Tuuk Edge Holder

[Davetronz 109]

this is completely different than either of those situations. You probably didn't purchase your car from the mechanic, and your getting charged for extra pepperoni on a pizza you haven't yet purchased. I think what people are trying to illustrate is that this was an excellent opportunity for that shop to provide an above and beyond service at limited cost to them, and instead they didn't even offer the guy some sort of deal or break on the service performed. Of course they don't have to provide these services, and the guy obviously already paid for the service, but it's an opportunity to have a satisfied customer wasted.

True - and it's very situational. I'm all about helping the customer and supporting them, giving complimentary service when feasible.

But at a certain point, it depends if the skate was purchased at the shop, how far out of warranty it is, and other factors.

Sure a handful of rivets aren't going to make or break a shop, but there's labor to consider and expectations for costs of future repairs.

Business is about give and take, however, it's hard to stay in business when you're doing work and providing hardware at no charge.

[Stewie 721]

yes, and all that needs to be taken into account, however i feel in this situation there was room for them to budge. You cant tell me the value of that holder is only 7 bucks (difference in repair vs fix/remount) and a skate holder doesn't seem like a very timely repair, especially given the fact the OP noticed that it is serviceable after removal. Had they gone the extra mile, it probably increases the chance the poster buys his next 800 pair of skates at that shop, and if I were a shop owner that would likely be a risk I am willing to take. If it were my shop, id likely first at least look into the warranty possibility, and then extend a reduced cost service. You never know the extent at which you can help a consumer unless you try, and in this case it doesn't seem like they tried. This has nothing to do with entitlement as many are quick to claim.

[boo10 323]

this is completely different than either of those situations. You probably didn't purchase your car from the mechanic, and your getting charged for extra pepperoni on a pizza you haven't yet purchased. I think what people are trying to illustrate is that this was an excellent opportunity for that shop to provide an above and beyond service at limited cost to them, and instead they didn't even offer the guy some sort of deal or break on the service performed. Of course they don't have to provide these services, and the guy obviously already paid for the service, but it's an opportunity to have a satisfied customer wasted.

Yep, this is exactly what I was getting at. I'm well aware that the purpose of running a business is to make money and I expect to pay a fair price for the product or service I receive. Having said that, I truly believe that the way a business handles this type of situation is a strong indicator of how they will treat you when something significant goes wrong. What profit did they make from the sale of that holder, maybe $10, if that? Labour cost to remove and remount a holder, virtually nil. Rivet cost, less than $1. No business owner is obligated to do anything above and beyond to make a customer happy, but a smart business owner does so when the potential benefit outweighs cost and inconvenience.

[lovejotd 1]

obviously you guys dont deal with service industry that much, people give away free things all the time in the hopes of making money. I have people come to my house all the time to give me free estimates on a job, just at the hope they get it.

Also its not only the $800 I spent on the skates, I also get my skates sharpened there like once a week for $10

I dont hold it against them, but i do think they could have handled it differently...

[IPv6Freely 2100]

My personal belief is to always expect to pay so I can be pleasantly surprised when I don't have to. That goes for anything, really.

[chippa13 1844]

obviously you guys dont deal with service industry that much, people give away free things all the time in the hopes of making money. I have people come to my house all the time to give me free estimates on a job, just at the hope they get it.

Also its not only the $800 I spent on the skates, I also get my skates sharpened there like once a week for $10

I dont hold it against them, but i do think they could have handled it differently...

A free estimate on a sizable home improvement job is different from expecting someone to fix a long past warranty item on their own dime.

[IPv6Freely 2100]

A free estimate on a sizable home improvement job is different from expecting someone to fix a long past warranty item on their own dime.

I'm guessing he'd want them to come do repairs on the job they do for free long after the warranty is up on that, too.

[IslandRyhno 0]

This is one reason I love living in a hockey mad city in Canada, service better be exceptional because there are literally a hundred competitors all charging the same price. When you have a monopoly you can do these things.If I was in this situation in the store, I would have fixed it for free and advised if it didn't work to come back and buy a new one. It really has nothing to do with entitlement, you're dropping nearly a grand on a pair of skates, help a guy out. I'd be way more likely to shop there again given great service.

[jimmy 194]

The better approach would be to contact Bauer Customer service when the item is out of warranty. They often will replace or repair out of goodwill. Most manufacturers do that, it's their product. You wouldn't believe how many holders, runners, straps, sticks, etc, etc, break out of warranty. If we were to replace all these for free and do all labor for free, the cost would be in the thousands.

[Davetronz 109]

Perhaps there's a thought difference here between a small LHS or pro-shop versus a big box shop.

Like I said, I'm all for helping out a customer and making a customer for life, but there's a fine line between that and paying bills and rent, especially for a small shop.

It's situational at the end of the day - not necessarily something I'd be willing to draw a line in the sand for over the Internet. Do I give things away at no charge, sure. Do I do it in every situation or every day, absolutely not.