My LDS is getting cranky

[rsmith5894]

Stopped in today to finish out my Christmas list and saw a sign on the door of my LDS:

"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."

I support my LDS, all of my training and gear has been purchased through them....I consider it like building a long-term relationship and I told them as much this evening. I have the same type of relationship with my local bike shop (cyclist). I'm sure I'll get mixed answers on buying online vs. buying at the LDS but what do you all think this does for the business? They are good people that never bash the competition and have always served me well (ok, in the last 1 1/2 years)....but will this stance hurt them? Is this common in other areas of the country?

So, any thoughts?

[FishFood]

but will this stance hurt them?

Yes. It's a piss poor attitude to have. I don't owe anyone my business and the second someone acts like I do is when I stop giving it to them.

Also - Although that sort of action from a LDS seems to come up a lot on the interwebz, Ive personally never seen it happen down here. Maybe it's a yankee - lack of customer service - thing. Where ya located?

[SEMO Scuba]

Their service business should be viewed as a profit center that is a separate profit center from their sales business. Why would you want to limit the volume of business to your service center with those restrictions? I think it is a stupid bonehead business decision that will cost them sales and profit in the long run. If you take your Chevy to the GM dealer for service do they turn you away if you did not buy it there?

[comet24]

Today's world is different then it was ten years ago. Businesses need to understand that and evolve if they are to continue. Dive shops need to understand that putting forth such an attitude will only hurt them. They need to look at this as not only an opportunity to provide good service but to win business back. Talk to the person when they drop off the gear. Talk about the shops up coming trips and classes. Talk about gear sales and price matching or whatever that shop does. Make the person want to come back into your shop. Pissing off you customer base will never get you business. But what do I know I never owned a dive shop.

I been in many dive shops and too many just don't seem to want you in there. I cracked the cover on a 2nd stage a few years ago. Took it into a local dive shop I only been in once before. Showed them the reg and asked if they could order me one. All they wanted to talk about was letting them service the reg. That's not what I wanted. Then he told me if he serviced it he could call Mares and see if he could locate one. WTF. You need to service it to call and get a replacement cover. It's these attitudes that hurt LDS.

[Smashee]

Originally Posted by rsmith5894

So, any thoughts?

I think it's impressive that they've managed to get their whole foot in front of their shotgun.

I'd actually avoid any dive shops like that. They obviously have enough business and money so don't need any of mine.

[jet126]

"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."

That second sentence IS very cranky and mean-spirited. Do they mean they won't service your gear unless you bought it from them?! That's crazy. I bought most of my gear 1500 miles from where I live now. Service where purchased would not be ... practical. Now servicing only brands they carry might make sense. Most brands in things like regulators and computers require specific training. Only certain shops will service my Apex reg that I absolutely love.

[rsmith5894]

Indiana, land of corn!

Since I personally give my business to them and they treat me well I was not offended, but I can imagine the guy/girl that walks through their doors with internet gear will be shocked! I am in the service business and I know I train my managers and staff to go out of their way to exceed what our guests expect when they come through our doors. I have a real concern about this NEW stance on online gear.

So the internet is here to stay and it's hurting local shops...did mail-order catalogs do the same thing? I wasn't diving back when mail was popular (haha). Isn't this just another form of competition? I would amp up my service business and dive education business...in addition to having competitive pricing on gear.

You would think that as long as online shopping has been popular that the LDS's could find a way to compete and even participate.

[lt.dan58]

I had a situation occur here with a LDS... I bought my wetsuit, 2 sets of fins, boots, 2 sets of gloves, a mask, numerous attachments, and did my training through them.... I bought my bcd, computer, reg, and octo from ST... when I got my package in I went and talked to the manager and told him I got some new gear and that I wanted to test it out before I dove... I also informed him that I was a student at their other shop and was curious if I could test out my stuff in their pool... I also let him know that I would pay to use it... the manager said that it would be no problem as long as one of their instructors was available to watch me from above while I was in the pool... So I set up a time took a few hours off from work and went to test out my gear... when I got there I had to wait for the instructor to finish talking with his buddy about their next dive trip which I didnt mind but it took 45 minutes... so after 45 minutes he said he was ready and him and his buddy continued talking out by the pool... I started to rig my gear up and he got all pissed off... he said "you didnt buy that setup here! if the manager would have known that he wouldnt have agreed to that!" so I said "with all do respect I've spent over $700 in YOUR store and an additional $500 + in your other store and if you dont want me to dive here then I wont but my wallet walks with me"... he got all pissed and I'm still not sure why... He was getting paid to sit outside the pool and bs with his buddy... I would love to get paid to just sit by a pool for 30 minutes and get paid... needless to say I probably wont be buying from there anymore

[rsmith5894]

This "attitude" from LDS owners and instructors is just repeating itself over and over again on this forum. They should have a live feed of all of the things that divers are saying about them!

[comet24]

Some dive shops(not all) seem to think that because they are in your neighborhood you should buy everything from them. Yet they provide crappy service. Just because a shop it close by doesn't mean they get the business.