VakarLajos

"Tomorrow" means "tomorrow", not "15 minutes", not "2 weeks". I had a woman come in with two pairs of skates. Asked if she could pick them up in a few days. Normally this is fine, but we have no room because we have a lot of repairs and sharpenings already stored to be picked up later. Literally flowing out the back of the store. I told her that it would only take 10 minutes. "Oh ok, we're just going to get a beer (there's a brewery in the complex)", We go back and forth, basically I could have done one of the skates within that time. I'm sick of pseudo-arguing and she tells me she'll be by to pick them up at noon tomorrow. Made sure they were paid, and that was that. Aaaaaan that was about 2 weeks ago. I still have two pairs of CCM 92 Tacks here. Funny thing, they were first cuts and they had just gotten off the public session. I understand extenuating circumstances, but c'mon people.

probably past scouting at this point. just waiting for the ink to dry on an NHL contract.

One of my favorites is: Customer: I need a size 4 for my daughter Me: Ok, is she here? Customer: She's on the ice. Me: The best option is to bring her in when she's done and we can fit her properly. Customer:.....No, I'll just take a size 4. Me: Ok, I can leave them unsharpened for you if you like just to make sure the size is right because once they are sharpened the purchase is final. Customer: No, then we'd have to get here early next week. Yesterday I also had this: Customer: Skates are so expensive. (we have them from $60 and up), so I'm not buying her skates this year. Not for once a week she can rent. All while I'm ringing up 2 skating dresses for her daughter at $55 each. In summation, $60 SKATES are too expensive for SKATING, but TWO skating DRESSES for $55 EACH are a NECESSITY......

I'm kind of the opposite. Not to be harsh, but I really don't care what size the person says they are. I'm going to measure them anyway. Unless they say they've been at the store before and were already measured or want the exact skate that they are currently coming from. "I wear a size 10 shoe...." "I was a size 7 in Bauer 5000s....." "I tried on a size 8 at Sports Authority...." Doesn't really matter. If i'm going to fit you properly I'm going to measure you and go from there.

I've had grown men ask me to do it because they're late for their game or just lazy. Sorry buddy, I'm not your equipment manager or your personal assistant (which a lot of my customers have).

nevermind how old the kid is, the dad is an adult! figure it out, buddy! People ask me to do this and i just explain to them there's no real mystery about it. I might do one skate for them. teach a man to fish....

I'll even send people to other shops if I think they can help. Hell, I've searched ebay and online shops for friends if there's something I can't get because I know they're coming to me for the baking and sharpening. Again, no problem with competition. Just want to be compensated for the work you're doing.

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge supporter of local business. BUT... The guys girlfriend bought him the skates on line, all he did was come to you to be fitted and for your help. Someone had to recommend him to you, don't you think? What you wrote puts out the vibe that you hosed him for that. Two pair of One95's cost some serious coin, why not help him out, charge your going rate for the service, and set up future sales? Relationships have to start somewhere.. Sorry if you misunderstood my post. We charge $35/bake and $15/first time sharpen on skates bought elsewhere. We charged him our standard fees. I have no problem with online sites. They will be around forever. I just get a kick out of what I see occur on a daily basis. I am glad you are a supporter of local business. It is important. If you want to have some fun, offer to work in the LHS for a day or two. I'm sure you might have a few stories of your own to share. Also Vakar and I have shops in metro NYC. We deal with typical NYC attitude 24/7. We need a laugh now and then to keep going. Keep supporting your LHS. Remember, we have the bake oven!!!!! I dont know how I forgot this one. Guy on the phone telling me he has a game TONIGHT!! TONIGHT!! so he needs to swing by and pick up a goalie chest protector.. Told him the price. "That's ridiculous! Hockey monkey has it for $xxx. I have a game tonight!! What am I going to do?" He never came in. I guess he picked it up at HockeyMonkey....in California. From NY.....Don't know if he made it to his game.

there's definitely an incentive. We gladly will accept business. I think the majority of the complaints on here stem from people using the shops as fitting rooms or complaining when there IS a charge for service on products not bought from the LHS. As in "Can I get these baked?" "Sure, it'll be $20" "WHAT?! WHY?! That's weak!" of course the incentive is to attempt to earn a new customer, but the instant pay off is the labor fee your charging. regardless if he never shops in your store again, you still made a sale... and it was a high margin sale at that... which is what my point was; i embraced labor sales because there's a two fold advantage.

nice.

