The Things Customers Do

[Law Goalie 147]

People tend to have a different opinion about being a "big spender" when it's their money. I literally laughed when people would literally say "What can you do for a big spender like me?" When this guy is spending $1,200 at the store(non-hockey shop) where common sales were $2-3,000.

Hahaha - one of my favourite similar moments was when a very bored and very witty salesman elaborated "The Fish Metaphor" for customers to me. The 'Holy Mackerel' had to be my favourite: potentially profitable, but extremely oily and believes himself to have been sent by God Himself to nibble at your store.

Turned out I was a big-mouthed bass. :(

[Ital79 0]

What REALLY bothers me though is that he tries to be hip about it, by saying 'points' instead of 'percent', as in "Ten points off this?" Drives me friggen nuts. :lol:

In the world of finance/banking;

1 basis point (aka: point) is 1/100th of 1%

10 points = 0.1 %

100 points = 1%

1000 points = 10%

So I say give him his 10 points off...5 cents off a pair of One95s seems fair.

Hahaha I was going to say the same thing. Are you in banking? I majored in finance in college, but I'm a lawyer now and I may have to go the retail route as well with the way my job search is going.

Ha!

I have an engineering background; aerospace, defense, and automotive...but while I was a researcher, I picked up a degree in Finance b/c engineers don't design stuff - the finance dept does! I had a brief stint at a VC firm in SoCal that funds biotech start-ups...rug was pulled from under me. Even with all the defense contractors in SoCal, I couldn't even land a job as a test engineer. Automotive has been taking a nosedive for years now, the airline manufacturers have been taking a beating, and defense contractors are scared shitless with the new POTUS. I left the University b/c budgets were being slashed and research projects were being defunded...in the name of a new football stadium. I'm in a very small specialized niche in engineering and a bit too green when it comes to banking.

Bad luck I guess.

on that note, "what would you like with your fries?" LOL

[DarkStar50 679]

^^^^^ 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."

[Ital79 0]

^^^^^ 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."

If they have machines that are metric - count me in!

"Do you want a 13 or 14mm hollow?" - that'll raise some eyebrows...

[fieldofdreams 0]

^^^^^ 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."

"Not too sharp. Just a couple passes."

[Law Goalie 147]

Ahahahahaha

[Ahriman 1]

^^^^^ 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."

"Not too sharp. Just a couple passes."

I might be tempted to hang myself with that customer's skate laces

[Aussie Joe 0]

Coversation I had a few mths back with a Canadian ex pat I was sharpening for at the rink...

What sort of sharpening do you want?

The usual..? *holds hands out*

Uhhhh, OK, the wheel is on 1/2 inch atm, will that do?

Is that what I usually get?

Moose, do you know what your normal radius is?

No *starts to laugh*

So you played all through AAA Jnrs in Canada and you can't tell me your radius?

No *laughs even louder* but I can still do a slapper that whips your ass.

Touche Moose. ;)

[cdoug55 0]

Ha!

I have an engineering background; aerospace, defense, and automotive...but while I was a researcher, I picked up a degree in Finance b/c engineers don't design stuff - the finance dept does! I had a brief stint at a VC firm in SoCal that funds biotech start-ups...rug was pulled from under me. Even with all the defense contractors in SoCal, I couldn't even land a job as a test engineer. Automotive has been taking a nosedive for years now, the airline manufacturers have been taking a beating, and defense contractors are scared shitless with the new POTUS. I left the University b/c budgets were being slashed and research projects were being defunded...in the name of a new football stadium. I'm in a very small specialized niche in engineering and a bit too green when it comes to banking.

Bad luck I guess.

on that note, "what would you like with your fries?" LOL

Sorry to hear about that. Law isn't really any better trust me, especially in NYC. The amount of elitist a-holes is outstanding. Finally got lucky and landed a job at a large firm back in '07 and got let go in Nov along with 20% of my dept. Problem is, like you, we all have too little experience to be really marketable in this garbage economy - especially when you do M&A which is non-existent right now hahaha.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Ok, I was going to start a new thread on this, but I figure most of the LHS workers would read new posts here.

I'm going to get a new pair of skates in a the next couple of weeks. I will be getting them locally, at Laurel Gardens Ice House. They have always been good to me, so I like to give them business when I can.

My problem is this, I'm not going to be dropping $500-700 on a pair of skates. I'm probably looking at a mid-level pair. The RBK 5K/Easton SE10/NBH Supreme70 type budget.

I don't want to waste too much of their time because it's not a big purchase, but I do want to make sure I get the right skate.

