The Things Customers Do

[nieminen18 0]

I find it difficult to give deals to people who drive up in BMW's and Mercedes' and still need a deal.

[Blackthidot 0]

This is good stuff...I do not work at a hockey shop but I do sell phones for Verizon and the morons thatcome in my store make me pay attention to people when I go to other places and hockey stores are bad...You think your littel skate shapening hollow questions are bad try this...

Yeah I wanna upgrade my phone.

Okay whats your number?

I dont know?

[pat 0]

In Central Alberta where I live I have two hockey shops besides the typical sportmart's, sport check's...

The one always has great selection and stock but the owner and his son... let's put it this way i grapple with my self-respect when I give them my hard earned money... especially the son.

As for the other place...great people but not the selection. However they do a beautiful skate sharpening.

Real good people there. When I was buying my last pair of skates I asked the young guy helping me if he knew the weights of the various skates... he grabbed a bunch and took me to the back and threw them on the scale. Spent about 15 min with me knowing I wasn't going to be buying that day. Always great service there.

[DarkStar50 679]

As a dealer I always say a smile doesn't cost me anything. Being nice goes a long way to getting return customers.

[gman 0]

As for the other place...great people but not the selection. However they do a beautiful skate sharpening.

Real good people there. When I was buying my last pair of skates I asked the young guy helping me if he knew the weights of the various skates... he grabbed a bunch and took me to the back and threw them on the scale. Spent about 15 min with me knowing I wasn't going to be buying that day. Always great service there.

That is exactly the type of place I dream of. Since I am no where near professional nor are my kids (yet), we could get by on a smaller selection. I would spend every hockey penny I could at this store with the service. Can they do special orders? I would think that If everyone went to this store, eventually they would have the volume to be able to get larger distributorships.

Did you buy your skates there eventually??

[sogaduch 0]

Just had this happen to me right now,guy came in blabbering on his cell with his skates in hand and he just dropped them off at the counter without telling me anything at all and just started walking around. i left them there because i didnt know what he wanted done so i wasnt going to touch them. he comes back and asks if his skates are done and i told him politely im not sure what you wanted done too them. thats a real annoying thing that and or a guy asking for a deal on a pair of shin pads when he pays by an amex that has no limit on it.

[hehatemefrisbee 0]

I have it everyday. My challenge is to come up with new responses to it. My current one is, "thanks for the skates man, I needed a new pair!"

[DarkStar50 679]

And here is the next generation of OPS headaches: The OPS Goalie sticks. A hockey mom stopped in a few nights ago with a OPS goalie stick that was 26 days old. They were in Quebec at the Peewee tourney when the stick took a shot high up on the paddle on the edge. The paddle has a 2" seam split. I have seen this before in any other goalie stick. With the OPS goalie stick she wanted to return it and I said OK, I'm not stopping you. Send it to the vendor. She still had this look like this should not have happened to the OPS goalie stick but I was telling her that this problem did not effect the integrity of the stick. It wasn't broken in the shaft or the blade, just a crack on the paddle. I mentioned that a OPS will get a ding in the blade and it is still usable. Anyway, it wasn't the answer she was looking for. I didn't say don't return it, I just wasn't going to guarantee the stick as defective. I'm looking forward to this headache getting larger as the OPS goalie stick gets more popular.

A goalie friend bought one as well. He is old school and couldn't believe he spent the $$ on the OPS goalie stick. During warmups whenever one of the guys with a cannon for a shot would wind up, he put the stick behind his legs!! :lol:

[hockeyherb 1]

A goalie friend bought one as well. He is old school and couldn't believe he spent the $$ on the OPS goalie stick. During warmups whenever one of the guys with a cannon for a shot would wind up, he put the stick behind his legs!! :lol:

Why do goalies buy an OPS? It's not like they're shooting much. Are they supposed to be more durable than wood? It's the only reason I can think of that longer term it's more cost effective.

[hehatemefrisbee 0]

more durable, and i think they like the lighter feeling. Its something I havent been able to figure out myself. To me it makes more sense to get a good wood stick, or a wood/carbon like the Vector 8

[merle720 0]

That is why you guys are not goalies. Of course goalies want lighter better shooting sticks. Why wouldn't they? Why do reg league players get OPS?

[jimmy 194]

That is why you guys are not goalies. Of course goalies want lighter better shooting sticks. Why wouldn't they? Why do reg league players get OPS?

hehe. Excellent point.

BTW, I love my RBK 6K goal stick, it's light and shoots great. I need to be able to clear the puck because god knows my defensemen are still up in the neutral zone! :P While not composite, it's basically a foam core with fibreglass. The only difference between this and the comp goal sticks is that they have a carbon shaft and my shaft is wood. Still, zero warranty on a $80 stick. Personally, I'd never risk spending $200 on a composite.

[Jason Harris 31]

Just had this happen to me right now,guy came in blabbering on his cell with his skates in hand and he just dropped them off at the counter without telling me anything at all and just started walking around. i left them there because i didnt know what he wanted done so i wasnt going to touch them. he comes back and asks if his skates are done and i told him politely im not sure what you wanted done too them. thats a real annoying thing that and or a guy asking for a deal on a pair of shin pads when he pays by an amex that has no limit on it.

It's possible the guy has frequented a store in the past in which leaving them at the counter was the routine.

At my main rink, there's padding on the counter to the right of the register. Everyone knows to leave their skates there, especially if no one is around, since he's most likely in the back sharpening. I suppose people would hold onto their skates if they needed a different service.

[jimmy 194]

Just had this happen to me right now,guy came in blabbering on his cell with his skates in hand and he just dropped them off at the counter without telling me anything at all and just started walking around. i left them there because i didnt know what he wanted done so i wasnt going to touch them. he comes back and asks if his skates are done and i told him politely im not sure what you wanted done too them. thats a real annoying thing that and or a guy asking for a deal on a pair of shin pads when he pays by an amex that has no limit on it.

