My LDS is getting cranky

[chicken]

I have been through several dive shops. I finally found one that gets it. I do business with him but he will match or come close to online prices from authorized dealers. He is fine with me buying from ST/Cave Adventurers/Northeast Scuba Supply ect., but only asks that I give him the first shot for my business. Fair enough.

What do I get? Discounted training, pool time, free air fills, and same day service on most things. He is happy to have the business and I am happy to to business with them.

The biggest stick we carry is our wallets. I refuse to give my money to some LDS who demands my business rather than earning it.

[chinacat46]

"We service only the brands that we sell. If you buy your gear online then ship it back to them and let them service it."

It appears to me he should have left the second sentence off. If he won't service brands he carries that he didn't sell then that is a different story. If he sells brand X and I buy brand X online or at another shop and he won't service it then maybe he should remove the first sentence and leave the second.

[snagel]

My LDS closed last January....really sucks.

Anyway, I was in there one day and guy was looking at a regulator setup. The owner was going through everything and really doing a good job explaining everything - not being pushy or anything. They guy left without making a purchase. A couple weeks later I was again in the shop talking to the owner (I enjoyed hanging out talking diving - very addictive). Here comes this guy again with a regulator in his hand (the same regulator he was looking at weeks before). He brings it in and shows it to the owner and says he was able to purchase it a little cheaper on-line. I'm thinking to myself....this guy has some huge cahunas. The shop owner looked at the regulator and commented it's a great reg and he will be very happy with it and said to bring it in when it needed service.

After the guy left I commented to the shop owner how unethical I thought that was. He said it happens all the time, but what can you do. Just for kicks, we looked up on-line what he paid for it (he told us what online outfit he got it from - not ScubaToys). The cost difference was $5 after you add in the shipping.

I grabbed my 3 tanks of FREE air and went on my way. (Since I bought most of my gear from him and came in frequently to talk....I really never paid for any air fills). I guess giving me the free air cost him to go out of business.

Snagel

[ReefHound]

Originally Posted by rayaa3

So here's a little insight on why he might be pissed.

I know this varies from shop to shop...but, many shops require their instructors to buy all gear from that shop. Some shops aren't as strict, and merely require instructors to only use gear (with students, or on shop trips) that is at least offerred at the shop (you are wearing a oceanic bc, and our shop doesn't sell oceanic, what does this say to the students).

I don't see the relevance - Lt Dan was not an instructor and not serving as an example for a class. Unless the instructor was just being childish with an attitude "if I have to buy here then you also have to buy here".

I think more likely is the fact that many shops use instructors more to push gear than teach scuba. They "encourage" instructors to spend a little time in the shop waiting on customers because they know a customer who walks in the door is more likely to buy from an instructor (esp. if it was "their" instructor) than from a sales clerk. Instructors in such shops need to sell gear if they expect to make any money for this time. I doubt the instructor in this case was getting paid much if anything extra to "babysit" the diver in the pool but rather had it dumped on him since he was "in the shop anyway" that night. So the instructor was probably annoyed at having his "shop time" diverted from commission selling to floor customers, then seeing this diver show up with outside gear put him over the top.

[rayaa3]

Originally Posted by ReefHound

I don't see the relevance - Lt Dan was not an instructor and not serving as an example for a class. Unless the instructor was just being childish with an attitude "if I have to buy here then you also have to buy here". .

Yes, that was kind of my point. The instructor may have simply been childish. However, I agree with you about the instructors selling gear bit. One local shop that requires all of the folks they train as instructors to work in the shop "So students can get to know you". uh huh...sure thing...so it's not just free sales labor then?

at any rate - I wasn't excusing the behavior...just pointing out how poop tends to roll downhill...

[awap]

Originally Posted by snagel

My LDS closed last January....really sucks....l

Sounds like your LDS needed to work on salesmenship. He had the customer in the store and lost the sale for a measly $5. And it "happens all the time"!!! I would not blame customer for saving money. The owner should have thanked the customer for coming back and letting him know he is being undersold. Then he should have figured out how to keep it from happening "all the time". And the sign that denies service for gear not purchased in that store is not a good response. It will intimidate some newer divers, but it will send more to do all their scuba business elsewhere.

[plot]

LDS's really need to get away from the retail model becuase they'll never be able to compete, and focus their main business on services.

servicing equipment, training, refresher courses, and most importantly, setting up a 'dive club' and offer trips. for inland shops, they need to really focus on the trips, especially weekend trips where an instructor or divecon is along to help people brush up before they head out for some big fancy expensive dive vacation.

One thing I notice diveshops do is push the big ticket items - BC's, Regs, and computers. If they focused more on trips, they'd make a killing renting gear and selling the little accessory items when the people are on the way out the door.

if you can't sell equipment for similiar or close to what everyone else can, DON'T MAKE IT YOUR CORE BUSINESS!

[theduckguru]

Originally Posted by plot

LDS's really need to get away from the retail model becuase they'll never be able to compete, and focus their main business on services.

servicing equipment, training, refresher courses, and most importantly, setting up a 'dive club' and offer trips. for inland shops, they need to really focus on the trips, especially weekend trips where an instructor or divecon is along to help people brush up before they head out for some big fancy expensive dive vacation.

One thing I notice diveshops do is push the big ticket items - BC's, Regs, and computers. If they focused more on trips, they'd make a killing renting gear and selling the little accessory items when the people are on the way out the door.

if you can't sell equipment for similiar or close to what everyone else can, DON'T MAKE IT YOUR CORE BUSINESS!

The fact is that most divers can put together their own travel packages as cheaply or cheaper than an LDS. That is why so many travel agencies have gone belly up over the last 10 years. You'll find the Blackbeard's price on ST is the same price as it is from Blackbeard's as an example.

[plot]

you couldn't do it selling trips to liveaboards or all inclusives probably. a few shops around here put togethor certain trips to certain places certain times a year, they take care of travel from the shop to the airport, the flight, the lodging, etc. and send along a shop employee or an instructor that wants to go on the trip with them to look after everyone... gives the divers alot of confidence knowing they're going with a group of familiar people, and have an instructor with them just in case they have some questions or whatever else...

most form dive clubs so people can offer up experiences of where they traveled, get people interested, etc...

it's very effective. many people will pay a bit more to for departure to return service with someone along in charge of all the arrangements so they just have to show up and have a good time.

[Tekdivr]

I service the equipment at my LDS. We service all brands, that we sell, no matter where you purchased it from. The only difference is if you purchased a new reg online, you may have to pay for the parts, since we can't be reimbursed in that situation. No bigee, part kits are cheap. Obviously, we rather sell you the gear, but we won't turn you away because you found it cheaper elsewhere.