How long is too long when it comes to getting fitted for a mid-level skate? Is it stupid of me to want to try on 5 or 6 different brands, and even different models within brands, or should I just pick a couple and go with that?

[interpathway 9]

ASNP, you might want to PM minwookie. He was taken care at TGIH (not by Mike, unfortunately) and fitted for his 5k skates. I believe he said he was browsing for about 30 minutes. Hopefully he can chime in, but a sale is a sale. I hope they serve you well.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

ASNP, you might want to PM minwookie. He was taken care at TGIH (not by Mike, unfortunately) and fitted for his 5k skates. I believe he said he was browsing for about 30 minutes. Hopefully he can chime in, but a sale is a sale. I hope they serve you well.

I've never had a problem with them, and I'm sure they would give me the time, but in terms of the sale itself, it seems like I could waste a lot of their time for a mid level skate.

If I was dropping for a new pair of S17's or X60, something like that, perhaps I wouldn't feel bad about it.

But I could probably narrow my list down by researching here, but then if I go there and limit what I try on, I won't know if I got the best skate for my foot.

Mike up there said to me (I was up for a sharpening last week, and mentioned looking for new skates in or around the $300 range) to come up when I'm ready and they would pull the boxes down and go through everything. This is the kind of service I have come to expect from them, but at the same time, I don't want to put them through all that, if realistically only 3 or 4 skates will fit my foot.

I'm sort of between RBK and Easton at the minute, but I've never tried on a Mission skate, so I don't know how it would fit my foot. So should I try them. I had Bauer 30's, and if I was getting them, would need an E width, so should I try on the Supreme 75's in D, knowing I might need to go E anyway.

Things like that

[TBLfan 25]

If it's not busy, take your time. As long as you aren't running us(salespeople) around, it's cool. It can get really boring when it's slow.

[AHF 1]

Ok, I was going to start a new thread on this, but I figure most of the LHS workers would read new posts here.

I'm going to get a new pair of skates in a the next couple of weeks. I will be getting them locally, at Laurel Gardens Ice House. They have always been good to me, so I like to give them business when I can.

My problem is this, I'm not going to be dropping $500-700 on a pair of skates. I'm probably looking at a mid-level pair. The RBK 5K/Easton SE10/NBH Supreme70 type budget.

I don't want to waste too much of their time because it's not a big purchase, but I do want to make sure I get the right skate.

How long is too long when it comes to getting fitted for a mid-level skate? Is it stupid of me to want to try on 5 or 6 different brands, and even different models within brands, or should I just pick a couple and go with that?

Take your time, no matter what price you are paying.

As a salesperson, there's nothing I hate more than someone walking out with the first pair they try on.

Take the time, try on different skates, different sizes...to make sure you get something that fits you properly.

That's how it should be, from a $75 skate to a $750 skate.

[cdoug55 0]

Obviously I dont work in a shop and never have so I don't think my opinion has much weight, but I would think that if your a serious purchaser and spending a decent amount of money they should take as much time as is needed to get you into a proper fitting skate. Why? Because its customer service and that is what keeps people coming back. If it were busy as hell then I wouldn't expect someone to spend hours with you, but if you are the only person there what is the big deal. If your serious about purchasing then you should get something that fits correctly and not care about taking up someone's time at work.

When I was with my firm I know clients didn't care about wasting my time with stupid garbage questions that they didn't need me to answer, probably because I was at work and that was what I was supposed to be doing. I guess they didn't care much about my $300/hour billing rate either hahahaa.

[VakarLajos 5]

Take as much time as you need. You're giving them business so you should be able to find what you're looking for. As a LHS employee I don't mind at all in the least to do my job and help the customer find what he's after. It gets annoying when the customer asks for advice and then completely disregards it, constantly mentions online prices, etc. Taking your time to make sure your money is going towards something that makes you happy is normal.

Also, just because you're not buying top of the line now doesn't mean your not spending in the future.

[shooter27 116]

Sorry to hear about that. Law isn't really any better trust me, especially in NYC. The amount of elitist a-holes is outstanding. Finally got lucky and landed a job at a large firm back in '07 and got let go in Nov along with 20% of my dept. Problem is, like you, we all have too little experience to be really marketable in this garbage economy - especially when you do M&A which is non-existent right now hahaha.

Its a big club you're in there. I've been an M&A banker for the past 4 years and my firm went belly up in October and I'm still looking for a new job. There aren't a lot of openings out there at the moment and probably won't be until people stop being scared and start doing deals again. There are definitely some bargains out there, people are just still scared that we haven't hit bottom yet.

