The Things Customers Do

[Chadd 916]

It's like that 'teach a man to fish vs giving him a fish' anecdote.

I use that all the time when talking about the kids on the site. Unfortunately, too many people just want the free fish.

[HockeySavants 5]

I love when kids ask me how I tape my knob, I usually have no problem doing it for them, but when a guy is "hey tape my stick I need it for tonight" is when I draw the line.

[dsjunior1388 81]

I love when kids ask me how I tape my knob, I usually have no problem doing it for them, but when a guy is "hey tape my stick I need it for tonight" is when I draw the line.

Made that mistake too. I was doing a toe wrap and a couple kids were in the shop trying to mimic me. I was messing with one kid and told him he was doing it wrong, so I took his stick and taped it up. Now another kid keeps showing up just barely late to practice and begging me to tape his stick while he goes and gets dressed. The first time I didnt mind, but the second time I thought I'd better nip it in the bud and make him tape his own stick.

[AIREAYE 248]

I love when kids ask me how I tape my knob, I usually have no problem doing it for them, but when a guy is "hey tape my stick I need it for tonight" is when I draw the line.

Well kids, you unwrap the package and roll it down your...

Haha, another point I noticed was that (obviously) we all tape our sticks differently. The way I do my toe wrap is a time/tape consuming process and I like it that way because taping is my mini-ritual. Is it practical to teach? Probably not.

As an aside, we had a guy come in here and complain that his skates were sharpened poorly. Fair enough, no one is perfect and our tech was going to make sure that it was fixed. It happens. Then he goes on to say that he went to Play It Again (the story should end here lol jk) and he was told that the steel was warped. He takes our metal bar/ruler thing (dunno the name, I'm not a tech) to show us what he means. He takes it, holds it in place at ONE END of the steel and shows us how there's a small gap supposedly indicating warp. He then tells us that the steel should be flat (true) and compares it (with the device) against the counter. We spent the next 5 minutes trying to tell the man that the steel is perfectly fine, the problem being that he held the bar at one end of the steel, creating a lever, thus the gap. I think he was exaggerating, threatening to tell all his friends never to come here again. What do you techs think?

[Philly Fly-hairs 0]

I love when kids ask me how I tape my knob, I usually have no problem doing it for them, but when a guy is "hey tape my stick I need it for tonight" is when I draw the line.

i would say the same thing... when i was a little kid playing, my dad would help me tape my stick, and then after once or twice i learned on my own... its not hat difficult, but the laziness of the culture we live in today never fails...rather than some parents (not all) become involved with the sports their kids play, they take advantage of LHS employees to do something as simple as this for their own kids. I can understand someone demonstrating how to do a basic tapejob but when you get someone who repeatedly comes in and thinks that your gonna do it all the time, it becomes ridiculous

[interpathway 9]

Hey, if there is a dollar to be made, I say have a small sign behind the counter that you can point to. They'll either walk out of the store and do it themselves as they should or they'll fork over two dollars. If the signage is there, you create a "not by my own choice" impression.

[Philly Fly-hairs 0]

Hey, if there is a dollar to be made, I say have a small sign behind the counter that you can point to. They'll either walk out of the store and do it themselves as they should or they'll fork over two dollars. If the signage is there, you create a "not by my own choice" impression.

definately a good idea

[tareatingrat 4]

My mind is totally blown that someone other than a very young child would ask you to tape their stick.

[ibeck 38]

Guy came into the shop to get his skates sharpened at 9:15pm tonight, he was on a 9:30. I still had another 2 pairs of skates to do ahead of him plus the skate I was working on. He asked what are the chances I could get his skates done for 9:30. I said 0% because goalie skates take me longer to do than players, plus I have to finish the pair I'm currently on. He looks at me and goes "O come on man". I just shook my head no, said sorry and wondered in my head how some people can be so incompetent.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Guy came into the shop to get his skates sharpened at 9:15pm tonight, he was on a 9:30. I still had another 2 pairs of skates to do ahead of him plus the skate I was working on. He asked what are the chances I could get his skates done for 9:30. I said 0% because goalie skates take me longer to do than players, plus I have to finish the pair I'm currently on. He looks at me and goes "O come on man". I just shook my head no, said sorry and wondered in my head how some people can be so incompetent.

