Mean employies

[dano99a]

I'm 31 and there is one LHS of the 3 close to my house, that I just don't go into unless I REALLY need something and can't find it anywhere else.

Why don't I go there?

Well, for starters the prices are through the roof, They get all their stuff from walthers so, naturally EVERYTHING is expensive.

Sencondly half the employees in there are EXTREMELY GRUMPY mid aged and old men. Now, I have nothing against old men, I belong to a Model Railroad club that is all seniors so it's not me. It just so happens that the few times I did go in there and ask questions, the reply was always snappy and rude. Dunno why? One time I went in there to get ideas to give to my wife for Christmas after 15 minutes of me browsing I heard a voice yell "Are you gonna buy something or what!!?" I turned around, and it was one of the co-owners of the shop. I looked at him and said "Well, since you asked that way, no and I won't be back". Since then I tell everyone DO NOT GO THERE, rude people plus the added bonus of high prices.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bcammack


Bottom line: You deserve better and you don't have to take it from people like that.

[#ditto]The two hobby shops in my neck of the woods are really freindly and I have had no problems with them. Train Shows are another story my freinds I've met and seen many rude people and they never get my service.

[Anonymous]

my LHS just happens to be trainworld. Their service in store is even better than their phone service.

[twhite]

I'm really sorry to hear all of these horror stories--I mean it. I've had nothing but good relationships with the two hobby shops in my area. They're large, well-stocked, with salespeople who know their stuff and treat the customer right. At least in my case. If they don't have what I want, they let me know why and offer to get it for me, either that or let me know who to contact if I need it faster than they can get it. A lot of hobby shops have to have a basic minimum dollar amount to order from a wholesaler, and if they know that they don't order from this particular manufacturer that often, they'll usually give me an address or an E-mail or a phone number. They know I'm coming back because of that extra effort that they've just made. Seriously, the guys who are in business to promote the hobby and help the customer--no matter what his expertise level-- are the ones that survive. The ones that decide that they're just going to deal with the expert and ignore everyone else are the ones that are soon going to find out that their shop is largely empty. It's kind of like teaching music. If you get ticked because your beginning piano student hasn't turned into Rachmaninoff in two weeks, it isn't the student's fault--take a look at yourself. Rude hobby shop employees, are you listening?

[on30francisco]

When I was living back east I had a bad experience with a rude clerk at a hobby shop. I went there to buy some Shinohara turnouts. When I went to the counter to pay for them the clerk said in a snotty voice "Is that all you're buying? You don't spend much money here do you?" I retorted "your right and I'm not going to spend any today. I'll order them from Standard Hobby. They have great prices and no attitude." I walked out without buying anything. This store went out of business four months later.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bobchuck

Staff and their store only get one chance with me. WhenI leave for the final time I take care to point out where they went wrong and also advise them that all my modelling friends will hear of the experience I had with them. Having said that, I am fortunate that there are several stores in my area and they are all friendly and helpful.

just don't tell them that none of friends are into model railroading[:D]

[Anonymous]

Staff and their store only get one chance with me. WhenI leave for the final time I take care to point out where they went wrong and also advise them that all my modelling friends will hear of the experience I had with them. Having said that, I am fortunate that there are several stores in my area and they are all friendly and helpful.

[bcammack]

Obnoxious, mean-spirited, or surly retail employees prey on the same universal human trait that "salesmen" prey upon: the desire of the average person to be well thought of.

This makes people try and act agreeable to salemen, which often results in them purchasing things they either didn't really want in the first place, or paying more than they wanted to pay.

For the subjects of this thread topic, they rely upon this same trait to protect them from confontational situations where the recipient of their poisionous social traits gets into their face and tells them just what an obnoxious {insert derogatory epithet here} they are and makes their lives unpleasant for some suitable period of time. Most individuals will just shuffle off grumbling to themselves about lousy treatment, but avoid the confrontation.

