DarkStar50
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Posts posted by DarkStar50
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Another reply is "Sir, I would love to give you a discount but if I give you one, then I have to give one to everybody." The real bigger problem is that if you do give a discount, the guy walks out of the shop and brags to all his buddies in the hallway that he got a discount. Now you don't have one guy happy but 20 moms and dads pissed off at you for not giving them a discount. Think big picture and ultimate consequences of giving out a discount. It is usually good for the customer and bad for you.
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The only time I ever "haggle" is when I am at antique shows. Then it is expected and part of the deal to ask "What's your best price?" I have bought furniture at antique shows because it has already lasted 100 years! New furniture is junk so I wouldn't shop for it. The last TV I bought was at Costco. No discounts asked for there. Oh, wait a minute, when I bought my trucks, I did not pay sticker price!!
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Question for the more experienced retail folks...How do you deal with one of your regulars that constantly asks for discounts?
This one guy...comes in once a week for a sharpening, and he will ask me for a discount on something EVERY SINGLE TIME!
I take some of the blame for that, as I made the mistake of giving him a discount once, and now he constantly asks for it. He's a nice guy, but it has come to the point where I dread seeing him walk through the doors, because I know the question is coming.
I went as far as telling him that I can't discount stuff, as I get shit from the owner every time I do so, but that didn't faze him...
What should I do/say to rid me of this rather annoying problem?
Even though you are in Edmonton, I think your guy's brother comes into my shop, too. Actually we are all stuck with one chronic guy who always wants a discount. Some of my answers are:
1. "Sir, if I owned the shop, I would love to give you a discount. But since I do not own the shop, I am not allowed to give out any discounts."
2. "Sir, all the transactions are on a transaction detail report on the computer. The guy who signs my check looks over that report every day. Any discounts show up in red, not black print. Then I lose my job."
3. "Sir, a discount? Ok, now the new price for sharpening is $10 but I'll discount it for you to the regular price of $6." Sooner or later, you have to make a bit of a joke about it with him. My guy does it constantly but it is front of his 6 year old kid who has no idea what's happening. Otherwise, I think it is pretty embarrassing to ask for a discount constantly in front of your teen-age son.
4. There is always the classic JR idea: "Sir, do you ask for a discount at McDonalds?"
The other side of this comes not from the customers but is this one: "Hey, don't the coaches get a discount here?" "Sorry, no."
As for me, I have never asked for a discount in any retail shopping situation. The price is the price. Pay it or go home.
On another note, this happened the other day. I was fitting a little girl for figure skates. When she took off her UGZ boots, her feet smelled like hell. I mean they just reeked like she hadn't washed them in a week. I couldn't say anything, of course. Finally about ten minutes into the fitting, her dad said to her "You know your feet really smell." She thought it was funny and stuck her smelly feet in her father's face. They bought skates but I was glad when those smelly feet had left the shop. The worst ever and I can't even remember the last time.
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Most pro shops would charge a trillion dollars. It is part of the stimulus package.
If a pro has a major foot problem, Bauer will make a plaster mold of the player's foot at the custom shop in St Jerome. There is a video of this on NikeBauer.com. Some guys feet are impossible = Peter Forsberg.
Sorry to hear Chicago area shops not willing to do a simple custom skate. Strange.
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I see that they have custom color pants options... Do you know if this is just for team orders or are they doing one-offs?Team orders only. No one-offs.
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^^^^^^^At least someone is paying attention^^^^^^^
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Any idea when new skates will be released?April 10 Vapor X:60, Vapor X;50, Vapor X:40, all Supreme and all Flexlite
June 15 Vapor X:30, Vapor X:20, Vapor X:15, Vapor X:05
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I read the whole thread and maybe I missed it in the catalog, but when is the date for the new 4-rolls to be available?FLDs will have the Bauer 4 roll on their April booking delivery.
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The idiot parade continues............hopefully this wasn't in response to my question, but regardless a very insideful & meaningful comment - thank you for your valuable contribution! B)
As JR said, my post wasn't a reply to yours. The ONE95 girdle is much lighter than the XXXX Core Pad. It is just a matter of the level of protection you desire to help you decide which girdle you want to get. The XXXX Core Pad is battle ready while the ONE95 girdle has been a standard in protection since it's first inception as the Cooperall girdle. :)
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The idiot parade continues............
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Bauer already has. PM9: Hossa, St. Louis, Malkin, .....
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As for the Vapor Skate line secrecy, the decision to hold back the visual launch is not just about marketing. There are many valid ideas put into the line that are worth waiting for. No vendor has any obligation to an early release of their product just because we live in an age of instant information. A long time ago when the American auto industry ruled as king, the release of the new car lines was also kept quiet until they hit the showroom. Bauer has taken a cross-over marketing approach to the Vapor line. No harm done. It is wise to remember that for Bauer skate lines, it is not simply about the look of the skate. It is what makes up the guts of the skate that drives performance on ice. Bauer has raised the bar on Vapor for 2009.By no means am I saying that Bauer has some type of obligation to release any of its line before it hits stores. My point was if you're releasing the rest of your line you may as well put pictures of the skates out there. Even if the skates are truly revolutionary in terms of performance, is there really all that much competitive information that could be gleaned from a catalog picture and description that it would really be detrimental to them? At the end of the day, its neither here nor there, it just seems overkill to me, but I totally respect their right to do whatever they want.
