So I bought my first pair of skates from a LHS...

[icefish 0]

So instead of ordering another pair online and having them not fit right, I figure I give some business to my LHS and finally have skates that fit.

I decided that higher up skates are not the way to go, and I'm just fooling myself if I went for one90's or vector 10's. I only weigh 145, so I went ahead with a cheaper skate and chose the vector 6.0 over the supreme 50.

The guy helping me said to his boss "hey he said he bought a 7.5 in the flexlite and 7 in the missions, but both dont fit right.." then the boss replies "let me guess, bought em off the internet? so you're here to try some skates on and go home and buy em on the internet, ok.. good luck". I got kinda pissed at that comment, no one should have to hear something like that.

It's a little irritating that I've bought stuff from them before and I have to hear that crap so after my purchase, I went back to the boss and told him I didnt appreciate that comment.

I've been a big bauer guy for a while and I hope I like the vectors.. the holders look really odd since I've been using TUUKs for so long and the blade looks really tall.

[EBondo 232]

The guy helping me said to his boss "hey he said he bought a 7.5 in the flexlite and 7 in the missions, but both dont fit right.." then the boss replies "let me guess, bought em off the internet? so you're here to try some skates on and go home and buy em on the internet, ok.. good luck". I got kinda pissed at that comment, no one should have to hear something like that.

It's a little irritating that I've bought stuff from them before and I have to hear that crap so after my purchase, I went back to the boss and told him I didnt appreciate that comment.

The only reason you got that is because a majority of the people these days would rather do business with an online retailer.

[TBLfan 25]

that still doesn't make it right. When you run a buisness you should act in a professional way, regardless of the situation.

I can understand his flustration, but that comment wasn't justified. He could have asked you if you planned on buying them there or online and told you why you should buy through him.

[Tyler B 0]

that still doesn't make it right. When you run a buisness you should act in a professional way, regardless of the situation.

I can understand his flustration, but that comment wasn't justified. He could have asked you if you planned on buying them there or online and told you why you should buy through him.

i agree completely with tbl fan.. there was no need for that guys comment.

[Ivan 1]

So instead of ordering another pair online and having them not fit right, I figure I give some business to my LHS and finally have skates that fit.

I decided that higher up skates are not the way to go, and I'm just fooling myself if I went for one90's or vector 10's. I only weigh 145, so I went ahead with a cheaper skate and chose the vector 6.0 over the supreme 50.

The guy helping me said to his boss "hey he said he bought a 7.5 in the flexlite and 7 in the missions, but both dont fit right.." then the boss replies "let me guess, bought em off the internet? so you're here to try some skates on and go home and buy em on the internet, ok.. good luck". I got kinda pissed at that comment, no one should have to hear something like that.

It's a little irritating that I've bought stuff from them before and I have to hear that crap so after my purchase, I went back to the boss and told him I didnt appreciate that comment.

I've been a big bauer guy for a while and I hope I like the vectors.. the holders look really odd since I've been using TUUKs for so long and the blade looks really tall.

I'd just forget the whole thing. I switched from Bauers to CCM for the first time too and really am enjoying them. No real adjustment period.

[jimmy 194]

The guy helping me said to his boss "hey he said he bought a 7.5 in the flexlite and 7 in the missions, but both dont fit right.." then the boss replies "let me guess, bought em off the internet? so you're here to try some skates on and go home and buy em on the internet, ok.. good luck". I got kinda pissed at that comment, no one should have to hear something like that.

It's a little irritating that I've bought stuff from them before and I have to hear that crap so after my purchase, I went back to the boss and told him I didnt appreciate that comment.

The only reason you got that is because a majority of the people these days would rather do business with an online retailer.

Actually the opposite. Who want's to buy skates from a "phone bank order person" who prob knows nothing about hockey. Still, I find it hard to believe the store owner would say that unless he was burnt by that specific customer before. I don't know how he could conclude that the former purchases were from a online site. Nevertheless, I have many customers that come in with wrong size skates purchased at big chain hockey stores, so getting wrong sized skates is not just a internet problem. And I would never make a snide comment like that guy allegedly did. If he did, it's prob built up frustration from being ripped off by the interet buyers who repeatedly use his store as a showroom and sizing tool.

