R.I.P. Wholesale Sports

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by tacomama

I think a couple boys need a ruler....

Hey, I got the strap more than a few times in school (a long time ago).
I can take it

[Bergerboy]

Originally Posted by tacomama

I think a couple boys need a ruler....

Would that help with a decision you want to make?

[bat119]

If you want big box prices expect big box service, ever been to Canadian tire or Walmart?

What do you expect when you walk into a store?

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

Can't say for sure of course, but I also highly doubt the 'F' word was used.
Sounds like a bit of embellishment on the posters part.

Crowded store and especially crowded at the gun counter!

A sales person YELLS AT A CUSTOMER!

Uses the F WORD in a LOUD voice, TWO TIMES!

and there is no one else on this forum that witnessed that and will chime in on something so outrageous

Maybe a bit of embellishment or maybe the feeding frenzie was so rabid that no one else noticed? or maybe there is more to this story?

[wwbirds]

Worked the Calgary gun counter from 2008 until 2012 at WSS. Can tell you most days it was the greatest part time job a retired guy could have. Talking guns ammo hunting dogs and getting paid for it (though not a lot it was far worse after UFA took over)
In my experience 90% of the customers were a pleasure to deal with and probably 7% could be difficult since perhaps they were not sure what they wanted, had buddies giving them advice which may or may not be appropriate to their needs or they just had unrealistic expectations when they arrived in the store. with patience and some knowledge we could usually resolve any issue that would arise regardless of the "challenge".
There was a minority group of about 3% who came in with a chip on their shoulder, nasty attitude or were just show boating in front of the other counter customers or to their friends with them. I suspect regardless of what we did to serve them they would not and could not be satisfied. they would berate staff for not being able to answer their questions on highly technical issues, demanded answers to obscure questions about their particular interest often saying "you are behind the counter so you should know". One of these clowns wanted black powder advice so I referred him to our black powder guy behind the counter but he was still not content without throwing some disparaging remarks my way about my knowledge base. Another asked about the burst test on Remington actions to which I replied I have no clue and Remington probably publishes such information if they want it available to the public.
In extreme cases when these people went ballistic under the Butlers senior staff walked them out of the store and if it happened again with in recent memory they were banned.
UFA took a different approach citing the customer was always right even if the employee had no control over the complaint issue. IN some cases this gave the vocal 3% a platform so regardless how badly they treated staff they got to showboat. Many senior knowledgeable staff would not take this abuse and perhaps vocally responded in kind to the insults being hurled.
We would all like to believe that every hunter and fisherman is honest, legal and respectful but we know differently. Like anything else the complaints get more attention that the 90% who were fully satisfied. I think the one and only time I lost my cool it was with a UFA manager not the customer. The customer had traveled from Drumheller with a shopping list of about 11 reloading components he needed. Checking the computer and the warehouse we only had about 5 in stock. Although disappointed the customer remained committed to getting whatever he could until we found there hadn't been IMR 4350 powder in stock for many months whereupon he said the other components were not required without his powder and left. The store manager (UFA transplant and not a gun guy at all) watched him leave the supplies on the counter and blamed me for the lost sale for I should have sold him a substitute powder rather than lose the sale. My response was I have also used IMR 4350 for both my 270 and 30-06 for probably 30 years and would not be willing to start over just because UFA could not stock powder. This is not the same as substituting orange twine for black or common nails for a similar product that will make do.

[Ursus_Major]

Originally Posted by bat119

If you want big box prices expect big box service, ever been to Canadian tire or Walmart?

What do you expect when you walk into a store?

Some people think every place is a strip club, that all you have to do is to show the money to get fully serviced.

Well no. If you're not able to state what you want or want to do, especially with hunting or other gears, you're in trouble...

I won't ask the Walmart/CT guy reloading tips, although I might at WSS or Cab's.

[bat119]

Originally Posted by Ursus_Major

Some people think every place is a strip club, that all you have to do is to show the money to get fully serviced.

Well no. If you're not able to state what you want or want to do, especially with hunting or other gears, you're in trouble...

I won't ask the Walmart/CT guy reloading tips, although I might at WSS or Cab's.

So their job is to educate you?

[Ursus_Major]

A tip is not a reloading course.

Gosh you people get cranky up there, you should all go out shopping to chillax, I've heard that WSS is having a sale event lately!

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by bat119

If you want big box prices expect big box service, ever been to Canadian tire or Walmart?

What do you expect when you walk into a store?

Yes, all the time.

