Unacknowledged subtext in fill pricing

[JahJahwarrior]

$.20 per cube is tough...at the range of shops in cave country its $.09 to $.12.

I'm sitting here now wondering if I should do a dive today on my tank with 2000 psi which would have me end at empty in water I can stand up in, or use a full tank which will end at 1000 psi... Doing the former would save me something like $8,but I'll be honest I don't normally work out what the charge is, as long as it's less than the most expensive drink you can order at Starbucks...

The differences do show though when you get more than a few tanks filled at once and I do try to carry extra empty bottles to cave trips just to get the gas, and of course nothing ever comes home empty.

 

[Peter Guy]

I'm one for the "all you can eat" type of pricing -- at least offering it. In addition to encouraging safe behavior, it would (may) tend to increase the number of shop visits because you just go in "for a top off."

While I'm sure it will be a futile effort, maybe I'll pitch it to my show owner this week -- try to convince him it will be to his benefit.

 

[redacted]

I'm one for the "all you can eat" type of pricing -- at least offering it. In addition to encouraging safe behavior, it would (may) tend to increase the number of shop visits because you just go in "for a top off."

While I'm sure it will be a futile effort, maybe I'll pitch it to my show owner this week -- try to convince him it will be to his benefit.

I suspect I would spend more on gas if I could get an "all you can eat" deal. And I'm sure I would then dive more locally.

 

[Brandon]

$.20 per cube is tough...at the range of shops in cave country its $.09 to $.12.

I'm sitting here now wondering if I should do a dive today on my tank with 2000 psi which would have me end at empty in water I can stand up in, or use a full tank which will end at 1000 psi... Doing the former would save me something like $8,but I'll be honest I don't normally work out what the charge is, as long as it's less than the most expensive drink you can order at Starbucks...

Cave country comparisons are always going to be difficult - it's so easy to get fills down there! EE doesn't even charge for nitrox when you rent a set of doubles for a week; all you want for the $30 per day rental price, and you can reasonably get a top off during your SI. Alaska is just plain more expensive all around - 230CF of ABO is $78, and it costs me about $.12 per CF to blend 32% myself. $.175 - $.20 per CF is fair given the shop's overhead.

My beef with fills is more based on the hassle involved than the actual cost. Two 45 minute trips through city traffic to the dive shop - one trip to drop off, and another to pick up 2-3 days later (if lucky, sometimes they still weren't done). The shop is also at least 75 minutes away from the nearest dive site, so combining drop off/pick up with a dive day is very difficult. When you add in short fills, poor customer service and an egomaniacal owner; it was just plain miserable and I avoided doing it as much as possible. Towards the end I'd just drop off my cylinders, confirm when I could pick them up, say thanks and leave. I stopped looking around for additional items (not that I need any) or making small talk. Probably didn't help matters in the long run.

Flat rate would have been a great idea... I was consistently spending close to $1500 per year on fills. I would have jumped on anything less than $125 per month and it would have made some aspects of the unpleasant experience (short fills and the resulting arguments, pricing structure, etc) a little more bearable. They can't do anything about the rest.

 

[spectrum]

Flat rate has the benefit of silent funders in the form of low users. Eventually they fall off but for a period they provide a cushion. Some users will be serviced at a loss but as a pool the shop can do OK.

It's sort of like the windfall from unclaimed gift certificates.

 

[beanojones]

I'm one for the "all you can eat" type of pricing -- at least offering it. In addition to encouraging safe behavior, it would (may) tend to increase the number of shop visits because you just go in "for a top off."

While I'm sure it will be a futile effort, maybe I'll pitch it to my show owner this week -- try to convince him it will be to his benefit.

Which all you can eat plan?

Flat rate for the year? For the Month? For Each Fill? I am thinking of each situation, and trying to see what's the same, and what's different from place to place.

One usual problem with any sort of buffet style is that the one person who pays for all-you-eat privileges magically starts to 'own' everyone's tanks. It puts the shop owner, or worse yet, the fill guy in the position of having to call out cheaters.

The one thing that I saw looked like it could work well is a specifically colored VIP sticker that meant that tank had some length of time free fills.

Of course, Aaron's in Hawaii let's people get some number of Nitrox fills each day?Week? as part of their club membership. Nitrox is a skewing factor for any plan since their is a specific consumable cost, unless there is a membrane system involved.

 

[Storker]

In my area... (Norway... ) usually the shops have a "fill card". My "go to" shop charges around $200 for a years worth of air or banked 32% as you can possibly use.

And in my part of Norway, clubs (not affiliated with a shop) have their own compressor, and fills are included in the membership fee. Downside is, you gotta do it yourself, and someone in the club has to train you to use the compressor. OTOH, using a modern compressor is pretty easy if you're able to tie your own shoelaces, and you gotta hang around during the fill anyway, so it's not as if it's a particularly noticeable downside...


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---------- Post added July 7th, 2014 at 10:41 PM ----------

they also fill using a long hose, so I can leave my doubles in the car...

That's pretty cool. What shop is that?


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[djtimmy77]

Buying a fill card from the local shops is the way to go for me...nitrox fills end up being a flat fee of $7.40 or $5 depending on the quantity you prepay. Either one of these works out to be a better deal than the "per cu ft" places I have seen as I have big tanks and generally use up a lot of the gas. Both my local shops have the fill stations in the back...however you pull your car up to the back to minimize tank hauling. One shop will help you carry the tanks in too. I drive past the shop doing partial pressure to the one that has banked nitrox so I can get a fill while I wait (and often poke around the store while I wait) The store with the PP fills would only do it while I waited about a quarter of the time. I prefer making a single trip over making two trips for obvious reasons.

 

[Hatul]

Flat rate has the benefit of silent funders in the form of low users. Eventually they fall off but for a period they provide a cushion. Some users will be serviced at a loss but as a pool the shop can do OK.

It's sort of like the windfall from unclaimed gift certificates.

Agree. It's a lot like fitness club memberships -- lots of members a light users but provide steady income for the club.