Me, I demand a certain degree of respect and polite interaction and if I do not receive it, I bloody well call the other party on it. I'm funny that way. :)

If we make the antisocials uncomfortable often enough by confronting them, they'll either find another line of work that doesn't prevent them from practicing their unpleasant behavior, or they will learn a different way of behavior that is socially acceptable.

Bottom line: You deserve better and you don't have to take it from people like that.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CNW-400

I think I might know the store in Chicagoland that Bibfortuna was speaking of, but regardless I hope some of this thread gets back to local shop owners and they consider some of what is being said, both the positive and negative. If you want to keep people from taking their business to online stores, make the shop people friendly!

That was my intension of creating this post[;)], but i doubt change will happpen.[:(!] maybe if more people demand to speak to the manager than they will realize the problem[swg].

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CNW-400

I think I might know the store in Chicagoland that Bibfortuna was speaking of, but regardless I hope some of this thread gets back to local shop owners and they consider some of what is being said, both the positive and negative. If you want to keep people from taking their business to online stores, make the shop people friendly!

There used to be a shop here in Batavia that went out of business a couple of years ago, I don't know why, but I do know I never went there because the guy smoked so much I couldnt breath in there, and anything you bought came home with the smell too.

Last month I was in a shop in Elgin. Friendly staff but the guy behind the counter was in a conversation with someone the entire time I was there. When I finally got his attention it turned out he didn't know beans about N scale, and if they had what I was looking for he didn't know where to find it. I was told I could order it and have it in a week or so. I declined, and ordered it from Brooklyn Locomotive Works online that Sunday night, I had it by Wednesday(!) and for less. If you want to keep peoples business, you better make sure your shop is designed to please people.

Mark

If it's B&G Train World you're referring to in Elgin, you were correct to decline the special order. I've visited twice. The first visit I was greeted in a chilly manner. I overlooked it and bought a few items just the same. Second visit? They opened up 15 minutes late, and when I questioned whether they had new hours, I was told by the young man, "No I get here when I get here." Needless to say I won't waste future time driving there. The service s*cks.

[Anonymous]

I have always had a positive expeince with the "train guys" as my mom calls them. When i traded in my old tinplate train for some new trains the hobby shop owners treated me fairly, they even helped me select my purchase by telling me what was prototypical for Oklahoma and what was not.

[Anonymous]

I've never ran into a bad hobby shop emplyoee but I ran into to bad Amtrak Emplyoeea

[CNW-400]

I think I might know the store in Chicagoland that Bibfortuna was speaking of, but regardless I hope some of this thread gets back to local shop owners and they consider some of what is being said, both the positive and negative. If you want to keep people from taking their business to online stores, make the shop people friendly!

There used to be a shop here in Batavia that went out of business a couple of years ago, I don't know why, but I do know I never went there because the guy smoked so much I couldnt breath in there, and anything you bought came home with the smell too.

Last month I was in a shop in Elgin. Friendly staff but the guy behind the counter was in a conversation with someone the entire time I was there. When I finally got his attention it turned out he didn't know beans about N scale, and if they had what I was looking for he didn't know where to find it. I was told I could order it and have it in a week or so. I declined, and ordered it from Brooklyn Locomotive Works online that Sunday night, I had it by Wednesday(!) and for less. If you want to keep peoples business, you better make sure your shop is designed to please people.

Mark

[Anonymous]

Well, I'll try not to rant about Diplomacy..

Look, if store emplyees are rude, Just be rude right back...
They don't deserve your respect,

And if someone can't respect you as a person, have no respect for them.

I can't count the number of times i've righted an employee or the manager, I can count the number of times on one hand i've lost battles, and will never shop there again

For instance, A store at panama City beach, E-mail me and I'll be more thne happy to give you the name, was Giving my Girlfriend hell for whatever reason.

