Proper equipment shopping ettiquite

[Chadd 916]

There are a lot of river/quarry dives organized here

any at peach bottom?

I only want to go to places that look like a Corona commercial. I have no interest in diving locally.

[JJ Thompson94 0]

I feel bad for LHS's. The internet is really creating a wal-mart effect. But I think I will go to both LHS and try out all the skates. LHS competing with other LHS is just plain buisness. I am just comparativly shopping. I'm sure this forum will go on forever, but thanks.

[Viking 1]

if you tell them your deal they might price match the online retailer.

What part of "internet and LHS prices will be the SAME" don't ya get? Internet retailers can now list prices on their site, but the price is already dictated. They can't go for lower.

Does this mean the equipment can never go on sale?... Are they doing this with the prices of all of their stuff, or just stuff where the online price was formerly not posted (high end skates, etc.)?

[NJDfan 0]

I work at a shop in Jersey and to be honest it really pisses me off when a customer wastes about 30-45 min of your time, and says "I think we'll think about it.", or something to that extent.

[dangle 0]

I work at a shop in Jersey and to be honest it really pisses me off when a customer wastes about 30-45 min of your time, and says "I think we'll think about it.", or something to that extent.

It's not actually wasted time if they do come back and buy the skate or whatever product it was

[ean 0]

I work at a shop in Jersey and to be honest it really pisses me off when a customer wastes about 30-45 min of your time, and says "I think we'll think about it.", or something to that extent.

While I do think that it is wrong to go to your LHS and say that you want to buy skates and have them take the time to fit you while all along knowing that you intend to buy online, I do not agree with your statement in the least bit. Is everyone who goes to get skates fitted expected to buy them automatically? I know I am the type of person who if fitted for skates and felt comfortable, would go home, sleep on it, come back the next day, try them on again just to be sure, and then purchase them.

[blueshirt80 0]

I don't think your LHS was trying to get one over on you. Keep in mind, they prob bought their skates earlier in the year and paid $350 wholesale for them. Hockey giant prob bought them last week from the manufacturer whose dumping warehouse inventory at special closeout price for pennies on the dollar. Your LHS is just trying to recoup their investment. Hockey giant is prob doubling their money. It's not a level playing field so don't always assume your LHS is riping you off.

Sorry Jimmy, I probably should have elaborated a little when I say riping off. I understand exactly how inventory and wholesale operations work. I used to keep inventory and valuations for a few beverage wholesalers in Ohio.

I know that the LHS is trying to make a profit or at least break even on items. However, with any product line that has a limited life like the 6k pumps that you know will likely not be getting anymore and you are trying rid yourself of the limited stock to make room for the new line coming you do two things. 1 you put an actual price tag on the item. The sales person seemed uninterested in selling me a pay of skates and might have been trying to pocket some extra cash. That is the costumer service you get for staffing your store with 16 to 20 year old kids. 2 you discount the skates to try and be competitive. Will you take a loss? Yes, but you get rid of a discontinued product you could be stuck with for awhile. Could be better to take a smaller loss now than a bigger one later.

I would had gladly paid up to$70 more to get them from the LHS that day and not wait almost a week for hockeygiant and UPS.

Just for follow up. My LHS maintains a skate inventory list on the web so if you are looking for a particular skate and size you can garuntee it is at one of the two stores. As of today, those size 9 6k are still there, they were the last pair when I tried them on. The price today? $249.99 and I would have bought them the very day I tried them on. Instead they are still sitting in the store and on his books as an assess which, he will have to report to the IRS and subsqusntly increase his taxes.

[lb33knight 0]

Sorry Jimmy, I probably should have elaborated a little when I say riping off. I understand exactly how inventory and wholesale operations work. I used to keep inventory and valuations for a few beverage wholesalers in Ohio.

I know that the LHS is trying to make a profit or at least break even on items. However, with any product line that has a limited life like the 6k pumps that you know will likely not be getting anymore and you are trying rid yourself of the limited stock to make room for the new line coming you do two things. 1 you put an actual price tag on the item. The sales person seemed uninterested in selling me a pay of skates and might have been trying to pocket some extra cash. That is the costumer service you get for staffing your store with 16 to 20 year old kids. 2 you discount the skates to try and be competitive. Will you take a loss? Yes, but you get rid of a discontinued product you could be stuck with for awhile. Could be better to take a smaller loss now than a bigger one later.

