AS a small biz owner myself, I agree and disagree with Kent. While I can say the
service I have
gotten at smaller shops tends to be better (and the big ones rarely know anything), I
have found
some smaller retailers who could almost care less that I walked thru the door, and one
lately (not
in fishing) who took almost $900 from me to f*** up a job at my house and not want to
deal with me
about making it right. Only problem is, the longer he blows me off, the more he is
going to have
to deal with my ever surly growing attitude when we do get to fixing things.
I buy both ways, sometimes price, sometimes service -- and i certainly do not want to
see the
small independents go away, so I spread myself around. And I hope everyone else does
as well.
Oh, and as for the guy f***ing with me now? If he doesn't do anything by friday I
turn him over
to VISA. VISA tells me they make sure it is right, or they yank the retailers ability
to take
charge cards. I kinda like that one myself. ;-}
dan
--- Kent Lufkin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> As another small business owner, I've never met a potential client
> who wanted to pay too much for the services they're considering me to
> provide. In a new business pitch, I can usually overcome price
> resistance by demonstrating the additional benefits of a responsive,
> personal working relationship with a small business owner instead of
> an impersonal one with a mid-level account manager at a large,
> anonymous competitor.
>
> Same thing is true of fly shops. At full bore retail, they're usually
> much more expensive than for the same items at a big box retailer.
>
> But just try asking the harried, overworked teenager (if you can find
> one) at GI Joe's in Issaquah or even Sportee's in Redmond anything
> about fly fishing.
>
> Their blank, deer-in-the-headlights expression is a quick and pointed
> reminder that price alone isn't everything. Sends me right back to my
> helpful, value-added local fly shop every time.
>
> Kent Lufkin
>
> >While in Spokane, I stopped by a couple of the flyshops and chatted
> >a bit. They are a bit miffed, or I should say pissed, at the big
> >name manufacturers who have allowed Sports Warehouse to discount the
> >very same merchandise that the flyshops are forced to hold the line
> >on.
> >
> >Now I know, from previous threads, that a number of us think that
> >the flyshops are too expensive. But, at the same time, we enjoy
> >hanging out and talking flyfishing while gleaning our nuggets of
> >information. I for one am quite tired of seeing small retailers, in
> >all categories, put out of business by the big mass merchandisers.
> >I'm a small business owner myself and I'm sure I have more than
> >enough empathy for us little guys.
> >
> >Maybe there is a way we can enjoy the selection at a Sports
> >Warehouse but also find a way to support our local flyshops.
> >
> >For what it's worth,
> >Leland
>
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