Do you know any "Churn and Burn" dive centers? Those that focus primarily on new customers rather than earn the long time business of serious divers. Some dive centers believe they should only market to and focus on new customers, people that don’t currently scuba dive. I suppose they feel their only source of revenue is that initial training and bulk purchase of new gear. They spend 100% of their effort and marketing dollars on attempting to attract new customers.

The smart dive centers know that if you want to stay around a long time, you need to earn the respect and business of serious divers. The scuba industry is too small to have a "Churn and Burn" mentality.

Scuba divers tend to travel, so a dive center should make sure their business is easy to find on web sites divers use. Divers will "google" the area they’re traveling to. They’ll research dive sites, hotels and restaurants. If they need to rent gear, book a charter or get air fills, they’ll research dive centers in that area.

Dive centers focused entirely on new customers will loose site of the massive population of existing divers that are ready to spend money. How many more active divers would we have in our industry if every local dive center spent more time building up relationships and less time churning and burning?

Comments

MarkGL - 3/13/2012 2:49 AM So true, although in my experience most dive shops in NZ are pretty good, and do work on the relationship side rather than a one hit wonder. Having said that, I have only done business with 5 different shops, and have been very happy with 4 of them. There is a saying in sales - it’s easier to grow existing business, than to attract new business. - It’s also cheaper!

LisaMorgan - 2/01/2012 5:53 PM We have both kinds of shops here in the Central VA area. One, very churn and burn, has just gone belly up after years of doing business that way. The Dive Shop, OTOH, is committed to long-term relationships with their customers. I didn’t get my big "first gear" package there, but over the years I have augmented my equipment and had it serviced there, and been very satisfied every time. They are knowledgeable, their prices are fair, and they don’t try to sell you what you don’t need. I have to add a good word, too, for the folks at Lake Rawlings. They have a dive shop there and it is also staffed by people who establish relationships with the divers and who know their stuff. Central Virginia is a great place to live when it comes to dive shops!

flaski - 1/15/2012 9:54 AM So true true about the churn and burn, in my are between Pensacola and Panama City. I have only 3 shops I have encountered that pay equal if not more attention to divers and their ongoing needs. Of course the also are the most successful.