Posted by kelphead on October 24, 2000 at 17:18:33:
In Reply to: Re: Sport Chalet- salesforce information posted by Richard on October 24, 2000 at 16:46:49:
"So who's fault is that? Sports Chalet or their customers for putting up with it?"
for a simplistic answer, i would say both are 'at fault'.
when i first wanted to get certified, i just didn't
know any better. i shopped around via phone for
the 'best price' (isn't that what a good little
consumer is supposed to do?). i learned from
my diver neihgbor--who was/is a member of a 'sport
chalet dive club'--that 'sport chalet' was having
a promotional offer: buy your mask, snorkel, and fins
from their shop and they will take off 80$ for their
'bow' instruction. so, one diver i knew (my neighbor)
recommended i check that out, and i did.
since that was my only initial experience w/them,
one certainly can't blame me for not knowing.
after certification, i continued to shop there
(though i purchased my reg/b.c./new fins/computer
& guages from elsewhere). i would get rental tanks
from there, bought my knife from there, little
things like a 'C4' light, wetsuit cleaner, zip ties,
etc, etc, etc. i tried to get them to price match
a tank, but they refused so i purchased it elsewhere.
i think i tried to give them enough chances, but
i have reached my personal limit (don't know about
others). there are other shops in my area that i have
patronized, but 3 of them are out of business, one
of them that i needed to visit for my reg was closed
for vacation--2 weeks in a row!! and yet another one
i relatively recently started to visit again
after i felt like one of the employees gypped me
a long while back.
now, i am starting to patronize a shop that is ~10miles
away and there is another one in l.a. that i used
to frequent regularly, but they are ~45 miles away
from my home.
i'm picky about where i shop and for what reasons,
so i don't just go to any independent shop (some
of THEM have the same stinkin' problems); but
it seems like, as far as i'm concerned, i am limited
in which shops to patronize close to my home.
i think if one knows EXACTLY what one wants and
can get away w/as little 'sc' employee interaction
as possible, then 'sc' may still be a choice. like
i said, i hope i don't have to need them in the
future, b/c i've decided to finally draw the line--
i guess it was my bad to continue giving them my
business and to hope that things would eventually
change.
kelphead.