WHY Dive shops make you Feel GUILTY ???

[PhotoTJ]

As a manager of a new LDS, I am seeking out everything I can to get business. So, a little help. Why would you shop online vs. LDS? Why would you shop an LDS vs. online? What is the deal breaker?

Your ideas and input will be much appreciated!

TJ

 

[scubapro50]

We always complain about bad shops and their prices ...... well lets talk about some good shops that have been in business for a while and see what they are doing right. First ..... I have found that a LDS is only as good as the people running it. A good manager gets to know his customers and makes them feel welcome. Second... ..SERVICE this is very inportant because once you purchased the gear it needs to be maintained. Don't expect your local shop to be over helpfull with problems if you didn't buy it there. On the other hand my LDS loves people that purchase used stuff off ebay. He welcomes their problems because he charges $25/hour to fix them plus parts. By the time he fixes that "bargin" you purchase it came within a few bucks of what a new one would have ran. A good shop takes care of their customers. I have had a local shop fix minor problems for free for me ..... they know me not only as a customer but a person. THIRD ...... PRICE don't expect him to match every price found on the web. Most shops will come off the price of major purchases if they know you intend to buy it while you're there. Our local shop has retail tags attached to the gear but everyone knows they will come down some on most purchases. The LDS here may not carry a lot of brands but he runs "sales" and has a "bargin bin" to move products. He also posts "special purchase" items to help his customes save money.

 

[Scuba]

Why would you shop online vs. LDS?

Selection, price, convenience. The web is one big mall composed of many individual shops only a few clicks away. Just as shops in the city are all down the road. Online has the convenience of ease of ordering and delivery from the confort of home, office, etc. Even though I really, really like to look and touch.

Why would you shop an LDS vs. online?

Selection I can see and touch. Try out for correct size. Test on a real dive and exchange or refund if I am not satisfied? Now your're talking - me - into the shop. Good price value overall. However, I like the option of a la carte or bundle. Meaning, I do not want to pay for a value/service I will not be utilizing. But, I do want the option of the extra value/service when I desire it.

What is the deal maker? Glad you asked.

Can you provide what I want, product and services, faster, at a better price than I can get it elsewhere? Comparable? Make me feel welcomed. Demonstrate that you value and appreciate the fact I have chosen you out of the multitude and given you the opportunity to "earn" my business.

What is the deal breaker?

Failure to compete.

What will make or brake me as a customer for the long term?

Do you see a difference between an air fill and a full set of gear? It will show if you do.

Whenever I call or walk through your door, will you see me and treat me like "your" customer or someone "else's" customer?

Just a few points to ponder, hope it helps.

 

[SHARKBAIT94]

All you folks who expect the LDS to match online pricing, or you walk away will happily drop off empty tanks for filling and your salt-encrusted un-rinsed regs for servicing. When my local guy went under, I had to buy a compressor since I was having to drive 1/2 hour each way to get a fill it got a little tiresome.
You're going to miss your dive store when they are gone.

Not me. online shopping = saving money, belong to Fire rescue with compressor = free clean air
new jersey coast not to many dive shops around me = in buisness for a long time without the slightest thought of going out.
RULE ONE IN BUISNESS, never stop moving or slow down. Get content with just your "regular customers" while every other buisnessman forges ahead means you fall behind and go under. The internet is just another outlet for extra sales. No one ever said you had to sell everything you carry online sell the little things online GET OTHERS to see you are in buisness. It's called reaching out gq public.

 

[miketsp]

I keep reading in this thread that one of the edges that an LDS can have is a flexible policy on returns, ie let people take gear away and try it out.
I would certainly not shop at a place that would try to sell me as new, a piece of equipment that has already been used and possibly abused.
If I bought a reg for example that somebody had already tried. How would I know if it had been used with dirty air or sea water had got into the first stage or the user tried tweaking the 2nd stage adjustment just to see the variation?
If I am buying new, I expect the gear to be in the exact condition it came from the manufacturer.

 

[The Kraken]

Along the same lines, I started a thread a couple of months ago regarding the percentage of shops that let divers "try out" gear before it is purchased.

