Tell Dive Store Owners How You Feel

[Scuba Christine]

I live in the middle of landlocked PA. Two nearest shops are within 45 min but I drive an extra 75 min to a shop that treats me well and doesn't give me sexist macho diver attitude. Ive bought my entire startup setup from that shop, from from BCD to computer -- visited after a inital phone call with the owner. On the first visit an instructor offered to lend me her BC while I was dithering. I was sold on the shop after that and they have always treated me well.

I keep trying to like the shop closer to me, I'll buy small things there and take folks there for basic stuff but something is said each visit that makes me uncomfortable. Most of the guys who are clued in don't feel comfortable around that level of sexist bs either. Frankly it stinks, because we'd like to support a shops closer to home and see them do well but being in the shop and diving with them can be uncomfortable.

 

[cdjohnson]

I would tell the LDS that certified me:

The only reason I'm going to return to your shop is because my instructor was great and I want to get further training from him. If he wasn't affiliated, you'd have lost my business already.

Your store is messy. Piles of rental gear everywhere, opened boxes and piles of paper lying around the shop aimlessly, and stocked gear isn't organized. It's distracting, unprofessional, and makes me worry when renting equipment about the condition it's in (personally saw the owner kicking regulators out of his way that were lying on the floor, then rent them out fifteen minutes later). Seeing holes in the ceiling from roof leaks that haven't been repaired makes me question how well you upkeep the rest of your gear.

Inventory management is important. Carrying fifteen types of fins isn't important to me; carrying a variety of sizes in a variety of brands is. I want to know that when I see something I like in your shop, you'll have my size.

Employees that know the gear you have in stock, know how it compares to other things on the market, and that can run down pro/con on individual items.

Don't be afraid of competition, I want you to compete for my business. I watched the owner chew out a potential customer who asked about how gear should fit, because the customer said he planned to compare prices at other shops before purchasing. Why should I be loyal to you if you're afraid I'll get a better price? That just makes me think I'm being stupid for trusting your prices.

You run a lot of great dive trips, with a variety of exotic, weekend, and local dives planned. You have a good selection of training offered, at fair prices. Your rental gear seems to be in pretty good condition, at competitive rates.

 

[fstbttms]

Here is what I would tell my LDSs. All are reasons I have taken much of my business online:

1.- Don't be a convicted sex offender
2.- Don't open at 10:00 a.m. and close at 5:00 p.m.
3.- Don't tell me for months that you ordered my drysuit when you never actually placed the order
4.- Don't be closed every time I come by during business hours because you are at the farmer's market, running errands etc.
5.- Don't set your prices outrageously high

 

[DMDavid]

I have been so disappointed with many of the dive shops lately that my brother and I have actually been
considering opening our own.

Here are a few things that I would incorporate into my own dive shop if I had one.

01) Early hours of operation during the weekend (05:00 - 18:00 Fri, Sat, Sun and all major holidays) especially if located near dive boats.
02) Every kind of diving related video available to play on widescreen in a lounge type area (to make everyone feel welcome like a coffee house).
03) Lounge area would also include every available free publication and product brochures that I can find from companies willing to supply them.
04) Family friendly environment for non-divers as well as divers and dive buddies.
05) Knowledgeable employees that use and are familiar with all products sold in store and maybe some that are not currently sold in store.
06) GADGETS - Every gadget diver loves gadgets, so have as many gadgets as possible.
07) Make the customer feel that the $5.00 mask strap purchased is just as important as the $2500 DPV.
08) NEVER talk down to the customer as if they don't know as much as you, you don't know what their background and experience may be.
09) Airfills available as a "While you wait and have a cup of Joe with us".
10) Make customers feel welcome and make them aware of all amenities that are available to them.


There are many more things I would like to add to this list but I don't want to let the competition in on all my secrets in case we do open
up our own little dive shop.

P.S. Either no affiliations or all affiliations with certification agencies.
I always feel unwelcomed when I enter a specific dive agency affiliated store, as if I'm not part of their club.

