The Things Customers Do

[TBLfan 25]

haha nice post.

at the LHS i work at we have many of dumb people. I had a man try to bring back a RBK 5k snakegrip and tell me it was defective and he demanded a refund. All because of a small piece of fiber that was chipped on the toe from regular play. He showed me on the stick that it said "30 DAY WARRANTY". I replied back with a smile "from the company sir"

I had for the first time ever last weekend during a college game that a college team from NY knocked over a whole stick rack. It was like Mighty Ducks.

I also can't stand when people who check my sharpenings like they know what there looking at or feeling on the steel.

I always check my sharpening. I wipe off any steel shavings the might have remained and see if the steel is hot. My regular sharpener always watches me give it a once over awaiting a "thanks" or "beautiful" approval. Be proud that guys can look over your work in front of you and not find anything wrong with it.

[lb33knight 0]

haha nice post.

at the LHS i work at we have many of dumb people. I had a man try to bring back a RBK 5k snakegrip and tell me it was defective and he demanded a refund. All because of a small piece of fiber that was chipped on the toe from regular play. He showed me on the stick that it said "30 DAY WARRANTY". I replied back with a smile "from the company sir"

I had for the first time ever last weekend during a college game that a college team from NY knocked over a whole stick rack. It was like Mighty Ducks.

I also can't stand when people who check my sharpenings like they know what there looking at or feeling on the steel.

I always check my sharpening. I wipe off any steel shavings the might have remained and see if the steel is hot. My regular sharpener always watches me give it a once over awaiting a "thanks" or "beautiful" approval. Be proud that guys can look over your work in front of you and not find anything wrong with it.

The guys that lack confidence in their work are the ones that get nervous when someone inspects it. All of my guys sharpen right in front of the customer. No hiding away in a back room for us.

[WhiskeyTango19 0]

I had just sharpened a pair of figure skates for a customer this weekend. After handing her the finished skates, she proceeded to pore over them like they held a clue to a long lost treasure or something. The light test, looking down the hollow, the whole nine yards. Right in front of me. Now, this was not a customer who had any idea about skating. The reason I know this is because she made that abundantly clear when I asked her how she would like her skates cut. I had gotten some non-sensical answer along the lines of, "She's 7 years old" or something like that, in broken English of course. When I asked her what she was looking for, she told me she sees her daughter's skating coach do this to skates sometimes. Since she hadn't answered my question, I repeated it.

Her response? "I not sure, what should I rook for? They shiny." (You guessed it, she's Asian. Big surprise for my shop)

At that point I just looked at her like she had just shit her pants, and went to get myself some lunch. Gotta love those chicken wraps, eh Pete?

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

You guys just need spray bottles of water there so you can just squirt kids.

Been doing that for years, man.

The water spray bottle is for when I use a Miraclestone when I'm done sharpening. I learned to turn the nozzle to stream when kids act up - I can snipe them from 20 ft.

[Spreedizzle 1]

You guys just need spray bottles of water there so you can just squirt kids.

Been doing that for years, man.

The water spray bottle is for when I use a Miraclestone when I'm done sharpening. I learned to turn the nozzle to stream when kids act up - I can snipe them from 20 ft.

Combine that tactic.....with your homemade/shopmade skate shank.....and you would have the best behaved group of cherubs ever to peruse a hockey shop. ;)

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Oh, wait til you see the new one.

I like the rug flex sign posted last week. I usually walk up to the kid and ask him if he can read. When he says yes I show him the Don't flex the sticks sign from about 6" to his face. This is NYC, we do this kind of thing.

LOL I do that. Here's another good one I pull on kids - they roll in with their Heelys on. I say "Can you walk?" And they immediately stop and get all pouty and shit and walk the rest of the time.

[VakarLajos 5]

thats true. i just have people that tell me how to do my job sometimes that don't know what there talking about.

I find that a lot of our customers know what they are looking for in a sharpening. Some don't, but it's their prerogative to check what they've paid for.

My biggest gripe lately is parents/nannies that are positive they know how the equipment should fit. I played the game for 16 years and do this as a career, but yeah a size 7 is fine for your 5 year old. After he breaks his ankle four times and can finally get back on the ice when he's 15 it will fit him and you'll have saved $50!! I've spent my entire adult life as either a player, coach, or in the industry, but yeah, get the junior large elbow pad for a kid who needs a youth small because you like red! After all, priorities in hockey go as follows:

1. Fashion (especially for equipment that is not seen on the ice)

2. Price.

3. Safety.

Wednesdays are always busy, with two large hockey programs running on both rinks. Due to scheduling conflicts we've been shorthanded and running around like madmen from 3-5:30. This one nanny, EVERY Wed without fail comes in, skips the entire line and will ask me to fit her kid for some piece of equipment. I'm not sure where her accent is from, but apparently they don't have manners in that part of the world. Doing my best to keep a smile, but after a few years of this the patience is wearing thin.

