Alrighty fellow divers, what particularly do you like or dislike about your local dive shop? What would you like it to do that it does not now do?
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Alrighty fellow divers, what particularly do you like or dislike about your local dive shop? What would you like it to do that it does not now do?
Laid back easy going attitude and good fills everytime.
What it could do? 24/7 fills for those times you forgot to get a fill and everywheres closed and the dives at 6am the next morning.
Matt
When I order a drysuit hood, I would like it if the owner actually orders the hood instead of telling me after 3 months that he still hasn't ordered it even though I have reminded him 3 times now.
I guess I must be REALLY demanding!
;)
well I guess just to fill my tank and not give me the run around
Well, My favorite fill station just opened up. But it's three hours from my house in Fort White!:eek: Amigo's! My new spot while in cave country!
I have one two minutes from my house too, But there too scared:eek:
Why are the good ones always so far away? Mines 15 hours non stop drive away. Also close to caves. Why cant the build the caves closer to my place in the future?Quote:
Originally Posted by grim reefer
Matt
A shop needs to be committed to customer service and also standards and safety when it comes to rental gear, instruction, repairs and charters. I will not say whether I get that at my local shop because who knows, they might be on this forum too! :p
What bothers me is that many of us would like to support our LDS despite higher prices and less inventory than most online retailers. But, often the LDS lacks service and return support to encourage us to be loyal customers.
The example by idivechick above is typical. Even though I paid 30-40% more, I ordered books and materials for Rescue and Dive Master and paid at the time of ordering. But after several weeks, I still do not have my full order. I asked if the dealer could call me when the books arrived and he replied that I should just keep checking with him instead.
I am an iota away from doing just about all my business with an online retailer. What is the incentive of doing business with the LDS if almost everything they offer is inferior to the online retailer - price, service, supply, etc??
Amen, WarmWaterdiver. I've often said that a diver would probably be willing to pay a little more for the sake of getting it locally, but the return should be excellent customer service. A dive shop can't give shoddy customer service and then whine that people are buying things online! Nobody is going to pay more for a product, wait longer than promised to receive it, find out the LDS does a poor job of service after the sale, and still be a loyal customer!Quote:
Originally Posted by WarmWaterdiver
I put up with higher prices at my LDS because it is more than covered in the times when something goes wrong and i walk in and its fixed in minutes and usually at no cost. If it is something that takes time or parts its usually done quickly and its not overly expensive. The guy knows ill be back so could treat me like crap but dont and it works both ways. Im never in a hurry for 95% of my stuff so its not like waiting will bother me but when i do need things urgent its always there.
Matt
That iota is a bit smaller today. Already disgusted with the two dive shops in the New Orleans area for horrible service among other things, I decided to go to Baton Rouge today to sign up for a Rescue class.
I talked to the shop owner via telephone on Monday and was quoted $175 for the class and $25 for the Naui book. The course was to consist of 5 night classroom sessions and two pool sessions.
Suddenly when I arrived today to complete the course application and pay my fees, the book was $50 and the course was 3 classroom sessions, 2 pool sessions and one Gulf open water session. A trip to Panama City, FL costs about $300 and includes a two tank boat dive.
Now this may not be a big deal but the Naui Rescue book is smaller than the PADI rescue book and I think I only paid around $25 for the PADI book. $50 for a book that I was originally quoted $25 for is ridiculous.
Throw in the added expense of the Panama City trip and I may as well have just gone to a resort for a week to take the course.
Yes, the resort would cost more but in addition to the course, I would get lots of fun diving.
This misinformation sort of ate into me as I rode back home from Baton Rouge. That is just plain bad service and the dealer didnt even see it as a big deal. 25 bucks, 50 bucks, same thing right? 5 class sessions, 3 class sessions, same thing right?
I am so close to only doing business online that at any moment I may snap. I now deeply regret paying the fees and wish I would have just said forget it, I am going do my original plan - train at a resort in paradise.
