Dive Store Owner is a #$#***##$!

pogiguy05 · Post by **pogiguy05** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:28 pm

The greatest revenge as a customer anyone has is to go to the next business. Cause IF they treat the better percentage of customers that way, then they would not be in business long. Unless they are really good at estimating how much income they need to stay in business and ONLY deal with their repeat customers that help them to this.

Just my two cents again but free enterprise open your own shop close to theirs and go at them like this

pogiguy05 · Post by **pogiguy05** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:35 pm

H2O since I am relatively new to diving the hand signals is something of a challenge. For me it is going over hand signals just before a dive and then when I am down under I am always having that added thinking. there are many things for me I am trying to keep in my head about buoyancy, trim, checking PSI, not to mention trying to LOOKY at things around me to enjoy the dive. Sometimes I find myself going crap what was the signal for ????. I know I know makes me a dangerous diver HUH I do try to keep it all in my head.

I think the solution to my situation is that I NEED to find someone who is a willing regular dive buddy. I dont care where we dive, it can even be the same place really as so far my dive times have been about 30 minutes.

ANY TAKERS???

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:40 pm

hey pogi you are more than welcome to join the doc and myself at the muk monday night at 8 in the pm side of the day, if you'd like!

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 8:55 pm

Ah, where would we all be without the surly dive shop operator. It seems to me that for every ten worthy places there has to ne one or two that try my patience. Haven't found any down here yet but it's only a matter of time.

Good viz to all!

lamont · Post by **lamont** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:23 pm

dive shop owners should really post their policies. it shouldn't be too hard to come up with a list of common policies along with checkboxes that owners could simply check off an put up. e.g.

TANK MARKING

[ ] - all nitrox/trimix single tanks must have 3" bumper stickers
[ ] - all nitrox/trimix double tanks must have 3" bumper stickers
[ ] - tanks must be marked with analyzed contents
[ ] - idiotic bumper stickers will be removed free of charge upon request

TANK FILLING

[ ] - no 6351 alloy
[ ] - no aluminum tanks over 20 years old
[ ] - no sketchy looking aluminum tanks at all
[ ] - if your tanks look funny they'll get condemned

HIGH PRESSURE FILLS

[ ] - will not fill over service pressure, even hot
[ ] - will not fill over service pressure, cold (~300 psi overpressure hot)
[ ] - will overfill + rated LP tanks to 3500 psi
[ ] - will fill until the compressor kicks off, double up your burst disks

I WILL LAUGH AT YOU IF YOU:

[ ] - dive split fins or snorkels
[ ] - dive tech gear on recreational dives
[ ] - practice skills
[ ] - do not practice skills
[ ] - dive with a rebreather
[ ] - dive without a rebreather

okay, maybe this thing would get way too long to fit on an 8.5 x 11 sheet...

(you know if we expanded this and put it online, we could match up divers and dive shops just like eHarmony matches up couples...)

spatman · Post by **spatman** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:39 pm

lamont wrote:(you know if we expanded this and put it online, we could match up divers and dive shops just like eHarmony matches up couples...)

LOL.

good one!

gcbryan · Post by **gcbryan** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:48 pm

I think the biggest problem with dive shops is that the people who open up dive shops never have any retail experience. They usually are retired from some field that has nothing to do with diving or retail and therefore don't have a clue about running a business.

airsix · Post by **airsix** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 12:26 pm

The biggest problem with local dive shops? It's probably that half the customers treat them like Starbucks/Walmart. Your LDS is NOT a commodity. It is not a cookie-cutter-served-2Million-today business. It's a special arrangement between someone with a specialized need and someone with a specialized solution. To make that work, both parties have to be willing to bend a little. Show respect = get respect.

-Ben

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 12:39 pm

lamont wrote: (you know if we expanded this and put it online, we could match up divers and dive shops just like eHarmony matches up couples...)

gcbryan · Post by **gcbryan** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 12:58 pm

airsix wrote:The biggest problem with local dive shops? It's probably that half the customers treat them like Starbucks/Walmart. Your LDS is NOT a commodity. It is not a cookie-cutter-served-2Million-today business. It's a special arrangement between someone with a specialized need and someone with a specialized solution. To make that work, both parties have to be willing to bend a little. Show respect = get respect.

