The Things Customers Do

[DarkStar50 679]

Big difference between working in the office at the rink and working in the Pro Shop at the rink!

[chippa13 1844]

Hey, somebody has to keep track of which car keys are for which lockerroom key.

[Goonsquad 209]

Hey, somebody has to keep track of which car keys are for which lockerroom key.

Car keys for locker rooms?

[chippa13 1844]

A bunch of the uptight rinks around here make you do it. I guess there was a rash of lockerroom key thefts.

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

They do that in Michigan as well; you guys remember me posting about the Zamboni fire at Novi Ice Arena back in 2007? Well, there was a problem afterwards; one of the parents had her keys inside the arena and couldn't get them as everyone evacuated. The fire department wouldn't go in to get them for her but some employees snuck in and essentially risked their lives (visibility was like 5 ft due to the smoke) to get her car keys back, that were just hanging on a hook at the front desk.

[SouthpawTRK 1]

My local rink doesn't require car keys for a locker room key, but they do require a driver's license.

[wrangler 157]

Car keys for locker rooms?

Would *you* trust him?

[JoeyJ0506 192]

Robert Morris Island Sports Center requests car keys in exchange for locker room keys. Shoot, I've even gotten emails/phone calls the next day if all of the tape doesn't find its way into the trash can and the locker room and bathroom door are not relocked.

[DarkStar50 679]

Clean up the locker room and then you get your car keys back. Our rink has been doing it for years.

[kovalchuk71 212]

So today I was told to essentially "banana" the blades when I sharpened this guys son's skates because apparently sometimes he uses the heels of the steel to accelerate and needs them "extra sharp". Who is he? Speedy Gonzales?

Edited December 30, 2011 by kovalchuk71

[EvilPepe 24]

Got a good one from the past couple days...

A lady comes in with her kid (goalie, squirt aged) while we are in the weeds during a tournament. She grabs one of the Tackimac grips off the wall, and proceeds to cut in front of the line to the counter and ask if someone could put it on her kid's stick for her, because she had such a hard time the last time. I explained that we could not leave the store to put the grip on (requires hot water) and that she had just cut in front of a line of 3 or 4 people. She gives me this look like I had just kicked her dog, puts the grip down, and leaves.

Comes back at 6:30 AM the next day as I'm opening the door. Grabs the grip again, and again asks if I could leave the store to put it on. I explained that I couldn't leave the store because I was the only one there at that moment. Again she starts pouting, so I explained that these things usually don't dry too quickly so he wouldn't even be able to use the stick for a bit. And this is where the stupid gets stunning...

She tells me her kid is done for the tournament - he got rocketed in the head in his game the previous night, and has been dizzy ever since, with dilated eyes and he has puked a couple times. She said she should "probably take him to the doctor soon." So, why is she in the rink with this kid at 6:30 in the morning? Because they won't leave until I put the friggin tackimac grip on her kid's stick. She was dead serious, and right then I realized she was crazy. I told her to get out so I could lock up and I'd be back in five minutes with the damn stick. I bring it back, and she grabs it (about thirty minutes later, after they watch a bit of a game) and proceeds to tell me how odd it is her kid got "hurt in the head" because he was wearing his brand new goalie mask that "has a cage and everything."

Later the father of the goalie who was in the other net during the game tells me the kid didn't get hit with a shot, he dove on his side and the mask slipped half off, resulting in him smacking his jaw on the ice.

[HockeySavants 5]

I don't get the difficulty in applying a Tackimac, takes 5 min tops and best to leave overnight to dry, especially on a goalie stick.

I've been asked (yes as in me, I actually do help in the shop when I'm not on the computer) to help tape up someone's knob with what he thought was free tape on the counter. He had already started to tape the blade too.

[raganblink 82]

Got a good one from the past couple days...

A lady comes in with her kid (goalie, squirt aged) while we are in the weeds during a tournament. She grabs one of the Tackimac grips off the wall, and proceeds to cut in front of the line to the counter and ask if someone could put it on her kid's stick for her, because she had such a hard time the last time. I explained that we could not leave the store to put the grip on (requires hot water) and that she had just cut in front of a line of 3 or 4 people. She gives me this look like I had just kicked her dog, puts the grip down, and leaves.

Comes back at 6:30 AM the next day as I'm opening the door. Grabs the grip again, and again asks if I could leave the store to put it on. I explained that I couldn't leave the store because I was the only one there at that moment. Again she starts pouting, so I explained that these things usually don't dry too quickly so he wouldn't even be able to use the stick for a bit. And this is where the stupid gets stunning...

She tells me her kid is done for the tournament - he got rocketed in the head in his game the previous night, and has been dizzy ever since, with dilated eyes and he has puked a couple times. She said she should "probably take him to the doctor soon." So, why is she in the rink with this kid at 6:30 in the morning? Because they won't leave until I put the friggin tackimac grip on her kid's stick. She was dead serious, and right then I realized she was crazy. I told her to get out so I could lock up and I'd be back in five minutes with the damn stick. I bring it back, and she grabs it (about thirty minutes later, after they watch a bit of a game) and proceeds to tell me how odd it is her kid got "hurt in the head" because he was wearing his brand new goalie mask that "has a cage and everything."

