is service getting worse at outdoor retailers

Were they ever good?

My wife was told that she needed to get 2 pairs of boots, one for hunting and one for ice fishing. The guy explained to her that if the boots smell like fish then she would not have any deer come close to her.

I promptly asked the guy if the boots were vacuum packed? He said no, they are in a box. I looked around the store and asked him what the heck they smelled like right now? Would the smell of the big box store not be worse than that of the fish? I can only imagine that he works on commission and tried to pull a fast one on my wife.

Remember, they are trying to sell what they have and convince you that is what you need and could not be bothered to get you want you want, it is not worth the effort for them.

I think that if you suggested to raise the minimum wage in the political section, you might hear many reasons why we should not , including it is a Liberal trick and they are up to something.

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Originally Posted by Oddmott

I was part of the team that opened the first English Canada SAIL in Ottawa.

We were rocking that store for the first few months. We had a solid team of guys who knew guns, knew hunting and knew xbows, and we enjoyed everything about outdoor pursuits so we were genuinely invested in making shoppers' experiences stellar.

Then the cuts started... And they started with us most knowledgeable guys because they'd agreed to pay us WAY-higher-than-average retail wages, because they needed that knowledge to make a good first impression when opening.

Just a few short years later all the best of the old guard were gone, and you can't get a straight answer about anything. The folks behind the counter (that I've spoken with) are not active hunters, are not familiar with the firearms they're selling, are not familiar with hunting regs, and can't offer any help or suggestions worth putting stock in.

Last time I was in i heard one staff member telling a customer that a .22 mag & 410 combo is a great wild turkey gun. :-S

It's too damn bad. Coulda been a good thing.

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You are right on. I was so stoked when they opened in Ottawa because finally we had some competition and loved going to the store the first couple visits. Now I only go wen I need something that I can't find anywhere else. Service sucks, and its almost boring to walk around because it seems to never change.

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Originally Posted by Oddmott

I was part of the team that opened the first English Canada SAIL in Ottawa.

We were rocking that store for the first few months. We had a solid team of guys who knew guns, knew hunting and knew xbows, and we enjoyed everything about outdoor pursuits so we were genuinely invested in making shoppers' experiences stellar.

Then the cuts started... And they started with us most knowledgeable guys because they'd agreed to pay us WAY-higher-than-average retail wages, because they needed that knowledge to make a good first impression when opening.

Just a few short years later all the best of the old guard were gone, and you can't get a straight answer about anything. The folks behind the counter (that I've spoken with) are not active hunters, are not familiar with the firearms they're selling, are not familiar with hunting regs, and can't offer any help or suggestions worth putting stock in.

Last time I was in i heard one staff member telling a customer that a .22 mag & 410 combo is a great wild turkey gun. :-S

It's too damn bad. Coulda been a good thing.

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So, who's to blame? The customer that doesn't want to pay regular prices and who's always looking for the best deal, or the store that tries to compete?
We can't have it both, as you mentioned knowledgable guys have a price tag that doesn't fit the bill. For the one that don't like it, shop somewhere else, lots of "overprice" small familly store, or do your research online and don't ask question (that's what I do).

If your good at what you do, or anything more than a student or high school drop out, you can make more for yourself than minimum wage. Heck even a high school drop out with brains and ambition will make themselves a lot more than minimum wage. You can't go into these places expecting much more assistance than checking a stock number. You can't blame retailers, as it was said above, everyone is looking for a killer deal, and that reflects in staffing. There is a lot of rent and overhead on a place of that size! If you go in knowing what you want and having done your research they are a fine place to shop. I still buy all my tackle for the most part from a small local retailer, but there are no hunting shops near where I live. I either need to drive to a city, or order online. When I drive, the nearest cities pretty much have box stores so I make it work!

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Originally Posted by deerslayer

I get lots of items from gagnon sports guys there are very knowledgeable just that he wasn't sure when the stock of this item would be replenished they are great to deal with find easthills is a small store and don't carry that much but hopefully they will grow bigger

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Yes the guys at Gagnons are great to deal with. My favourite store. East hill is growing and they have good staff. Beyond that is Williams who are also a great bunch. They get in what you need with regard to reloading fairly quick with few exceptions.

I hope my wife never finds that box of receipts most from the guys mentioned in the above few lines.....

I might not survive!