We rethink the "fitting fee" every week or so.

Definitely. I have some customers that have become very good friends of mine. I'm always willing to look past a first impression. Everybody has their off days.

Yesterday my day started with a guy who told me he wanted us to help him try things on but wouldn't buy anything because "your prices are too high". Then wondered why I didn't want to help him. Then, a man came in asking for a Synergy. Any specific model in mind? "THE SYNERGY!" "Ok, there are a few different models" "WHAT'S THIS ONE?!" "That's an S19, it's the top of the Stealth line....Is there anything in particular you are looking for in the stick?" "Yeah, a HOCKEY STICK!"...Really? ended up buying both an S19 and an SE16, so it worked out ok. To cap the night off, 9:45, close at 10pm. 3 skates left to sharpen for the 10pm games, 2 repairs to do. Guy comes in. Shoves on skate at me. "Can I help you?" "Skate sharpening" I'm a little confused because he only has one skate. "Ok, did you drop them off or did you needed to get them sharpened?" "Well, this is one of them. I want to get them both sharpened!" "Sorry, man. not going to be able to do it tonight. We're a bit backed up." "This is just weak! You've got 25 minutes (well, no we have 15). Isn't the whole point to make money?!" "Sorry. If we took everybody's skates half the team would be missing for the first period" Should have asked him why he wasn't at work. I mean, isn't the whole idea to make money?

Last summer we had this small child maybe 3 years old that kept wandering into the store and start screaming at our display and then run around and hide. Finally after coaxing her to come out of the display I went into the lobby. Her mom was on the other side of the rink (great job!) and I told her she couldn't be in my store. "Well, she was making so much noise out here".....so, my store is a better option?

i would argue he's probably so much better than the rest of them that he doesn't even need edges to dominate the game.

A friend of mine once had a guy who offered him $20 to push his skates to the front. His response. "If you can beat the $25 this other guy gave me to do his first, then sure." Quick way to make $30. Personally, I don't do it. I really don't care. Everybody has a game. You're not that effin special. These are usually the same guys that want discounts for breathing correctly.

I don't care if you live in the city, you're a grown man, CARRY YOUR OWN FUCKIN BAG!! Every time a man, gown ass man, asks to see a wheel bag my hope for humanity dies a little inside. I've been around guys who still play that can't bend over to lace their own skates... At tournaments, they (generally) play in a 75-and over group. Wheel bags can be a GOOD thing for "grown men". And those people also possibly take pills that help them pee. I don't think any less of them. Obviously there are exceptions. When you're the best skater on the ice and are 34, there's just no reason for it. That's who I'm taking about and I think it's pretty obvious you're not going to fault a man who served in WWII for taking it a bit easy on his back.

Nah, man. It's the city. The majority of people are on the subway or in taxis (if you can afford it). Just remember to get your stuff out before the taxi takes off! I've had more than a few grand spent at my shop by people who lost all their stuff to a quick cabbie. And if your gear is the worst smelling thing in the subway car, you're in a good subway car. lol

I don't care if you live in the city, you're a grown man, CARRY YOUR OWN FUCKIN BAG!! Every time a man, gown ass man, asks to see a wheel bag my hope for humanity dies a little inside.

www.notalwaysright.com the customer isn't always right. you may choose to think they're right, but that's not the case.

I find that a little humorous considering there's more work done in a first sharpening than baking.

Yeah definitely seeing more goalies go deeper. I thought Fleury was at 1". Last year both my goalies were at 5/16" and they got called up to Elmira and their EQM did them at 1/2" after specifically requesting 5/16" and having it on their cowlings. They came back a just a little pissed.

9/16" is between 1/2" and 5/8". Anybody should be able to do it for you.

One of them is the goalie for the team I work for. I've gone lower but he prefers 1/4".

The only time I ever refused a customer is when some jackass wanted 1/4" hollow on his skates. There was no way I was going to take the blame when he broke his ankles. I've done skates at 1/4". If it was a walk-in I showed them what that entailed. Wrote a disclaimer on the receipt. I know a few guys who skate regularly on 1/4".....Don't ask me how, but they swear by it.