I'm working till 10 so I'm sure I'll be back with more.

[Rustpot 1]

From the other side of the counter-

I had a custom profile/contour and radius put on my skates to put a more neutral pitch in without having toe lifts or new holders installed. I had them sharpened and after skating on them I swore I was drunk the way I was falling all over the place.

Took a look and one skate was fine and the other had a factory look to the runner.

I mean it's cool that you work in a shop and can handle the sharpener, but if you fuck over my skate, put the guards on and hand them to me with a smile on your face I'm not going to be happy.

When I brought them back a few days later only the idiots were working, not the 20-something guy that knows his stuff or the two older guys that own the place. They all sat around the counter while I tried to explain the problem, and while I was trying on helmets. I was told to come back Monday (today). Worthless workers. Probably the same guys that killed my skate.

[VakarLajos 5]

From the other side of the counter-

I had a custom profile/contour and radius put on my skates to put a more neutral pitch in without having toe lifts or new holders installed. I had them sharpened and after skating on them I swore I was drunk the way I was falling all over the place.

Took a look and one skate was fine and the other had a factory look to the runner.

I mean it's cool that you work in a shop and can handle the sharpener, but if you fuck over my skate, put the guards on and hand them to me with a smile on your face I'm not going to be happy.

When I brought them back a few days later only the idiots were working, not the 20-something guy that knows his stuff or the two older guys that own the place. They all sat around the counter while I tried to explain the problem, and while I was trying on helmets. I was told to come back Monday (today). Worthless workers. Probably the same guys that killed my skate.

In my shop I am the 20 something guy that knows his stuff. SOrry to hear about your skates man. Oh, how I love hearing from customers how the idiots have ruined a skate. If it were up to me there would be a mandatory 12 week course before you got to sharpen a customer's skate.

[Krev 86]

The training for me was to sharpen a crap load of test skates we have in the attic, mess around with all the different edges, spot a problem and fix it right away, and finally sharpen my bosses skates, my co-worker (who's a goalie), and finally sharpen my own, and have no complaints from them or myself. That's how we roll up in Seattle.

Edited February 11, 2008 by Krev

[cris8 0]

I had just sharpened a pair of figure skates for a customer this weekend. After handing her the finished skates, she proceeded to pore over them like they held a clue to a long lost treasure or something. The light test, looking down the hollow, the whole nine yards. Right in front of me. Now, this was not a customer who had any idea about skating. The reason I know this is because she made that abundantly clear when I asked her how she would like her skates cut. I had gotten some non-sensical answer along the lines of, "She's 7 years old" or something like that, in broken English of course. When I asked her what she was looking for, she told me she sees her daughter's skating coach do this to skates sometimes. Since she hadn't answered my question, I repeated it.

Her response? "I not sure, what should I rook for? They shiny." (You guessed it, she's Asian. Big surprise for my shop)

At that point I just looked at her like she had just shit her pants, and went to get myself some lunch. Gotta love those chicken wraps, eh Pete?

So other than the way they speak, what else do you have against Asians? Just curious.

[Taliondragon 0]

I went through this thread looking for information about the stick flexing question. I'm curious to what you guys think about the stick flexing issue with stores that have those shooting ranges (I think that's what they're called?) that let you try out the sticks. Is this detrimental to the sticks since some people will really lean into them? I was at a lhs looking for gloves a while back and all the store employees except one were going through maybe 20 sticks in the range.

[WhiskeyTango19 0]

I had just sharpened a pair of figure skates for a customer this weekend. After handing her the finished skates, she proceeded to pore over them like they held a clue to a long lost treasure or something. The light test, looking down the hollow, the whole nine yards. Right in front of me. Now, this was not a customer who had any idea about skating. The reason I know this is because she made that abundantly clear when I asked her how she would like her skates cut. I had gotten some non-sensical answer along the lines of, "She's 7 years old" or something like that, in broken English of course. When I asked her what she was looking for, she told me she sees her daughter's skating coach do this to skates sometimes. Since she hadn't answered my question, I repeated it.

Her response? "I not sure, what should I rook for? They shiny." (You guessed it, she's Asian. Big surprise for my shop)

At that point I just looked at her like she had just shit her pants, and went to get myself some lunch. Gotta love those chicken wraps, eh Pete?

So other than the way they speak, what else do you have against Asians? Just curious.

Who said I had anything against them, including the way they speak? It was just an observation, one that is obvious to anyone who has been in my shop during the weekend.

The part I thought was amusing was that she was apeing what she had seen someone do, without any knowledge of how/what she was doing.

