BUSINESS EDU continued
I had purchased all my gear at the shop and wore a 4/3mm Farmer John wetsuit, neoprene hood, and gloves. We had to shuffle through a yucky sludge in the shallow water wearing our fins. Using our compasses, we navigated about 50’ to a fence-wired platform about one foot above the silt.
dive shops, liveaboard operators, and resorts can opti- mize their customers’ experiences for years to come: 1) Take underwater photos or videos of divers for their first plunges, share them with your customers, and post them on social media.
2) Mail a handwritten “Thank You” note ; it’s more heartfelt than email. 3) Send emails on the anniver- saries of their resort dives, Open Water, or subsequent certification courses to memorialize their events. 4) Invite them to special sales events via text messages, emails, and postcards with select times just for them; they’ll appreciate it. 5) Reach out about seminars and/or webinars for your upcom-
My 2nd “First Time” – Open Water Certification, Granbury, TX, 1985.
There, while we went through our various proficiency exercises with our equipment, small (2-3”) fish called “crappy” and perch nib- bled on our ears. But finally, we got back to shore, and everyone in our class earned their certifications.
While I was elated that we were getting warm back on land and had become PADI-certified, one native Texan was hooting and hollering about how great it was. I told him, “Bro, you’ve got to try this in the ocean. It’s way better. Trust me.” Seven Ways to Make Their First Dives Memorable –– and Give Thanks Again, these dives could not have been more diverse: one was in warm water with a T-shirt and swim trunks; the other in a cold creek with a full wetsuit. One had some of the best visibility I’ve ever seen; the other had some of the worst. But both of these experiences were made better be- cause of the customer-focused dive partners I chose. With Thanksgiving in mind, here are some ideas on how
ing trips. 6) Inform them about new gear and technology breakthroughs. 7) Let them know that you’re their virtual dive buddy for anything they may need. So for any “first time,” the more memorable you can make it, the more your customers will think of you for
their future diving and equipment needs. If I can answer any questions to promote “the first time” for your divers, please reach out to me.
email Gil Dive into the fascinating world of marine biology with BENEATH THE BLUE PLANET! great for classrooms and every dive retailer’s library! “An in-depth resource to indulge our passion for scuba
diving.” – Wayne B. Brown, Owner & CEO, Aggressor Adventures
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