annoying knife vendors

[ktd]

so I have been looking for a particular discontinued Benchmade, and I figure some shop somewhere may have old stock. I find one at one of those boutique knife shops, you know full msrp, and this one is on a regular downtown street, not a mall.

me: Would like to buy that 350 in the display.
knife lady: we have one in the case (pointing to the shelf case)
me: That one is much more expensive. ($100)
kl: well it has the black blade, that makes it more expensive
me: can't I have the one in the display case? ($70)
kl: I am too busy today to take it out, I have to rearrange the display, I will take it out next week.
me: walks out

first off, they must have like three paying customers a month. and there were two employees there, and what knife shop is actually busy? anyone wanna bet what the price of the $70 knife will be when and if they ever get it out of the display case? always wondered how these places stay in business.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Salespeople...

Ktd--I was in retail sales for 5 years. Can tell you that there are salespeople like that all over--it's not just knife stores.

If you are their competition it's a great thing, believe me.

If you are a potential customer for someone like that, do 'em a favor and try to explain, politely, why you are walking out. But they may not get it.

And if most of the staff in the store in question is like that, I agree, it's a mystery how they stay in business. But some of 'em do, with a full staff of "salespeople" who are an insult to the profession.

Benefit of the doubt: Your saleslady was having a bad day, had just dealt with a rude customer (or manager, or supplier, or accountant, or the MasterCard people, you name it). Salespeople get put upon by a lot of folks.

However, as a salesperson, I have to say, that's your job. And every customer is one you're delighted to see. And you WILL knock their socks off with service. And (ideally at least) your store will support your efforts.

We're not talking clerk-in-a-convenience-gas-station, here. We're talking expensive product, bought with discretionary income. Bottom line: If you don't knock their socks off, the guy down the road will. Capitalism in America at work.

 

[ktd]

I too was in retail, selling mostly guns and knives. I know all about surly shop people, I have sometimes been one (mostly to people who deserved it, I got continually yelled at, but buying customers loved me so it worked out okay).

just what boggles me is that I was not demanding outstanding service, just to take less than five minutes to take a knife out of a vertical front open display case and sell it to me. A discontinued knife, old stock, to someone who was ready to buy. Not just lousy service, but no service. (did I mention I had my wallet out?) In the time she took to gripe at me about what an effort it would be to sell me a knife she could have taken it out and sold it. And they do not strike me as "hobby" owners, like the old man a couple blocks away who ran a safari themed gun shop and just liked talking to people about the old days. maybe they just do it for the writeoff or something. I would have been very happy if I got an irate shop person who just sold me the freakin knife.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Hmmmph...

(shrug) Well, Ktd, there's just no accounting for taste. Hers, I mean. Were I you I wouldn't waste any more emotional energy on this deal.

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

When I saw the title---my first thought was those 2 inbred idiots I see from time to time trying to sell crap knives on late night cable TV programs.

 

[ktd]

I am sure they would have been happy to sell me a knife! are you talking about that wonderful deal on something like 3000 Frost Cutlery knives?

Smokey, I have no emotions. was just posing a serious econ question, how do they stay in business? If I could find their secret I would be on easy street. not particularly mad about it, I just wanted my knife, sniff sniff.

k