Before anyone comments that I noted she had "checked" her edges in front of me, I would like to point out that I have no problem at anyone checking thier edges in front of me, provided they know what they are looking for. I know I turn out a quality hollow, and encourage people to check them. No matter who you are, how good a sharpener you are, or how long you have been doing it, sometimes people make mistakes.

Except for me of course....

[DarkStar50 679]

WhiskeyTango19, your chicken wrap is ready! Hey, did you initial the back of that claim check?

Our shop has customers from all around the world everyday. We hear so many different languages spoken that it's like having the United Nations building in a hockey rink.

[TBLfan 25]

WhiskeyTango19 sounds like a real

Edited February 11, 2008 by TBLfan

[VakarLajos 5]

I had just sharpened a pair of figure skates for a customer this weekend. After handing her the finished skates, she proceeded to pore over them like they held a clue to a long lost treasure or something. The light test, looking down the hollow, the whole nine yards. Right in front of me. Now, this was not a customer who had any idea about skating. The reason I know this is because she made that abundantly clear when I asked her how she would like her skates cut. I had gotten some non-sensical answer along the lines of, "She's 7 years old" or something like that, in broken English of course. When I asked her what she was looking for, she told me she sees her daughter's skating coach do this to skates sometimes. Since she hadn't answered my question, I repeated it.

Her response? "I not sure, what should I rook for? They shiny." (You guessed it, she's Asian. Big surprise for my shop)

At that point I just looked at her like she had just shit her pants, and went to get myself some lunch. Gotta love those chicken wraps, eh Pete?

So other than the way they speak, what else do you have against Asians? Just curious.

Who said I had anything against them, including the way they speak? It was just an observation, one that is obvious to anyone who has been in my shop during the weekend.

The part I thought was amusing was that she was apeing what she had seen someone do, without any knowledge of how/what she was doing.

Before anyone comments that I noted she had "checked" her edges in front of me, I would like to point out that I have no problem at anyone checking thier edges in front of me, provided they know what they are looking for. I know I turn out a quality hollow, and encourage people to check them. No matter who you are, how good a sharpener you are, or how long you have been doing it, sometimes people make mistakes.

Except for me of course....

Instead of looking at her like she crapped her pants you could have explained to her what she should be looking for so if somebody does ever mess up her skates she'll know.

It's also amazing to have customers come in for sharpenings and point out to them that they've been skating on one edge for 3 months. "No wonder i couldn't turn right!"

[M.W. 0]

x

x

Edited April 10, 2021 by M.W.

[pantherfan 0]

WhiskeyTango19 sounds like a real

Haha L337 you googled a picture that said "Douche" on it implying he was one! :lol:

EDIT: Apologies, forgot to logout and got some idiot posting on my account...

Edited February 11, 2008 by pantherfan

[TBLfan 25]

it started off with just a picture but I figured I'd explain it for the tards. Much more effective when it's just a picture.

Edited February 11, 2008 by TBLfan

[VakarLajos 5]

it started off with just a picture but I figured I'd explain it for the tards. Much more effective when it's just a picture.

Show, don't tell. Very effective technique be your endeavors take you into writing, film, or posting on MSH

[M.W. 0]

x 

Edited April 10, 2021 by M.W.

[TheBert 0]

Her response? "I not sure, what should I rook for? They shiny." (You guessed it, she's Asian. Big surprise for my shop)

Maybe you could try explaining to her what she's looking for. But hey, who needs more customers, right?

[pwrfwd26 0]

TBLFAN hit the nail on the head! This guy is a "Douche"!

[english15x 3]

haha nice post.

at the LHS i work at we have many of dumb people. I had a man try to bring back a RBK 5k snakegrip and tell me it was defective and he demanded a refund. All because of a small piece of fiber that was chipped on the toe from regular play. He showed me on the stick that it said "30 DAY WARRANTY". I replied back with a smile "from the company sir"

I had for the first time ever last weekend during a college game that a college team from NY knocked over a whole stick rack. It was like Mighty Ducks.

I also can't stand when people who check my sharpenings like they know what there looking at or feeling on the steel.

I always check my sharpening. I wipe off any steel shavings the might have remained and see if the steel is hot. My regular sharpener always watches me give it a once over awaiting a "thanks" or "beautiful" approval. Be proud that guys can look over your work in front of you and not find anything wrong with it.

yeah i can understand what you mean. maybe i'm just impatient. I get compliments at my rink for some of the best sharpenings and also being peoples "go to guy" for their skates. I mis-worded it a little bit and maybe myself sound a bit retarded.

[DarkStar50 679]

Her response? "I not sure, what should I rook for? They shiny." (You guessed it, she's Asian. Big surprise for my shop)

Maybe you could try explaining to her what she's looking for. But hey, who needs more customers, right?

For the record, I was there when this happened. He did take the time to explain to her what she was looking at and what she should be looking for. He was courteous to her.