I understand your point. I won't say there is anything "truly revolutionary", but there are some features that say "what took so long and why didn't someone else think of that?" (Maybe because no one else but Bauer bothers to even begin to think like that.)I always admire companies that manage to incorporate this type of thinking in their product. The original Mission/Bilt-Rite guys did that with their opening product line in roller hockey in the mid 90s. Remember they were also three former Bauer guys who pushed the envelope with hockey product design thinking in roller hockey equipment. I think that Bauer wants to create some hype, which they have, and they have also invested a ton of time, research, development, testing, and money into the product. So any sizzle they can add to the steak is just basic Marketing 101 with holding back the Vapor skate product.
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The Performance Apparel is very well done. Over the course of the Nike run, some people gave too much leverage to the Nike brand as having some huge, huge influence over Bauer. Nike let the people in place, Bauer people, do their jobs over the last 10-12 years. Hockey product was not coming from Oregon. It was coming out of St. Jerome and the designers in that location. That said, the apparel team has furthered the development of their 2009 product line to get even more hockey specific for dynamics and range of motion in apparel. It is a strong line-up that will sell in the marketplace. The competition in the category is not hockey specific so why support UA or RBK when those lines are pretty generically designed in the category. Just some things to think about.
As for the Vapor Skate line secrecy, the decision to hold back the visual launch is not just about marketing. There are many valid ideas put into the line that are worth waiting for. No vendor has any obligation to an early release of their product just because we live in an age of instant information. A long time ago when the American auto industry ruled as king, the release of the new car lines was also kept quiet until they hit the showroom. Bauer has taken a cross-over marketing approach to the Vapor line. No harm done. It is wise to remember that for Bauer skate lines, it is not simply about the look of the skate. It is what makes up the guts of the skate that drives performance on ice. Bauer has raised the bar on Vapor for 2009.
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Don't get too excited about the E-Pro glove. It is really a dumbed down version of their pro glove. The "nylon shell" is very weak for covering the glove. I was disappointed when I saw the glove. At the same price point as Bauer(Spring 2009) Pro 4 rolls, the Bauer glove is a much better buy.
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Regarding the Easton protective line, it's a good thing they know how to make OPS. Woof-woof.
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My bad. CCM price catalog doesn't list as pair under cost.
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What would you guys do.... Me and my friend go in to the LHS to get some Rocket Runners for his 9ks... He puts them in likes them and goes to buy them, and the owner wants $75 for the pair, we asked if he was sure it wasnt 35 for the pair, not each. .... knowing he can get some for half the price online we just went home....I just checked 8 online sites for Rocket Runners. Six had them for between $35 and $40 each. Two sites did not even stock them. Since I know wholesale cost for Rocket Runners, I would like to see your link to the online site selling Rocket Runners for $35/$40 pair. Thanks.
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Why didn't you ask the price first? It sounds like your buying decision was based on price only.
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Overheard outside the pro shop in the lobby, "We can go skating once the machine is done Zambonifying the ice."
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"Are these figure skates made of leather? I'm vegatarian and won't wear them if they are leather."
"100% synthetic."
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As Yogi Berra should have said, "It's getting late out early." With the current economy your LHS is going to be making some hard decisions in the next few weeks. The guys that can't pay their invoices from this year will have the decision made for them: lock the doors, it's over. The guys that can stick around will be bringing in a whole lot less inventory in 2009 of new product. If a particular product line or skate or stick didn't sell last year, don't expect to see the new line this year in that LHS.Amen to that. CCM did horrible for us this past year, so we didn't reorder from them. We still have some of their stuff left over, and its annoying when people try them on, go 'ew', and put it back.
The funny thing is that they finally have some decent sticks and gloves for the first time I can remember.
CCM/RBK is the next Mission/Itech waiting to happen. The only problem is we have been waiting a long time for it to happen.
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Who cares if people want to buy online, i doubt you own your hockey store so the income doesnt affect you. Maybe your store needs to lower their prices and people will buy shit in the store.some people never learn...until it's too late...then they whine they don't have a store around so they have to buy online and need fit advice from some forum...
As Yogi Berra should have said, "It's getting late out early." With the current economy your LHS is going to be making some hard decisions in the next few weeks. The guys that can't pay their invoices from this year will have the decision made for them: lock the doors, it's over. The guys that can stick around will be bringing in a whole lot less inventory in 2009 of new product. If a particular product line or skate or stick didn't sell last year, don't expect to see the new line this year in that LHS.
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"I'm looking for a goalie jock for my grand-son"Me: "Okay, how old is he?"
"6...7...8...9...somewhere's around there."
:P
Go's hand in hand with the good ol'
"I'm looking for skates for my kid" [Kid is not with parent]
Me: What size shoe does the child wear?
"He's 11 years old"
Thank God, Christmas is over in less than 2 days.
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"Do you have hockey pants laces?"
"No, but you could use a hockey skate lace."
"My kid lost his lace. Do you know where I can get one?"
"Sir, it will be pretty difficult to find a hockey pant lace. A skate lace will work fine."
And with that he leaves...................
The Things Customers Do
in Ice Hockey Equipment
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^^^^^ Sounds to me like you're qualified to be a skate sharpener: engineering degree and an MSH guy!! "Do you want 1/2" or 9/16 ROH?" "UH, medium is what I usually get."