What part of California are you in?

[ibeck 38]

What part of California are you in?

I live in Montreal...Wish I lived in Cali

Btw Great screen name

[IPv6Freely 2092]

I live in Montreal...Wish I lived in Cali

Btw Great screen name

Ah, I assumed based on your post ;)

And thanks! Wish he hadn't gotten hurt, he just doesn't seem "right", now.

[AIREAYE 248]

When people don't believe me when I tell them that Vapor products aren't for forwards and Supreme products aren't for defencemen....and they proceed to think they know more about everything than I do and go out to play shinny with a new pair of skates that don't fit and weren't even sharpened.

there comes a point where you just pity the person.

[Harv 86]

Uhhhhhh...

[TBR 11]

I love when I get that guy who gives me an attitude over what he perceives to be a bad sharpening, and it turns out he missed the matting at the rink or collided with another player's blades.

Customer: "You just did these the other day... I was falling all over the place...."

Me: [Taking off his chewed up skate guard and showing him the jagged 3" long remnant of his outside edge.]

Customer: "Oh, I didn't see that. I must've stepped on something."

Me "Apology accepted."

[L.F.O.D. 0]

When people don't believe me when I tell them that Vapor products aren't for forwards and Supreme products aren't for defencemen....and they proceed to think they know more about everything than I do and go out to play shinny with a new pair of skates that don't fit and weren't even sharpened.

there comes a point where you just pity the person.

Please explane...

[dsjunior1388 81]

I read it as Aireaye trying to explain that Vapor stuff should not be exclusive to forwards and Supreme stuff should not be bought and used exclusively by defensemen.

When people don't believe me when I tell them that Vapor products aren't for forwards and Supreme products aren't for defencemen....and they proceed to think they know more about everything than I do and go out to play shinny with a new pair of skates that don't fit and weren't even sharpened.

there comes a point where you just pity the person.

Uhhhhhh...

Please explane...

Edited January 5, 2012 by dsjunior1388

[AIREAYE 248]

I read it as Aireaye trying to explain that Vapor stuff should not be exclusive to forwards and Supreme stuff should not be bought and used exclusively by defensemen.

This, thank you. I thought it was obvious.

edit : to be clearer, this wasn't my customer, this was a former teammate who bought skates from a Sportchek. That explains the attitude haha

Edited January 5, 2012 by AIREAYE

[steelnation248 101]

This, thank you. I thought it was obvious.

To expand on it some: Bauer markets the Vapor series as a skate for agility, speed, etc... The Supreme is for power skaters, etc... So if someone buys into the marketing, forwards would want Vapors and defensemen would want Supremes.

[Sliwka 0]

And ot equipment, the Vapor line is generally slimmer and more contoured fitting leading people to think that the Supreme line is for D players cause they need more protection for taking shots or making hits.

Really it is just how the stuff fits and moves.

[MarsB 33]

What part of California are you in?

HA!

I just spent a week in Cali amongst a ton of LA-types, and I totally see where you were going with that!

[milezone 0]

Been reading this thread and I would just like to say this.

Being from Australia and paying what I pay for gear it absolutely amazes me some of the stories you guys tell me about customers bargaining for things under $10 and complaining about the cost of things when they are so cheap in the states. When my son eventually grows up and wants gear I'm expecting to pay about $1000 when he first starts playing then get him top of the line stuff no matter what the costs. Maybe I have more money than some but seriously what you pay $300 for a top end protective set and people complain? Gah would drive me mental if I were you guys. I cannot wait to come over and go to an LHS and give you guys my money for the services you provide.

[AIREAYE 248]

Very cool story I've been told coming in to work today; apparently Mike Cammalleri bought our last 2 S17 helmets in white M and had them shipped to Calgary! The Flames' EQM apparently is friends with Forzani's head tech and the tech found out that we were the only place in the entire country to still have the S17s in white M. I find it really neat that the next time Cammy wears the Calgary whites, the helmet would've been from our floor!

[icewalker_bg 126]

Thats odd , hes the face of easton and they cant provide him two helmets?

[kenneth 5]

i guess that promo video he didn't like the fit of the e700 after all.