I would had gladly paid up to$70 more to get them from the LHS that day and not wait almost a week for hockeygiant and UPS.

Just for follow up. My LHS maintains a skate inventory list on the web so if you are looking for a particular skate and size you can garuntee it is at one of the two stores. As of today, those size 9 6k are still there, they were the last pair when I tried them on. The price today? $249.99 and I would have bought them the very day I tried them on. Instead they are still sitting in the store and on his books as an assess which, he will have to report to the IRS and subsqusntly increase his taxes.

Did you ASK him to lower his price or match the HG price? He may have been willing to work with you if you had asked him instead of just getting them online instead. 95% of the time I will discount an item if the person asks and isn't a jerk. I have many items that I am willing to be flexible with that I don't "officially" have on sale.

[big_bt 0]

I work at a LHS in vancouver and yeah it pisses me off knowing that this guy wasted my entire time and didnt purchase a single item, not that im making commission that matters anyways.

But if you do inform me that you are just going to be looking and trying things on then that is a different story. I would not dedicate myself to you 100 percent, I would get you what you want to try on and then help others.

Instead of me running around checking upstairs, calling other stores to only come back with a missing customer that tried on 8 pairs of skates and a gigantic mess for me to clean up is the most frustrating feeling.

So please if you're going to try and buy some where else please let us know. Our job is to fit you right, and if we can't meet your budget then so be it.

[JR Boucicaut 3789]

if you tell them your deal they might price match the online retailer.

What part of "internet and LHS prices will be the SAME" don't ya get? Internet retailers can now list prices on their site, but the price is already dictated. They can't go for lower.

Does this mean the equipment can never go on sale?... Are they doing this with the prices of all of their stuff, or just stuff where the online price was formerly not posted (high end skates, etc.)?

The high-end stuff and the stuff that used to be "call for price."

[ean 0]

Did you ASK him to lower his price or match the HG price? He may have been willing to work with you if you had asked him instead of just getting them online instead. 95% of the time I will discount an item if the person asks and isn't a jerk. I have many items that I am willing to be flexible with that I don't "officially" have on sale.

How do you recommend one approach asking to price match or lower the price?

[Chadd 916]

Did you ASK him to lower his price or match the HG price? He may have been willing to work with you if you had asked him instead of just getting them online instead. 95% of the time I will discount an item if the person asks and isn't a jerk. I have many items that I am willing to be flexible with that I don't "officially" have on sale.

How do you recommend one approach asking to price match or lower the price?

Don't say "I can buy it for X online, that's all I'm going to pay." Asking if they can knock a couble bucks off is usually the best way to go. It never hurts to ask.

[sitzlejd 0]

I don't know why but I always feel funny asking for discounts. How often do people ask for you to "knock a couple bucks off" and do managers typically discuss this practice with their employees?

[JR Boucicaut 3789]

We have a price match policy so if they can show proof, and that store has that skate in stock, I'll match it.

However, I hate the whole "Can I get a discount because my kid plays hockey" thing. Hell, I like to eat, but McDs doesn't give me free Big Macs.

[lb33knight 0]

Did you ASK him to lower his price or match the HG price? He may have been willing to work with you if you had asked him instead of just getting them online instead. 95% of the time I will discount an item if the person asks and isn't a jerk. I have many items that I am willing to be flexible with that I don't "officially" have on sale.

How do you recommend one approach asking to price match or lower the price?

Be friendly and try getting to know your LHS employees. I have people that I have never even seen before that ask for a break on some stuff. If I am not willing to budge on the price I will normally throw in a roll of tape or something. You'd be shocked to see how happy some people are to get a free roll of tape. It doesn't cost us much and it goes a lonnnng way on making them want to return and be comfortable spending their money here.

[Chadd 916]

I don't know why but I always feel funny asking for discounts. How often do people ask for you to "knock a couple bucks off" and do managers typically discuss this practice with their employees?

