The Things Customers Do

[mack 44]

It may not be commission but their pay and hours are affected by sales. Maybe not on whatever planet you're from, but that's how it works here.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

It may not be commission but their pay and hours are affected by sales. Maybe not on whatever planet you're from, but that's how it works here.

Isn't that a form of commission, then? I remember back when I worked retail, you made the same amount no matter how much you sold because you were just an hourly employee. Maybe hockey shops work differently. Then again that was a LONG time ago, too.

I should also point out that I just go in and try things on, it's not like I'm wasting anyones time...

[mack 44]

If a store isn't making enough money, people will lose hours and work days because labour is the first place they'll cut to save money.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

If a store isn't making enough money, people will lose hours and work days because labour is the first place they'll cut to save money.

Sorry to hear that. Perhaps they could make their prices at least REASONABLY close to the online price? If they are, and I happen to be in the area, I buy from LHS. If not, I don't. Like I said, every time I buy something I weigh buying online vs buying in store. Sometimes one wins, sometimes the other.

Edited November 29, 2010 by IPv6Freely

[mack 44]

Did the points laid out to you by others a couple posts back totally escape you?

I don't know how much more expensive your LHS is compared to a website but I'm sure mine will still beat it. Not that I'm against shopping online v. shopping at a LHS, it's just that I'm not one to dick around and waste other people's time. This is why I love stores charging fitting fees that will be credited towards skate purchases.

[IPv6Freely 2082]

Did the points laid out to you by others a couple posts back totally escape you?

I don't know how much more expensive your LHS is compared to a website but I'm sure mine will still beat it. Not that I'm against shopping online v. shopping at a LHS, it's just that I'm not one to dick around and waste other people's time. This is why I love stores charging fitting fees that will be credited towards skate purchases.

Nope, they didn't escape me. If you recall, I actually posted about how they were very good points. I agree with your last post 100% though, I dont have anything against online vs LHS either, and I agree I'm not going to waste somebody's time, and I dont. I never once in this thread said I did. I said I go into a store, try on something, and if its a good price I buy, if its not, I buy online.

[mack 44]

So who does your skate baking?

[IPv6Freely 2082]

So who does your skate baking?

The little machine does. And even then, unless I bought the skates there, they charge me (way too much) for that. So therefore, again, if I don't buy anything, and I didn't ask for help with fitting, I've wasted nobody's time.

[CAmmon 2]

They let you put it in the oven yourself?

[mack 44]

It must also have skates readily available to be tried on.

[DarkStar50 679]

We started a $20 fitting fee just a few months ago. I wish we had done it sooner. Even just $20 separates the prospects from the suspects.

There is no such thing as over-charging for a skate bake. It's a service and the shop owns the machine. Just factor it into the price of buying your skates online if you insist on having them baked.

[pass the bisk 0]

The problem with most of the LHS I go to is that they offer no incentive to shop there. A lot of the time I'll go into a shop and its just run by complete amateurs. The only LHS I will really shop at is this place down in Ft. Myers, FL (I go there on vacation a few times a year). They offer great customer service and they will bake skates for free and throw in things like tape or something if you buy a stick. Even that small incentive makes a huge difference. Then, you look at online and they'll give you rewards cards, free shipping, etc.

[Gummer12 134]

Don't you get free shipping from the LHS too??

[MrWizard 0]

We started a $20 fitting fee just a few months ago. I wish we had done it sooner. Even just $20 separates the prospects from the suspects.

There is no such thing as over-charging for a skate bake. It's a service and the shop owns the machine. Just factor it into the price of buying your skates online if you insist on having them baked.

Do you think that the fee scares possibly legitimate people away? Do you "refund" the $20 (knock it off the skate price or whatever) if they buy from you in the store? It definitely makes sense from a shop perspective, just curious to know if it has had a negative impact as well.

