raganblink

You are correct, x100 will be MAP'd at $699.99. One interesting side note about the x100 though, its not the same as apx minus fusion steel. Very similar, but not identical.

I've been using the AX1 for almost two weeks now... amazing stick. You guys wont be disappointed who pick it up.

Which is why I don't get why they're even allowed. Not going to complain.... jumping on that bandwagon this year!

We had a kid do that to a pair of CCM 4rolls last year. He played for our junior team & wanted to break them in instantly so asked us if we could bake them. Turns out it helps alot, apparently. Durability wise though he did this mid-season (December I think) and he definitely needed new gloves in March. Granted though that is skating 20 hours a week...

I will try my hardest to chirp the PH on the cuff.

That is arguably the most depressing sentence I have read in a long time.

Wait, you wanted one of your gloves to have a big square block on it? Why?

Well with hockey equipment, you're on here enough... you should know if something has issues or not. Usually the bad reviews I find on the internet are either they a)got the wrong quality piece of equipment for the quality/quantity of hockey they are playing [got something crappy or mid-range and expect it to perform like a top-end product] or B) they got the wrong size because they couldn't try it on, thus they had a bad experience with it. or C)they mistreated the equipment and thus caused issues. Its really dangerous to go off online reviews and take them as is - you have absolutely no clue how they treated the equipment or if it even fits correctly. Now if there are a ton of people saying "This broke in the same spot in a short period of time" then yes most likely there is an issue with the product. For instance on sticks, the Eq50s, CCM Octoguns, Reebok 9K o-tech, all of those had severe warranty issues.

Quite a bit of people seemed shocked when you express your knowledge of gear to them. Most people who I find who have this thought of "Oh he can't help me" are men, who clearly played hockey beforehand, thus their prior experience in hockey automatically means they know more about something then you do [sarcasm]. Moms on the other hand? Almost always more then welcome the help, often seek it. A good helping LHS (or whatever business on that hand) really is dime a dozen. I've been to about 15 different hockey shops since I've started working in one (whenever I am in a different town I'll just go in and check it out, mainly for ideas & size up competitors) and there have been a ton that were horrible. Granted I state once someone asks me if I need any help & just say "nope just looking, thanks though" I have had this take up to 30 minutes to see if I need help after I am browsing, and have heard some of the most odd and misinformed things imaginable. I also have heard and learned some things from others (two places I remember where they were informed & helpful, about 5 were helpful but not the most knowledgeable, just average I'd say and the other half were either severely misinformed doing whatever to sell things, or they were incredibly unhelpful). So it really depends where you are at and who's working.

THAT is a raw deal. You have my sympathy for that experience. Personally that is BS that GM would do that to one of their own. I guess maybe their theory on that is that doing at the end of the day they wouldn't take away any sales for you? Either way nothing from that seems right at all. I could never sell cars - the amount of window shoppers you receive is tremendous. There are just so many options between all of the companies, and then if you're in a decently sized town there are multiple dealerships trying to get your business, so even if a customer decides on a Ford F-150, there may be 2 or 3 other places in a close proximity that will probably get checked out to save a couple hundred dollars. When I purchased my last vehicle, I didn't do any of that stuff and it was appalling to me that I was getting recommended by friends and family to shop around. Maybe next time pass on the bad luck to someone else (if they come in right before close & want to test drive) and say you have an emergency. Its dishonest but at least you wouldn't have to cancel your plans. How many people flake you guys in a week? Couple dozen? I imagine it is quite high with all of the competition/choices.

I'll discuss it with the owner. We don't have it happen often though. A couple times a month we'll have someone use us to size them up, but they almost always state their intentions beforehand & usually just help themselves (our skate stock is accessible to anyone since we do not have a backroom). Most of these guys who do this are affiliated with the USHL or a college team where they get skates for free/cheap, we have no issue with it, if their programs went away we'd have to downsize significantly. Once in a while though we have someone interested in skates & they learn their size then leave, but its less then 5 times a year, it rarely happens where we'll size someone up then they say "we'll think about it" where they don't come back.

