How Not To Be in Business

[Bob La Londe]

Recently in another thread somebody was griping about a local business not
discounting year end rods.

Everybody is welcome to buy where ever they want, but remember that the
local tackle shop is the best source of information about local conditions.
Especially if they remember that you buy stuff from them.

There is a local shop here in Yuma called The Sportsman's Hideaway. It is
pretty well stocked shop for the local conditions and Lannie, the owner, is
always in the top ten for the local fishing club tournaments. He knows the
local water better than anybody.

I was talking with him a couple days ago. We were talking about price and
business practices among other things.

I reminded him that the best person to run a small business is the owner,
and that same person is the best salesperson for the business. His grandson
has been running the store. Danny is a good guy, but he has no real passion
for fishing. He shares what knowledge he has freely. Unfortunately he just
doesn't have the information to share only being out on the water a couple
times a year.

Getting back to the point. A small shop simply can't sell at the same
prices as a big shop. What they can do is provide good information to their
customers. The flip side of that is there isn't anything you can buy at the
local shops you can't buy cheaper on-line or at the big box stores, but when
was the last time Walmart told you about a honey hole in the back lake
behind a back lake? When was the last time Bass Pro Shops called you at
home and asked you to go fishing? Has any of those companies let you post a
fishing partner wanted or boat for sale notice in their shop?

I understand. For most of my life price was an issue for everything, but
remember there are many intangible benefits to supporting the local dealer.
I won't pay double for anything, but when you consider how much you stand to
gain (or lose) and how much you already spend on fishing, a dollar extra for
a bag of worms or an extra ten dollars for a two hundred dollar fishing pole
isn't worth going elsewhere.


--
Bob La Londe
Yuma, Az
http://www.YumaBassMan.com
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[kenneth blevins]

You know Bob , your right. While I don't know anyone who will be bankrupted
by paying retail for a rod, I am always looking to save a dollar. If I want
a rod and it isn't discounted I'll buy it anyway. Also I always support
local tackle shops knowing in advance that I'm going to pay more than
Wal-Mart or larger stores but figure that this is a small price to pay to
help insure their success.
Just my 2 cents
Ken
"Bob La Londe" > wrote in message
...
> Recently in another thread somebody was griping about a local business not
> discounting year end rods.
>
> Everybody is welcome to buy where ever they want, but remember that the
> local tackle shop is the best source of information about local
conditions.
> Especially if they remember that you buy stuff from them.
>
> There is a local shop here in Yuma called The Sportsman's Hideaway. It is
> pretty well stocked shop for the local conditions and Lannie, the owner,
is
> always in the top ten for the local fishing club tournaments. He knows
the
> local water better than anybody.
>
> I was talking with him a couple days ago. We were talking about price and
> business practices among other things.
>
> I reminded him that the best person to run a small business is the owner,
> and that same person is the best salesperson for the business. His
grandson
> has been running the store. Danny is a good guy, but he has no real
passion
> for fishing. He shares what knowledge he has freely. Unfortunately he
just
> doesn't have the information to share only being out on the water a couple
> times a year.
>
> Getting back to the point. A small shop simply can't sell at the same
> prices as a big shop. What they can do is provide good information to
their
> customers. The flip side of that is there isn't anything you can buy at
the
> local shops you can't buy cheaper on-line or at the big box stores, but
when
> was the last time Walmart told you about a honey hole in the back lake
> behind a back lake? When was the last time Bass Pro Shops called you at
> home and asked you to go fishing? Has any of those companies let you post
a
> fishing partner wanted or boat for sale notice in their shop?
>
> I understand. For most of my life price was an issue for everything, but
> remember there are many intangible benefits to supporting the local
dealer.
> I won't pay double for anything, but when you consider how much you stand
to
> gain (or lose) and how much you already spend on fishing, a dollar extra
for
> a bag of worms or an extra ten dollars for a two hundred dollar fishing
pole
> isn't worth going elsewhere.
>
>
> --
> Bob La Londe
> Yuma, Az
> http://www.YumaBassMan.com
> Promote Your Fishing, Boating, or Guide Site for Free
> Simply add it to our index page.
> No reciprocal link required. (Requested, but not required)
>
>

[Mark W. Oots]

Well said, Bob.

Mark


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[J Buck]

<I won't pay double for anything, but when you consider how much you
stand to gain (or lose) and how much you already spend on fishing, a
dollar extra for a bag of worms or an extra ten dollars for a two
hundred dollar fishing pole isn't worth going elsewhere>

Well said. I can drive an hour round trip to Walmart and save 5 or 10
bucks or run up the street 5 minutes away. No contest.

[Nikolay]

On Mon, 3 Nov 2003, Bob La Londe wrote:
<snipped some great stuff...>
> The flip side of that is there isn't anything you can buy at the
> local shops you can't buy cheaper on-line or at the big box stores, but when
> was the last time Walmart told you about a honey hole in the back lake

Actually, in the local shop I find a lot of stuff that you can never find
in any xxxmart or even online. Like "boutique" spinnerbaits (that some
local guy makes) or fine fly-tying materials. The owner is more on the
hunting side, but he knows what he is selling, who is buying it and
when/where it works. And the prices must be right because otherwise he
would be out of business in no time.