Tell them that if there is no difference between $25 and $50, then there must also be no difference between $25 and 0$, and 0$ is what you will pay for the book.
This is the same kind thing that happens at the local shops in my area ... sad thing is I work for one of them ... :( I will tell you the NAUI Rescue book costs $39.66 US for the store to buy, and everyone can understand a retailer having to mark things up to cover shipping, overhead and the like and also make a profit. That's what they are in business for. But the point is, if you were told $25, than the price should be $25.
I will also say any Rescue course that DOESN'T include time in the ocean ain't worth a hooey ...
yes, I agree that a worthwhile rescue course should include classtime, pooltime and ocean time. my point was this was not explained when I called to gather information about the course.
my original plan was to go to Utila to take the course there. because I find it difficult to get away for 5 weeks to take rescue and dive master together, I thought it would help by taking the rescue course locally thereby cutting the Utila time to 4 weeks instead of 5.
I do not mind the ocean portion, but if it was explained initially when I inquired, I could have calculated the total cost correctly and made a better informed decision about where to train.
I hear ya'. To me that's all part of customer service. Even if the messed up and told you the wrong info when you called, they should do something to make it right.
Over here near Lafayette it is not any better, go into the store and it is like walking onto a used car lot......I needed a new 3 mil and wanted to order one shop owner said he had one in the back but couldn't find it right away... the next week when I went in his partner was there and said the reason he couldn't find the shorty to the farmer john was that the suit was his and he had it at home...and he was very pissed that the other guy was selling his personal gear out of the store....gear got ordered and I picked it up brand new but ....shady stuff like that makes me leery...so now I hear the two in N.O. are not good and Red Stick...Guess I will have to head to Lake Charles....
Lafayette? Thats where I'm from :) My family still lives there....Quote:
Originally Posted by wetwillie
ok.. LDSs... Well... ok, for the most part, we have "decent" dive shops here.. There's a newer one in San Diego that gives you unlimited fills (you choose the gas) for a set amount of $ per month.. I think its $55 for air & Nitrox, and $75 for Trimix, O2, and I think argon too... Really good deal.. I dunno about their gear or tank prices since I kinda buy my stuff from a non-local shop :D
DiveChick, you live in S. Florida... (Thats what I read)
I live in N. Florida...
I've read the posts and I wonder, if floridians have crossed the line between Layed Back and LAZY..
I moved the Fla just a couple of years ago, from Dallas. What a difference... I call it "Conscious Ignornance"
It appears they want to wait for the customer to come in, not to market
to drive customers in. When they do come in, it's a I don't care if you buy it or not. No follow-up..
For example, last March I asked about taking a class.
They did not have one scheduled but were looking at schedule this class..
I hear nothing for over a month. I walk back into the shop, I see my name and number, taped on the piece
of paper I wrote it on in the area where the registers are, in plane view for ANYONE to see. I inquire and still, nothing..
TO make a short story long.. after three months I gave up and went somewhere else. Can't say I didn't try.
I notice this at almost every dive shop, except one.. I notice this at work too.. W.T.F.!!! It's driving me crazy...!!!
it almost seems that this is the attitude in all retail almost everywhere these days...the norm , not the exception that it used to be....
As it turned out, I finished the Naui Rescue class. It consisted of two classroom settings, one lasting about 3 hours and the other 4 hours. We were supposed to meet the instructors at a pool but when we got there we found the pool filled with screaming 6 year olds in a swim meet.
We (my buddy and I) called the shop and was told there is a meet there today and the pool session had been cancelled, sorry we didnt call you.
My buddy was ticked, I was calm and cool, waiting to talk with the owner before I went ballistic.
The next day, which was classroom setting number 2, the owner came in smiling and apologizing. The other student rented a hotel room for the weekend so I guess we (my buddy and I) could not get real ticked off considering how badly this other guy got screwed.