Saying there is no such thing as over-charging for a skate bake might be a slight overstatement. I get your point, but with some of the clowns around here who'll take your word literally, you might want to rephrase that :)

[DarkStar50 679]

The fee is credited towards your purchase if you do not purchase at that time. This is clearly stated on the signage regarding the fee. I think the fee clearly separates those with intent to buy from those who are "tire-kickers". If we do not have a skate in stock after measuring, we let the customer know up front the situation. If there is no skate in stock, of course, we are not charging a fee. We have an extremely educated staff with a lot of experience. At the same time, in the rink pro shop, we run a tight staff with customers coming in like surges at different times depending on the games, practices, etc. It is important to help those people who have to get on the ice in a game or practice immediately that skate regularly and often in our building from those "customers" that are doing research. The importance of helping someone at once that is ready with cash in hand at the register is paramount to the person just looking to try on gear and tie up a salesman. No matter how that sounds, this is a business.

With regards to skate baking and other services, I have to charge now to insert blades on shafts, as well. Guys buy them at Modells or online and then want us to pull out their busted blade and insert the one they bought elsewhere. This is a service and now I can't help that customer at the register ready to buy because I'm in the service room for 10 minutes changing a mangled busted blade in the shaft. I encourage people to go to Home Depot and buy a heat gun. We did.

Everybody wants something for nothing. Sorry, that's not the way it works.

[Axxion89 32]

The fee is credited towards your purchase if you do not purchase at that time. This is clearly stated on the signage regarding the fee. I think the fee clearly separates those with intent to buy from those who are "tire-kickers". If we do not have a skate in stock after measuring, we let the customer know up front the situation. If there is no skate in stock, of course, we are not charging a fee. We have an extremely educated staff with a lot of experience. At the same time, in the rink pro shop, we run a tight staff with customers coming in like surges at different times depending on the games, practices, etc. It is important to help those people who have to get on the ice in a game or practice immediately that skate regularly and often in our building from those "customers" that are doing research. The importance of helping someone at once that is ready with cash in hand at the register is paramount to the person just looking to try on gear and tie up a salesman. No matter how that sounds, this is a business.

With regards to skate baking and other services, I have to charge now to insert blades on shafts, as well. Guys buy them at Modells or online and then want us to pull out their busted blade and insert the one they bought elsewhere. This is a service and now I can't help that customer at the register ready to buy because I'm in the service room for 10 minutes changing a mangled busted blade in the shaft. I encourage people to go to Home Depot and buy a heat gun. We did.

Everybody wants something for nothing. Sorry, that's not the way it works.

Agree 100%, even if my LHS does some of these for free, I throw him some $$$ for his time and in return, he'll help me out when I need tape or other small things. You learn it through life and you learn it in business school, relationships are crucial for any business and the trend going on in the business world today is that large retail and online stores are realizing that they have no loyalty and no relationships with its customers. Those little frequent buyer coupons and rewards do not have the same effect as talking with a real human being and interacting with them. I know its been said a bunch of times in this thread but basically if you don't want to pay the extra cash at your LHS, then don't complain when they charge you extra for small things, thats the breaks.

[pass the bisk 0]

Don't you get free shipping from the LHS too??

Yes. You get to pay sales tax too!

[RussianDangler15 0]

Yes. You get to pay sales tax too!

You get to do that online as well.

[pass the bisk 0]

You get to do that online as well.

Not in my state

[shotty 7]

local business needs the help of the municipal and federal government. if consumers are eligible for a "village credit" on their tax return for purchases made locally, it would certainly entice people to shop local as opposed to searching the web for the best deal. it promotes growth of the local economy by creating jobs and keeping the money in the city/town/region.

Edited November 29, 2010 by shotty

[Lee-Bro 1]

local business needs the help of the municipal and federal government. if consumers are eligible for a "village credit" on their tax return for purchases made locally, it would certainly entice people to shop local as opposed to searching the web for the best deal. it promotes growth of the local economy by creating jobs and keeping the money in the city/town/region.

It's a nice sentiment, but that's such blanket statement that doesn't even begin to address phase-out, subsidy issues, residency vs. proximity, tax filing status, etc. Ask Canadians about their mortgage interest deduction. I'd hate to see this discussion/board spiral into a tax-debate, but your comment while helpful in nature, gave me a brain twitch...and I haven't gotten over the previous one when I had to explain to a 22 year old what porridge is when she's never even heard the word.

