air fills

[Dirk Diggler]

+1

Many compressors on the internet right now for lot less than that.  In fact, I know of one that is only two towns away from me that is a hell of a deal with cascade tanks, compressor, hook ups, manifold for a great deal.
[/quote]

And yet you dont have one?
-1
or is it -2 now, didnt know there was some tally running?

It doesnt seem realistic to go out and buy our own gas station when the price at the pump goes up either.  Split hairs all you want, I lose, I give up.  All businesses have expenses that are less transparent than those who choose to see things with blinders on. 
More businesses have closed over the last few years, and they didnt seem to be trying to do so nor trying to hurt their customer base. 

If it makes you feel better, go purchase a compressor, see what the cost per fill equals out to, at least you will be happy.

[mattd]

I'm just saying that I'm not going to pay a super duper premium on everything for a "relationship" with an LDS.  If every last one of them went out of business, compressors aren't so expensive that I or someone else couldn't buy one.  And, I'll bet that guy can find enough people who want to get fills to bring down the cost of owning the equipment to where it isn't that much of a premium over going to the LDS.

I'll happily pay a fair price on gear or fills at an LDS.  I'm not buying another $200 "relationship" that lasts me a month.

[Dirk Diggler]

mattd, I think Smith should have made good or came up with a satisfying compromise if they did not, perhaps you contacted them?  But I dont know the details and dont feel its any of my business either.   

But I know for a fact that there is at least one LDS that has gone as far as honoring another LDS' air fill cards because the customer was loyal and wanted to frequent and do business with that LDS from then onward.

Surely, other LDS' would cut you some sort of a deal on a trade out in the minimum.  Likely, the best of all scenarios, especially if you touted that kind of service on mnscuba as often and as loudly as when you are critical.  Yes, complaints can be valid, but solutions are plenty when one looks for them.

Rag, rag, rag.  This forum has so much negativity.  The problem to me is, too many people are impatient and run off to complete strangers and public forums to voice an opinion -  so bent out of shape are we over an air fill for pete's sake?  Yet we miss the boat on a completely happy outcome or compromise if they would just approach our LDS' with a "what can you do to help" kind of interest and attitude.  One would be amazed at how far one gets when one's ego, impatience, and attitude is in check long enough for another to be able to listen and offer to assist or aid.

For others, no matter what price an LDS charges for an air fill it still wouldnt be good enough or they would find something else to gripe about, that is who they are.  But it is a shame for how much voice they get, and they dont get the big picture that finding solutions is more rewarding than complaining.  Time for all of us to see that diving is about building up people's positive experiences, otherwise this sport will get less inviting to us and our firends unless more people learn that. 

I'm off to go get my tanks filled, have a great weekend of diving.

[mattd]

I went in during their "moving sale" and tried to get Lee to give me a credit on some merchandise or something to square up with me.  He refused insisting that he was reopening and my fill card was good.

I don't just post negatively.  I post positively too.  I've posted that Steve and Jolene have done a great job with Aquaventure.  I've posted about my positive impressions of Mike Daust as an instructor and Jay at Superior Diving.  But, reflecting a little, the customer service I have received has been from internet retailers - Scuba Toys, Leisure Pro, Indian Valley Scuba, etc.  Some are LDS's other places, some are not.  Really, the internet retailers have done a better job finding me the gear I want.  Locally, I want training and fills.  So, I'd be perfectly happy with a scuba club offering training, a fill express place that is a closet some place with a compressor, and internet retailers for gear.

Happy diving.  I'm headed out to try a new quarry tomorrow.  Hopefully its decent and I don't die of heatstroke.

[scubafreek864]

For the purchase of a compressor, it depends on where you live.  I live 35 miles away from the nearest scuba shop.  If you add up all the fuel, maintenance costs for driving to the shop every time I need to get air back in my tanks, it adds up pretty quick.  Buying my own compressor doesn't sound so bad.  I could find a lot of people around my area that would, more than likely, help out with some of the expense of the compressor.

[DetectorGuy]

Lee asked me if I wanted to buy his compressor with the banks for really good price. I looked into insurance and I would need to sell many, many, many fills just to pay the insurance. I would like to have one too but the risk of one person getting bad gas and having a problem would be more than I could take. Then if it was turned into a coop kinda deal, there would be problems with friendships turning sour. I am not going to take a stand on whether or not the prices are too high as you all know what you are paying, but the one thing that really sends me into orbit is the hot fills. I am not complaining though because I looked all over this computer and I have USB ports, DVD trays, SD slots, and head phone jacks... But I'll be damned if I can find a Nitrox 32 port on it. After we drive the dive shops out of business, then maybe we can order our air online and have the UPS truck deliver it to our houses. Hell, if we are paying shipping maybe it could be delivered right to the dive site. Think about it for a second... Kinda silly really...

[scubafreek864]

The insurance is the biggest downfall about purchasing a compressor and using to fill other people's tanks.  If I were to just fill my own, It definitely wouldn't pay for itself, unless the whole set up was really cheap to begin with.

[Deltaforce]

I was waiting for the old "you can't get an air fill from a PC" quote in this thread.  Usually comes from the LDS trying to justify their air costs, but thanks for not disappointing.

You are missing the point.  The LDS will not go out of business from the missed revenue if they dropped their prices on fills from $9 to $5. They go out of business because they do not get people into their stores buying new equipment, taking training, upgrading old equipment, renting equipment, etc. 

If you want my loyalty as a customer, give me a reason to come into your shop on a weekly basis and not the other guys.  If I'm filling my tanks at your store, there is a very high likelihood that I will buy my gear from you and take my training from you.  If I am in the other guy's shop, he/she will get my business.

For once, I would like to see a LDS get creative.  $2 air on Thursdays.  Free (or reduced) air for buying gear with us.  A heckuva deal on an air card.  All of these suggestions will get me into your shop frequently and keep me coming back.

If you gouge me on something as simple as an air fill, I have no problem going somewhere else.

[Terry]

USD is right on here!
                            20 years ago the late Jerry Provost and his lovely wife Sharon would have a birthday party at their shop (Vets Salvage Diving on Chicago Ave) for Jerry, and they would discount equipment (that day) the same persentage as Jerry was old that day. It was always a blast, and it was always packed. Divers are a social group, no matter where you go. I would go even if I didnt need any gear, just for the party, and I always ended up getting something, once nothing more then being told to, "get in or get out", by Jerry, for my standing in the doorway (it was that crowded) causing the door buzzer to continue to ring in the basement. Jerry would complain he was getting to old to continue doing this, due to the "percentage off" continuing to climb every year, as Sharon continued to ring up the register. It was late in the fall I remember, it seemed to work well, they were able to cut their inventory before winter, help fill up trips over the coming winter months, and everyone could share the beers and social times with both new and old friends. More dive shops need to do this, Steve up at Aquaventures had one a few months back and it was a good time. To be successful in bussiness you dont have to kill yourself, you just have to beat the competition, its that simple.          TRINITY

[PDitty]

I don’t understand why the LDS don’t charge air fills by the volume needed.