I have zero issue with people coming and having a reasonable amount of time for us to get things done before close time. Why would I? 30 minutes before close is a completely different scenario then 10 minutes before close, 5 minutes before close, or past close. 30 minutes is a reasonable amount of time to do everything except getting skates. Even with 5 minutes before close, if you KNOW what you want, that is very reasonable. Even if its past close, and you just want to buy something and you know exactly what you are getting I have zero complaints, even welcome it, Id stay an extra minute if that, and I'd make more money for that day. For sharpenings ideally you come in at the latest with about 20 minutes before close, just encase we are busy. The point I was getting at this gentlemen constantly shows up right before close, typically right around 10 minutes before close- more often then not I don't even start working on his skates well after closing time. I stay past close ALL the time to help with customers, I have to. We're a small LHS and if we piss off our base of customers, we will have a going out of business sale. In a typical week I close my shop 5 times. During the summer I leave within 5 minutes of closing time once or twice. The other 3 or 4 times its anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes past close, sometimes even longer if I have nothing going on and I'm suiting up someone. During the season I almost never leave within 5 minutes of close, its usually 15 to 30 minutes after close. It is a rude thing to do to constantly come in THAT close to a businesses closing time. Hypothetically lets say there are two people who decide its not rude to come into a business so close to closing in order to conduct business, which Law mentioned, they generally grossly underestimate the time it will take to do it. My normal guy who comes in right before close, and a random person). Instead of leaving by 6:05, having those final 20 minutes of the day cleaning up the store, I now spend 5:40 until 6:10 helping a customer fit a couple of items, and then between 6:10 to 6:15 I am sharpening skates (of which, I often ask if he can leave them and pick them up tomorrow, he always just stays saying "he doesn't mind". There was actually one time he came in about 20 minutes AFTER close, it got brought up in conversation with a customer, and he still asks if he can get them done. I asked if he could drop them off and pick them up tomorrow and exact quote: "Well he has practice in a half hour next door and he really needs them done."). I won't be able to leave the store until 6:30 because I have to finish up stuff inside. Even if I lock the door to keep people out so I can pick up things, I will get knocks on the door asking if they can come in. I only let them come in if its something quick. If its sharpenings then no way I do them. People think our hours are "If they are in the store then they are open". We've had nights where we come in really late to move stuff around, and people will knock on the door at ridiculous hours to see if they can come in and buy stuff. One time we were redoing shelves at 11 at night, apparently their practice had just ended & they needed to buy a stick, they didn't want to come in the next day before practice because "they'd have to leave our house way early before practice to get the stick from you". Basically laziness, they came in the next day at 8:30 (close time on the button) since that was kind of close to practice.. Point I am getting at it is rude in my opinion to come in close to close, and if you do it, be apologetic about it. If you come in right at close or past, be thankful as well. They definitely don't want to stay late into the night. The hours for a store are there because those are the hours that they want to conduct business in, not around. People generally think of themselves and not others and the time schedule that others set, they only take into account their time schedule. I for one adjust my schedule to better accommodate other people's schedule and it is really frustrating when people only think of themselves. Do you enjoy it when you're trying to get stuff done for the day & people want to do something with you right before you're ready to leave? Random story about customers and closing time - This happened during last season sometime in November. It was a Friday night, there was a USHL game going on across the street, so between 5:30 and close we have a lot of people who don't play hockey who just want to come in and look. On nights that there are games, I pretty much expect not being able to close up until 6:15-6:25, I'm okay with this. Well as I am getting ready to leave at 6:10,I had someone come in and buy a roll of tape. Just as he walks out the door this family came in with this little kid (maybe 3 or 4) who thought hockey was the coolest thing on Earth. He's been to a couple of Bucs games, this was the first time they've ever been in the store and just wanted to check it out. Typically this kind of person is out within 5 minutes, I figure no biggie I can clean a little bit more, I also didn't want to kick them out because a)it was a little kid and b)if he did decide to get into hockey, this is a potential customer for the next 10-15 years, IE something I kind of would like to have. I did a couple things that make it obvious we're closed, like turn of the air, turned off open sign, turned TV off even (I had to be somewhere at 7 and wanted to shower). Well like 10 minutes into their visit ANOTHER person came in. The family was still there so I figure I can help this kid out real quick. Turns out he wanted to buy top-end skates. I ask him if he could come back tomorrow as we were technically closed and I had plans later. Apparently he couldn't, and this was the only time he could get them from us, otherwise he would get them on the weekend in a different city. So I figure, why not? Might as well get the business even if it effects my night, because 600 bucks definitely helps. So I size him up - we spent probably 15-20 minutes deciding which model is more comfortable, etc. By this time it is 6:45. We had decided on One100s as the best fit for him. He asks if we can bake the skates, and I figure why not, what's an extra 10 minutes of my life? Well I start the oven and he asks if he can get help on a helmet. I fit him for a helmet and he settles on the 11K. By this time it was 6:50ish and I went to put the skates in the oven, as I do this, the F@#%^!* walks out. He used us as a sizing shop, almost an hour past close, on a Friday. Needless to say I was pissed. (Yes DS50 and others, I know about the sizing fee program - it won't work here). The family that had came in about a half hour earlier saw this, and felt sorry for me. They were a sweet couple with an awesome kid. During that time they had acquired quite a bit of gear to buy, and set it on the counter. I ask if this fits well & if they want me to size him. Apparently the Dad used to play minor hockey & he was fine with how everything fit. His bill was only like $150 because it was just Youth gear, but, that helped offset some of the time wasted on that previous guy. I went out the next night and that couple saw me at the bars, the husband came up to me and felt sorry for the crap that happened to me the previous day, realized that we were closed and apologized for keeping me late (even though he didn't, because he was waiting to checkout apparently for a while while I was helping the other guy), and bought me drinks the entire night. Definitely made up for the jerk from Friday. I love karma.

