Lost Sailor
Registered
Just a mellow rant - I try to balance supporting my local dive shops and taking advantage of the prices available on-line. Local dive shops are a great resource and that's why I have no problem paying a little more for some of my gear. In my case, that means going a bit out of my way to get to the LDS.
I decided to try a new shop yesterday to get a replacement for the mask I lost during a recent rescue class because they advertised as being open until 8:00 p.m. on Mondays, which meant I could get there after work (after driving 30-40 minutes). Well, drive out, get there at 7:40 and CLOSED! They lost a quick sale and a potential customer.
Stick to your hours of operation or tell people to call ahead. I understand it can be a low volume business and it can get boring at the end of the day, but that's your job and that's why I can justify paying a little more to shop locally. End rant.
I decided to try a new shop yesterday to get a replacement for the mask I lost during a recent rescue class because they advertised as being open until 8:00 p.m. on Mondays, which meant I could get there after work (after driving 30-40 minutes). Well, drive out, get there at 7:40 and CLOSED! They lost a quick sale and a potential customer.
Stick to your hours of operation or tell people to call ahead. I understand it can be a low volume business and it can get boring at the end of the day, but that's your job and that's why I can justify paying a little more to shop locally. End rant.
My LDS is about 3 minutes away, and the husband-and-wife team that run it keep great hours. Husband gets there at 8:30 and stays till 10:30 (except on Monday and Saturday, then he's there all day), when he goes off to do his other job (he's also a cop), at which point his wife turns up and stays there until AT LEAST 5:30. I usually try to make it in when the husband is around. He is extremely knowledgeable about all the gear he sells and diving in general, be it rec, tech, or public safety.
