As the title indicates, the subject matter today is on price and what do we/you as consumers look for? In all the years of being involved in this fascinating industry, this question raises its head time and time again.

I have had a few very influential instructors and mentors in my career and the underlying theme from all of them was simply, do your own costing and do not worry about your competitors. I am not here to worry about my competitors, I am here to provide a service to my clients and make sure that when that phone rings in 5 -10 or longer years time, there is still someone here to answer it. Simply meaning that we are still in business and providing what you ask for … VALUE FOR MONEY!

So let`s look at a scenario, you start to look at obtaining your initial diving license. You shop around, you ask questions and eventually you look at “Joe Dives Dive Centre” and “John Dives Dive Centre.” Joe charges 100 bucks for the course and John charges 200 bucks for his course! Same course (or is it), same content material, same standards to be upheld. Does Joe operate from a mobile phone and his home and does John run a dive centre with staff, advertising costs, telephones, equipment etc? So John`s costs are more and thus needs to charge more. Maybe they both run dive centres and the one is undercutting the other but what are you losing out on? maybe a pool session, rushed theory sessions, 3 open water dives as opposed to 4. 4 shore entries as opposed to 4 boat dives.

We/you as consumers are not stupid and not blind, the internet gives us access to an incredible amount of information. Do the research and choose wisely. So the next time I hear someone say “hey man I can get a dhow or speedboat a lot cheaper than you!” Look closely and understand why I have a wry smile on my face:-)

So use the cheaper option but at some point I will see you again and yes, we will be happy to be of service for a very long time to come!