Part of the issue with society nowadays is that very few have a concept of politeness & common courtesy to fellow man. I personally will not go to a business within a half hour of close unless its an emergency & I know I'll be in and out within 2 minutes. When people come in late at the shop, very few of them realize that our hours state that we're closed. These people always ask if it was okay, and most of them offer to leave and come back tomorrow but I insist it isn't a big deal (When I do need to leave though, yes, I kindly ask if they could come back). There is one father in particular who ALWAYS comes in 10 minutes before closing to get a sharpening. Honestly it is the most annoying thing. He realizes that often I am busy and can't get to him right away, and that extra 5 minutes I sharpen his skates is an extra 5 minutes I am here. What's ironic is, he KNOWS what time we close, and always apologizes for keeping me late. I also know he gets off work at 4pm, and it doesn't matter what time we'll close at that night, he comes in 10 minutes before close.

That experience isn't that uncommon - there are plenty of adults who never learned manners and just drop stuff like their 6. My shop after a team deal (college or HS kids) looks worse then it does after a peewee team because atleast the peewee parents are with them to put stuff away.

With the glove wall - its not freaking hard. You found it one way, how hard is it to put it back exactly how you found it? But kids are lazy and don't put any effort towards putting anything back correctly. If there ever comes a day where zero gloves are messed up at the end of the day, I'll need to invest in lottery tickets, because something is working out for me.

I just had a call from someone looking for a pair of One95 in 8D. Good luck finding that, bud. And over the weekend I was more or less bitched at by a customer who came in looking for clearance skates, and was upset at our clearance selection. He didn't seem to understand why we didn't have certain models & sizes in stock... I don't know what hes really expecting. Why would it be in a shops best interest to keep in stock skates that are clearance or going to be clearance? I know there are certain models & things that it wouldn't hurt having full-stock until they are clearanced out, that way you maximize your profits on people still wanting to buy that item (for instance, if we had a good selection of TotalONE sticks still in stock, we could still sell a ton), but why would we hold on to skates (or whatever) from 2009? [He was looking for x40 & x50 stuff]

helmet too big. bought too save money. It amazes me how people will buy helmets 'too big' so they can 'grow into them'. stupid. What's $200 when its your kid's brain?

