Biggest thing killing dive shops?

[_Ralph]

I just love how some shops are still under the mantra ... didn't buy it from us? Get out!


One shop near me has turned this way, after years of great 'What do you need? Its either on the shelf, we can have it by next Friday, or check out XYZ competitors shop, they probably have one in stock'

I acquired a SM rig the past fall from a friend getting out of diving. I enquired about some training with one of their instructors, and got the line of "If you had bought it from US, we would have gladly trained you, but you didn't, so we won't".

Also the same with ordering some 'parts' (... sliding D ring and storage pouch). They wouldn't sell me said items because I didn't buy the initial rig from them.

This is from the only "Authorized Dealer" in the area ..... hmmm great way to not keep a customer.



I use several different shops across North America. To me, they are all my Local Dive Shops, as thats where I do the majority of diving (I'm maybe at "home" for 6 months total out of the year).

Where my mailing address is, there are more shops than puddles, and only one out of the five in the same zip code have any clue about customer service, pricing and decent turnaround of blending tanks (at leas the owner and GM are). I'm in no way close to their 'biggest' customer, but when I'm "home" I'm in there nearly daily rotating tanks around (I probably am their biggest customer regarding mixed gas fills)

_R

 

[2airishuman]

Someone posted a meme on my FaceBook feed that compared the income of Bob Cratchit, the ultimate symbol of working poverty in the Dickens tale A Christmas Carol. I found the meme hard to believe and looked things up. I discovered that it is really hard to make a comparison because of the changing standard of living and the changing options and requirements for what we need to live today. I discovered that in terms of pure change in the value of money, Cratchit would still be very poor indeed, but in terms of purchasing power, he actually made several times the amount that a modern American makes on minimum wage. Yes, Bob Cratchits weekly salary of 15 shillings would put him in the middle class of America in today's purchasing power.

Agatha Christie once wrote that when growing up she thought she'd never be so wealthy enough to own a car nor ever be so poor as to be unable to afford servants.

The number of new diving certifications issued per year has remained relatively flat for a very long time. I do not believe that the plight of the dive shop is explained primarily by a loss of interest in diving, nor by the activity becoming unaffordable.

A fact to consider is that dive shops may never have been especially healthy or profitable, though I agree that the problem has worsened.

 

[Kevrumbo]

From the perspective of the Local Dive Shop, there's nothing more irritating than spending the time fitting a potential customer with a full "authorized dealer" package (wetsuit or drysuit, BCD, regulator etc) in stock, only to have that customer later purchase the whole ensemble online cheaper through an Internet sales store, or piece together through eBay.

If you can maintain and/or repair the gear yourself, then good for you. If you can't, or need special parts, then don't expect the authorized dealer LDS to offer any labor/parts discount or expedite service for you --the money you saved is the premium you will pay the LDS for their time, expertise and support of gear you decided to buy online instead. . .

 

[Scuba-Blue-13]

I'm WAY late to this conversation and admittedly didn't read all 34 pages, and understand that this comment may never be read by anyone other than me, but here's my "Not a shop owner, but a customer, and a new diver" opinion:

LDS are killing themselves by not selling introductory gear.

Let me explain:

I am in the market for my first reg set. An online store (with retail presence, just not local to me) had a sale on an Edge regulator, octo, and gauge for $250 over the holidays. This is very appealing to me as I am buying 2 of everything (wife dives as well).

I've walked in to the 3 "local" shops I have around me, explained that I'm new and buying my first set of gear, and that I'm buying dups of everything. I don't dive very often and can't afford top of the line, but just want something I can use 10-15 dives a year that will serve me well and not break the bank.

The first 2 shops immediately show me a $750 set-up and tell me that's what I need.

The 3rd shop I told upfront about the other 2 and what I've found online. He says "You don't need anything that expensive, you're not diving that much!" He then shows me a $325 reg, and $200 octo, and $175 spg.

If shops would cater to the new divers, allow them to buy basic equipment up front, let them dive more because they own their own equipment, and sell them upgrades later they'd be much better off financially. Instead they're pushing expensive gear up front and scaring people away from the sport.

