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As you said in that post - if a customer is spending ANY money, you should meet and exceed their expectations. Even if it's a roll of tape. Which is exactly the best approach. Then why say that the monetary amount mattered on your transaction? If you treat every customer the same, regardless of money spent, it does actually becomes nothing special, because it's the norm for customer service in that store. Let's say the sales associate went balls out and gave you kick-ass CS, then the next time in there you're looking for a jock and he just points to the rack because it's a low-cost item, does that change your views on that employee or retailer? Because that happens all the time. I understand what you're saying - I really do - but you're talking about seeing it as a business owner vs someone who most likely won't be a hockey retail employee for the rest of his life. Two different views; when you're not paying them much and it's not a career path, then you get employees who just see it as such - just another customer during their 6 hour shift. There isn't anything in it for them, so you'll most likely get that bland approach.

Good day - I am in my first year coaching 8U for two of my kids. I last played at the club level in college, taking a good decade off any ice and any watching the sport at all while on active duty in the Army. There was no hockey to speak of in Iraq & Afghanistan. This thread brought me to a point at which to register on the site and read a little bit as I get back into the game with my son and daughter. Seeing my kids play caused me to pull out the 652 Tacks from when I was a teenager and lace 'em up again this past winter. With the outdoor rink a mile away from the house, I was able to get all that ice time that used to be such a premium. What a dream. Thanks, everyone! Ray

If he owns a store then why doesn't he just develop a relationship with True and save himself the "perceived" aggravation?

I guess when you expect white glove service on a nothing special sale, you also expect the employees to answer questions that weren't even asked like "will adding more material make it weigh more?"

I think his point is that if the sales rep was doing his job thoroughly, he would have made the customer aware of the effect adding the shot blockers would have. Then it's up to the customer to decide if the trade off is worth it. I think that's a fair expectation.

Just wanted to say that I love this idea and am weirdly excited to be the first one posting here.... Hopefully other coaches will join in and create a cool forum where we can exchange ideas, give feedback, and generally help us become better coaches and ambassadors of the game. Also...I hope that, in time, this can become a place where players, parents, and friends can come and get answers to general questions that they may not otherwise be able (or willing...) to ask their coach. (Please note that I emphasize 'general' in the above, because there's no way anyone here can give answers to specific questions pertaining to individual teams or situations that we're not part of. Put differently, it's unreasonable to ask how to approach your kid's coach about putting Jimmy, Mikey, and Bobby on the same line. Without actually coaching Jimmy, Mikey, and Bobby's team, no one on an internet forum can hope to give an answer to something that, ultimately, should be left to the coach's prerogative...) Anyway. Personally, I'm a full-time youth/minor hockey coach, currently coaching club 8UA, 10UBB and A, and assistant coaching 14UA and 16UA. Previously, I've coached 14U Tier 1 AAA, 12U Tier 2 AA, and local high school hockey; but have taken time away from the more travel-intensive teams to concentrate on building our club's younger levels. (Plus, I have an 8 year old, and having to miss more games of his than I attended wasn't working for me anymore...) Other coaches, jump in! Sound off! Let's go! It's state tournament time...how are your teams looking???

I get both sides of the argument here. One should assume that adding internal materials would make the skate stiffer and heavier. When I fit people for custom skates, I build the spec sheet after the fitting, then present it to the customer, and explain each feature and why I didn't select it. I always provide them with an if/then answer when it comes to certain features. People sometimes only see the pro to go with a feature and not the con. Those who have volume issues then want to put the thickest tongue on the skate is a good example of this - not realizing it will rob them of volume when the tongue is on there. However, not everyone has the knowledge or have run into those types of situations often enough to think that way. They see a custom order, assume the customer has done their research, and knows exactly what they want. (You typically see that with goal pad purchases.) My assumption is that the sales associate treated it as such and didn't question what he wanted. Keep in mind that now you have a lot of store managers/sales associates that are doing fitting for the first time, or 1 year or less experience with it. I never got to fit a True skate, so I'm not sure if their fit guide states that the shot blockers add weight and stiffness. But there were posts in this thread that stated as such.

Winnipeg in 5. They're just too good. As long as Hellebuyck continues his play this series won't be even close.

