Kategorie: News
Interview with Torsten Gläßer from Tauchsport Gläßer
The diving shop of Tauchsport Gläßer has recently moved from Feldmoching on the outskirts of Munich to the contemplative town of Finsing. This was a good reason for us to drop by, take a look at the new premises and interview the owner, Torsten Gläßer, to find out what it's all about.
Interview by Jan Finsterbusch
The first thing we notice is the significantly larger sales area of around 500 m². That's a huge difference from the old, rather cramped premises! But the other ‘stations’ also make you think about how things used to work. In the past, the workshop area was integrated into the sales and shop area, and the training room was also ‘misused’ from time to time... now everything is clearly separated.
Workshop, compressor, rinsing area, sales and a huge training area.
OK! Now we're going to misuse the training area again and retire here for an interview:
JF: Hello Torsten, you've been here for a few weeks now and had some time to settle in, how do you like it so far?
TG: We already feel at home, extremely comfortable and also accepted by the very friendly neighbourhood.
JF: I know that you used to live in Schwabing, then for years in Feldmoching. Every resident of Munich is familiar with the price development on the Munich rental market. Now you have moved to Finsing and I have to admit that on the way here I wondered whether it was not a bit far out?
TG: Finsing is located in the east of Munich and is easily accessible from there. But of course from the north of Munich it is a bit longer than before. However, this way we have completely solved the parking problem and ten minutes at the closed level crossing was not always fun.
JF: The dimensions here are definitely different, and that in almost every respect. More sales space, more storage space, more space in the workshop, so from that point of view it is certainly the right step. Nevertheless, the question is, what visions do you have to lure the people of Munich out here, what will the offers look like?
TG: By the time the expansion is complete – especially the pool – we will be able to hold all our courses, especially the OWD, at the centre and will no longer have to rely on public pools and long journeys. We will then be able to test the latest test equipment from the manufacturers on site, as well as fine-tuning our own equipment, which can then be done on site. With the new centre, we will be able to offer everything from a single source on site. There are several holiday accommodation options in the immediate vicinity, so we can also offer compact courses.
JF: Do I understand that correctly? Your concept is partly aimed at the operation of a holiday centre, such as in Egypt. From check-in with equipment distribution to the training room, training pool and trips to surrounding waters?
TG: Yes, that's exactly the direction we're working in. In addition to our well-known services, which we will of course continue to provide, such as sales, maintenance, day trips or group trips, we want to give students and guests the opportunity to keep their equipment here and go through the individual phases of training. We then issue the material once, trolleys are allocated for the short distances between the pool, sink or car for trips to nearby lakes, and nothing changes during the course or holiday, unless the student or customer wants to test different equipment.
JF: I was also able to attend your opening ceremony, which was really very well attended. What is the first impression from the time after?
TG: Positively throughout. We were challenged from the outset, as many customers had a lot of catching up to do due to the long relocation phase. At the same time, we were able to win and get to know many new customers from the region. We also score points with our regular and employee-friendly opening hours (Mon - Fri 4 - 7:30 p.m. and Sat 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.).
JF: At the opening ceremony, your colleague already mentioned the planned pool and that you already have the water treatment ready. What is the current status and what offers are being considered here?
TG: The pool will be 12 m x 2.5 m x 3 m (length, width, depth) and will be sunk into the ground. We are already working on the preparation of the pool and hope to have it ready this year so that we can offer the first training sessions and photo shoots next season, and with a bit of luck even earlier. In addition to training in the pool, we also want to organise apnoea static courses, photography courses and similar events here.
JF: Is there anything else you can offer now?
TG: We were already able to fill with 300 bar, but we have now also expanded the capacity of the storage bottles due to the larger space, so that the waiting times here can be significantly reduced.
We have also been able to expand our rental area and now offer even more here, so we can also offer dry suits for rental, for example.
JF: Torsten, thank you very much for your time and good luck here at the new location. I'm looking forward to testing your new pool, in addition to our usual pleasant conversations – in which you always sell me something that I didn't even know I needed and have never regretted it …
TG: Thank you, Jan, for the interview and I'll think of something that you need for the next time – even if you may not yet know that it is important.
See also News Item: New home for Tauchsport Gläßer.
More Information:
Tauchsport Gläßer Website
TSG on Taucher.Net