What's your impression of this behavior?

[TSandM]

I thought I knew which shop owner you were talking about ... then I realized you weren't from the Seattle area ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I had to look, too

 

[Thumper517]

In business enviroments in general when talking to customers it is a sign of weakness or insecurity to make negative statements about the competition.

However, it is allways tempting when trying to sell a prospect to bring up bad things about the other guy. When we do this we make it a general statement, not specific to any one company. "Some other companies do it like this, however we do it like that and we feel this is better because of this"

The owners of my LDS will not say anything bad about the other guys around town. But the will roll their eyes and smile or shake their heads if the subject comes up.

 

[kidspot]

Odd how many shops do business this way, yet my LDS front door looks into the front door of another LDS and they both speak highly of the other, and both do very well ... only 50ft away from each other... course this is a resort destination, but their attitude is "there's plenty of business for everyone."

 

[frankc420]

Post the name of the dive shop and their phone number so we can all call them and tell them how to draw business to the store rather than run it away... IMO, most store clerks, whether it be a dive shop or bestbuy, are ignorant to how sales should be made.

If put in their place a time or two, they learn real quick what to say and what not to say. Just my 2 cent worth

 

[PUGMASTER]

I think chicks look hot in wetsuits.

I can't believe the stretchability of neoprene!!!




What ever happened to humbleness. Personally, I read alot about a person in his/her confidence in themselves and thier ability to listen as well as speak. Not just rant on and on ... always seems to me they're hidding something

 

[scuba66]

yopu should post the name of the dive store. makes it alot easier to avoid idiots like this before you have the displeasure of patronizing the store.

 

[nwbrewer]

I thought I knew which shop owner you were talking about ... then I realized you weren't from the Seattle area ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I had to look, too
__________________

My dive journal can be read here
If you are contemplating learning to dive, read this first . . .
Only 2 diving days until Rec Triox . . .

I think I've been to that shop too......


Jake

 

[JcoldwaterIL]

Bashing the other guys seems to be working lately in political compaigns to attract voters so why not use it to attract customers to your shop?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Bashing the other guys seems to be working lately in political compaigns to attract voters so why not use it to attract customers to your shop?

Short-term gain for mutually-assured destruction ... in both cases ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Diver0001]

On the down side, I am also not impressed with people who make their case for competency by disparaging others.

Just wondering what your thoughts might be about this guy and his behavior.

Thanks,

Mark

The point that he's missing is that the shop down the street isn't the main competition for his customers. In fact, anything the shop down the street can do to get/keep people diving will have a positive effect on all the other shops in the area. Collectively they should try as much as they can to cooperate and win/retain customers for mutual benefit. After all, everyone's customers are like you. They'll shop around and there's no stopping that.

The real competition for diving are other "expensive" (in terms of time/energy/monetary investment) outdoor sports like skiing, windsurfing, sailing, paragliding, golfing (maybe) etc. etc. Those are the people you'd like to get diving. The divers are already spending money in your shop (and the neighbours shop) but if everyone concentrated a little bit on making the whole pie grow then there'd be enough for everyone to eat and you wouldn't feel the need to be so short sighted.

Just a different way of looking at it, I guess.

R..