It's possible the guy has frequented a store in the past in which leaving them at the counter was the routine.

At my main rink, there's padding on the counter to the right of the register. Everyone knows to leave their skates there, especially if no one is around, since he's most likely in the back sharpening. I suppose people would hold onto their skates if they needed a different service.

I have close to 2000 regular sharpening customers and most of them I have memorized, so if someone comes in with skates in hand, duh, I know what they want, duh, a sharpening, duh. What else. I can't even believe "sharpeners" are getting pissed if someone comes in with skates, what else do you thing they want, a cut and blow dry. Duh.

[DarkStar50 679]

Yeah, but just being polite is common courtesy. However, I think courtesy in public places went out the window a long time ago. Whenever I am buying something I treat the employee like I would like to be treated because I know what its like on a daily basis "to serve the public."

[jimmy 194]

Yeah, but just being polite is common courtesy. However, I think courtesy in public places went out the window a long time ago. Whenever I am buying something I treat the employee like I would like to be treated because I know what its like on a daily basis "to serve the public."

I guess my customers are different, they know me, I know them, and I don't mind if they drop their skates on the counter and run into the stick room.

[Eazy_b97 1]

I definately think each LHS has their own "feel" and it can change when different people are working. There were guys who hated me since I didn't do figure skates, and who just loved the owner. You could tell the atmosphere was different when I worked, as it was 2-4 hours every 2 weeks and the customers didn't see me often. On account of this, they would usually make sure I knew what they wanted. If the owner was in, they'd just drop and take off. I always told the customer how long I'd be and feel free to dick around in the store, get a coffee, whatever.

I think every place is different and it may be a bit of an annoyance to see someone just drop'em off and jet, but I wouldn't take it as an insult and I'd definately assume it was a sharpening.

[hockeyherb 1]

That is why you guys are not goalies. Of course goalies want lighter better shooting sticks. Why wouldn't they? Why do reg league players get OPS?

Oh no, the reason I'm not a goalie is 'cuz I couldn't stand being all the way down the ice away from the action. When I tried playing once as a kid I kept creeping up to the blue line to see things better then when I saw the puck coming I'd realize where I was and have to skate all the way back to the net. So I never got to play goalie again. :lol:

[KYHockey3 0]

if they just set them on the counter how do you know what hollow to use?

[Eazy_b97 1]

if they just set them on the counter how do you know what hollow to use?

Most places have a "standard" and there are some tools to measure. If not, you can tell by the dimple whether you are matching the last cut.

[sogaduch 0]

Just had this happen to me right now,guy came in blabbering on his cell with his skates in hand and he just dropped them off at the counter without telling me anything at all and just started walking around. i left them there because i didnt know what he wanted done so i wasnt going to touch them. he comes back and asks if his skates are done and i told him politely im not sure what you wanted done too them. thats a real annoying thing that and or a guy asking for a deal on a pair of shin pads when he pays by an amex that has no limit on it.

It's possible the guy has frequented a store in the past in which leaving them at the counter was the routine.

At my main rink, there's padding on the counter to the right of the register. Everyone knows to leave their skates there, especially if no one is around, since he's most likely in the back sharpening. I suppose people would hold onto their skates if they needed a different service.

yeah but at a hockey store in a plaza come on you gotta show the employees some sort of respect. not just ignore them cause your on your cell phone. i know i make it a note not too answer my cell phone when im in a store looking for stuff and im asking for peoples advice like getting a phone or computer just isnt polite.but if the person wants to not show respect then why should the person not show the same. granted there are customers who i know who just come in for sharpenings but for the ones that I dont know im not sure what they want,they need to tell me

[DarkStar50 679]

Yeah, but just being polite is common courtesy. However, I think courtesy in public places went out the window a long time ago. Whenever I am buying something I treat the employee like I would like to be treated because I know what its like on a daily basis "to serve the public."

I guess my customers are different, they know me, I know them, and I don't mind if they drop their skates on the counter and run into the stick room.

I'm in NYC metro area. Customers are rude and stupid to salesguys as the norm. The nice customers catch us off guard. It is also easy to tell on weekends when teams come in from out of the area. The parents are usually a lot friendlier. I'm not kidding.

[Jason Harris 31]

yeah but at a hockey store in a plaza come on you gotta show the employees some sort of respect. not just ignore them cause your on your cell phone.

Well, those are different issues. Leaving the skates to be sharpened versus ignoring someone while talking on a cell phone. On that topic, I hope that one day high schools come up with "Cell Phone Etiquette" classes, because lack of cell phone etiquette is possibly the number one sign that the apocalypse is upon us.

I cringe when I'm standing in line and can't really hear the people who are just behind me having a conversation, but the guy on the phone five people away is talking loud enough for everyone to hear his life story. I can sort of accept business calls coming in, although LEARN HOW TO NOT TALK SO F*CKIN' LOUD!, but when they don't have patience to wait in line and have to call their buddy to see what's going on tonight.....

Then they keep on talking as they give the cashier their order. Not a step to the side as they finish the conversation or a "Hey, lemme call you right back," but keep on talking as the peon accepts the order.

Do I understand you feeling slighted by those people? Absolutely.

Edited March 10, 2006 by SalmingUSA

[roadrunner 12]

Just a quick read I found today browsing for all you shop owning you customer haters:

http://www.pulse24.com/Business/Top_Story/...10-002/page.asp

[Ti-girl 0]

Just a quick read I found today browsing for all you shop owning you customer haters:

http://www.pulse24.com/Business/Top_Story/...10-002/page.asp

It's true.

I'm taking a customer service class and people on average tell 12 people about a bad experience.