Later the father of the goalie who was in the other net during the game tells me the kid didn't get hit with a shot, he dove on his side and the mask slipped half off, resulting in him smacking his jaw on the ice.

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?

Edited December 30, 2011 by JR Boucicaut
edited for profanity, warning issued

[L.F.O.D. 0]

I was just hanging out at the rink the other day and heard a mom try to tell another one to get a helmet one size to big because "they are overpriced anyhow. And he can grow into it." When i said " " Thats a bad idea" I was told to mind my own business.

[DarkStar50 679]

Busy holiday week for public session. The "Meat Wagon" aka EMS truck, has been at the rink everyday, sometimes twice. Of course, 90% of the parents don't think to bring any kind of helmet along for their kid. Over heard the other day from 2 moms thinking about buying a Bauer combo for $65, "buy it and just return it after you're done." I let her know that I heard her and it wasn't allowed. The old "Board of Health won't let you return a used helmet" froze in her tracks physically and mentally. Stupid is as stupid does.

[Chadd 916]

I was just hanging out at the rink the other day and heard a mom try to tell another one to get a helmet one size to big because "they are overpriced anyhow. And he can grow into it." When i said " " Thats a bad idea" I was told to mind my own business.

The one thing that helped convince a lot of parents to buy a better helmet was the fact that kids heads pretty much stop growing before their feet. You may need to buy 3 helmets from 8 to 18, just in terms of sizing, it isn't like buying new skates every 9-14 months.

[JoeyJ0506 192]

I was just hanging out at the rink the other day and heard a mom try to tell another one to get a helmet one size to big because "they are overpriced anyhow. And he can grow into it." When i said " " Thats a bad idea" I was told to mind my own business.

It's the same everywhere. I've taught hitting clinics (Baseball) where kids are in flats, batting gloves, helmets, and even bats that are way too big for them. All in the parents' attempt to save a few dollars by giving them something to "grow in to." They do not understand that doing this is unsafe, and actually promotes bad habits.

[Sliwka 0]

Did not have time to read through all 2600 or so posts, but I work at a larger multi-sport box chain, though I have basically taken it upon myself to become more of a hockey expert being in a pretty big hockey town.

Working PT while in University, I mainly work evenings. Probably 3-5 times a night (when our tech is out and I have not had time to be trained on our new Blackstone Sharpener) we have kids and parents come in asking "I have to be on the ice in 20 minutes, can you sharpen my skates", and nearly every time we turn them away.

I have not played competitively since high school, and did not sharpen much back in the day, but seriously---who goes in on the way to a game? (just want to add, we are not exactly a specialty shop and deal with ski/snowboard tech work as well--plus bikes in the summer. It is also pretty wel known we do not have techs in the evening, yet we have the same people come in week after week).

Luckily I am usually able to convince people that too big is no good. Once I got a kid out of a current pair of Vapors in a size 7 to a 6 in a Supreme (and the Vapor hurt his feet to boot).

Edited January 1, 2012 by Sliwka

[TBR 11]

Every so often a kid, or worse, an adult with some type of playing experience will ask to have their stick taped. Now to be fair, outside of skate/blade work, I find many service requests to be annoying. Not because I'm lazy, but because it's something I've always done on my own and feel people should get into good habits of doing as well.

The only way I've ever felt my cage was on my helmet properly was if I installed it myself and triple checked every screw. The only way I know my sticks will be cut down to the exact spot that i want, and with minimal stress to the composite material, is if I'm the one behind the saw.

That's not to say I won't gladly demonstrate a basic tape job for a beginner or inform them how to ensure their helmet doesn't fall apart, but this mindset that I've noticed in recent years, with parents becoming accustomed to rink attendants dressing their children before clinics and pro shop employees used as personal equipment managers, is something I definitely choose not to contribute to.

[Axxion89 32]

Every so often a kid, or worse, an adult with some type of playing experience will ask to have their stick taped. Now to be fair, outside of skate/blade work, I find many service requests to be annoying. Not because I'm lazy, but because it's something I've always done on my own and feel people should get into good habits of doing as well.

The only way I've ever felt my cage was on my helmet properly was if I installed it myself and triple checked every screw. The only way I know my sticks will be cut down to the exact spot that i want, and with minimal stress to the composite material, is if I'm the one behind the saw.

That's not to say I won't gladly demonstrate a basic tape job for a beginner or inform them how to ensure their helmet doesn't fall apart, but this mindset that I've noticed in recent years, with parents becoming accustomed to rink attendants dressing their children before clinics and pro shop employees used as personal equipment managers, is something I definitely choose not to contribute to.

So basically you're saying do it yourself which the customer interprets as why should I buy from you when I can buy elsewhere/online? I mean yea so someone like us we prefer to tape our own sticks and assemble our own helmets but not everyone has that confidence or skill to do it themselves when they can have someone with skill do it.