Speaking of that, I went to a bar friday.. behind the counter there was a sign stating: "Do not ask for free or discounted drinks. It will hurt our employees and you your welcome" I might put something like that up..

What I say when requested that: "I'm sorry sir, but our policy is first come first served. There are X number of pairs ahead of you, your pair(s) will be done in X minutes." I haven't had anyone bitch beyond that. But if they did, I always think I'd say something along the lines of "That's why they got here earlier" or something along those lines.

We had a make-shift rapidshot... Was 200 sq. feet, used sportcourt and we cut out a shooting lane that was about 15 feet long, then plastered the inside with absorbing rubber so shots wouldn't be so loud/rebounds wouldn't come back and kill the kid. We just took it out after having it for 4 years. Best decision ever. Top-end sticks would get dinged up, no liability risk from kids killing themselves, peaceful noise. We did use them to help sell sticks, and help kids who didn't know what hand they were, but, losing that is okay. It might of helped make some sales, but we haven't seen a drop in stick sales since we got rid of it. They are definitely a FUN thing to have, not a BUSINESS thing to have. I would highly recommend trying to get rid of it :) Floor space really opens up...

I have no idea, but I'd love to make people from that place never to set foot in any hockey store... They're funny people though, just sucks that sometimes they cost you sales because of something they heard falsely 10 years ago. This happened a couple weeks ago... We're busy, can't get to everyone immediately to help them, after about 5 minutes this guy came in, who is across the shop, I finally get to him. He had been looking at warmup coats and trying them on the entire time. When I get to him he starts to walk away towards where I came from, "anything I can help you with?" Before I get that out he interrupts me and says "No." Then I state "Okay, if you have any questions just let one of us know." Before I get that out, he interrupts me again, asking "Do you have any coaches bags?" I show him a bag, and tell him the price and says "Sold." So we go to the register... I ring it up, tell him the total, and ask for his last name (We have every sale with a first and last name for warranty issues, so we can lookup the receipt and find it if they lose their receipt). He looked at me weird, hesitated, and gave me his last name. his last name is not common, lets just say it was Reyonlds. There was a Becky Reyonlds in the system already and I asked if Becky was his wife. He states "No... why do you need my name?" I then explain to him our policy, its for warranty purposes or returns. Before I can finish explaining it he literally just throws the bag on the floor and says "You know what, forget it" and walks out. Also we ordered goalie skates for a customer Monday. We told them that we'll call them when they come in, and it should take about 7 to 10 business days. I get a call Thursday asking where they were, I explained the situation. Friday the wife calls and asks where they are, I explained the situation. Then Saturday they came in again, for the sole purpose of asking where they were at. I mean we appreciate the extra business, but, really? I know when I special ordered something for my car I didnt inquire about it until after they said they'd get it in. Not 5 days later wondering why it hasnt came in yet.

Because not a lot of people actually like skating on it. Last season for my local juniors team, one kid, out of 12-15 that tried it, liked and kept LS3/step. Not sure if it is they don't like change, or just hate it, but to me that is saying something. I would love if they put LS3 on all skates - we'd sell so much more replacement steel with kids swapping it out for LS2.

Axxion, What is your reasoning on never asking chain or big box store (unless its floor or obviously damaged..i think everyone would ask on a damaged product), hut then almost always asking a local business? Those chain stores and big box stores pay less for the same item as a local small business. What costs me 150 costs the big guys in the hockey world 130-135. When talking to a local shoe store (athletic shoes) everywhere has the same shoes at the same price - scheels, dicks etc were getting the shoes for about $20 cheaper then what they were, this was on a pair of nike shocks that cost me 130. IDK if he was trying to make me feel pity or whatever and exaggerated those numbers, but it wouldn't surprise me knowing how much cheaper in hockey the large stores get things. There profit margin to stay the same as mine means them taking off ~15% the item and I sell at full-price. If you're unwilling to ask them for a discount, and if I do give you one, their profit margin over mine (even if I give you 5%) is now at 20% higher. AKA giving them a huge advantage in purchasing power because their profits are much higher (quantity and percentile). They can afford to keep a full stock of gear, large selection and large quantity, which in turns increases the liklihood of future business because they have it in stock. The few times I have ever asked if something was on sale was at big chain stores, I talked to HS kids who didn't care. Usually all they could do was double reward points, a couple times the kids gave me their employee discount + $10 - $20 in cash for them... This is where it blew my mind on how cheap places like best buy get that $1000 TV. I gave my friend $50, and he bought with his discount this tv that retailed at 950. He spent $300, and he didn't get it at cost. Hockey isn't like that. If it was I'd be living in a house with a nicer car and a hotter gf/wife. I guess my point is - why look for deals at local business, who usually make jack shit, just enough to live modestly but put in twice as much work as the average person? Why not ask the multi-million dollar corporations who are on wall street? Pretty sure they can afford to take $20 off an item when they're doing tens of thousands of dollars a day. Compared to a local business, who might do 1000-1500 in sales, if that?

