In-Store C-Card Printing (ISCP) is another member requested business solution from Scuba Diving International™ (SDI), Technical Diving International™ (TDI) and Emergency Response Diving International™ (ERDI).
Business people just like you are asking: “Why should I get one of these?”
Here are some of the most Frequently Asked Questions that other dive retailers have asked us. We hope your questions are covered here, but if you have others, please share them with us via email nestor.palmero@tdisdi.com
Q: Why would I want to print my own cards?
A: There are several benefits to you including a much higher profit on c-card sales, but the most important is improved customer loyalty through better customer satisfaction. Customers thrive on immediate gratification. Handing them a real C-card the instant they finish their class satisfies that need. Printing instant c-cards brings customers back and means high referral rates.
Q: We often have issues with mail delivery and students complaining about cards arriving “late.” How does In-Store C-Card Printing help us out on that issue?
A: ISCP means you wipe away ALL issues with snail mail delivery. It is immediate gratification for your customer. Cards are issued with no time delay, and this allows your customer to have their “Scuba Diver ID” on the spot!
Q: Does this mean no more temporary cards?
A: Exactly that and no more fees to expedite c-cards for divers who need a “real” C-card for that very special first dive trip after graduation. This means your customers leave with an actual C-card and not a temp card… imagine how they’ll feel about your customer service when they see new divers from other training centers on the boat with just a wet piece of cardboard!
Q: Occasionally cards come back with errors in spelling, names and incorrect birthdates. How can we prevent that?
A: ISCP is the answer. It is the easiest way to make sure the correct information is right the first time, you enter it at your facility, check it and print it on the spot.
Q: Instant c-card printing is a service that large multi-outlet operations can afford, but how is it possible for a single outlet, main street operation like mine to do this?
A: You are correct… larger stores and our Regional Offices have been running our ISCP system for a while with great success, but we have sourced an aggressive placement package which includes financing, setup support and online trouble-shooting, and a safety net warranty that can allow smaller dive centers and training facilities to offer the same high-level of customer service instantly. Contact your Regional Manager for a no-commitment ISCP business consultation.
Q: We have to cost-justify every capital investment we make… I’m not sure about an ISCP system’s cost effectiveness.
A: Obviously return on investment will depend on the number of students you certify, but we can show you how to get the system paid for in just a few months. If you are active with SDI, TDI and ERDI, you will see your profits grow immediately. Realistic financing plans are available to make your purchase as smooth as possible. Keep in mind if you are certifying through another agency and choose to move those courses to our group those additional $avings must also be figured in!
Q: When I issue replacement cards using ISCP do I have to pay a processing fee to SDI?
A: NO! Not only are “instant replacement cards” great for making your facility look great in the customer’s eyes, you make 99.9 percent profit on these! Not many things today increase your level of customer service AND make you money! You may also find that through referrals, divers from your competition come to your store if they need a new card.
Q: What does an ISCP system do in terms of profit margin? How are fees split between my facility and SDI/TDI/ERDI?
A: There is no question that ISCP increases your facility’s profit margins! Current dealer price for our certification cards and wall certificates is $16.50. When you elect to participate in the In-store C-Card Printing program dealer price is $9.95. YOU SAVE $6.55 per card and certificate. MSRP for C-card and wall certificate is $35.00. When sold at $35.00 the profit to a dealer after card cost is $25.05 per C-card and certificate. That is a 71.57 percent GP!
Q: I like the old photo cards… why can’t you bring that option back?
A: Our members asked for this option and we’ve listened. With ISCP, you can put a student photo on his c-card at no additional cost. This gives your store’s customer satisfaction a boost because your cards look “new and improved” and more professional.
Q: Can we add the name of our facility along with the instructor’s name?
A: YES. With ISCP we can go one better. You can brand your facility globally with the new “Dealer logo” feature on your student’s card at no extra cost. Let your divers’ C-cards travel the world with your facility’s logo on the card. The benefit is that your existing customers are reminded of your store every time they present their C-Card… and your store is branded with everyone who sees their card! This feature is in keeping with the SDI, TDI philosophy Our Business is Developing Yours.
Q: We do not have a techie on staff and this sounds complicated.
A: It’s not complicated at all and is so easy to install, and easy to use you will probably be up and running before your coffee gets cold. There is also a great service plan with customer service available to assist from HQ “IF” needed – you won’t, it really is that simple and easy to use. It doesn’t get any better than this! It has been extensively “Instructor Tested” by our group of divers that are more at home in the water than behind a computer!
Q: What drawbacks are there to In-Store Printing?
A: Well, you have to be committed to customer service. Once word gets out that you have the capabilities to print c-cards, you WILL have people you have never seen who certified with other agencies perhaps, dropping in “bothering” your staff. You may even get requests from other SDI, TDI, ERDI centers in your community to help them out by printing some cards for them… something that will make you money. If you cannot service increased traffic and cannot turn customers on to SDI and TDI and ERDI con ed courses, an ISCP system could be a drag.
Please remember, if your question has not been answered please fire away and share it with us so we can add it to our list!
Thanks for your time now let us get you started on the way to exceeding your diver’s customer-service expectations and increasing your customer satisfaction rating!
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