Hobby Stores... A rant
 

I don’t know that any retail store owners ever read these forums but if you do here’s a heads up.
Over the last 4 days I have visited 3 hobby stores trying to buy a complete nitro setup, car, radio, batteries, tools, paint and all the extras to make it go.
What a pathetic effort these three stores gave. It’s like the words "customer service" are foreign . They would prefer to work on their own cars and discuss hypothetical cars with their buddies who never appear to buy anything but stand there complaining about prices. Hello I’m here ready to drop a few hundred bucks.
Finally you get to talk to someone they don’t listen, they badmouth any product that is out of stock and tell you that the car in the moth eaten box lying in a corner is the best selling model.
Rarely do they bring a box down from the shelf to show you, they just stand there and expect the graphics on the box to do the job for them.
So much for trying to support the LHS, sorry guys but I can get that grade of service on line and better prices too. I’ll use you only when I have to, if you are still in business.
Yes there are probably some good stores out there somewhere but I don't have the time to find them.
OK rant over, I’m off to Great Hobbies site to spend my hard earned G note.:lol:

Rant
 

Question: are you in retail sales? If you are, then you know what it is like to deal with a person that comes in, spends an hour of your time asking prices, a short tutorial on how the thing works, what to expect for results, and then the next day you see the same person in a bigbox store buying all the stuff you recommended. Sure, they come back to get the little stuff that they forgot earlier, but your time and their cash are gone.

If you are not in retail, please understand that there is only one word that counts in the hobby business: clientele. Just because a person walks in off the street with a pocket full of cash, does not mean that the owner is obliged to spend time and effort on selling exactly what you want regardless of his own experiences. I will, however, direct you to a group that will help you find what you want, what you need, and how to operate the stuff you bought. The shop owner (as you found out) is likely the least likely to be ready to turn himself inside out, often because he ins a businessman, not a truck racer (occasionally untrue, but not often). He will, however, direct you to a group that does know what works or not, what you need to start, and take the time to help you if you get out of your depth.

If you can rant, so can I :P I am now out of retail, and glad of it; it was the most demeaning thing I have done in my life. Too many peope think that they are at McDonalds or WalMart and that your job depends on satisfying their every whim. Bag that, I take pride in my efforts, but refuse to jump because someone walks in the door.

Find out what you want in a serious machine before you take it out on the shopkeepers, otherwise go to RadShack and get pandered to. Then go to a club and find out what you need. Oh, and best of luck when you take your online purchase to the hobby shop when you find there is stuff you still need, but you don't know what... :wink:

whoa buddy !!take it easy on the little fella :P

i agree with andyB. Its to bad more hobby shops are not interested in the costumer.

TLyttle, when i spend more then 1000$ bucks in someones store i expect all the attention i require to make the right purchase.


dave

Addressing TLyttle’s points;
Yes I am in retail sales and yes I do know what it’s like to spend time with a customer and have them NOT buy. What do I do in when this happens? I ask myself what I did wrong, what I could do better? I learn by my mistakes and do a better job next time.
“Just because a person walks in off the street with a pocket full of cash, does not mean that the owner is obliged to spend time and effort on selling exactly what you want regardless of his own experiences” Well number one, I’m the customer so he is obliged to spend time and effort if he wants that cash.
Number two: Unless he spends the time, effort and LISTENS he will never know what I want.

“it was the most demeaning thing I have done in my life.”So what exactly is your view on the retail sales people that serve you?

“Find out what you want in a serious machine before you take it out on the shopkeepers” I don't agree with this statement, if I have to gather all the info I need before I buy then the small store becomes just another dispenser of product, hey just like a bigbox! But this is interesting because in the one store my initial request was for a specific vehicle, the guy behind the counter paused, looked up on the shelf where the kits were and said, “No we don’t have any of those left” then went on to tell me why I would not want one. So if he had one he was going to sell me an inferior machine but as he was out he would tell me it’s no good? This particular store had many replacement parts so he was obviously “In” the business but had very little in the way of kits or RTR. Perhaps he had been very busy and sold everything, if so a comment like “hey man can’t keep them on the shelf” and an offer to get one for me next week would have assured him of the sale. But to try and sell me MT when I asked for a buggy????
No these guys were upset I interrupted their little social club.

And just for the record, since last November I have dropped a considerable amount of money on Digital SLR camera and equipment. Did I buy from Future Shop, Blacks or any big box? No I made all my purchases from a small store on Main St. Why? because the guy behind the counter took the time to find out what I wanted and then explained the pros and cons and when he did not stock an item he offered to get it for me.
And that my friend is why his little camera shop is operating very profitably despite it’s poor parking, less than glamorous exterior, absence of multi media advertising etc. etc. Plain and simple “Customer Service”.

As individual consumers we don’t appear to have much control but we can speak loudly with our feet and our wallets.

Thanks for contributing to my thread and have a pleasant Sunday. :D

very well said Andy,and i couldn't agree more :wink:

If you are ever in the Medicine Hat area stop buy raceway hobbies and trains. They have to be some of the nicest people I have ever met. I even went in with a truck I bought used off the net for some help and he gladly helped me to get it going even though he was making no money from me. They stock alot, and if it isnt in they will order it for you. From now on they will be getting all of my car business. They dont stock airplane stuff, but would gladly order it for me also.

now that is service 8) i'll be sure to check them out if opportunity arises

LHS
 

Yup, you had your rant, I had mine, and yes, I had a great sunday. I get your points, and I hope you got some of mine.

How do I treat other retailers? With a lot more respect that what I got on the other side of the counter; I guess that is why I was so angered by insensitive, arrogant people (those described in my last post) that came into my store. I see no civilised reason to treat sales staff with contempt, yet it seemed to be the recognised right of many customers in their minds.

I never sold r/c cars, but my buddy did. He dealt with guys coming in, demanding a particular vehicle, ignored his advice that it was impractical and fragile, then came back with nothing but complaints and the threat that they would never deal there again; nice guys, lots of money, no brains.

I was one of the best salesmen for the LHS and never got a commission: what I was was the instructor at the local club, and as a promoter of the hobby I got the beginner off on the right foot. The owner still had his conferences with the guys that spent lots of money in his shop, and left the beginners to me and a couple of others.

Too bad about your experiences, and I, too, wonder how long these guys will be in business; it would be interesting to find out how long they have been in business so far, as often you will find out that it is longer than you suspected. In my home town we had a hobbyshop owner that was the most miserable inconsiderate blighter in town... for more than 35 years! However, once you got past his attitude, he had nearly everything there and you bought it anyhow.

What is the answer? Shop owners run their business their way, and are not at all swayed by the WalMart doctrine of The Customer Is Always Right, regardless of how stupid, arrogant, inept, or snotty he is. If you are in retail, you should know what I mean!

Let me guess did you go to Hobby Hobby in the Toronto Area because I had the exact same experience there except I was looking to buy 2 setups with some high end parts that would have cost over 2000$ and it seemed like no one in the store wanted to give me the time of day.

I didnt need to ask any questions because I basically knew exactally what I wanted and do you think that guy would give me a deal on anything NO he wouldnt even throw in a fuel bottle.

Anyway to make a long story short I went home got on Ebay and ordered all the stuff I wanted and ended up saving about $500 needless to say they have lost my business forever and I only went in there once.