-Ben

I agree with the above. My comments were less about the original poster and more about why so many dive stores go out of business. Their owners didn't know anything about business before they opened the shop. Plus the fact that it's not a great business to be in in the first place.

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:47 pm

gcbryan wrote:
airsix wrote:The biggest problem with local dive shops? It's probably that half the customers treat them like Starbucks/Walmart. Your LDS is NOT a commodity. It is not a cookie-cutter-served-2Million-today business. It's a special arrangement between someone with a specialized need and someone with a specialized solution. To make that work, both parties have to be willing to bend a little. Show respect = get respect.

-Ben
I agree with the above. My comments were less about the original poster and more about why so many dive stores go out of business. Their owners didn't know anything about business before they opened the shop. Plus the fact that it's not a great business to be in in the first place.

Yeah, that's kind of like Real Estate Agents - over 80% of real estate agents never had any sales, marketing, business, or transactional background before they started representing trusting consumers in what is usually the largest transaction of their lives.

A little business school would go a long way. Not being an ass also helps a lot.

Seth T. · Post by **Seth T.** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:33 pm

Sounder wrote: A little business school would go a long way. Not being an ass also helps a lot.

Totally.

Aquanautchuck · Post by **Aquanautchuck** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:34 pm

pogiguy05 wrote:OK so now if some dive shops have limited rental tanks and such...........

Sounds to me like someone willing to buy tanks and a van could do some business with all dive shops. they dont have to carry the inventory, but when they need extra tanks, they could call and you deliver for a reasonable fee. Maybe they could do free annual inspections for you cause it is in their best interest.

Not business minded really but I just seen a potential business solution. If they were willing start out small with just tanks and then maybe other gear.HMMMMMMMMMM

Sorry sometimes my brain just gets to thinking

You know I have thought that idea several times for Cove 2. If you have ever stayed at Cataline Island and dove Casino Pt you would notice a scuba shop keeps a semi-trailer,compressor, tanks and weights for rent. Great for the divers and cheap for the shop. I think it would work at Cove 2

Aquanautchuck · Post by **Aquanautchuck** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:44 pm

lamont wrote:dive shop owners should really post their policies. it shouldn't be too hard to come up with a list of common policies along with checkboxes that owners could simply check off an put up. e.g.

TANK MARKING

[ ] - all nitrox/trimix single tanks must have 3" bumper stickers
[ ] - all nitrox/trimix double tanks must have 3" bumper stickers
[ ] - tanks must be marked with analyzed contents
[ ] - idiotic bumper stickers will be removed free of charge upon request

TANK FILLING

[ ] - no 6351 alloy
[ ] - no aluminum tanks over 20 years old
[ ] - no sketchy looking aluminum tanks at all
[ ] - if your tanks look funny they'll get condemned

HIGH PRESSURE FILLS

[ ] - will not fill over service pressure, even hot
[ ] - will not fill over service pressure, cold (~300 psi overpressure hot)
[ ] - will overfill + rated LP tanks to 3500 psi
[ ] - will fill until the compressor kicks off, double up your burst disks

I WILL LAUGH AT YOU IF YOU:

[ ] - dive split fins or snorkels
[ ] - dive tech gear on recreational dives
[ ] - practice skills
[ ] - do not practice skills
[ ] - dive with a rebreather
[ ] - dive without a rebreather

okay, maybe this thing would get way too long to fit on an 8.5 x 11 sheet...

(you know if we expanded this and put it online, we could match up divers and dive shops just like eHarmony matches up couples...)

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:40 am

lamont wrote:dive shop owners should really post their policies.

Anacortes Dive and Supply does ... not like your list, but they're quite specific about their fill requirements and iit's prominently displayed by the fill station.

Unfortunately, they do require a banner on the tank ... fortunately, the VooDoo Gas stickers on my tanks qualify ... $\:D/$ ... that's why I put 'em there.

