Why I didn't buy from my LDS

[farrakhan]

I can tell you from a diveshop owners perspective, your LDS is doing more harm to the industry then the internet issue ever will. I pride myself in looking after my customers and providing top notch customer service. I guess I'm one of the monority of LDS owners who is happy to make enough money to pay for my personal diving, pay my mortgage, and god willing a beer or two inbetween.

Please take into consideration though that it may not be your LDS's fault when it comes to inflated prices. Sometimes the dealers and the wholesalers "the hidden people" are the one's you are really responsible for the high prices.

I myself refuse to sell anything at a price higher the MRRP.

The problem of LDS and Internet sales is well beyond the scope of this thread.

Congratulations on your move and I hope you have better luck with your new dive centre.

Also if you remain completely unhappy with your LDS's customer service you could always do what I did and buy the shop and run it the way you seem fit.

All the best.

 

[AlaskaDiver]

I too when beginning my diving was pushed into expensive recreational-style gear. Who hasn't got a few white elephants? When I started, I didn't know exactly which direction to gravitate towards (warm water, cold water or both?). Do I stick with purely the textbook PADI styule equipment or experiment with DIR? Now I do both types of diving and am getting more in tune with DIR. The transition is one I am making at my own speed of financial allowance.

At the time in my area when I started diving there was only one recreational dive shop. Another sprouted up due to a request for more technical dives. Finally a third developed after listening to the wants, needs and complaints received regarding the other two shops. There is a fine line between relying on your LDS for advice on equipment and suggesting a product. I read your rant (yep, both parts) as well as the other comments and yes, having a remotely located LDS does become quite limiting. (No chance of easily driving over to the next state to find another LDS).

Travelling to other locations and asking questions to those LDS's is a great source of info. It firms up ideas as well as dispelling the misconceptions. When I first started diving, I read the magazines and asked my LDS for advice. They of course steered me in the direction of their gear and based it on their knowledge of where they thought I should be in my diving skills based on what they knew of my interestes and my skills. This is very logical. These were not entirely accurate assessments of me either. Only I knew those. Needless to say I was suggested some less than optimal equipment by my LDS for my needs and have purchase equally less than optimal equipment based on the preconceived notions of what I needed (oooh that's new, I'll get one).

To me, diving is about having fun while growing and developing my capabilities and expectations of myself. Gear is very integral to this process You cannot rely solely on your eyes for what looks like it would work (on line and catalog shoppping) and you cannot rely on your LDS for their advice either. SB is so awesome becasue it allows people to really do their homework on equipment before making a purchase. My LDS owner is also continually changing and trying to improve the shop for divers. I will continue to support them. Sorry you had such a crappy experience, but there is hope in Alaska. Besides the diving here is amazing in comparison to almost anywhere else. Let me know the next time you are coming through Anchorage area and I'll take you to my choice of LDS locally. You will be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Dive Junky]

The problem that is going to continue with internet sales is that divers, especially new divers are not going to be able to make the distinction between the LDS internet sales such as Scubatoys and the internet only stores. I see more people that end up either being ripped off or end up with gear they just can't use. As an instructor I see this all to often. Gear doesn't fit, is unassembled, needs fine tuning, and they have no where to turn. I am glad to see you were lucky enough to end up with Larry, but most divers are not so lucky. We shoud'nt be steering people away from shops. There are more good ones out there then bad.

 

[Brandon]

Cool, we've come full circle and now Dive Junky and I are in agreement.

Dive shops can be more expensive then the internet, and I won't care. They just better make up for it in customer service and attitude. There's no motivation to buy from a shop with high prices and crap service.

AlaskaDiver- is that Loic's shop by chance? I've talked to him on the phone a couple times, but never made it into his shop. I don't have a car (sold it... wasn't efficient up here in Fairbanks), so I don't make it down to Anchorage often. I want to hit Seward or Whittier before I leave next year though... maybe this summer.

Glad we all found some common ground,

-B

 

[AlaskaDiver]

That's a big resounding NO WAY to L's shop.

 

[Dive Junky]

Amen to that. And I really am sorry you had so much trouble. I am glad to see you didn't give up on the sport we have all grown to love so much. Many people would have given up on diving all together, something none of us want to see.