One more vote for sizing fees.

[DarkStar50 679]

jimmy,

Just start charging sizing fees. Its the one sure way to find out who the "tire-kickers" are.

[KYHockey3 0]

if i were you i would have told him "i didnt plan on ordering online, but now that you say that, i think i just might"

thats what he deserves if he treats a customer like that.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

if i were you i would have told him "i didnt plan on ordering online, but njow that you say that, i think i jsut night"

thats what he deserves if he treats a customer like that.

I wouldn't say that, but only because I don't know how to pronounce "njow" or "jsut"

[tguidon 0]

Haha that's what I would have said.

[TBLfan 25]

There's no reason to reply with a just as unprofessional response. I would have told him that i didn't appreciate the comment and that it was disrespectful. I would probably let him know that I was going to take my buisness(and money) elsewhere to a competing LHS. I might make a comment about how if he plans on staying in buisness that he should consider taking a course in managing a buisness because with such a negative attitude and smartass comments like that; he won't have many customers for long. I'd be glad to buy online if he was my lhs, and his attitude is probably one of the reasons why he's getting burned soo much by these online retailers.

P.S. ^^ that was funny.

[JR Boucicaut 3789]

If people would stop burning us, then we wouldn't make that comment. I have told that to people before, not like that, but you can spot those "customers" a mile away.

[icefish 0]

Well I didn't exactly go in and try on ten pairs of skates and then buy all of mine off the internet prior to today. I've been in that store a few times to buy gear like pants and gloves and other protective gear.

Certain skates in a LHS are near double the price of what they are on the internet. To give someone 30 or even 50 bucks on top of internet prices is fine really. But I'm talking $200 here. There are costs associated with owning a store, yes I know. But $200 is alot to me, especially when it's on top of something that already costs $200. To be fair however, I bought the Vectors for a very decent price, and which is why I went ahead and purchased them so quickly.

There really should be a small sizing fee, followed by a refund of the sizing fee if the skates are purchased from the store.

Anyone have any comments on the Vector 6.0? It was more like an impulse buy, and I couldnt see myself getting the supreme 50 since it didnt appear to have anything special to it. The boot just LOOKS like the one90.

[TBLfan 25]

If people would stop burning us, then we wouldn't make that comment. I have told that to people before, not like that, but you can spot those "customers" a mile away.

Well I would expect you(and I assume by your posts) that you'd be more professional about it. You don't just go around pointing fingers. I'm sure you wouldn't walk up to some random person and tell them that they better not try to steal anything from your store.

It's basically the same thing. I have no problem with asking if thats what you're planning on doing or giving reasons to buy from your store but outright accusing someone of something that is unfounded is a poor buisness practice as well as just being un-kosher in general.

[JCYC5 0]

Wish we had a choice other than ordering skates online here...

Though I do prefer to fly back to Toronto when I get skates :P

A fitting fee would be a good idea... charge $50 for skate fitting, then deduct that amount from the purchase of skates from your store.

[JR Boucicaut 3789]

I did that years ago. $10. And people lost their minds.

[Chadd 916]

Too many guys get attitude problems and it drives away more business. That said, customer service implies that the people plan on buying something from you.

[JCYC5 0]

Wow...wouldn't have expected that.

Surely most people who plan on buying skate online will let you know?

I could never "waste" someone's time like that if I knew I was going to end up ordering online...

[habookus 1]

most people who come into my store and just want to "try on" skates, usually tell me before so i know not to waste my time pitching them. its the one's that don't tell me that really bug me. if they are going to waste my time, just to go ahead and by the skates somewhere else that's extremely selfish.

[icefish 0]

JR you're absolutely right-- it's really a tough call to really "charge" for trying something on with today's retail market.

Every retailer in something other than hockey(clothing, electronics etc) out there lets you freely try on things, purchase and return things, and even use them to a degree. It's just a part of running a business. Sure, most of those things are available somewhere online for a cheaper price too.

I guess I've never seen any business aside from hockey that has been so sensitive about internet competition. I can definitely see where LHS owners are coming from, but I didnt expect this degree of animosity.

