Finding the cheapest certification???

[Scuba]

Mike,

You bring up some very good points.

With regards to the other shops being more expensive than you for OW certification, but luring in new prospective divers who may be totally ignorant of the requirements for certification, thus easily misled.

If I may offer a suggestion: consider that enquiring phone call your opportunity to provide the first dive training to a prospective new diver. Take time to explain what "includes everything" means. ei. The cost of the class is ....... In order to get your certification your will need dive equipment, rental cost is ....... You will need class books, cost is ....... etc. For a total cost of ........ to get your certification card.

The emphasis being on the difference between cost of class and cost of getting certified. So if they hang up with you and call the next shop, they will hopefully have some idea of the questions they need to ask in order to compare prices. Not to even metion the rapport you started to build with a prospective customer.

Peter

Peter

 

[roxy271]

awap once bubbled...
If customers are shopping for inexpensive training, and you want them to be your customers, maybe you need to offer inexpensive training. Make the extras add on options. Forcing more than customers want or need will send many elsewhere.

We offer training at a competetive price and people will learn the skills neded to save them selfs and there dive buddy if needed.
I think that is what people need to be interested in insead of just wanting to save a couple of bucks.
I know people are very concerned about saving money and so am i but i also want to make sure i have ther training i mean after all my life depends on this.
The people that have gone thru our training are happy and we have had it here lateley that we are getting people that started with some one else but are comming to us to finish there training.
And not because we certifie people more easily we don't we just seem to have a better way.

 

[BILLB]

Dive shops are a business. They have the gear and sell what they teach. They have to make a profit. Overhead is another aspect of operating a dive businesss. The insurance cost is awful and is getting worst every year. Keeping the pool and rental gear in useable condition takes another bag of money. Dive support equipment such as compressors, O2 facilities and repair/testing benches mean still more money. All these items and more, places a cost on certification that must be passed on to the customer or your business fails.

I have NEVER figured out how a dive business can offer certification for $125! Most struggle with $250 just for the CR and CW part. The only way to do this is volume. Lots of customers in the same classroom or pool at the same time!

Ask yourself if this is quality instruction? Maybe, but usually not in most cases. Do you want a C-Card? Cheap? Then this is where you belong ($125 class).

As with most things in life you usually get what you pay for. Scuba certification is no exception. Face it. Scuba diving is expensive. IT is NOT for the masses. If you cannot afford it it will not be fun anyway. It is like snow sking but you have no clothes on!