What I find funniest is I have never seen someone ask for a discount at a big chain store - hockey or otherwise. Do you think kohl's will take off an extra 10% off the price? No, they won't. Do you think Cabela's does as well? Knowing somewhere that worked(s) in both of those places I can tell you if they gave out a discount they'd lose their jobs. I get asked "is that the best price you can do for me?" or "is it on discount or anything like that?" 5-6 times a week, at a bare minimum. It's probably 5-6 times a day and I just don't realize it... I noticed someone last weekend asked a guy at a bait shop if 12 bucks was the best price for the net he picked out - are you F257king kidding me??? I don't understand why people ask for discounts (not because its on closeout or there is a special going on... no, asking for discounts on shit like X6.0 skates that JUST came out) at Ma and Pa places??? Because you know, we're in this run down strip mall, next door to a quiznos and a vacant clothing store because we're making so much money we choose to run our business out of here. Rather then the chains, who have their own buildings, who are struggling so much the price on the sticker unquestionably is the price that I am paying. I am not singling out hockey either, it goes for everything. Hockey especially isn't a high-markup business. I don't understand why people think it is... Just because something sells at $600 doesn't mean that it cost us $300. We're not clothing, making at a minimum a 50% markup. I know hockey is an expensive sport, but there is a reason they offer lower-end models. Can't afford $600 skates? Buy clearance models or used if you want that quality of a skate. OR buy the models below them. Don't ask me to take a discount. What erks me the most about people asking for a discount - you're no better then the people who bought these last week, at sticker price, no questions asked. And actually, since you did ask for it, I am going to think less of you, and more highly of them, then in the future, I'm a hell of a lot more likely to give them something free (tape, sharpening, mouthguard, whatever), because they come in here, respect the prices and respect me and the shop, rather then you, who does none of those things. I realize that is a harsh stance, but that's how I feel. I like our customers who come in here no questions asked then those who try to take me down $6. Some people innocently ask that, which I'm okay with - there trying to save some $, and rarely if at all do it. But then there are the people who come in here and act like we're a garage sale. Those are the people who make my head hurt. No, I'm not selling this bag below sticker price, and there is no way in hell I'm taking 20% off because all you have on you is $80. A week ago I had someone offer 140 for an 11K helmet. Sorry, not going to do it. I realize that's only $10 and 7.5%, however, that adds up. That becomes $10 we can't put towards paying off hockey gear or handing out bonuses or putting towards more hooks or items that we use to display products. Thanks for that line DS, going to use that one. I've been stating "I'm sorry but I cannot. To keep things fair for everyone we don't give out discounts.. However if you'd like to join our membership program you receive the member price." (Membership costs $25 for a year, gives 8% off... its not a lot, but you'd be amazed how many people do it so they can save $10 on a stick). Again I keep stating it, however I doubt that we'll ever see it - hockey manufactures enforcing a minimum selling price policy like how some golf companies regulate their product. A) so people are not undercutting each other (a huge problem in some parts of NA) B) so people understand that sticker price is what it is. Its set by the companies and not us, tough shit. We've already been at that for years, prices haven't gone up, you just now are aware that everyone sells everything for essentially (or now, literally) the same price.