I don't personally agree with all of Bob and Kelly's shop policies ... but I have to say I really like the professional manner in which they run their shop.

Besides ... they're just really nice people ... makes me want to stop in and say "howdy" whenever I'm in Anacortes ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

TCWestby · Post by **TCWestby** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:22 am

Since the name was mentioned, I am really safety oriented and have never gotten any inkling that SPD is anything but safety concious and professional.

I know the owners personally and hope I am building a friendship with them. Does that make me biased, probabally. They have the cleanest shop I've seen of course they are the newest too. The customer service end will come with time and experience as it did with me. I didn't have anyone to teach me, I learned by trial and error. I've also watched them with customers and they bend over bakwards to answer questions and be helpfull.

That said, Ive been in lots of shops and can tell that the proprioters have had very little retail experience. I grewe up in it and see lots of thibngs that can change all over.

I wemt into Anecortes once, just browsing and no one said boo or even acknowledged my presence. I had a buddy scheduled for a shop dive there and when he showed up no one was there, they were supposed to meet at the shop and he was early, no calls nothing. Needless to say he won't ever do a dive with them again.

These are most likely a fluke I admit but it would be nice to have someone at least say hi when you walk through the door.

I guess what it gets down to is find a shop that caters to your needs and reward them with business. I have 2 I really like and 1 I dispise so I don't go there except for air fills because they are just convenient to a particular site.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:55 am

Aquanautchuck wrote: You know I have thought that idea several times for Cove 2. If you have ever stayed at Cataline Island and dove Casino Pt you would notice a scuba shop keeps a semi-trailer,compressor, tanks and weights for rent. Great for the divers and cheap for the shop. I think it would work at Cove 2

They grant some exceptions for instruction there, but otherwise you can't run a business on Seattle Parks' property without a permit and bidding on the concessions license.

kwbyron · Post by **kwbyron** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 12:20 pm

I aggree with TCwestby; I like Smokey point. I ran into the same thing out in anacortes last week, a guy did eventually come from the back, but there wasn't anyone in the front of the store and I found that odd...

Seth T. · Post by **Seth T.** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:53 am

kwbyron wrote:I aggree with TCwestby; I like Smokey point.

Tell ya what, you get cussed out by the owner and he refuses to listen to your side, saying that he doesn't give a sh#$ about what you say, and let's see how YOU feel about them!

Nwbrewer · Post by **Nwbrewer** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:33 am

Seth T. wrote:
kwbyron wrote:I aggree with TCwestby; I like Smokey point.
Tell ya what, you get cussed out by the owner and he refuses to listen to your side, saying that he doesn't give a sh#$ about what you say, and let's see how YOU feel about them!

Boys, boys, easy now.

One dive shop my be right for some and not for others. I certainly know people who like some shops I can't stand. No reason to make an issue of it. To each thier own.

Jake

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:45 am

Seth T. wrote:
kwbyron wrote:I aggree with TCwestby; I like Smokey point.
Tell ya what, you get cussed out by the owner and he refuses to listen to your side, saying that he doesn't give a sh#$ about what you say, and let's see how YOU feel about them!

This thread is going downhill fast. As has been stated many times before, please refrain from this type of criticism- if anyone has a criticism of a particular dive shop, they should simply stop going there. The best strategy is to find a shop you DO like, and then give them your business.

scottsax · Post by **scottsax** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:48 am

Nailer99 wrote:"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die."

Nailer, what's that from?

Seth T. · Post by **Seth T.** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:19 am

Nwbrewer wrote: Boys, boys, easy now.

Jake

Okay, I'm shutting up now.

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:21 am

scottsax wrote:
Nailer99 wrote:"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die."
Nailer, what's that from?

Blade Runner!

TCWestby · Post by **TCWestby** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:30 am

Sometimes personalities just clash, what makes this country great is Capitalism. If you don't like a shop there are alot more out there that may be just your cup of tea.

Point being, bitching and moaning doesn't help anyone.