RETAILING
Why Dive Retailers Need a Refresher Course by Brooke Speedy , Manager, Tom Leaird’s Underwater Service, Muncie, IN
W E ENCOURAGE ALL DIVERS to stay active by diving multiple times throughout the year, but the reality for most divers is that they will experience a season of life when this isn’t possible. For those that can’t always make time in their year to dive, it is our re- sponsibility to encourage them to complete a Refresher Course so that they can regain their comfort and confidence in the water while becoming current with their skills. As retailers in an ever-changing economy and social climate, we cannot afford to become inactive. Dive retail operators need to continually update operation procedures to acclimate to change and to the expectations in the market. Our staff must always be confident and current with everything that is involved with working in the dive industry and interacting with customers. As the busy season begins to kick off, let’s complete a crash dive retailer refresher course together.
Every Dive Center should have the following items: 1. A procedure in place to track who your customers are. This means that you have a database of clients that at a min- imum includes their name, phone number, and email address. These are the most valuable data points to have on hand for all of your customers. They are a basis for commu- nication. If you have the means to record other customer information, consider tracking their certification level, birthday, “scuba-versary”, and a list of courses and dive des- tinations that they are interested in. Keeping track of your customer information requires time and training to maintain, so make sure everything that you track is for a purpose that is worth your time. 2. A defined method to connect with your customers. For some businesses this would be through email campaigns. This is still proven to be one of the most successful commu- nication methods in terms of return on investment. Other
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker