mjrob
Contributor
From the LDS perspective: We stock a fairly wide variety and multiple copies of everything so you can touch it, try it on and let us help you with your decision by understanding what we sell but, more importantly, what might be best for the individual customer. There's a lot of listening involved. I realize not everyone needs that and that's fine...but there are a lot of those who do. Those are our customers. We also take care of assembling and testing everything we sell and ask, sometimes beg, customers to get in the pool with their new gear to be sure fit, performance and expectations are met. If not, we've not done our job and need to make it good. But it sure helps to do all that before someone heads off to Cozumel or Fiji or PNG only to discover that there are issues with their gear.
Our technicians are all factory trained and certified to work on the equipment we sell (and more). LP, and some other on-line dealers, aren't and don't offer service. They also don't have a pool.
We earn our business by establishing trust and solid relationships with our customers because that's how we like to do business. I could easily open and operate an on-line store but we truly enjoy the customer interaction, hearing about dives and trips, having customers in for parties and seminars, etc. But that's all a part of the value add we have to provide in order to succeed. Thankfully, we like it.
Just a quick story, and this has only happened once: We had a couple of potential customers who spent more than 10 hours over several days with one of our staff, picking out and trying on gear. Every time they came in, they brought a different internet "package" ad asking us to match the price. Not only could we not do it, we couldn't even decipher where the prices were being cut but, the fact is, they weren't all that far off. A few days after their last visit, they came in toting their new mesh bags full of the gear they'd shopped for in our store and then bought on line, wanting to pay five dollars each to use our pool to test their stuff. I asked them if their gear came assembled and they told me no, they'd done it (and this is the first gear they've ever owned). I then asked about warranties but they weren't concerned with those (we fill out the cards or the on-line forms for our customers to make certain they get registered). Finally, I asked them how much they'd saved. "A hundred bucks!" they cheerily replied. "Where'd you get it?" I asked. I'll let everyone guess where. OK, LP. I then suggested they run up to LP and test their new gear in their pool, which, for some reason, irritated them. I then recounted all that had occurred, including all the time we'd spent with them to educate them and help them select the best choices for them, how we'd have assembled and tested their gear and, finally, provided them a pool to try their new purchases out. They told me that I was obviously not an astute businessperson (in slightly different terms--thankfully there weren't any children present) and that they'd never darken my door again--after they tried to tell me that I could not deny them access to my property so long as they paid. I found that almost amusing, but kept it to myself. They've held true to their word and that's OK. Again, we understand that we must provide added value and that some folks just don't want or need that.
Regardless, it is a difficult business at times but it is that, a business. We have to charge enough to make a profit so we can continue to provide the knowledgeable and helpful people, facilities and services we do. As well, we are contractually obligated, for the most part, to adhere to MAP pricing established by our vendors.
Anyway, that's how we do it. Seems to be working so far.
Our technicians are all factory trained and certified to work on the equipment we sell (and more). LP, and some other on-line dealers, aren't and don't offer service. They also don't have a pool.
We earn our business by establishing trust and solid relationships with our customers because that's how we like to do business. I could easily open and operate an on-line store but we truly enjoy the customer interaction, hearing about dives and trips, having customers in for parties and seminars, etc. But that's all a part of the value add we have to provide in order to succeed. Thankfully, we like it.
Just a quick story, and this has only happened once: We had a couple of potential customers who spent more than 10 hours over several days with one of our staff, picking out and trying on gear. Every time they came in, they brought a different internet "package" ad asking us to match the price. Not only could we not do it, we couldn't even decipher where the prices were being cut but, the fact is, they weren't all that far off. A few days after their last visit, they came in toting their new mesh bags full of the gear they'd shopped for in our store and then bought on line, wanting to pay five dollars each to use our pool to test their stuff. I asked them if their gear came assembled and they told me no, they'd done it (and this is the first gear they've ever owned). I then asked about warranties but they weren't concerned with those (we fill out the cards or the on-line forms for our customers to make certain they get registered). Finally, I asked them how much they'd saved. "A hundred bucks!" they cheerily replied. "Where'd you get it?" I asked. I'll let everyone guess where. OK, LP. I then suggested they run up to LP and test their new gear in their pool, which, for some reason, irritated them. I then recounted all that had occurred, including all the time we'd spent with them to educate them and help them select the best choices for them, how we'd have assembled and tested their gear and, finally, provided them a pool to try their new purchases out. They told me that I was obviously not an astute businessperson (in slightly different terms--thankfully there weren't any children present) and that they'd never darken my door again--after they tried to tell me that I could not deny them access to my property so long as they paid. I found that almost amusing, but kept it to myself. They've held true to their word and that's OK. Again, we understand that we must provide added value and that some folks just don't want or need that.
Regardless, it is a difficult business at times but it is that, a business. We have to charge enough to make a profit so we can continue to provide the knowledgeable and helpful people, facilities and services we do. As well, we are contractually obligated, for the most part, to adhere to MAP pricing established by our vendors.
Anyway, that's how we do it. Seems to be working so far.
