What are you looking for in a dive shop?

[Captain_Bob]

I am looking for idea's to help my local dive shop in these tough economic times. The owner is a close friend and she looks to me for advice. We plan trips, set up charters, teach many classes, and hold a meeting once a month to bring people in and we speak about a different topic each week. We are also in the process of setting up an online store. One current problem is we have many customers who come in ask many questions and then show up a week later and show us the gear they bought online, per our advice. Its kind of frustrating, so not sure how to prevent this or at least lessen it. So what I am asking is what are you looking for in a dive shop?

 

[highlandfarmwv]

Applaud you for trying to see what the customer wants. Know it is frustrating for LDS to watch divers get stuff on line, but it boils down to price in these tough economic times I'm afraid. Decide if you want to see more stuff at a lesser profit margin or else be disappointed when divers buy stuff on line. Know it is not fair. I want my LDS to have those little things that often disappear or break, lessons, creature comforts, air/nitrox. Not alot of profit, I'm sure.

 

[Graeme Tolton]

I am looking for reliable, competent service techs. Also, while you wait fills in extremely important. I would pay more for a fill while I wait than come back later. Product knowledge is very important. Another thing, having a good inventory is very important. I really don't like having to order something and come back to get it a week or so later. The closest LDS from me is no less than 35 minutes away, so multiple trips is very much a hassle. Unfortunately, the only thing you can do to compete with online stores is to lower prices. Perhaps having incentives for buying gear, such as 5 free fills for every major purchase. Another successful idea is to offer low cost fill cards. When someone is coming in all the time for their fills that they have already paid for, they are more likely to spend money on something else while they are there. One of my dive buddies has fill cards from his LDS that are now down to about $1/fill for the year. However, he has spent a fortune on other gear from that shop. Hope this helps.

 

[KJackson60]

What an interesting question! I currently deal with three different LDS's. They are all full service shops but each seems to have an advantage over the other two in certain areas. I'll give you some examples.
Dive Shop A: This is where I go for training. This Dive Shop has a very competitive (not cheapest) price for their training classes. Their training prices are all inclusive so, what you see or are quoted is what you pay. They also give you, in my opinion, a good, solid education. The dive environment that they train you in is interesting and closer to what I actually dive in than what the other two shops use for their training classes. Equipment prices are about the same as the other shops but since they are the farthest away from me I don't buy much from them except training.
Dive Shop B: This is where I go for charters. This Dive Shop handles their own charters so can set me up with a charter and rental equipment all in one place. I don't have to run all over the place to get my equipment from one source, and then get to the charter in another location. In addition because it is all coming from the same location I don't have to pay for a two day rental of equipment as I would if sourcing from an "outside" LDS. This saves me money and a lot of time. While Dive Shop B has training prices similar to Dive Shop A I haven't used them for training as I am not a fan of where they conduct their training nor how they "present" their course costs (see Dive Shop C).
Dive Shop C: This is the closest to me. They are very nice people, very helpful. This is where I have bought the bulk of my equipment from. Their prices for equipment are a little higher than the other two shops but they are a LOT closer so the savings in fuel make up for it. Their training prices however are very expensive, almost double the other two! I particularly don't like the "nickel and dime" approach they take towards training fees eg. X dollars for the class, Y dollars for the course materials, Z dollars for rental equipment, plus the certification fee, entrance fee to the Open Water site, etc, etc. Please, just tell me how much it will cost me up front. I don't like surprises! Dive Shop B also does this. Dive Shop C also uses the same location as Dive Shop B which is one I am not fond of.

All of these shops have nearly identical training programs, all offer foreign travel packages, equipment sales and access to local dive sites. However, they all have different approaches. Some of which appeal to me as a consumer and some don't.

If I were to give your friend some advice it would be:
1) Make sure your training course prices are all inclusive and not excessive for the area.
2) If you are going to rent equipment for people to use on charters charge a one day fee provided they pick-up and return the equipment within a specified time frame.
3) As long as your equipment prices are not excessively high you should not have to much trouble with the internet. I bought my equipment from a dive shop as I wanted it to fit correctly and to have a relationship with someone should I have problems with it.
4) Make sure your training site is able to accommodate the needs of divers at different levels or have a different site for the more "advanced" divers.

Well, that's my two cents worth. Hope it helps.

 

[Paladin]

The Internet purchase of dive gear for a more reasonable price is not new. Long before the Internet showed up, I would look in the back of Skin Diver magazine and send off for mail order catalogs. Except for one pair of USD Otarie fins that I bought at a LDS, I ordered all of my equipment from those catalogs because I could get my gear for as much as 50% less than locally.

