What can or does your LDS need to do to EARN your business?

[Tropicalwolf]

Your service area should be clean, neat, and visible to the customer ( a window works well) – If it looks like my 7 year old runs it, why should I trust your work on my gear?

Ha! Yeah, what the hell is with dive shops and stickers??? Why do they feel the need to plaster their windows with so much crap?

 

[fjpatrum]

I understand the boatload of eels or worms, and I know that no dive shop willbe perfect, but in order to grow and prosper I ask. Being in Western Colorado in the middle of no where I do wonder about the tec gear and if maybe having some of the smaller items might not be a good thing and what would they be?

I'd be careful about carrying things if you don't have someone in the shop knowledgeable on them, even if it may bring in more customers. Unless you potentially want to ask one of those customers to be your shop guru on that particular type of gear... That said, there are probably plenty of tech gear options/accessories that you could carry (I don't know) without needing any significant knowledge about them.

As a new diver, I like to see the accessory options. One of the shops I've been to around here has a very small selection of accessories that basically included a can light a small light and two SMBs place a slate and a couple versions of save-a-dive style kits. And maybe half a dozen knives. They had shears but only in the "compact" size, so anyone with adult sized hands wearing gloves can't effectively use them so I had to buy my shears somewhere else.

So some good options for things like clips, octo holders, bungee for bungee necklaces (for the tech and HOG types) slates, reels, SMBs, etc. And more than one option for lights. Not to mention the possibilities of cameras and accessories... it seems to me most photo types buy the heavy artillery online, but accessories for such are great last minute-need it now sale opportunities. I'd rather see several options than 15 of one thing on the shelf, personally. Obviously it's much more difficult to keep a good stock of everything though, which I think is why shops end up with either nothing on the shelves or large quantities of only one or two things on the shelf. Most importantly, don't carry 40 different wet suits for $300 but no selection of other gear when I know I can buy wetsuits online for $120 . Have different price points and good recommendations for gear outside those price-points if people want.

Also, I'm new but I like the local shops that have both bp/w options and jacket BCs. Being able to see that there are different options is important.

Back to the original question, something I thought of while writing this post is to have recommendations for gear you don't sell. Be willing and able to discuss some gear outside of what you sell and have some idea where customers can get such gear. It really aggravates me when I ask a shop "do you sell XYZ" and they answer no but can't seem to tell me who might sell it. You are more likely to lose me as a customer by not being able to provide information than you will by telling me another shop sells what you don't. This includes just saying, oh, Scubatoys.com sells those for a good price, or whatever. Hell, even mentioning Scubaboard as a resource for information will win more of my loyalty than "I don't know". Very rarely is "I don't know" acceptable unless it's followed by "let me see if I can find out."

 

[RiverRat]

Waldorf-Astoria, no what I described is what you expect at the avg McDonalds.

If the store front and wash rooms are clean and don't smell, do you worry about what the kitchen area is like?

You have a good point. My "old" shop that went out of business was a total mess. Even as a male diver that doesn't mind getting dirty, filling tanks etc. the restroom grossed me out. Just plain nasty. Now imagine what the female customers thought when they actually had to sit down in there? The service area/bench was a total mess as well. As a tech diver I want the best, period. Regulators are not that complicated (most of them) but one does have to pay attention to detail and cleanliness is paramount. You had to walk through the service area "war zone", past all the tanks in the fill area to get to the toxic waste dump. Not a good setup. Image is everything. You have to look neat and professional. It's not rocket science.

 

[RiverRat]

Ha! Yeah, what the hell is with dive shops and stickers??? Why do they feel the need to plaster their windows with so much crap?

I think I caught some of the "sticker disease". I have a few on my truck rear window, a couple in the garage and some on my gun cabinet down in my office.

 

[craracer]

Speaking of dive stickers, I saw a hand full in a shop the other day. They were big dive flags with, in bold letters, the name of the dive shop and their web site. What a steal at $12.95!

So, they want me to pay them $12.95 to advertise for them???

Seems like it would be cheap advertising for them to give 'em away. After all, more than likely it will be stuck on the back of some vehicle, which will be traveling xx number of miles each year, and will be parked at some local dive spots.

 

[RiverRat]

It's exactly that type of mentality that will eventually do them in....

 

[OldNSalty]

Speaking of dive stickers, I saw a hand full in a shop the other day. They were big dive flags with, in bold letters, the name of the dive shop and their web site. What a steal at $12.95!

So, they want me to pay them $12.95 to advertise for them???

Seems like it would be cheap advertising for them to give 'em away. After all, more than likely it will be stuck on the back of some vehicle, which will be traveling xx number of miles each year, and will be parked at some local dive spots.

There is a local dive shop down here that offers a discount on air if you belong to some club and have a dive sticker displayed on the car (I think those are the 2 conditions).

The point is, they get free advertising. I imagine they use the club membership to justify sending out sales fliers and meeting announcements so I suppose it all works out. I think you can also just buy a fill card.

 

[NeptunusRex]

For me it's customer service. I'll pay a little extra to have someone with actual experience tell me whats good and whats not. And don't tell me the best thing in the store is the over priced item because it's exspensive. No it's just overpriced.

-Repairs, don't follow shady mechanics ways. If it's broke i'll pay for it. Please be honest!
- Dont gloat about how your the best diver in the world and everyone else are idiots.
-Get a website, post it's link on here I'll check it out!

 

[DeusVerto]

Welcome to the challenges of specialty retailing in the 21st Century.

First of all, assume your customers are smart. They expect to pay a little more than eBay for gear, but they also expect you to add value for the premium. Some will come in, pick your brain, and order what they want on line. If you treat everyone like they will, then everyone will.

A "brick and mortar" store can compete price-wise with on-liners, but figure out ways you don't have to. A pool in the back to try out gear is a HUGE advantage. Yes, as others have said, image is very important. If your store is a mess, I have to wonder how meticulous you'll be assembling or repairing equipment upon which my very life may depend.

As has been mentioned before, a loyalty program is essential. You should treat everyone well, but customers who have purchased, say, more than $1,000 worth of gear should be regarded as royalty.

Every time you make a sale, you or your employee should ask, "What can I do to make sure this customer is thrilled they bought it from me and not somewhere else?" Heck, ask the customer. Why not?

 

[shawrg]

I would like to try out a lot of different equipment so a dive shop that had a rent to own plan would get a lot of business from me.