. I want to buy used gear here and there without you whining about liability. I am willing to pay for all of this, as long as you are truthful and reliable in delivering it