Bubblesong
Contributor
Maybe you could straighten them out if you volunteered as an intern yourself! Pretend you’re there for the free fills, but secretly you’re a Stealth Super Service System Symbiot!
Bloody dive shops...
- Thread starter Divectionist
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I couldn't say about emails as I've never tried emailing a dive shop. That seems like an obscure way to talk with your LDS these days. Generally I call dive shops. My favorite dive shop is a one man operation, so sometimes he does close to go diving. The other shops I frequent are more like a sporting goods store with loads of minimum wage salespeople and they don't close for anything. I've never had any shop fail to follow up on something that I can recall. However, I agree 100% on systems being outdated. Websites especially, but it surely isn't limited to that. In one case, I have discussed it with the owner and it comes down to cost/benefit. New systems cost a lot of money. Will that new system be worth the cost?
Email is poor form a communication, particularly when dealing with small businesses that don't have the cash, or IT staff to support a ticket system. Heck I am a single person in a mid-sized company that I get so much email that I really need a ticket system.
I was talking with a shop owner recently about how there used to be more dive shops around. It seems like it is getting harder and harder for them to stay open. Our main lds used to have 4 locations. Now they only have one.
A dive shop we had used for fills when diving Wazee Lake (blackriver falls, WI) is closing due to lack of divers, lack of good help, and the lds owner non profit (Bruce’s Legacy) taking more time.
Why does this matter? I guess for me, access to fills and service is most important to me. I think the shops I use do what they can with the resources they have.
A dive shop we had used for fills when diving Wazee Lake (blackriver falls, WI) is closing due to lack of divers, lack of good help, and the lds owner non profit (Bruce’s Legacy) taking more time.
Why does this matter? I guess for me, access to fills and service is most important to me. I think the shops I use do what they can with the resources they have.
My local places are pretty good. My biggest beef with most LDS and charters is the fact that they rely on Facebook for everything. Whats your class schedule? "Check facebook". Trips? "check facebook".....
Many people, including me, do not use facebook. It gets harder and harder every day to book classes or trips the normal way. Have they all just gotten too lazy to actually interact with humans? Do people really book classes on Facebook without talking to potential instructors first? No thanks.
Many people, including me, do not use facebook. It gets harder and harder every day to book classes or trips the normal way. Have they all just gotten too lazy to actually interact with humans? Do people really book classes on Facebook without talking to potential instructors first? No thanks.
Interesting; I've never experienced anything like that here in Southern California. My LDS was closed unexpectedly once-- on the day of the memorial for the Conception tragedy, which was pretty big news here. But there was a sign in the window explaining why they had closed early, and, I later realized, a Facebook post, and since they always answer their phone I could've called. (I've never tried emailing.) None of the other shops I've occasionally gone to have been closed when I got there, or haven't answered when I called. But then, I guess, none of these are true Mom & Pop operations. I've always seen at least two people working when I come in, and there appear to be at least half a dozen full-timers on staff. I guess I'm lucky to live someplace where there's enough diving to support multiple medium-sized dive shops within easy driving distance.
Bob DBF
Contributor
1. No
2. No
3. No
4. Yes, but they operated reasonably well on their old system.
All that being said, before the owner sold the shop, the people operating the shop did a great job inside the constraints the owner placed on them. The owner was a pretty good guy, but he was not a real good businessman, and definatly not able to deal with the changes in the dive business in the new century.
And before we blame it all on mom and pop shops, I believe it was Sports Chalet that was a full service sports chain with a scuba section, including air fills, that went out of business as well. Ages ago I used their Bend Oregon shop which was pretty good,and the only air in town, but the one I used later in Vacaville Ca was lacking, good on sales push, but poor on knowledge and inventory.
I've found that the best way to be treated well by a dive shop, or any other business, is to develop a personal relationship with the staff. If you can't do that its just as well you look for another shop.
Bob
2. No
3. No
4. Yes, but they operated reasonably well on their old system.
All that being said, before the owner sold the shop, the people operating the shop did a great job inside the constraints the owner placed on them. The owner was a pretty good guy, but he was not a real good businessman, and definatly not able to deal with the changes in the dive business in the new century.
And before we blame it all on mom and pop shops, I believe it was Sports Chalet that was a full service sports chain with a scuba section, including air fills, that went out of business as well. Ages ago I used their Bend Oregon shop which was pretty good,and the only air in town, but the one I used later in Vacaville Ca was lacking, good on sales push, but poor on knowledge and inventory.
I've found that the best way to be treated well by a dive shop, or any other business, is to develop a personal relationship with the staff. If you can't do that its just as well you look for another shop.
Bob
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