I expect Employees that can handle dealing with the public without drastic mood swings. If unable maybe have them stock shelves after hours.
I expect knowledge of product in the store, at least in their department. Lying because they do not know what they are talking about is unacceptable. (do you have torx screwdrivers? No, just the flat ones )
If unable to answer point me in the direction of someone able. Then fix it for next time.
They should leave snotty attitudes at home. I am not snotty with them.
I expect some sort of price matching. Canadian Tire does not do this.
I expect to be able to return faulty merchandise if it does not perform as advertised.

[Talking moose]

The turn around rate at lower paying retail jobs is staggering. That alone prevents much knowledge in the job.

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Yes, all the time.

I expect Employees that can handle dealing with the public without drastic mood swings. If unable maybe have them stock shelves after hours.
I expect knowledge of product in the store, at least in their department. Lying because they do not know what they are talking about is unacceptable. (do you have torx screwdrivers? No, just the flat ones )
If unable to answer point me in the direction of someone able. Then fix it for next time.
They should leave snotty attitudes at home. I am not snotty with them.
I expect some sort of price matching. Canadian Tire does not do this.
I expect to be able to return faulty merchandise if it does not perform as advertised.

Yup, this pretty well sums up what we should expect.
I'll only add one thing...don't treat salespeople as your servant or second class citizens.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

Yup, this pretty well sums up what we should expect.
I'll only add one thing...don't treat salespeople as your servant or second class citizens.

Very good point. Snotty customers urine me off just as much as snotty clerks. If I am looking for something and they help I show them how much their time is appreciated.

[wags]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Yes, all the time.

I expect Employees that can handle dealing with the public without drastic mood swings. If unable maybe have them stock shelves after hours.
I expect knowledge of product in the store, at least in their department. Lying because they do not know what they are talking about is unacceptable. (do you have torx screwdrivers? No, just the flat ones )
If unable to answer point me in the direction of someone able. Then fix it for next time.
They should leave snotty attitudes at home. I am not snotty with them.
I expect some sort of price matching. Canadian Tire does not do this.
I expect to be able to return faulty merchandise if it does not perform as advertised.

Just an FYI, Red deer north Canadian Tire price matched for me against Home Depot.

[diamond k]

Originally Posted by wags

Just an FYI, Red deer north Canadian Tire price matched for me against Home Depot.

Canadian Tire is my absolute last option. They have the worst customer service and there model seems to be less and less customer oriented.

I do not like the fact that in any of the new designed stores you have to go through some type of security turnstile just to get in. Returns are a huge pain.

Final straw came when the clerk wanted to record my DL # when I was using a cc. I have no issue with showing ID to use a cc but no damn way they need to record it. The transaction had already went through when she wanted to record. I grabbed my receipt and left as she screamed at me that she was going to call police. I wished her luck and said I would wait for the call.
I have never set foot in that store and CT is my last option ever.

[bobinthesky]

Originally Posted by kinwahkly

I've never had any good experiences with staff especially at the Gun counter. I would rather burn my $ before I handed it over to them .

I purchased several firearms from the Calgary store over the years and all of my experiences were good.

[DiabeticKripple]

went in to the calgary store sunday.

nothing really struck me as a good deal other than fishing stuff at 30% off.

lady at the customer service desk told me that on a typical friday they did $50,000 in sales and this friday they did 1.2 million.

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

...don't treat salespeople as your servant or second class citizens.

^^^^ They are there to serve but they are not your servants.

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by diamond k

Canadian Tire is my absolute last option. They have the worst customer service and there model seems to be less and less customer oriented.

I have nothing but good service at CT, The CT at Southland and Macleod does not have a large gun counter and they sometimes have the usual kids at the counter that really do not know much, Although the counter is small, the selection is good and big Jon knows as more about firearms than most, The service I have at the High River stores is quite good but their staff are spread thin and sometimes I have to wait a bit while they page a clerk for me.

[Bergerboy]

I have honestly found the level of knowledge from the sales staff at WSS on par with dedicated stores like P&D and Milarm. I think hating stores like this is a fashionable thing to do, kinda like an Albertan pretending to dislike Nickelback.

[fish_e_o]

Originally Posted by covey ridge

^^^^ They are there to serve but they are not your servants.

servant
a person who performs duties for others, especially a person employed in a house on domestic duties or as a personal attendant.



serve
intransitive verb
1 a :to be a servant

[wags]

Originally Posted by diamond k

Canadian Tire is my absolute last option. They have the worst customer service and there model seems to be less and less customer oriented.

I do not like the fact that in any of the new designed stores you have to go through some type of security turnstile just to get in. Returns are a huge pain.

Final straw came when the clerk wanted to record my DL # when I was using a cc. I have no issue with showing ID to use a cc but no damn way they need to record it. The transaction had already went through when she wanted to record. I grabbed my receipt and left as she screamed at me that she was going to call police. I wished her luck and said I would wait for the call.
I have never set foot in that store and CT is my last option ever.