 

[2airishuman]

At the time of the move, I had multiple sets of dive gear and training above what the shop could offer. Despite making no major purchases, as a weekly customer I spent over $10k at this shop in two years.

What I received in exchange:

• Inconvenience. Tank fills took two, 45 minute trips.
• Consistent poor customer service, best described as surly and lazy.
• Steady stream of lies, half-truths and misinformation.

<snip>

The biggest thing killing the dive shop is the dive shop itself.

I believe this is true in many cases. Good retail is hard work. Good service is hard work. Consistent good service is particularly hard.

I think that the future of diving rests upon people finding ways to dive without relying on a shop. Access to a compressor, access to service, and access to information on local dives are the gating items. None are insurmountable.

 

[Steve_C]

I'm WAY late to this conversation and admittedly didn't read all 34 pages, and understand that this comment may never be read by anyone other than me, but here's my "Not a shop owner, but a customer, and a new diver" opinion:

LDS are killing themselves by not selling introductory gear.

Let me explain:

I am in the market for my first reg set. An online store (with retail presence, just not local to me) had a sale on an Edge regulator, octo, and gauge for $250 over the holidays. This is very appealing to me as I am buying 2 of everything (wife dives as well).

I've walked in to the 3 "local" shops I have around me, explained that I'm new and buying my first set of gear, and that I'm buying dups of everything. I don't dive very often and can't afford top of the line, but just want something I can use 10-15 dives a year that will serve me well and not break the bank.

The first 2 shops immediately show me a $750 set-up and tell me that's what I need.

The 3rd shop I told upfront about the other 2 and what I've found online. He says "You don't need anything that expensive, you're not diving that much!" He then shows me a $325 reg, and $200 octo, and $175 spg.

If shops would cater to the new divers, allow them to buy basic equipment up front, let them dive more because they own their own equipment, and sell them upgrades later they'd be much better off financially. Instead they're pushing expensive gear up front and scaring people away from the sport.

I love this contribution. Especially after reading 6,344,297 scuba board posts to new divers saying they should buy expensive stuff to start since they may decide later to take up tech diving.

I would argue that this is typical of many new divers or older confirmed non tech divers like myself.

 

[2airishuman]

If you can maintain and/or repair the gear yourself, then good for you. If you can't, or need special parts, then don't expect the authorized dealer LDS to offer any labor/parts discount or expedite service for you --the money you saved is the premium you will pay the LDS for their time, expertise and support of gear you decided to buy online instead. . .

In some cases the price differences are so stark that you can purchase another new regulator and still be money ahead.

 

[2airishuman]

I love this contribution. Especially after reading 6,344,297 scuba board posts to new divers saying they should buy expensive stuff to start since they may decide later to take up tech diving.

I would argue that this is typical of many new divers or older confirmed non tech divers like myself.

My limited experience with tech divers does not lead me to believe, as a rule, that they purchase (or recommend) expensive gear, except for DCs.

 

[Scuba-Blue-13]

Especially after reading 6,344,297 scuba board posts to new divers saying they should buy expensive stuff to start since they may decide later to take up tech diving.

Precisely. I MAY take up tech diving at some point in my diving career; IF I ever start diving regularly.

Talk about your barriers to entry!! Tell me I have to spend upwards of $2k to get in to a sport- - I'll go find a different sport.

Sell me $500 worth of gear and allow me to create my own addiction I'll be back time and time again to buy more/different/better gear to go along with my new skills.

I ride bicycles for fun/exercise. I did not go out and buy a $1K to start. I bought a $150 bike from Walmart. 6 months later I bought a $300 bike from a bike shop. 6 months later I bought a $1k bike form the same shop. 8 months later I bought a $1K mountain bike from the same shop.

The shop that wanted to sell me a $1500 bike on day one......I've never set foot in there again.

 

[taimen]

I love this contribution. Especially after reading 6,344,297 scuba board posts to new divers saying they should buy expensive stuff to start since they may decide later to take up tech diving.

Isn't that particular relatively inexpensive Edge/HOG regulator very popular among tech divers?
I think pushing to sell several rounds of gear is killing LDSs.