And People wonder why I shop online.

I work at a High School in California. We teach students in an Environmental Science class how to fly fish. We have purchased our equipment (for 35 students) from a local fly shop. We recently had to purchase replacement rods (a dozen) to replace broken ones (imagine that!) and add a few more for a larger class size.
[begin rant]
The shop would not take a purchase order (not a problem, the payment process is cumbersome). Then, after we told the shop we had check in hand, would not order the equipment until THEY had check in hand. (kinda crappy, as my town is 25 miles away, requiring two round trips) They told us that the equipment would be there last week. It wasn't. We called today, it still isn't there and we have no ETA...and they don't seem like they care. Guess which shop won't be getting my business ever again? This is the same shop we have worked with before, but the original owner (a hell of a guy) sold to a multi-shop owner.

And people tell me to shop local to save the brick and mortar stores. NOPE

Amazing how some "business people" have the ability to run good paying and repeat customers off! Had something similar a few years back. When I would travel to this little town nestled close to a trout river, I'd always stop in, buy something even though it might have been a tad more expensive, and find out what was happening down on the river. The guy who owned the little shop appreciated the business. Quite often when I was looking at some of his flies, he'd say "now, don't go down to the river without a few of these!" And I'd buy them rather I needed them or not, the good rapport going with the owner was worth it.
Then he retired and turned the business over to his son. Then when I entered the store after that transition, the son would be at the back counter, sitting on a stool reading the paper, and say to me when I walked in ..."whatddya want?". Well, just like night follows day, I quit stopping there as other fly fisherman, too. Wasn't long for the shop closed and the property is now being used for something else.

Leo over at Fish First in Albany is no farther away that those guys in SAC and he is the absolute easiest guy to work with ever.

If I stepped over the line by mentioning a shop by name please forgive me

Bikebum

Ditto Leo.....
....lee s.

Albany is quite a bit further, actually. We will just go online.

This month I needed a heat gun, first store knew what it was but didnt stock it. Second store staff didnt have a clue(big hardware section) third store had it in stock. How do you work in a hardware, paint outdoor store and not know what a heat gun is?

Yesterday we were building a cabinet, needed pocket screws. I asked two workers in the screw isle neither had a clue. I explained what they did still no clue. I then said there made by kreig. He said oh the kreig stuff is over there and took me there. Have these people who all work in hardware type stores never watched home improvement shows?

I blame the decline in retail on the awful wages they pay and the fact that they dont want to pay benifits so no one is hired for more than part time.

I too am shopping on line I can do it at 2 am in my underware, find it faster and they bring it to my door

Rant and hyjack over

Eric

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Eric-WD

This month I needed a heat gun, first store knew what it was but didnt stock it. Second store staff didnt have a clue(big hardware section) third store had it in stock. How do you work in a hardware, paint outdoor store and not know what a heat gun is?

Yesterday we were building a cabinet, needed pocket screws. I asked two workers in the screw isle neither had a clue. I explained what they did still no clue. I then said there made by kreig. He said oh the kreig stuff is over there and took me there. Have these people who all work in hardware type stores never watched home improvement shows?

I blame the decline in retail on the awful wages they pay and the fact that they dont want to pay benifits so no one is hired for more than part time.

I too am shopping on line I can do it at 2 am in my underware, find it faster and they bring it to my door

Rant and hyjack over

Eric

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Pay a hardware employee all you want, it's not going to orient them any better to where the Kreig pocket stuff is. They know hardware or they don't. Earn your pay, then you get more money. $15.oo per hour isn't going to make the hamburger taste any better or get there faster.
P.S...Please don't shop in your underware ):

With slim margins these days some mom and pop brick and mortar shops don't get it. They may not be able to compete sales price wise or give wide in-store selection, but they can win customers through service. Respect customers and going the extra mile easily wins out over impersonal Internet shopping. It starts with owners having a passion for what they sell and insisting the same from their employees.

that is what I am saying. If I can actually save money to shop online, the only thing keeping me coming to your shop is the customer service.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TyroneFly

With slim margins these days some mom and pop brick and mortar shops don't get it. They may not be able to compete sales price wise or give wide in-store selection, but they can win customers through service. Respect customers and going the extra mile easily wins out over impersonal Internet shopping. It starts with owners having a passion for what they sell and insisting the same from their employees.

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Came the force of the internet. The short version for me was, customer value went down, the rent went up, the space is still sitting empty over 5 years later. My service is now spare room operation with acceptable margin. Uncompensated services offered to customers has been cut by about 95 %, every coin has a second side.