I've never experienced anything like this in CT...ever. Sorry for your bad experience, but i've done many returns without issue, have had price matches, and never has someone recorded my DL - with that said, i use the self check out pretty often so no one there to record my DL.

Cheers

[wags]

Originally Posted by fish_e_o

servant
a person who performs duties for others, especially a person employed in a house on domestic duties or as a personal attendant.



Serve
intransitive verb
1 a :to be a servant

lol

[Justfishin73]

Stopped in to grab some decoys at 20% off and a vest at 30% off. Good deal. Starting to get bare except for ammo, clothes, and guns.

Over $8 for target loads??? Come on!

[32-40win]

Training people on the products likely isn't in the thought lines of the box stores, it costs money. Expecting people with part time employment in those stores to know the products, likely isn't a brilliant approach to shopping there.
It can be simply amazing in what some customers will ask of people behind the counter, and how they only hear what they want to hear, not what you are trying to get them to understand, about the answer to the question they actually asked. And then the flaky ones with the attention span of a gnat, ask something completely different, while not listening to the answer to the first question, then come around to asking why you didn't answer the first question, while you are working on explaining the second or third or fourth one. And then complain about the whole issue, because they didn't get the answer they wanted to hear. And in some cases didn't, couldn't or wouldn't comprehend the answer they did get.

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by 32-40win

Training people on the products likely isn't in the thought lines of the box stores, it costs money. Expecting people with part time employment in those stores to know the products, likely isn't a brilliant approach to shopping there.
It can be simply amazing in what some customers will ask of people behind the counter, and how they only hear what they want to hear, not what you are trying to get them to understand, about the answer to the question they actually asked. And then the flaky ones with the attention span of a gnat, ask something completely different, while not listening to the answer to the first question, then come around to asking why you didn't answer the first question, while you are working on explaining the second or third or fourth one. And then complain about the whole issue, because they didn't get the answer they wanted to hear. And in some cases didn't, couldn't or wouldn't comprehend the answer they did get.

Not a word of a lie. No more than an hour ago I fielded a call...
"Last night my camera wouldn't power up...do you know how much it's going to cost to fix it"
Me..."What kind of camera is it"
"I think it's some kind of Canon"
Me..."It's hard to diagnose issues over the phone, if you can bring it in we can have a look at it and figure out the problem"
"How much is it going to cost?"
Me..."Until we know what the problem is I can't give and exact price, if it's a simple problem it could be $75...or it could run more"
"Well I'll phone someone who can actually help me...CLICK"

Sadly I get more than a few of these.

[jcrayford]

Originally Posted by 32-40win

Training people on the products likely isn't in the thought lines of the box stores, it costs money. Expecting people with part time employment in those stores to know the products, likely isn't a brilliant approach to shopping there.
It can be simply amazing in what some customers will ask of people behind the counter, and how they only hear what they want to hear, not what you are trying to get them to understand, about the answer to the question they actually asked. And then the flaky ones with the attention span of a gnat, ask something completely different, while not listening to the answer to the first question, then come around to asking why you didn't answer the first question, while you are working on explaining the second or third or fourth one. And then complain about the whole issue, because they didn't get the answer they wanted to hear. And in some cases didn't, couldn't or wouldn't comprehend the answer they did get.

Hey! How do you know me?

ha ha ha

J.

[Scott N]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

Not a word of a lie. No more than an hour ago I fielded a call...
"Last night my camera wouldn't power up...do you know how much it's going to cost to fix it"
Me..."What kind of camera is it"
"I think it's some kind of Canon"
Me..."It's hard to diagnose issues over the phone, if you can bring it in we can have a look at it and figure out the problem"
"How much is it going to cost?"
Me..."Until we know what the problem is I can't give and exact price, if it's a simple problem it could be $75...or it could run more"
"Well I'll phone someone who can actually help me...CLICK"

Sadly I get more than a few of these.

I've worked retail before too, I know what you're saying lol.

[Don_Parsons]

I liked WSS, but I have no proof of this.

Ho Hummmmm, hard to prove that anything happens these days with pictures.

I'm still confused when Dr Wayne Dier said that being human is not real,,, fake news I guess

Don

[makin tracks]

Originally Posted by Don_Parsons

I liked WSS, but I have no proof of this.

Ho Hummmmm, hard to prove that anything happens these days with pictures.

I'm still confused when Dr Wayne Dier said that being human is not real,,, fake news I guess

Don

do you have any pics on how much you love WSS? just wondering ha ha

[^v^Tinda wolf^v^]

I purchased a nice shotgun from wholesale. Arrived promptly with no snags. Rip wholesale