Stay healthy, keep diving.

 

[Brandon]

I'm not suprised... my shop and his work together on lots of stuff. I'm thinking I remember him being very pleasant on the phone, but when it came to planning stuff things were very unorganized.

I'll send ya a PM if I end up coming down south for some diving. Up for a Seward or Whittier trip this summer?

And DJ... there's NO WAY I'd ever give up on diving! This is probably the only sport that's kept my attention for so long. I'm incapable of being upset at my LDS while underwater... it's just not going to happen.

-B

 

[Bobby]

OK lets throw a wrench into this agrument. Little back ground I have many years diving and buy most of my equipment today close to cost due to the fact that I own more gear than a lot of dive shops.
Now I have three LDS's that I buy through one in Buffalo NY, one in the FL keys, and one local here in Charlotte. I also buy on line from time to time. In the last year I have made two or maybe three purchases through Leisure Pro then the rest through tech stores such as Joel.
All three of my LDS's offer something that is worth while and at the same time they are all a pain in the ***. You have to balance it out and make your decisions.
The store in NY I do enough business through and help with deals for them that it is good for both. The one in Charlotte I come in and help sell gear and help them keep things running. The one in the keys I help on the boat when I am there and give input on mechanical set up and running and have helped with pumping air. Bottom line it is all a trade off.
For new people coming in guess what you have nothing to offer but dollars or massive amounts of time which most shops don't need the time. It is a learning curve and if you want to do it over the internet you can. It is doable but by god don't ***** when your LDS does not support the crap you bought over the internet.
I buy over the internet but in no way would I ever expect any of the shops that support me to help me with stuff I have bought elsewhere....Duhhhh!!!!
Now all of this is of course excluding training, trips, ect.
Make your own decisions but before you ***** and rant think about if you have any idea at all what it takes to run a business much less survive in your area then compete against the online stores and try to support the customers localy.

 

[AlaskaDiver]

Whittier is good in the winter when things are clear and when there aren't a lot of fishermen on the ramp. Seward is premium, but requires a boat ride. I'd recommend Dive Alaska as the LDS in Anchorage and Scott runs his boat out of Seward in the summer months. Amazing things to see from the boat (orcas, spinner dolphins, murres, puffins, bald eagles, glaciers) too. I'd be more than happy to have company for the ride to Seward (3 hrs OW is often boring alone). Definitely the best cold water flora/fauna I've ever seen in my life. The underwater terrain is as diverse as the mountains surrounding it. The occasional curious sea lion adds a bit of fun to a dive.

 

[Brandon]

For new people coming in guess what you have nothing to offer but dollars or massive amounts of time which most shops don't need the time. It is a learning curve and if you want to do it over the internet you can.

Wow.. so at your dive shops, a new customer is just a walking wallet or a time sink? Must be a great shop... glad you're happy with it. I wouldn't be. This type of shop is exactly what this thread is arguing against.

Make your own decisions but before you ***** and rant think about if you have any idea at all what it takes to run a business much less survive in your area then compete against the online stores and try to support the customers localy.

Yeah... it's called Customer Service. If you don't treat your customers well, don't expect to stay in business. Expect to lose a signifigant portion of your business to your competitors, whether they be a brick and mortar shop, or an online one.

Can I make one request if you're going to post to this thread? Please read the entire post before you respond. If you can't do that, I'll just summarize it below:

This thread isn't:

1) A online vs local shop debate thread.
2) A thread that condemns all local dive shops
3) Someone complaining that their local shop won't support their online purchases.
4) Random complaining.
5) A peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

This thread is:

A detailed history of my experiences with my LDS detailing their complete lack of customer service, and my desire to no longer do business with them. Other users have shared the same experiences. This thread is an appeal to LDS owners to realize that customer service is one of the only things that will keep them competitive in both the online and traditional marketplace. Customers should not have to tolerate a shop with poor dedication to its customers, and should take their business elsewhere if this is the case.

I'm not responding to another post that brings us off topic yet again. Especially if they're poorly written or require me to repeatedly restate myself.

-Brandon.

AK Diver- I'll PM you early this summer, not sure when I'll be available yet.