RETAILING
Can You Really Do It All? Take a Good Look at Your Schedule by Jeff Cinciripino , JeffCinciripino.com, Former Owner of Scuba Shack, Rocky Hill, CT
A S WE MOVE FORWARD into the new year, you have probably already spent a fair amount of time on your schedule and plans for the year ahead. You’ve placed your trips on the calendar, determined the classes that you plan to offer, and layered in any new programs to expand your business. So, while the year ahead looks promising with a jam-packed schedule, you might want to take a few minutes
covered. This timing also allows you to see any gaps down the line. If there are gaps that are unlikely to be filled with your team, it would be prudent to adjust the schedule to avoid your needing to step in. Many local dive shops are not fortunate to have their own pool. If you do not have your own pool, the need for access to a facility is obviously critical. If possible, work with the
to ask yourself if you can really do it all. If you are the owner of the business, you want to meet your customer’s expecta- tions. Remember that the buck stops with you when the business has committed to an activity. Travel is one of the major pil- lars of the dive shop business model. Finding the right desti- nations that will retain your ex- isting base along with attracting new traveling divers takes a sig- nificant amount of research and
aquatic director to solidify your entire year with that center. By engaging early in the year, you can identify any potential conflicts and make adjustments to your training schedule. While you may want to offer more training, you need to address the reality that the pool facilities may not be avail- able. One final area to look at with your schedule is how it might impact your ability to
planning. Many popular destinations fill up quickly and locking in optimal dates is sometimes done several years in advance. With that part of your schedule locked in, you should make sure that the trip leader is still able to take on that assignment. Additionally, other members of your team may intend to register for the trip. That might possibly leave you short staffed if you have other activities scheduled during that time. Adjusting those activities before you advertise them will save you from the stress of making changes and po- tentially inconveniencing your clients. Training scuba divers is the bread-and-butter activity at the local dive center. Classes are how we get new customers and keep divers diving with continuing education. Training also requires a significant commitment of time and resources to effectively, efficiently and safely complete courses. Early in the year is an optimal time to determine instructor availability for the variety of courses being offered. Many instructors act as independent contractors and need to plan around their availability. Getting them to commit to specific dates early in the year is critical to ensuring that your training schedule is
effectively manage your service department. Based on your experience you have a pretty good idea of when your service department will be busy. If those timeframes are also loaded with training and travel, you will need to ensure that you can adequately meet your service level commitments. Customers who are looking to get their gear ready for the season or for a specific trip have expectations that it will be ready in a timely manner. If however, your service department staff is tied up in these other activities, the impact of service delays will seriously compromise customer satisfaction with a potential loss of business. Again, make any adjustments to your schedule early to ensure that you can appropriately staff your service department for that busy timeframe. Each new year brings a sense of optimism and anticipation as we look to continue to grow the business and succeed. We’ve invested a lot of time and effort in planning ahead
with a full schedule for the entire year. Early in the year is a good time to take another look at that schedule and ask yourself if you can really do it all.
email Jeff
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