Somehting about Bathing suits supposed to be 50% off, but being 10%off,

I really couldn't give a shaza what it was about, but I like fighting battles, especually when someone is dead wrong, the conversation went like this:

Christa (Thats my Girlfriend) Comes to purchase this bathing suit, each piece is 10 bucks, and both pieces scan it at 16.95... battle insues...

GF: Why is the price like that
Clerk: Because each piece is 16.95
GF: but they are in the 10 dollar rack..
Clerk: Well it msut be some kind of mistake, i can't reduce it..
GF: Well then, how is that my fault...

Now i'm standing right beside her, and i decide, i've been silent enough, time for me to right these people.

Kev: thanks, that'll do, get me the manager, today.
Manager: what is wrong?
Kev. Oh it's simple, these bathing suit peices were placed in the 10 dollar rack, Now pesonally, I don't care how much they are, or who placed them there, even if it was an accident, One of your 77 emplyees in this store does have the ability to pick it up and put it in the right spot. Now we came in last night and this was Still in the 10 Dollar or under place, So evedently someone in this store is not doing their Job, as a matter of fact I believe this would constitude as bad buisness Ethics seeing as nothing is in the right spot, you have 57 billion employees supposedly working, and we end up with this, All this rant and i'm getting tired seeing as your store has this odd inability to place things were they belong, and all your emplyees do is giggle and talk about their wild night lasat night, So now the bakll is in your court, the bathing suits, She is willing to pay 10 bucks a piece, therfore totalling 20 dollars, if my math is correct and I bvelieve 2 times 10 is 20, however your computer may prove me wrong, Or you can keep the price the way it is, loose the sale, loose 2 customers minimum, so kindly make up your decision, ..

Now everyone is Quiet, the manager, the clerk, thje people behind us... no one said a word for about 20 secondes..

We walked out paying 21.15

Rememebr, you are the customer, you have power, and your the one who calls the shots, don't let people walk all over you.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kevlar9296


After approaching the counter with about $90 worth of stuff, I asked for a kadee coupler height gauge. He nearly threw a tantrum for making him look for it (he was quite dissapointed that I didn't know the kadee part number off hand).

That is where you: say "go (word that cannot be said on forum) yourself" and walk out the store leaving your purchases on the couter for them to clean up[}:)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by preceng

Once. To get even, I took a product to the counter (most effective when the owner is there) and asked him if they know any on-line stores that carry "this".

OOOOOOOOOOOHH, Good one , I,LL have to remember that one.

[Anonymous]

I've never had this problem at either of my LHS - but then again, the owner of one of the stores has known me for years, and I'm a regular customer of both stores, which tends to make the staff more courteous (though I agree that grumpy, rude staff are unacceptable anywhere).

I've not found the problem described above with mentioning eBay purchases - but then again, I'm usually only interested in eBay items that I can't get in a store due to their being discontinued. I've also never had the problem with over-zealous staff watching like a hawk, at least, in model stores. Other stores are a different matter - have left some electrical and computer superstores because the staff either didn't have a clue about their products or kept hassling me when I was trying to browse for the items I wanted.

The other problem, which is sometimes common over here, is when you approach the counter with a small pile of intended purchases, and have to wait 5 minutes or so before the staff notice you! I accept that with model stores, this is more likely - both my LHS do a lot of mail-order business which takes a considerable time to organise and is a major hassle if something is done incorrectly. To be fair, this usually only happens when they have a new stock delivery to sort or items to package and mail to customers.

[brothaslide]

I have run into several LHS employees who I would not describe as "mean" but who are not "people persons" and they lacked customer service skills. As a business owner, I have to build and maintain relationships with customers and potential customers - there is no way around it. Besides, I like to get to know people so it is fun for me.

[greatn]

I have not been treated rudely an my MLS, however I find that there has been a relatively high turnover of employees and the new ones are not knowledgeable about the hobby.

[Anonymous]

This hobby store snobbiness is a total mystery to me. I don't understand why (some) hobby shop people act this way.