I received numerous responses that, yes, the LDS did let them try out the gear before they purchased it. But I wonder how many of those had to actually purchase the gear but would be given an instore credit to purchase something else if they weren't satisfied.

I'm sure this sounds much like a troll, but I have to agree with Mike. Any shop that sells a product as a new good that has been used previously is commiting an act of conusmer fraud. Granted, that one or two dives in a pool will not cause the product any significant amount of damage or stress, but it's a matter of legal responsibility.

 

[bgi]

If you like them, publicize them...Where are they?

Where are you?

I'll assume this is permitted.

<www.dianeandscott.com>

Great people. Great service. Limited selection (small shop) of good equipment.

 

[scubatoys]

I can't speak for any other shops - but I know if we ever take anything back that has been used... we simply turn it into "rental or try it out" gear. We've got all kinds of stuff sitting by our pool so if someone wants to try this bc, or that reg... no problem. So if I have a customer buy a bc, use it once, then decide it doesn't fit them right, and wants to trade it in on something else... we'll try to take care of the customer... but then yes... we are sitting on a "gently used" or as we like to call it... an experienced bc!

So put it by the pool so others can try before they make up their mind, offer it at a discount.. but we would never try to pass it off as new... that's just not right.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

As a manager of a new LDS, I am seeking out everything I can to get business. So, a little help. Why would you shop online vs. LDS? Why would you shop an LDS vs. online? What is the deal breaker?

What our local dive shop does well is remain flexible and creative. Even with restrictive dealer agreements they are able to do package deals with non restricted items. For example if you have a new $550 regulator that you have to sell at at 90% of the MSRP, but are still making $200 in profit on, you can add a new wet suit, from a company that does not restrict pricing, for another $50 and give the customer as good as or better a deal than they could get on-line.

The same thing can be done if the customer has a used regulator to trade in. Giving the customer a $300 trade in credit for a reg that you'll eventually sell used for $150 is the same as giving him a $150 discount on the new reg he is purchasing but is allowed through the dealer agreement. Free air cards, free service, free VIP's, free boat dives, etc can also be used to add value to the sale even in situations where no discount or on-line price matching is possible. If you have loop holes in dealer agreements, use them.

Service also counts. The LDS does not have a pool on site but arranges to rent the pool at the Y and will bring equipment there for divers to try. The store also owns a dive boat that is essentially open to store customers every weekend for no charge. It is just used as a tool to get more people diving and to keep existing divers active.

Fidelity is important too. Our local LDS gets a lot of pressure form sales reps to sell certain products, but if they do not work for divers in the area, those products are not pushed. No one in the shop wants to sell a diver a reg that may freeflow on them in cold water at 100', so other models are suggested even if it results in reduced sales numbers and a crabby sales rep. That is much preferred to a very unhappy customer who will never buy from the company or the LDS again.

 

[jonnythan]

I can't speak for any other shops - but I know if we ever take anything back that has been used... we simply turn it into "rental or try it out" gear. We've got all kinds of stuff sitting by our pool so if someone wants to try this bc, or that reg... no problem. So if I have a customer buy a bc, use it once, then decide it doesn't fit them right, and wants to trade it in on something else... we'll try to take care of the customer... but then yes... we are sitting on a "gently used" or as we like to call it... an experienced bc!

So put it by the pool so others can try before they make up their mind, offer it at a discount.. but we would never try to pass it off as new... that's just not right.

It's cool that you guys can do that.. but I'm sure there are lots of dive shops out there that simply can't eat the cost of that gear though.

I think a lot of dive shops exist because some instructor somewhere moved to a new place or grew out of the shop he worked for, and found himself with few marketable skills other than being a diving instructor. Answer? Open a dive shop!

These people aren't necessarily good or even competent businessmen just because they own a dive shop. It's unfortunate, but you can't expect them to know how to earn your business or even that the guilt trips really do make you go buy stuff online instead.

These shops can and do go out of business simply because they're no good at it. Life goes on, the scuba industry isn't going to collapse because of it. Be a smart consumer and everything will be OK