 

[shoredivr]

Then again, there is Amigos in Fort White, Florida. Open air dive shop behind an old single wide trailer on a small country road in the middle of nowhere- and one of the best tech diving shops on the planet. Get fills at 3 am on the honor system if you care to. A very unique business model, and quite successful. Nothing like it. Amigos Dive Center: Nitrox, Oxygen and Trimix Fills

Very nice, thanks for allowing me to drool.

 

[soonerwink]

My biggst gripe with my LDS is lack of inventory.Telling me you can order it gets old. I can also order it, and get it much faster. Scuba Toys carries the same brands, and I get shipments from there the next day.

 

[gcarter]

I have been so disappointed with many of the dive shops lately that my brother and I have actually been
considering opening our own.

Here are a few things that I would incorporate into my own dive shop if I had one.

01) Early hours of operation during the weekend (05:00 - 18:00 Fri, Sat, Sun and all major holidays) especially if located near dive boats.

<snip>

One of the reasons I love my LDS - it is owned by a local businessman / diver and is attached to his other retail outlet. As a consequence, it keeps the same hours:

Mon - Wed:	8:30 am	-	6:00 pm
Thu - Fri:	8:30 am	-	9:00 pm
Sat:	8:30 am	-	6:00 pm
Sun:	10:00 am	-	5:00 pm

So totally awesome for getting fills, even on the weekend.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

It seems like the mere mention of an LDS wronging somebody sends me into a tirade about LDS's.
I'm tired though, no amount of complaining and discussion seems to help.
I don't see the point anymore.
About the only thing my LDS is good for is fills and maybe a bottle of wetsuit glue once in a while or a few spear gun bands.
Other than that they carry very little I can use.
The one LDS that I do use locally really does have good air and I'm willing to pay their premium for it.
Another LDS a bit further away rusted out a few of my tanks that they filled exclusivey from brand new, then they wanted to charge me a small fortune to clean and VIP them.

I'd like to see banked nitrox around here some day but that's a pipe dream.
I can't afford their service prices so I do it all myself.
Someday I'll be looking to buy another steel 120 but they need realize I'm not made of money. I know they have rent to pay but I also need to be a smart buyer and watch my coins.
If they want to work a deal like keep the price in line with other stores and throw in an air card we might have a deal. Other than that they can keep it.

 

[gcarter]

It seems like the mere mention of an LDS wronging somebody sends me into a tirade about LDS's.
I'm tired though, no amount of complaining and discussion seems to help.
I don't see the point anymore.
About the only thing my LDS is good for is fills and maybe a bottle of wetsuit glue once in a while or a few spear gun bands.
Other than that they carry very little I can use.
The one LDS that I do use locally really does have good air and I'm willing to pay their premium for it.
Another LDS a bit further away rusted out a few of my tanks that they filled exclusivey from brand new, then they wanted to charge me a small fortune to clean and VIP them.

I'd like to see banked nitrox around here some day but that's a pipe dream.
I can't afford their service prices so I do it all myself.
Someday I'll be looking to buy another steel 120 but they need realize I'm not made of money. I know they have rent to pay but I also need to be a smart buyer and watch my coins.
If they want to work a deal like keep the price in line with other stores and throw in an air card we might have a deal. Other than that they can keep it.

My same LDS charges (on a fiil card) $7 for air OR banked EAN32.

With both used and new tanks, they give you with your purchase the value of your tanks in fill cards ($150 tank, get fill cards worth $150. Buy $300 tanks, get fill cards worth $300).

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

My same LDS charges (on a fiil card) $7 for air OR banked EAN32.

With both used and new tanks, they give you with your purchase the value of your tanks in fill cards ($150 tank, get fill cards worth $150. Buy $300 tanks, get fill cards worth $300).

Wow, you're lucky.
I pay $6.00 per fill on an air card - all tanks.
Individually, fills would be $7.00 for LP tanks and $8.00 for HP tanks
No nitrox and never will be, according to the owner and he says it with three exclamation marks at the end, underlined.
But like I said, his air is pristine. I clean and VIP my own tanks and I can say that they have never put any water or crap in any of my tanks.

But the dude is out to make money period. He could care less about "What people want' and goes for "what makes me the most money'. At least he's straight up about it.
Like I said, he can run his shop anyway he wants. If his prices go to high for the few things I need then I will quietly go somewhere else.