I'm mostly venting here -- so if you teach and sell scuba gear maybe my experience may change the way you do sales -- if not, oh well, go for it 
CA isn't a small town so word of mouth means little here. I know everyone needs to make a living, and I really wanted to support my local dive shop, but... I went to the scuba show yesterday and did comparison shopping. I knew what I wanted down to the model numbers, and I knew what the dive shops were offering as "show prices" and the bonuses they were "throwing in". Most dive shops will match any other dive shop prices during a show -- and in their shop outside of a show. The instructor said he would match show prices; great, I will order through him. It is the decent thing for me to do, with the benefit of having my local dive shop help me out in the future -- a business relationship.
I emailed the instructor this morning and I was shocked with the first quote -- I was specific about the "deals" but I specifically gave him leeway for a decent quote on the whole order -- all of it put together. Maybe a little more here, but less there. I know some manufacturers provide a very small mark-up margin, while others have a huge mark-up margin. The first quote was MORE than manufacturer suggested retail -- forget the discounted show prices, or the 10% off student price -- full price ++++.
He called me shortly after the quote arrived in my inbox. When I mentioned how high the quote was he said "I wanted to make sure I had the equipment right. Well okay -- I will give you one more chance -- I get busy and ask someone to review my stuff for errors too. However, I had provided a typed list to compare it to. I explained in my first email that almost every dive shop is offering NO SALES TAX if you buy a complete scuba package (the package I wanted is pretty high-end) plus they had some pretty good prices before the tax is added -- including his dive shop! All the dive shops are throwing in different things like a free wireless transmitter with the computer, free mesh bags, knife, etc., typical sales stuff... I also reminded him of the 10% student discount, and the dive shop booth across from his gave me a 15% off coupon -- which I would have scanned and sent to him so he could verify it.
On the first quote the regulator I chose went from a pretty darned good one, part titanium, to full titanium and an *outrageous price*. I would have actually considered the beautiful regulator had he honored ANY of the pricing, but the second quote was a bigger joke than the first -- after explaining he was still at or above retail and show prices and he didn't discount anything (close to $400 sales tax still on there) -- my blood pressure went up, figuratively speaking but I didn't have my cuff handy so it may have literally gone up -- hahaha.
This is why I buy my cars through Sam's Club or Costco -- Sam's and Costco give you the participating dealer name and the price of the car is guaranteed to be a certain percentage above what the dealer paid for it -- dealer price is easily verified through consumer reports. I hate the whole car salesman bate and switch. You sit down with the finance mgr and he tacks on stuff, price goes up, then you have to walk out before they say "hold on, sit down, I'll have to talk to my mgr.". Anyone who has ever bought a car knows the game -- if you hate it, Sam's or Costco -- it works.
Now I'm supposed to take classes with someone who has tried to cheat me out of my money. Trust is a big issue with me when I'm planning to be your customer and establish a business relationship for years to come. Argh, this is AWFUL. I'll suck it up, I'm a big girl. I told him I've decided not to buy anything today. I did tell him I felt like I was buying a car... Geez... We aren't talking 20 or even 50 bucks here -- Heck the sales tax alone... What the hey, doesn't he think I can add two plus two? I'm going to *try* to get through his class, but I'm not happy I will be spending one on one time learning how to stay alive with someone I don't trust. I'm old school: a man is only as good as his word. Okay, done venting
CA isn't a small town so word of mouth means little here. I know everyone needs to make a living, and I really wanted to support my local dive shop, but... I went to the scuba show yesterday and did comparison shopping. I knew what I wanted down to the model numbers, and I knew what the dive shops were offering as "show prices" and the bonuses they were "throwing in". Most dive shops will match any other dive shop prices during a show -- and in their shop outside of a show. The instructor said he would match show prices; great, I will order through him. It is the decent thing for me to do, with the benefit of having my local dive shop help me out in the future -- a business relationship.I emailed the instructor this morning and I was shocked with the first quote -- I was specific about the "deals" but I specifically gave him leeway for a decent quote on the whole order -- all of it put together. Maybe a little more here, but less there. I know some manufacturers provide a very small mark-up margin, while others have a huge mark-up margin. The first quote was MORE than manufacturer suggested retail -- forget the discounted show prices, or the 10% off student price -- full price ++++.
He called me shortly after the quote arrived in my inbox. When I mentioned how high the quote was he said "I wanted to make sure I had the equipment right. Well okay -- I will give you one more chance -- I get busy and ask someone to review my stuff for errors too. However, I had provided a typed list to compare it to. I explained in my first email that almost every dive shop is offering NO SALES TAX if you buy a complete scuba package (the package I wanted is pretty high-end) plus they had some pretty good prices before the tax is added -- including his dive shop! All the dive shops are throwing in different things like a free wireless transmitter with the computer, free mesh bags, knife, etc., typical sales stuff... I also reminded him of the 10% student discount, and the dive shop booth across from his gave me a 15% off coupon -- which I would have scanned and sent to him so he could verify it.
On the first quote the regulator I chose went from a pretty darned good one, part titanium, to full titanium and an *outrageous price*. I would have actually considered the beautiful regulator had he honored ANY of the pricing, but the second quote was a bigger joke than the first -- after explaining he was still at or above retail and show prices and he didn't discount anything (close to $400 sales tax still on there) -- my blood pressure went up, figuratively speaking but I didn't have my cuff handy so it may have literally gone up -- hahaha.
This is why I buy my cars through Sam's Club or Costco -- Sam's and Costco give you the participating dealer name and the price of the car is guaranteed to be a certain percentage above what the dealer paid for it -- dealer price is easily verified through consumer reports. I hate the whole car salesman bate and switch. You sit down with the finance mgr and he tacks on stuff, price goes up, then you have to walk out before they say "hold on, sit down, I'll have to talk to my mgr.". Anyone who has ever bought a car knows the game -- if you hate it, Sam's or Costco -- it works.
Now I'm supposed to take classes with someone who has tried to cheat me out of my money. Trust is a big issue with me when I'm planning to be your customer and establish a business relationship for years to come. Argh, this is AWFUL. I'll suck it up, I'm a big girl. I told him I've decided not to buy anything today. I did tell him I felt like I was buying a car... Geez... We aren't talking 20 or even 50 bucks here -- Heck the sales tax alone... What the hey, doesn't he think I can add two plus two? I'm going to *try* to get through his class, but I'm not happy I will be spending one on one time learning how to stay alive with someone I don't trust. I'm old school: a man is only as good as his word. Okay, done venting