If the online price is lower, ask them to split the difference. Hell, do the same thing at Best Buy or Circuit City next time you need a TV. I had a teacher in school that espoused always haggling over price. If you won't do it in the other stores, don't do it in a hockey shop.

[lb33knight 0]

I don't know why but I always feel funny asking for discounts. How often do people ask for you to "knock a couple bucks off" and do managers typically discuss this practice with their employees?

It's all about how you bring it up. Be friendly and act as if you'd appreciate it. If you are buying more than one of something just casually ask if it'd be okay to get a small break if you buy two or three. And if you get turned down, don't act disappointed.

[NJDfan 0]

I wasn't saying that "I expect everyone that tries on skates to purchase", all I'm saying is that I could be helping others instead of putting 100% into that one customer thats all! :)

[JJ Thompson94 0]

I work at a LHS in vancouver and yeah it pisses me off knowing that this guy wasted my entire time and didnt purchase a single item, not that im making commission that matters anyways.

But if you do inform me that you are just going to be looking and trying things on then that is a different story. I would not dedicate myself to you 100 percent, I would get you what you want to try on and then help others.

Thats the problem, thats kinda why I started this forum. If you go to a LHS and say "i'm in the market for skates you don't have, so just so you know I might get something else, somewhere else" I don't want the guy to spend less time on me, I might end up buying the skates that he shows me.

You don't do that when buying a car, if you go to test drive a Acura but say i'm also interested in a Toyota, they won't spend any less time trying to sell you on the Acura.

Why don't you be a salesman and spend MORE time with me, and try to sell me on your product and prove to me that I can't live without the skates you're showing me. I promise if you work on comission you'll fight for that sale.

[Chadd 916]

I work at a LHS in vancouver and yeah it pisses me off knowing that this guy wasted my entire time and didnt purchase a single item, not that im making commission that matters anyways.

But if you do inform me that you are just going to be looking and trying things on then that is a different story. I would not dedicate myself to you 100 percent, I would get you what you want to try on and then help others.

Thats the problem, thats kinda why I started this forum. If you go to a LHS and say "i'm in the market for skates you don't have, so just so you know I might get something else, somewhere else" I don't want the guy to spend less time on me, I might end up buying the skates that he shows me.

You don't do that when buying a car, if you go to test drive a Acura but say i'm also interested in a Toyota, they won't spend any less time trying to sell you on the Acura.

Why don't you be a salesman and spend MORE time with me, and try to sell me on your product and prove to me that I can't live without the skates you're showing me. I promise if you work on comission you'll fight for that sale.

You guys are talking about two different things. You are actually looking to buy a product from someone local. He is talking about someone who is coming in to get fitted so he can go to cheapgear.com and save a couple bucks.

Go in, tell them you're trying to decide between a model they have and a model they don't have. Whatever skate fits best is the one you're going to buy but you won't know until you try them both on.

Whatever happened to people trying on every model of skate just to see what fits best? A lot of the shop people are used to people coming in already knowing what brand they're buying, regardless of the fit. That's just dumb from a consumer point of view considering how much skates change from one generation to the next.

[JR Boucicaut 3789]

Exactly right. If you act disinterested while talking to him about the sakte, it will show and he'll use you for his sizing and walk out the door. Not that I am saying that they all won't buy the skate right then and there every time, but if you wow the customer you just might be surprised on how many bite.

[TBLfan 25]

Sometimes it's not worth fighting for the sale.

[JR Boucicaut 3789]

YEs, and over time, you can sniff out who's interested and who's shopping you.

[TBLfan 25]

Exactly. If you havent worked on pure commission you really don't understand. Most people think that their $200 should mean everything in the world to me, but it doesn't. I'm not going to work with you for 2 hours to get $10, you're getting dropped. I'd rather go and talk to someone else that might be able to help pay for the cell phone bill, not my lunch.

[Aussie Joe 0]

Close the sale next time ;)

Or at least make them an offer they are more inclined to take like "If you buy from us TODAY then we will throw in a sharpen, laces or even some guards"

But remind the customer that tomorrow is another day.