[Secti0n31 0]

Over the weekend, I went into my LHS with my hopes on buying a totalone stick. Have never even picked one up before. If I use a Bauer stick, it is always in 77 flex and PM9 curve. I go to the shop, look for my flex and curve, but they don't have it. I still pick the stick up to see how light it is and etc, but then I go to the sales clerk and ask if they will be getting any in. He says no. I ask if he can order them. He said not for another couple months. So what do I do? I go online and buy a it. What should I do? Get a stick with a curve or flex I won't like all because its the best my lhs can do? I don't think so.

I have the exact same problem at my area shops. I understand that they can't stock a lot of product, and they don't stock things that don't sell, but still... when you only have one brand of tapered blade, it's overpriced, and only 2 curves in said blade, or when the only CCM skates you have in all sizes are the U+ crazylights, you're basically begging people to go somewhere else, and since there's nowhere else to go you buy it online.

There are a few things that I'll always buy from the LHS, and several services you can't find elsewhere, like bolting holders/runners onto boots, rockering and sharpening, etc. But they definitely don't have the best selection, and if there's a website that has exactly what I want, I'm just gonna get it.

[mack 44]

Because Buzz's brilliance needs to be bumped every now and then:

Cheap Guy Do you Have XX gloves?

MEYes let me help you with a size

(fitting intermission)

Cheap Guy ill take them, but the internet has them $30 dollars cheaper, so youll match that

MEwell if i knew i was going to give you internet pricing, i would have provided internet service

(dumbfounded look)

MElets try this, ill show you a picture of gloves, not let you try them on, say nothing, and get your credit card number, charge you $4.95 handling, and $12.95 shipping, and you can pick these up in a week.

Cheap Guywell i need them today

MEOVERNIGHT SHIPPING! add $24.95 to that!

[JBarrera 0]

Over the weekend, I went into my LHS with my hopes on buying a totalone stick. Have never even picked one up before. If I use a Bauer stick, it is always in 77 flex and PM9 curve. I go to the shop, look for my flex and curve, but they don't have it. I still pick the stick up to see how light it is and etc, but then I go to the sales clerk and ask if they will be getting any in. He says no. I ask if he can order them. He said not for another couple months. So what do I do? I go online and buy a it. What should I do? Get a stick with a curve or flex I won't like all because its the best my lhs can do? I don't think so.

Your case is different to what WSjo22 is trying to get at. Obviously if your LHS doesn't have the certain item in stock and won't be able to order them in a much shorter time frame, then it's no big deal to go elsewhere.

It's a slap in the face to the LHS when the customer knows full well that they're not going to buy there, but just using the place for fitting purposes, and to go online because it may be "cheaper."

[shotty 7]

It's a nice sentiment, but that's such blanket statement that doesn't even begin to address phase-out, subsidy issues, residency vs. proximity, tax filing status, etc. Ask Canadians about their mortgage interest deduction. I'd hate to see this discussion/board spiral into a tax-debate, but your comment while helpful in nature, gave me a brain twitch...and I haven't gotten over the previous one when I had to explain to a 22 year old what porridge is when she's never even heard the word.

nothing is ever cut and dry when it comes to stuff like this, but there will always be consumers out there who will think about their bottom line first, and the only way to coerce the general population to keep their dollars within their community is to offer incentive. local business owners can only do so much before they have to concede the sale to the warehouses and big box stores, and the owness shouldn't fall on them to try to remain competitive against the big players. they are at a disadvantage and small business is the backbone of both of our nations'. BC's premier initiated a handful of tax cuts to small-to-medium-sized business a few weeks before he stepped down, and i hope they stand as it will easily inject tens of thousands of dollars back into local businesses that are at the top of the revenue cap, but they will never see the money if they dont generate revenue through the customers.

there is no mortgage interest deduction in canada, so i'm not sure what you're getting at (or maybe thats your point), but we do have things like first time home owners grants, home improvement tax credits and a host of other incentives that promote growth within the community. let the financial engineers figure out the fine details of a plan like mine, sure there will be issues, but its a start. remember when the earth used to be flat?