What would you like in the ultimate dive shop?

[Cacia]

cabana boys in cowboy chaps and hats. (no shirts)...guess we need a gym then.
they could double as chamber techs.


guess you need Tri-mix, Red.

 

[dherbman]

You need comfy chairs with the good coffee and Cabana Boys to fetch a refill.

:shakehead
Cabana boys with cleavage? :mooner: ick

 

[dive_lover88]

Full range of training and good and well trained staffs who doesnt just promote the products they carry,refer divers who wants something they dont carry to the correct place and not ordering the product and inflating that price. Heck...have a cafe on the side...let the divers who dive with them mingle around when they come...that helps to drum business up.

 

[TSandM]

Okay, a point of view from a woman who never worked on her own cars . . . I like a shop to look like a retail operation, not a garage. Clean, well-lit, painted an attractive color, and without partially disassembled pieces of large equipment blocking the floor space. Cardboard boxes, unless just arrived, belong in some kind of non-public storage space. By the same token, a clean, organized and professional-appearing service area inspired confidence.

Although I understand the tremendous costs involved, it's much more reassuring if a shop keeps a reasonable inventory. If the whole shop has only three dry suits and two BCs in it, it does two things -- leaves me without hands-on data, and makes the shop look shaky in terms of its survival. If you don't have much inventory, try to arrange it so that it looks like more.

I appreciate knowledgeable salespeople and a low-pressure approach (both of the shops I patronize are wonderful that way). It's important for a shop to realize that I may come in and talk about something several times before I actually make a decision and buy it.

I also appreciate a shop where the path I have to take with my tanks from my car to the fill station is as easy as possible -- please, not up stairs, through a door, across the shop, out a door, and down more stairs! And I have to admit that I secretly love having the shop folks help me carry tanks when they can. I can do it, but they're younger than I am

But in the end, it comes down to customer service. If the shop is friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to go out of the way to get me what I want, I'm coming back!

 

[mixdiver]

I would like to see fill station with long wips so you can back a car up to it and dont have to remove the tanks

http://the-scuba-shop.com

 

[TheRedHead]

More tech gear on hand is a big one for me. And knowledgable employees who can talk about BP/Wings without simply saying that is is only for tech divers and not appropriate for recreational diving.

 

[RiverRat]

Good stuff Guys and Gals...

So far it looks as though we're all in agreement on many things. Clean shop, gear selection, knowledge, attitude etc.

More tech gear on hand is a big one for me. And knowledgable employees who can talk about BP/Wings without simply saying that is is only for tech divers and not appropriate for recreational diving.

This one is a hit with me too. When I first started diving I was told a BP/W would just about kill me! C'mon........

Divers (customers) are smarter than that. Once a customer finds out you've been handing them a load of crapola they'll never really forget about it. Not a real good idea if you want to built a long term customer relationship.

 

[RiverRat]

cabana boys in cowboy chaps and hats. (no shirts)...guess we need a gym then. they could double as chamber techs.

guess you need Tri-mix, Red.

LOL I don't know about that Catherine......
I'd think twice about buying gear from some guy in chaps and a cowboy hat.

Might work in Texas though....

 

[LiteHedded]

just a staff that gives me ZERO crap about my internet purchases or other shops in the area.
that's it

 

[BIGSAGE136]

Splashdown Divers, Fill Express and Force E....All stand and take a Bow!