Anyway, we finished the classroom stuff and took the written test. We had the owner over a barrel now so he agreed to give us the CPR, first aid, O2 and shock thing machine deal for a bargain basement price of $85.
My buddy and I came back next week for that course and test. The other student was a EMT so he didnt need it.
Finally, the next weekend we went to the Florida Springs - Vortex on Saturday and Morrisons on Sunday. We did a few tricks, saved a few people and that was it. Done, finished, over.
The instructors were nice guys, the shop owner is a nice guy but very laid back. I ordered some spring straps and now a month later I still do not have them.
I have decided to go with the flow. If he has what I want, fine, if not, go online or somewhere else. I probably wont take any more courses from him or any other LDS. I think the way to go is find a good instructor that works independently and get the training from them. It will be more individualized and I think I will learn more since it will be one on one.
So overall, service is out the window. If you want a live body to talk with, go to the LDS. Pricing will vary, dont use an ink pen when writing quotes and dont order anything that isnt in stock.
Overall though, it was a good experience. I am not sure I learned how to be a Rescue diver but I did learn some rescue skills. The rest is up to me to practice and keep up to date. But I suppose that is how it is in any situation.
I have been working through a shop for a few years, but have decided to be an independant instructor because I am so tired of the lack of service and ignoring of safety and standards that goes on at the shop. I don't want my name attached to that. So . . . hear hear, support your independant instructor! :)
Amen to that seasnake...
Thats what I'm trying to convey to my organization. They do not
support the independent like they support the shops... "Because the
shops have put so much investment.." OK, let them sell HW and I'll
do the training...
I know they are all in business to make money, but I wish they wouldn't sell brand new divers a full set of gear with a bunch of unnecessary accessories so that they look like Christmas trees in the water dragging their stuff around silting up the bottom and tearing up the reefs. It reminds me of the people at ski resorts with their $1000 ski suits. They look good but can't ski for crap.
In 2001, while doing pool exercises as a NAUI open water student, my instructor-provided BC fell apart on one shoulder. Very alarming for someone who hasn’t even done her check-out dive yet. Already knowing that diving was something I was going to do as long as I'm able, that incident prompted me (or should I say, scared me) to already invest in my own BC for my first descent in open water.
At the shop, I ended up choosing the SeaQuest Diva LX for its fit, comfort, and lift. I remain happy with that choice. My regret is allowing myself to be persuaded by the shop to have the optional Air Source alternate air inflator attached to the BC for supposed streamlining (It wasn’t a sales thing, the proprietor, an instructor himself, uses one and was excited enough about it to strongly recommend it). I did ask my instructor then if that was okay and he said just as long as I have it checked every six months.
Then, on my first ever liveaboard (only dive 24), I lost 100 psi upon entry. Dang free flow! Dang Air II! For the next three dives that same day around Puerto Galera and for the four dives the next day around Verde Island, my routine turned out to be: backroll, predictable free flow, fin to DM, DM hands over his octopus if we’re already underwater or doing negative entry, he shuts off my tank to relax the diaphragm, turns on my tank again, I shift back to my reg, and then enjoy the rest of the dive anyway. Every single time. It was bordering on the ridiculous.
When I got back to Manila, I asked the shop for an octopus. I was told that they’ll just adjust the Air II's sensitivity, that, really, I should give it a chance. And it was true that I had no more trouble -- was vigilant about equipment servicing, even got a PADI advanced open water certification along the way -- until last October (dive 118) when, upon entry (coincidentally, back in Verde’s waters), the diaphragm flew into the air and the hair-trigger was at it again. That was it! I was not going to be seduced this time (I at least had relatively more diving experience so I know it wasn't me :) ). I asked for an octopus and I was firm about it.
My octopus is six dives old and I’m still getting used to an extra long hose (unsure how to clip it the first time!) but, last Saturday (dive 125), I did find myself saying in jest to it, “Where have you been all my diving life?” if only for that small measure of psychological relief.