Greetings and welcome, Ray! First off, a sincere "thank you" to your for your service to our country. Your and your family's bravery and sacrifices are appreciated. Ahhhh....coaching your own kids. Speaking from my experience, it can be at once the most rewarding and terrible experience a coach can have. That "dad/coach - coach/dad" dichotomy is occasionally difficult for everyone to manage and requires healthy doses of love, patience, humor, and understanding to successfully navigate. If I were to give any advice, it would be to enjoy every minute of it. Our kids grow up so quick and those hours we get to spend on the ice teaching them to love the game that we love should be the happiest of our - AND their - lives! Yikes! Get yourself some new skates! (Of course, you probably weren't a teenager as long ago as I was - so maybe they're not all that old after all....)

I totally understood it would add some size and weight. What I was not told was how much weight and how it makes the skate nearly impossible to flex. I can squeeze other True skates without the shot blocker fairly easily at the ankle cuff but even with two hands mine barely move. Also, the weight of mine compared to others is significant. Anyone who says you cannot feel 100-200 grams is full of sh*t because you absolutely can.... can you imagine if a stick was 600+ grams vs 400 grams.....

Been a member here for 14 years and I have yet to do this, so here goes: Helmet: Bauer Re-Akt 100 custom w/Re-Akt cage Elbows: CCM Super Tacks Shoulders: STX Stallion 500 Shins: CCM Super Tacks Gloves: CCM Pro Stock Tavares (Black), CCM Pro Stock Elmira College, CCM Pro Stock Islanders Stadium Series Skates: True Custom w/LS Edge and StepSteel Black Pants: Warrior Pro Stock Covert QRL Sticks: True tapered shafts with Warrior Pro W08 and W88 blades (2 piece 4 life ) Jerseys: Adidas WCH Team North America (home/away)

Added some colour, hard to do when playing on multiple teams.

I think there's a sense (among parents) that other parents are going to be more trustworthy generally - we've spent a good 40 years steeping folks in "stranger danger" and hockey is a fairly insular community/sport on its own. But I also like to point out that in general, people don't care if their children's teachers are parents or not - and if someone is willing and able and wants to share their enjoyment of a sport or activity with others, why not welcome them in? I don't think, 90% of the time, that a parent intentionally favors his or her own child. But it happens, of course. And if you limit yourself to parent volunteers, you run into the practical limit of how many able, willing parents you have available. When I coached in Learn to Play, I ended up being the default "in charge" person for the older age group, because the guy who was technically the director had to leave with his own kids for other activities and couldn't stay. I was simply the only one there for the whole two hours or so. (and had to deal with occasional bouts of crazy with very little backup). And, as noted, sometimes players just listen better to someone who isn't legally or biologically related to them. My classmate is a goalie, and skates with her wife, but their teammates have all categorically told her that no, they cannot play together next season, because they just get too worked up.

lol by far the least coachable person Ive tried to teach hockey stuff to is my current girlfriend

Mike Hoffman True XC9 Pro Stocks and our Updated Tournament Jersey

Just picked up a Warrior HD1 dressed a a Covert QRL. 70 flex Brendan Gallagher pro stock. None retail curve.

I'm sorry, but anytime someone is spending $1200+ on a single item it should not be considered "a nothing special sale." I own a hockey shop and can count the number of +$1000 skates we have sold since opening on my hands and toes. When a customer is spending ANY money in my store I a make sure to meet and exceed their expectations.

When I was in the store they didn't have a demo pair with shot blockers so I had no specific information other than what the sales rep told me to base everything off. Let me clear something up. I still like the skates very much! I just wish in hindsight I would have known more about the shot blocker option pros and cons. That would have enabled me to make a more informed decision.

Suggesting they weren't educated because they didn't know you wouldn't personally like something ahead of time is just silly.

My friend's 4 (almost 5) year-old son will be undergoing a 9 hour surgery tomorrow to remove a brain tumor. They found it on a CT scan after he had a big seizure. It's likely been there a while and now it's putting pressure in an area related to memory and balance. I'm possibly his favorite person in the world (outside of his parents). When I went to visit yesterday, he didn't remember my name. The tumor appears to be benign and will likely not require chemo or radiation. But still. Brain surgery. On a 4 year-old. Why? Just why? Fuck cancer.