Posted by Ken Kurtis on September 18, 2000 at 00:52:43:
In Reply to: Re: Discount Divers/Price comparison posted by Curt Billings on September 14, 2000 at 19:53:02:
(Curt Billings wrote - among other things) Convince me you or any shop can market to more than just your neighborhood.
Of course we/they can. Leisure Pro is a perfect example.
But it also depends on what you want from "your" shop. If all you want is the lowest price, no shop or e-tailer will ever make you "happy" since someone else MAY be able to do it for you cheaper.
In retail (and not just in the scuba industry), the adage is "Live by price, die by price," since the same customer attracted by a low price will leave you in a heartbeat for someone offering a lower price. As we continue to lower the profit margin, then we must cut back SOMEwhere to make up for the lost revenue and that will be in the service area. Simple business decision.
(Curt) And what advice would you give me, the customer, if I do not like my neighborhood dive store, should I open my own store or move?
Not sure about moving but opening your own shop is always an option. Happens all the time. Then, usually, guys like Leisure Pro buy the liquidated stock from the wannabes when they go belly-up. This business isn't as easy as it looks.
If you're happy dealing with an on-line e-tailer then by all means continue to do so. But if you use a shop for ANY type of service, advice, etc., it's hard for us to keep doing that if we get nothing back from that investment of time. Not that that's YOUR problem, but it's a fact of business life that we all - customer and retailer - have to deal with.
Put it in terms that perhaps you all can deal with personally. Take whatever job it is you do, and imagine your boss calling you in the office tomorrow and saying, "Joe Blow here wants your job. He says he'll do it just as well and for $20,000 less per year. Do you want to take a pay cut right now or should I just go ahead and hire Joe and let you go?" How would YOU deal with that situation?
As a final (?) thought, I haven't noticed any e-tailers jumping in on these discussions to offer their perspectives, guidance, or pearls of wisdom. I wonder why not.
Ken Kurtis
NAUI Instr. #5936
Co-owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
beverly Hills, Ca.