Rob Keeble
Member
- Messages
- 12,633
- Location
- GTA Ontario Canada
So this past weekend i took a trip to Letchworth State park just south of Rochester.
Well part of the plan Linda and i have it to get into carving. The whittling was just a trial run to test the waters.
So i had drawn up a list of goodies i wanted to buy and given we were in the area of the relevant store (Woodcraft ) and had a duty free allowance which helped with savings, we thought it would be cool to stop in and buy direct from the store the tools we wanted.
Well.....I wanted a set of Pfeil chisels, this store had all the individual chisels but none of the sets.
So i looked at the chisels then checked out the list of chisels in the set i wanted and then approached the guy that had initially helped us.
I asked if they would supply me the individuals at a set price if i took the full set.
Nope. I said but you can order the set and replace the ones i have purchased. Nope set comes with a tool roll. I said i dont mind forgoing not having the tool roll. Nope then went on to give me some nonsense story about how the price of the set versus the price of the individual tools is different for them blah blah blah.
This is when i said ok thanks i will order them online. But i was mad. I am a big believer in supporting local stores and i see tourism as part of this process. This guy could have had a few hundred dollar sale that day instead he got nothing from me. I had other things on my list but i was so mad at the lack of flexibility that i just left.
Now i fully realize the cost of stocking everything for a hobby thats a niche in the first place (woodworking) never mind a further niche within the niche (carving). But if i were into this situation i would keep the common sets and make the individual chisels special order given if someone wants a very specific sweep they were surely already committed to carving and it was not on a par with something that everyone is buying and expect them to have it in stock.
I could have looked to go over the guys head which normally i would but with my wife in tow i was not going to freak her out by performing. She also could not believe the mentality.
So for my part they just lost the sale and they deserve to end up closing their doors and when they do i will not shed a tear.
Dad always said .........half a loaf is better than none and they need to learn that.
Well part of the plan Linda and i have it to get into carving. The whittling was just a trial run to test the waters.
So i had drawn up a list of goodies i wanted to buy and given we were in the area of the relevant store (Woodcraft ) and had a duty free allowance which helped with savings, we thought it would be cool to stop in and buy direct from the store the tools we wanted.
Well.....I wanted a set of Pfeil chisels, this store had all the individual chisels but none of the sets.
So i looked at the chisels then checked out the list of chisels in the set i wanted and then approached the guy that had initially helped us.
I asked if they would supply me the individuals at a set price if i took the full set.
Nope. I said but you can order the set and replace the ones i have purchased. Nope set comes with a tool roll. I said i dont mind forgoing not having the tool roll. Nope then went on to give me some nonsense story about how the price of the set versus the price of the individual tools is different for them blah blah blah.
This is when i said ok thanks i will order them online. But i was mad. I am a big believer in supporting local stores and i see tourism as part of this process. This guy could have had a few hundred dollar sale that day instead he got nothing from me. I had other things on my list but i was so mad at the lack of flexibility that i just left.
Now i fully realize the cost of stocking everything for a hobby thats a niche in the first place (woodworking) never mind a further niche within the niche (carving). But if i were into this situation i would keep the common sets and make the individual chisels special order given if someone wants a very specific sweep they were surely already committed to carving and it was not on a par with something that everyone is buying and expect them to have it in stock.
I could have looked to go over the guys head which normally i would but with my wife in tow i was not going to freak her out by performing. She also could not believe the mentality.
So for my part they just lost the sale and they deserve to end up closing their doors and when they do i will not shed a tear.
Dad always said .........half a loaf is better than none and they need to learn that.