[TBR 11]

So basically you're saying do it yourself which the customer interprets as why should I buy from you when I can buy elsewhere/online? I mean yea so someone like us we prefer to tape our own sticks and assemble our own helmets but not everyone has that confidence or skill to do it themselves when they can have someone with skill do it.

They won't ever develop the confidence or skill if someone always does it for them either.

If you're a parent with kids playing hockey, you should own a screwdriver and know how to use it. If you're a player with any sort of playing experience, I would imagine you've taped up a stick once or twice in your life. If your attitude is that purchasing a roll of tape entitles you to a free tape job, then I would rather you shop elsewhere. (Sometimes they want just a tape job without any intention of actually buying a roll of tape!)

As for possibly losing customers to competitors or online retailers, what's separates me from the competition is the important stuff like equipment selection, overall product knowledge, sharpenings, boot/blade work and, obviously, pricing--not whether I'm willing to make you a nice spiral grip with your newly purchased roll of pink camo tape.

[TBR 11]

Allow me to elaborate a bit further so nothing gets misconstrued about my tone when I object to performing certain services. When I chide a kid who's been playing travel hockey for 4 years that he should tape up his own stick, the parent will almost always say something like "Yeah Billy, and it's time you tied your own skates, too." And when I demo something for a beginner-adult or youth, they're very intrigued and generally pay close attention. A common response is "So that's how you do it." It's never "What's this guy's problem?"

You see, I prefer to build a different long term relationship with my customers, not one solely based on the "The customer is always right; Give them what they want!", instant gratification culture.

Moreover, I feel when you have a core of customers with an understanding of how your LHS operates, it makes everyone's experience better.

I love people hanging around, talking to other parents, kids, coaches and shop employees before and after purchases. It says a lot about how comfortable they feel in the store.

There is a true sense of community. Not something I'm worried about losing to the giant online monkeys or even any local competitor for that matter.

Edited January 1, 2012 by TBR

[AIREAYE 248]

You see, I prefer to build a different long term relationship with my customers, not one solely based on the "The customer is always right; Give them what they want!", instant gratification culture.

Moreover, I feel when you have a core of customers with an understanding of how your LHS operates, it makes everyone's experience better.

I love people hanging around, talking to other parents, kids, coaches and shop employees before and after purchases. It says a lot about how comfortable they feel in the store.

There is a true sense of community. Not something I'm worried about losing to the giant online monkeys or even any local competitor for that matter.

haha this is so true. I love small chitchat like this. From a business perspective as well, it's important. This stuff leads to human connections being made, leading to stuff like "Hey! I used to play for that team too! It was great, is so-and-so still around?" or "yeah, I remember you on the bench the other night!"

So basically you're saying do it yourself which the customer interprets as why should I buy from you when I can buy elsewhere/online? I mean yea so someone like us we prefer to tape our own sticks and assemble our own helmets but not everyone has that confidence or skill to do it themselves when they can have someone with skill do it.

I don't think that's what he's inferring. He's saying that basic hockey 'maintenance' skills should be learned by all at a certain age (tying skates, taping sticks). It's like that 'teach a man to fish vs giving him a fish' anecdote.

[TBR 11]

haha this is so true. I love small chitchat like this. From a business perspective as well, it's important. This stuff leads to human connections being made, leading to stuff like "Hey! I used to play for that team too! It was great, is so-and-so still around?" or "yeah, I remember you on the bench the other night!"

Exactly. It's a great feeling when you see that happening regularly in your shop.

I don't think that's what he's inferring. He's saying that basic hockey 'maintenance' skills should be learned by all at a certain age (tying skates, taping sticks). It's like that 'teach a man to fish vs giving him a fish' anecdote.

Bingo. I was actually going to use that phrase. It applies perfectly.

[natbat 0]

Allow me to elaborate a bit further so nothing gets misconstrued about my tone when I object to performing certain services. When I chide a kid who's been playing travel hockey for 4 years that he should tape up his own stick, the parent will almost always say something like "Yeah Billy, and it's time you tied your own skates, too." And when I demo something for a beginner-adult or youth, they're very intrigued and generally pay close attention. A common response is "So that's how you do it." It's never "What's this guy's problem?"

You see, I prefer to build a different long term relationship with my customers, not one solely based on the "The customer is always right; Give them what they want!", instant gratification culture.

Moreover, I feel when you have a core of customers with an understanding of how your LHS operates, it makes everyone's experience better.

I love people hanging around, talking to other parents, kids, coaches and shop employees before and after purchases. It says a lot about how comfortable they feel in the store.

There is a true sense of community. Not something I'm worried about losing to the giant online monkeys or even any local competitor for that matter.

Sounds like you have a great shop! The customer doesn't always know what is best for their kids or themselves. True professionals in their indusrty will find a balance when dealing with the general public. I played Hockey my entire life and still don't know anything about skate and stick technologies...I just know what works for me.