Customer Service Extraordinaire

[LI Diver]

Just some thoughts, Do inform your customers about your products and thoroughly and patiently answer their questions,but don't lapse into long stories or anecdotes. Make sure there is someone else on duty to take phone calls it is quite annoying to go into a dive shop and spend half of the time listening to someone cking on there regulators or why they can't be found. When someone is trying on fins don't try to help them get them on by twisting and turning the fins. (a) nobody is going to do it for them on a dive boat. (b) The leverage of a 16" fin allows an average sales person to exert enough torque to to damage a persons knee or ankle without even realizing it. If you allow a customer to try on masks without mentioning that by putting a regulator or snorkle in their mouth that it changes the way that the mask fits then you are doing them a disservice.When a new person comes into your shop do not ask them where they are from it gives the impression that you are calculating the odds of whether they are one time buyers or might actually come back and make you their LDS.

 

[mike_s]

scuba brad,

this topic is near and dear to me because my wife and i own a restaurant and bar. i preface all customer service discussions with the fact that it takes years to build a loyal customer and seconds to lose them.

Boy... You hit that nail directly on the head. Very good statement.

 

[Scuba Brad]

Mozz excellent comments..... thanks.............where is your restaurant and what is its name?

Happy Diving

 

[Scuba Brad]

ES601 and Mike.......totally agree!!

Happy Diving

 

[mozz]

where is your restaurant and what is its name?

scuba brad,

country host restaurant and porky's pub in glorious flagstaff, arizona is where you can find us. if your ever in our neck of the woods....

good luck!

 

[Scuba Brad]

I'll tell you what..........I'll make it a point to come by next time I dive to Phoenix. I was just thru there this summer. Mozz who should I ask for?

Happy Diving

 

[mozz]

who should I ask for?

donnie and sharli marzilli (928)3807736. look forward to meeting w/you.

 

[stevenq99]

I remember a couple years back when I was looking around for a new drysuit, I walked into a shop just west of where I live (about a 30 min drive) to check out some drysuits, as I knew this shop was a dealer of a particular brand I wanted to check out. I get to the shop, walking, and the sales person is on the phone behind the counter. No problem, I wander around a bit, have a look at what's in the shop. 15 minutes later, still on the phone, so I stand at the counter. She looks at me, I tell her I'm interested in finding out more about a couple of drysuits, she says to me, look on our website, there's information there, and goes back to talking on the phone. I said ok, thanks, and left. Never been back.

That is the worst! I hate it when you go into any store and can not get any one to help.

 

[superstar]

The owner of my LDS does his best to convince me that I'm just a stupid incompetent dummy. Several times he told me that I don't know what I'm doing. He is like the boss that always brings you down to make himself feel better. And his wife is a total sweetheart, go figure? I went to a dive store 40 miles away and that guy was a major ego case that wants to sell me everything except what I want. I love living in Michigan but the dive shops here suck.

 

[Rick Inman]

What makes me loyal to an LDS:

* Don't treat me or my gear any differently based on where I bought it.

* Answer my questions and make suggestions, but do not insult or belittle my gear choices (joking around is, of course, OK).

* Do what you say. If you can't vip the tank by tomorrow, don't make me come back in to find out. If the supplier takes three weeks to ship my item, tell me it takes three weeks, not two. If you say to meet at the pool/dive site/shop at 6pm, don't make us wait for you. Be there on time.

* Don't insult other shops or people behind their backs to me or other customers.

* Allow me to watch the repair/maintenance work (if possible).

* Do non-training dives with me and the other customers who dive regularly (remember diving for fun?).

* If you don't know the answer, say you don't know.

I appreciate Atlantis Aquatics here in Spokane, who does all the above and more. Which is why I have spent thousands of dollars there. I have also bought gear online, and they are happy to service it (and even better, they usually want to see it and compare it to what they sell, and talk about the gear like divers rather than like someone who you owe your business to).

The best out-of-town service I get is from Matthew at Northwest Sports Divers in Kenmore (Seattle). He calls to make sure I got my shipment (fastest shipping I've ever gotten) and calls again to see how the purchase is working out. Amazing customer service.

Both my LDS and Matthew have my name/number in their caller ID, and answer the phone with, "Hi, Rick!"