You wrote, “If a customer walks into a shop and wants a specific item the shop does not stock most shops will not take the time to listen to the customer and make an attempt to get them what they need.”
I didn’t want to say anything on the 2 piece vs. 4 piece thread and hijack it, but I have to say that I must be the luckiest man on Earth. I deal with 3 fly shops and none of them have ever refused to order something for me. I’ve had folks make a $ 15.00 or $ 20.00 material order for me and not balk or squawk at all. I may have to wait a while until they get their regular stock order before I receive my goods, but I always get them. Customer service is alive and well in Pennsylvania, at least for me.
Our shop just closed, now it is a 2 hour round trip to the next closest one if the traffic is good.
The week before he closed Our guy gave us the cover off of his own personal floattube so we wouldn’t miss our weekend fishing. Ours had ripped and was “in the mail” . He had gotten his waterskeeter tube the same time as I got ours. He had only used it a couple of times, whereas in the same time frame We have used ours dozens of times. He just never got to go fishing. You could order a single spool of thread from him and never even get a raised eyebrow. He tied and knew how important getting that special color was to you. He used to just barely break even running his shop and held on for the love of the sport. His was the best service I have ever encountered anywhere. He knows more about the fishing around here than anyone I have met. He will tie you a dozen flies for your trip after hours if he has to. Yes, I will miss his shop but I won’t miss Him because he will be fishing alongside us once again . Thats the one thing He said he missed about running the shop for 13 years, the fact that he couldn’t go fishing with the guys much anymore.
It’s dead as door nail for me from the East Shore to the Delaware.[/quote]
Dear Bamboozle,
Clouser’s Fly Shop in Middletown PA
Fly Fisher’s Paradise in State College PA
AA Outfitter’s in Blakeslee PA
I’ve been dealing with all of these folks for many, many years. They have always treated me like I was their best customer ever, though I know I’m not.
You won’t find any people in this business, or any other business for that matter, that are better than Bob Clouser, Steve Sywensky and his crew, and Gene Ercolani.
They are all more than people I do business with, they are all friends. Stop in and visit with them sometime, I’m sure you’ll feel the same way as I do about them.
Glad to hear it Avalon. I’m not familiar with 2 of the shops you mention but good service from Fly Fisher’s Paradise does not suprise me. They are great folks there.
I still stand by my comments though. Your experience is the exception, and not commonplace these days.
