Posted by JRM on October 24, 2000 at 15:32:07:
In Reply to: Sport Chalet- salesforce information posted by MHK on October 23, 2000 at 15:35:31:
You can count the number of different dive shops I've been in on two hands. One of them was the Sport Chalet in Ventura. I wanted to buy a replacement elastic for my wife's old pole-spear. I had drug it out of the loft of my in-laws, but the elastic was missing. So we go in. Luckily, they're blowing out bug bags way cheap (like 1/6th what my local shop wants), so I pick one up (that was the end of the good stuff). They had a huge pile of pole-spears directly behind the counter station (outside the counter against the column). But they didn't have any of the elastics. So I asked if they had any. The guy behind the counter didn't know what I was talking about. Heck, I really didn't even know all that much about what I was talking about. I used the term Hawaiin Sling (which is what my instructor calls them). No dice. Pole spear. No dice. So I showed him the ones behind him. "Oh, those. I don't think we have them. I'll ask." followed shortly by "no, we don't have those". So I ended up getting one in SB at Anacapa Dive Center (formerly Diver's Den). I ended up coming home, and my wife went back to enquire about a set of booties they had (she's really hard to fit, and these seemed ok). As she went to the other side to talk to the salesperson, the elastics were there in the counter. Oh well. I sleep better knowing that my extra buck went to a *real* store.
As a newbie diver I think it would be rather dangerous for folks in my condition to shop there. But that's what I expect at those big chain stores. I once (at a store in San Dimas, I think was SC, maybe REI) watched a guy talk someone similar to my short stature into buying a "extra long" sleeping bag because there was more fill, thus keeping him warmer (I'll admit, I stepped in on that one and got the dude the right bag). And has anyone ever tried to get service at Fry's (hint, pull out a camera and start taking pictures. It's amazing, the employees suddenly appear like roaches).
So I guess I'm wonder why people are so shocked that they received bad service at a "superstore". Low prices=low margin=low wages=low knowledge employees. You just have to balance the equation. If it's worth the low prices, go for it. Personally, I'll be in the "full service" shop until I obtain at least rudimentary enlightenment.
JRM