I was wondering............

[Ladydiver]

Try as I might, I just CAN NOT bring myself to feeling very sorry for so many of the Dive Shops.

Especially when a large majority of them that I have been into tend to treat me like a "dumb chick" instead of "Another diver/customer here to spend my money"!

You reap what you sew, and until they plant a little more respect out there, I don't see too much changing for them. I don't see the customers out there making the first move.

They are just looking for good equipment at good prices with good service. This, it seems, is the dying art...

 

[Nathan]

The shop that I frequent is not a chain and is a little shop to boot. They definatly are not rolling in cash. It happens to be the shop that I took my open water through and the one that I am signed up for the Advanced classes as well. Surley not the cheepest shop around but the people there are good people. I just bought a Uwatec Z O2 from them along with a atomic B-1 and a oceanic octo. Yea I probably could have gotten it cheaper from another shop but i spent about 100$ more there because I know that if I have any problems with the equipment they will make it right.
And I believe in supporting the local shops.

 

[Dee]

When I go into a shop, especially one I've not been to before, I'm initially treated as some dumb broad out shopping for her husband or SO. But by asking intelligent, informed questions or just in the course of conversation about an item, the shop personnel can usually tell I know what I'm talking about. That is IF the personnel is knowledgeable themselves!

The shop I go to has two other shops with a 5 miles radius and because of that close proximity, they all caryy different brands of major gear. It's quite common for all three to refer customers to each other when you're hunting something they don't have in stock. These shops also depend on each other when one of them has compressor problems...their main goal is to get the customer taken care of. This may not be common practice in alot of areas but over the years they have found it better to work with each other rather than against.

Dee

 

[King_Neptune]

The Tides are changing ...

Mark my words ... As I said earlier ... When others drop the ball, someone else will eventually step in and pick up the slack!

=-)