As a kid, I'd often feel like I was treated like a silly little kid who didn't know anything. Now, at 29, I recently went into a hobby shop and couldn't find their Athearn stock. I asked where their Athearn locomotives were. The guy replied, "well, what do you want?". He was totally irritated.

Then he proceeded to tell me in a totally talking down manner, "Our cheap plastic locomotives are over here..." - referring to $100 plastic locomotives, then finally to the blue box Athearns.

After approaching the counter with about $90 worth of stuff, I asked for a kadee coupler height gauge. He nearly threw a tantrum for making him look for it (he was quite dissapointed that I didn't know the kadee part number off hand).

In the shop's defense, another guy behind the counter was looking at me in an apologetic way, as if to say, "sorry... we don't like him any more than you do..."

Great shop, bad employee.

No offense to anyone out there, but I think some, and yes I said *some* of these super duper die hard model railroaders have no life, and act like you're nothing if you're not dumping half your salary into model railroading like they are.

The very next weekend I had a totally pleasurable experience at another shop - where it was as if the owner just wanted to chat model railroading all day with me. He just got a returning customer for sure.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

When I was younger I had a bad experience at a LHS that is no longer in business, owner retired. Something about my kitbashed engines being not being up to NMRA master craftsman specifications, and a rather insulting comment about that. That was then and in the past.

Today i find myself being very careful about saying waht I model and what I buy. Its like if I even mention a product they (various LHS's) dont carry, they get downright ruffled! I do large scale, which means that the number of stores are few, and they tend to specialize in one brand or another. I was in my LHS, which is primarily HO and N, but they carry LGB and some detail parts. I was looking for Trackside Detail or Precision Parts foran Aristo-Craft engine i was building a backhead for, as soon as I mentioned this stuff was going on an Aristo engine one of the sales rep's got visably flustered, as if I'd called his wife a bad name! I've also learned NEVER say the phrase "I got it on E-bay" in a hobby shop unless you want to get chased out by the angry villagers with torches and pitchforks!

I've never understood why LHS owners and salespersons have this attitude that if you buy something from anyone other than them, or any product other than what they sell, or if your NOT interested in that $1000 locomotive they really want to sell you but you wanted something around $100, they treat you like some kind of low-life undeserving of their service. I'm there to spend money, that should be enough to warrant a certain level of service. Granted I do pretty well at the LHS now.

Funny story on a related note--my primary LHS is closed on Sunday's but another shop was open on Sunday, I had the day off so I figured I'd check it out. Who do I run into there? A clerk from the store which was closed on Sunday!!! We acted like each other had Typhoid and to this day neither of us have ever mentioned that encounter!!!

[Anonymous]

My favorite hobby shop is Sky Sport Hobbies in Salem, OR. I have shopped their since I was a small Train-Master and they have always been kind and courteous to me.

[CP5415]

My local haunt is Horizon Hobbies in Whitby.
I've never been to Credit Valley, too far for me to go.
If Bob doesn't have it, I order it.
If he can't get it, I'll wait.

Gordon

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Fergmiester

QUOTE: Originally posted by CP5415

My LHS has never had or given ill word to me, but there is one in Toronto, on Mt Pleasant, that told me that they had a certain product in stock, so I drive an hour into Toronto to find out that they've been out of stock for a week.
MAN THAT [censored] me off!! [banghead] STUPID [soapbox]s
Needless to say I haven't been back to that shop since & probably won't again.

Gordon [:)]

That's a shame as that use to be one of my favourite LHS's when I was growing up. Personally I have the "One Chance" rule, where everyone is allowed one chance, you politely inform the person why you're [censored][censored], see what reaction you get and if they haven't royaly [censored][censored] you, then you give them another chance.

As we all know we all (say it's not so) make mistakes. To date Home Despot, Crappy Tire (one particular store), two restarants and a couple of others have not had the opportunity of taking my money.