The owner of the shop where I go now is not at all upset about his customers buying gear online. He welcomes them to bring their online purchases in for service and gives them great service at a very reasonable price. A while back, I bought a Conshelf XI with SPG on EBay for $12. I took it in to his shop and told him where I got it and how much I paid for it. His reaction was to say I got a good deal. I left it with him to be checked out and picked it up a week later. He replaced all the innards with new Titan parts for both the first and second stages and threw in a slightly used inflator hose all for $45. His shop always has a bunch of divers just hanging around shooting the bull and socializing and he has a steady stream of customers coming and going. They might not be buying expensive items all the time, but he does a good business in training, accessories, masks, fins and even parts. If you know how to service your own gear, he'll sell you the parts you need. He has a new class starting every other weekend all season long and the divers he certifies keep coming back for further business.

He has been in business for decades. I wonder what the secret is to his success?

 

[TSandM]

What got me into my LDS was the deal they offer on fills: There are two membership levels, and one gets you all the airfills you want for a year, and a discount on Nitrox; the other gets you all the Nitrox you want for a year, and a discount on helium and argon. It was an incredible deal for me the first year, and although the price has gone up so it's not quite as much of a steal, I still like paying the whole year's fills up front, and not being nickeled and dimed if I want to bring a tank in with only a few hundred psi missing and get it topped off. (My prior shop would charge me a full fill for doing that!)

What kept me there was good people. The shop has all the little bits and pieces I periodically need. They don't sell junk to people who won't like or don't need it. They have a good training program and good instructors, so I can recommend them without qualms. The owner dives regularly, for fun and for teaching, so I know when he says something about equipment that he is actually speaking from the point of view of an active (technical) diver.

They can't always match internet prices, but often I pay a little more for something to support them, and to know that I have them standing behind whatever it was that I bought.

 

[Sooners]

This may not be the best idea for a LDS that is hurting and in need of customers spending money, but thought I'd throw it out there.

I'm new to diving, which means I need to buy all the gear. I will buy everything I need from my LDS and I'm more than happy to, even if it may cost me a little bit more. This is why.

I just finished my OW and I am taking AOW right now. Well for my AOW they say you should have your own equipment, but I don’t. So, the owner said I'll have to charge you rental fees for your checkout dives for your AOW. However, he said if I wanted to dive before my checkout dives I can use all the gear for free. Don’t even have to pay for air. This is why I will buy everything from my LDS.

I try to pay every time I go into the shop, but he just says "I'm glad you’re diving and I want you to keep diving!" This may not be possible for yall, but because of this and the other awesome things the instructors/shop owner have done for me, I will get everything from them.

This is the biggest thing my LDS has done for me and one other thing is the owner will let me try out everything I want to buy before I buy it. I dont know if this would be realistic for other LDS though...

In my opinion it's the little things that get will keep me buying from my LDS.

 

[I Dive]

One current problem is we have many customers who come in ask many questions and then show up a week later and show us the gear they bought online, per our advice.

It sounds to me like these people are not your customer, they are the online retailers customer.

 

[Abaco24]

Simple, stop "BSing us" that your non online product line is the best, (Scubapro), lower your margins on profit, and take in more "local divers" that will support your shop on price and loyalty and friendship.

The problem is you try to carry lines at BS markups that push people away. The business model is, more local customers, that you trained, who tell more friends that you're a good shop, at online prices or better and you'll have the whole town.

I would beg to differ that a Scubapro MK25/S700 (basically an old Dacor, but I digress) is any different than an Oceanic Delta 4.1 that has been approved by the Navy seals, Coast Guard and others as a better regulator. But you seem to tell us SP is the Porsche, I call BS. It breathes at depth better, and has the same adjustments, but you want to sell me a $700 1st & 2nd stage only.

Now tell me why should I pay a BS price at a local LDS of $600-$700 plus without a Octo or SPG, when I can get a better reg "buy the books" of Diver Magazine for the Oceanic Delta 4.1 through a shop that wants my repeat business?

Get a clue and offer service over the on-line shops and work your word of mouth advertising, promote more dive with your past students, assume each buyer is knowledgable of your products price, then your LDS will be profitable.

And that is just what I really feel, IMHO, no offense or defense

 

[RJP]

Unfortunately, the only thing you can do to compete with online stores is to lower prices.

Of course that's not really true, and is horrible advice to the OP's friend.

You do need to provide more VALUE than the on-line shop. If you do, most people will gladly pay more for gear from your shop than on-line. This VALUE can be comprised of having a good selection, knowledgeable sales staff, liberal return policies, a pool where stuff can be demo'd, solid training, and travel services, etc. ADDING value is always preferable to LOWERING price.

Yeah, some will drive 100mi or go on-line to save a single dollar. Those are not customers you want. Why? Because they are typically high-maintenance, low-volume, low-margin; and there's always SOMEONE who will sell them an item cheaper. You cannot compete on price alone. You need to be cognizant of price sensitivities, sure. But trying to be "the low price LDS" is a fool's game.