[Griff 2]

Take as much time as you need when getting skates fitted, the only piece of advice I'd give is to maybe ask the shop guys when the slower part of their day is and try to get to the shop then. I hate it when I'm trying to fit skates for people during the busiest part of the day because I can't spend as much time with the skate buyer as I'd like between helping them and running around ringing people up/ sharpening skates ect.

[sabby47 2]

Ok just when you think people couldn't be more stupid, it happens. About four months ago a guy started coming in for public skating, saying how he hadn't skated in 20 yrs and was looking to play hockey. Awesome. Same story, new person, always great to get more people in the door. After a few weeks of public skating in rental skates he goes online and buys a pair. The first day he skates on them he comes back in telling me how he had talked with a guy out there and that if you weren't gliding straight on skates that you can move the holder over and asks me if I would do that for him. I tried to explain to him that figure skaters do that before they final mount their blade but you don't do that with hockey skates and to just give them some time to find your balance on them. He wasn't going to have any of that and reasoned that he could more than likely do it just fine himself. After that I didn't really think much more of it and laughed it off.

Fast forward to yesterday. Same guy comes in, plops his skates on the counter and asks to leave them to be sharpened. A quick glance and it was everything I could not to start laughing. It really makes me wonder what the outcome has been on any other of his DIY projects.

Edited March 15, 2009 by sabby47

[Monty22 831]

At least he didn't butcher a decent pair of skates.

[Rustyhole 1]

no skate should ever suffer that humiliation. wonder if he used loctite on the screws? my guess says no. :) :lol: :D

[Goalieboy#1 1]

Wow... just, wow.

I think we should have a "The things store workers/owners do" thread. I like my goalie skates really sharp, and we were playing Shattuck St. Marrys 3 times 2 on saturday and once sunday. Before practice thursday i go in and get my skates sharpened. Go in friday to get them sharpened again so theyll be sharp for the first game. Play my first game on them, and bring them in after my game. The owner goes "wow, you get your skates sharpened way too much. Its kind of ridiculous, and your wasting your blade." #1 Their MY skates, its how i want them to be, #2 its MY money, if i want to "waste" my blade by getting them sharpened to how i like them he shouldnt be complaining, im paying, not him... #3 Im paying him to do it, $3 every single time... Why is he complaining if im giving him my buisness? End of rant.

[Warriorsdman 1]

It is your personal preference, but you get your skates sharpened way more than any other player (goalies included) I've heard of that wasn't pro. And that is really nice that you get $3 sharpenings. But at least he's not trying to charge you more, he is advising you to be careful and he's right that you will use up more steel, and probably spend a ton on sharpenings. He's just trying to make a helpful suggestion, and if you keep going back then he's probably doing them well.

[pantherfan 0]

Thats not so bad, sounds like he's just suggesting ways for you to save money. Just because your paying him doesn't mean he isn't allowed to give his opinion and 2 cents. $3 though? Thats pretty damn good.

[Steve_v3 289]

Ok just when you think people couldn't be more stupid, it happens. About four months ago a guy started coming in for public skating, saying how he hadn't skated in 20 yrs and was looking to play hockey. Awesome. Same story, new person, always great to get more people in the door. After a few weeks of public skating in rental skates he goes online and buys a pair. The first day he skates on them he comes back in telling me how he had talked with a guy out there and that if you weren't gliding straight on skates that you can move the holder over and asks me if I would do that for him. I tried to explain to him that figure skaters do that before they final mount their blade but you don't do that with hockey skates and to just give them some time to find your balance on them. He wasn't going to have any of that and reasoned that he could more than likely do it just fine himself. After that I didn't really think much more of it and laughed it off.

Fast forward to yesterday. Same guy comes in, plops his skates on the counter and asks to leave them to be sharpened. A quick glance and it was everything I could not to start laughing. It really makes me wonder what the outcome has been on any other of his DIY projects.

That has to be one of the funniest things I've seen.

When I was still working part time at my LHS there was a big tournament at the local rink. This 16 year old kid comes in with a broken helmet and wants us to fix it. It took ten minutes to convince him it couldn't be fixed. then he finally gets a new helmet fitted and adjusted how he wants it and then asks if we could transfer his helmet stickers to his new helmet. My buddy who was helping him says yes even though we were busy. After he finishes he gives the kid his helmet and the kid says: "The 2 is a little crooked. Think you could adjust it.". My buddy just stares at him and says no. The kid walked away being pissed that his 2 was crooked.