Ya I know the one you guys are talking about and thats the one that I mentioned earlier....I like Credit Valley much more plus they have a way better selection...its worth the drive to streetsville. Which store do you guys prefer in the GTA?

[Anonymous]

This has probably been beat to death, but I have had similar experiences (although they were never at a hobby shop). Here in Utah there are only 2 good train shows...and there is never anything new and exciting at one of them. The same old people with the same old module layouts. The guys in one group are VERY unapproachable. They make it clear that they are there to play with their trains and don't want to talk to anyone about them (at least thats my experience).

I'm not a kid anymore, at least I don't feel like one! I'm 25 and it drives me crazy to go to these shows and get the cold shoulder from these guys. I've even stopped going to one of the shows. I've kinda lost the romanticism of model railroading, after years of the same treatment. It's just no fun to be treated like a idiot.

I wi***here was a informal club around here, but I have yet to find one. I don't want to have anything to do with most of the guys here...however if there is anyone out there that feels as I do, let me know!

Thanks guys and good luck in your travels...

[vsmith]

When I was younger I had a bad experience at a LHS that is no longer in business, owner retired. Something about my kitbashed engines being not being up to NMRA master craftsman specifications, and a rather insulting comment about that. That was then and in the past.

Today i find myself being very careful about saying waht I model and what I buy. Its like if I even mention a product they (various LHS's) dont carry, they get downright ruffled! I do large scale, which means that the number of stores are few, and they tend to specialize in one brand or another. I was in my LHS, which is primarily HO and N, but they carry LGB and some detail parts. I was looking for Trackside Detail or Precision Parts foran Aristo-Craft engine i was building a backhead for, as soon as I mentioned this stuff was going on an Aristo engine one of the sales rep's got visably flustered, as if I'd called his wife a bad name! I've also learned NEVER say the phrase "I got it on E-bay" in a hobby shop unless you want to get chased out by the angry villagers with torches and pitchforks!

I've never understood why LHS owners and salespersons have this attitude that if you buy something from anyone other than them, or any product other than what they sell, or if your NOT interested in that $1000 locomotive they really want to sell you but you wanted something around $100, they treat you like some kind of low-life undeserving of their service. I'm there to spend money, that should be enough to warrant a certain level of service. Granted I do pretty well at the LHS now.

[Anonymous]

I've never met anyone mean, really, but even worse to me are those guys who know it all, and want you to know it. When you ask them something, they roll their eyes or give a short little laugh, then talk down to you.

mike

[BRAKIE]

No,I haven't really beem mistreated..You see the hobby shops owners that know me know I look with my eyes and hands and they don't know if I will be spending $10.00 or $100.00 on this visit so they more or less let me look over their stock..Not to brag but Saturday I was at a local hobby shop and was looking over the Atlas,Walthers Athearn RTR cars..I went for decals and paint and ended up buying $108.52 worth of paint,decals and cars..Would you be rude to a customer like me? [}:)] After I will drive to other shops and get want I want and need there.[}:)]

[dave9999]

If anyone is ever in Pensacola, stop in at Bobe's Hobby House and talk to John. If there's ever a " Hobby shop
employee of the year contest " he'll get my vote. He is knowledgeable and more than willing to help. And if you
want to just shoot the *** about trains, he's your man. He has solve many problems for me. And if they don't have something, he will GLADLY order it. He saved me some money on my Digitrax Zephyr. And when i was
eyeballing my Allegeny, he said he would sell it to me for A LOT less than list. And when Nancy went in to get
it for my Christmas present, he knocked off even more. As for the rest of the employees, all very nice people.
They always greet me with a great attitude.

There is also another shop in town that is focused only on trains. They have a wider selection, I should say
huge selection. But I dont always get that "pensonal, glad to see you feeling" when I visit that store, although
they are very knowledgeable and helpful as well. Dave