[DarkStar50 679]

Its not animosity. Its called staying in business. Our competition is the internet! There is a certain amount of instinct and intuition in looking at a potential skate buyer in the shop. I don't often do it but if the vibe isn't right I have a simple question and its not offensive but it tells me what I need to know about the potential skate customer in the shop at that moment: "Are you ready to buy today?" The answer will tell me all I need to know at that exact moment. If the customer wants to play games in the shop, then we have the right to play, too. We have this discussion every six months on MSH, usually at this time when everyone wants new skates. Just mentioning a fitting fee to a "tire-kicker" will separate those who are ready to buy skates from those who are simply wasting your time. As much "fun" as it looks like at the LHS, it is a business, not a social club. We will still have fun in the shop but we are running a business.

[jimmy 194]

I guess I've never seen any business aside from hockey that has been so sensitive about internet competition. I can definitely see where LHS owners are coming from, but I didnt expect this degree of animosity.

Buy online all you like. The reason they are cheaper is that they have no service, no touching, no feeling and certainly no trying them on. I have no problems if you buy online. The big issue is that internet buyers are intentionally using LHS's as showrooms for their internet purchases and that's just not fair to the LHS. When we spend 1 hr shagging skates, explaining features, etc, that costs us money. We don't like loosing money. The animosity is not at the internet sites, it's at the customers who don't understand how business works, and who are essentially dishonest thieves.

[DarkStar50 679]

When the LHS is gone, where will the internet shopper go to try on skates?

Shop until you drop on the internet, just don't use me and abuse me.

[stick9 884]

There's no reason to reply with a just as unprofessional response. I would have told him that i didn't appreciate the comment and that it was disrespectful. I would probably let him know that I was going to take my buisness(and money) elsewhere to a competing LHS. I might make a comment about how if he plans on staying in buisness that he should consider taking a course in managing a buisness because with such a negative attitude and smartass comments like that; he won't have many customers for long. I'd be glad to buy online if he was my lhs, and his attitude is probably one of the reasons why he's getting burned soo much by these online retailers.

P.S. ^^ that was funny.

You hit the nail on the head.

You have a guy in the store looking to drop some cash on a decent ticket item. No reason to insult guy. If it were me. I would have said, I was planning on buying them here today (holding up a wad of cash is always a nice touch), but after being insulted I will take my business to another LHS and walked out.

Most of the time the difference between ordering online and buying from a LHS is the professional and personal treatment you get from the shops staff.

I love my LHS and have been going there since they opened. If I were ever treated like that it would be the last time I stepped foot in there.

I understand the guys frustration, but that's no excuse.

[hamstercaster 2]

Well it's funny how everyone's getting a bit flustered about how that owner reacted and with reason to some extent. But what if the thread starter really was just going to try skates and buy them online, and I'm not implying that that was his plan there. Actually just take a completly different customer going in and getting that type of comment from the owner when that specific customer is definitly going to buy online. Would that guy then not deserve that comment?

I agree that the owner should have kept his comment to himself if he wasn't certain the guy walking in was going to use his store as a showroom but if he did make that comment, in his mind he was certain that the guy was actually going to make him waist his time... Doesn't make it right, but doesn't make it wrong either in my opinion. If everyone was honest about what they actually intend to do, then we'd have no problems like that.

For exemple, guy X goes to his LHS... Hey, I'd like to try these skates on. I want to buy them off E-bay but don't know what size will fit me. I'd buy them here but you're 300$ more expensive... LHS Owner... hmm ok, well I'll let you try on the skates so we can fit them properly but there will be a 50$ fitting fee..... Guy X.. sure, no problem, I'm still saving 250$...

This way, both people would be somewhat happy. LHS makes a bit of money for his time spent with the guy and the guy still saves money. I myself buy my skates at my LHS and will keep doing so as it is what I want to do and I have always received good service from my LHS but that's just me. But at least that would be an laternative where both parties would benefit from one another. If guy X would say, no thank you sir, I'm not paying a fitting fee than the LHS Owner can just walk the guy to the door and wish him good luck with his online purchase.