I confess that I have wondered (which I then dismiss with some guilt because, except for that Air II business, that shop has been great with sourcing/replacing gear) whether a dive shop should sell a diver who hasn't even had her check-out dive yet the reconfiguration they gave me. In the end of course, it's my responsibility, my fault, and I'm living-and-learning.
Well, it sounds like that might be a bit of a different situation. Your instructor wasn't trying to shaft you, he actually believed in that piece of equipment and was trying to help. Your BC breaking in the pool, that is another story. If the training equipment is not properly maintained I have a real problem with that. However, sometimes things break and it can't necessarily be blamed on poor maintenance. I still don't think that is reason enough for a crucifixion ... :)
One of the big reasons I stopped working for the shop was the shoddy equipment we had to train people in. It was all excellent quality stuff, but never maintained. I never had a class where there wasn't at least one equipment malfunction. And when I'd turn it in to the service department, it would be the same problem again next week. They wouldn't actually do anything to fix it. I would end up in the shop after hours repairing gear for my course, and there was no way I was getting paid anywhere near enough for that! Oh, the horror stories I could tell! The thing is, if there was an accident attributable to faulty gear, I'm the one whose arse was on the line, not the shop. I had to have my own insurance teaching there, and the policy states that equipment must be maintained to industry standards. So my insurance wouldn't cover me if the equipment wasn't maintained.
It is a tough line to walk for a shop between service and making a dollar, especially here where Scuba isn't as prolific as other areas. But support the guy who is doing it for the love of the sport and actually cares . . .
Ouch!Quote:
Originally Posted by seasnake
In a way, it’s a good thing I experienced poorly maintained equipment early on, in a pool, rather than during my check-out dive. Using my own (spanking new) equipment went a long way in building my confidence during my first days of diving. At least I wasn’t worried about things falling apart.
The lesson of packing my own gear was reinforced 4 years ago, when I made a trip to Coron, Palawan with my hiking group (which was why I decided earlier to leave my BC/reg at home and skip the diving). By day 3, however, my friends were already teasing me about the longing in my eyes every time a suited-up group left the shore in a banca. They practically dragged me to one shop so I could sign up for a two-dives out arrangement. The shop outfitted me (uh-oh) and paired me with a foreigner DM.
On the way down to the wreck of Olympia Maru, as early as 15 feet, I started to breathe in a bit of water with my air. I instinctively felt the sides of my mouthpiece for any rip, all the while trying to make out the DM’s receding back in the poor-viz. My mind was doing a tick list—“Rip in diaphragm? O-ring problem? Cracked reg? Why doesn’t the DM look back up to check if I’m okay?”
Past 30 feet, when I found myself already inadvertently swallowing water to get my bit of air, I decided: No way I’m going all the way to 95 feet with this. I learned later that, by then, the DM was already at the freighter deck, waiting for me to come out of the “gloom.”
I finned back up, trying to resist the body’s impulse to surface any faster. I waited awhile at the surface, coaching myself to relax, before the DM popped back up. She was understandably livid with worry. I apologized and explained the situation. At first, she was convinced that the problem was simply mouthpiece size and I should just clamp down harder. I disagreed with that. We went back and forth on this for a while until I dared to suggest that we switched BCs and reg. (My logic being, if that’s her regular gear, she must maintain it herself.) To my surprise, she agreed.
Soon enough, we aborted a second time because she had to recheck the rental gear that she had now been using. Back on the boat, parts were being taken apart and put together again (she mumbled something about a busted octopus). Eventually, we ended up completing the promised two wreck dives and, especially after surfacing from Taie Maru's boiler room to a silvery veil of fishes, all was forgiven.
My poor hiking group, however, ended up dragging me anew (easier to just go with it), this time to the local hospital, convinced of nitrogen bubbles after I gave them the blow-by-blow. A doctor (having seen his lion share of diving mishaps) simply said, "You look fine to me." Well!
Hey, that was a smart idea ... "okay, if you think this gear is okay, YOU use it ... " ha ha ...