[Gone Angling]

Walmart has cheaper prices and their return policy is better. It is easier to
browse at Walmart. I buy all year round at Walmart and stock up on quantities
for several seasons ahead. Other than that i shop at the fishing shows for the
specialty items that i can't get at Walmart.
If I would move to a new area i would shop at the smaller stores and use the
info gained as something like a guide service..

[Henry Hefner]

I agree, Bob, that's the way it's supposed to work, and the way it
USUALLY does work. You either get best price, or best service. But
sometimes you get neither one. Nothing sets me off quicker than a high
priced store with poor service. I like going to the small shop and
getting personal service. I like knowing that the owner knows me, and if
I have a problem, he will help because he knows how much I spend in his
store. But one time I went into a family operation that was packed
because the weather had just gotten nice, and people were in long lines
"waiting" patiently to be "waited on". The phone started ringing, and I
guess that was the straw that broke the camel's back. The owner came
unglued, threw his hands in the air, and shouted, yes shouted: "Where
were all you people last month when I was starving?!!" We all looked at
him and each other, waiting for him to start laughing or something, and
we realized he was serious! My brother-in-law and I turned around and
walked out. I looked back and saw a few others leaving also. That was
about 12 years ago, and I have never been back. As there is nothing else
down that road to draw me, I couldn't even tell you if he is still in
business.

[Scott Seidman]

"Bob La Londe" > wrote in
:

>
> Everybody is welcome to buy where ever they want, but remember that
> the local tackle shop is the best source of information about local
> conditions. Especially if they remember that you buy stuff from them.

Not only that, but a local shop is there when you need it. You go in, you
pick stuff up, and you leave. No shipping that you need to wait a day or
two for. When you find you're out of Sluggos, and you need them on a
Saturday morning, you go and pick em up.

If a shop closes because they're having trouble competing with web-based
discounters, you lose alot of convenience.

Scott
(Who supports his local shops)

[Bob La Londe]

"Henry Hefner" > wrote in message
...
> I agree, Bob, that's the way it's supposed to work, and the way it
> USUALLY does work. You either get best price, or best service. But
> sometimes you get neither one. Nothing sets me off quicker than a high
> priced store with poor service. I like going to the small shop and
> getting personal service. I like knowing that the owner knows me, and if
> I have a problem, he will help because he knows how much I spend in his
> store. But one time I went into a family operation that was packed
> because the weather had just gotten nice, and people were in long lines
> "waiting" patiently to be "waited on". The phone started ringing, and I
> guess that was the straw that broke the camel's back. The owner came
> unglued, threw his hands in the air, and shouted, yes shouted: "Where
> were all you people last month when I was starving?!!" We all looked at
> him and each other, waiting for him to start laughing or something, and
> we realized he was serious! My brother-in-law and I turned around and
> walked out. I looked back and saw a few others leaving also. That was
> about 12 years ago, and I have never been back. As there is nothing else
> down that road to draw me, I couldn't even tell you if he is still in
> business.

I can understand your irritation. Crummy service and bad attitude will
cause me to leave a shop as well. I usually don't write somebody off after
one blow up or problem though. A local marine shop will never get any more
of my business because of poor sttitude, but the owner ****ed me off on
three different occassions before I wrote him off. I figured with three
problems in a row he really wasn't interested in my business. He wasn't
just having a rough day.

Also, people change over time. As a small contractor I can understand the
frustration of the shop owner as well. I have been in business my whole
life, and those slow times can be very difficult as you watch your reserve
dwindle away to nothing just to keep the doors open. It can be just as
tough when its busy. You simply can't handle it. As a contractor I raise
my prices when I get too busy. As a small retail shop owner he doesn't have
that option. His prices are already higher on many things. They are
already at what the market can bear. He just has to plug on. He also may
not have the patience that you have or the ability deal with the stress. We
each have the our strong points, and his may not be working with a lot of
people at once, answering the phone, figuring out how he will get money to
his creditors so he can get merchandise back on the shelves, and worrying
about whatever is going on at home all at the same time. I have
distributors I won't buy from becasue of bad service as well, but each one
was becasue they were repeatedly bad. Not because one person had a rough
day.

His outburst was not very professional, but as they say until you walk a
mile in his moccasins...

Choosing to not do business with that shop is a valid option. I respect
your decision. I prefer not to buy at WalMart if the local shops have what
I need because Wally World has some of the worst customer service in my
area, and management is unresponsive to complaints.

In my case that local shop owner would be somebody I know, and if I saw that
happen I would mention it to him on a personal level at a later time. Maybe
at a fishing club meeting or I might stop by his office. I wouldn't expect
a positive response. After all I would be saying something negative to
them, but hopefully I would be able to walk in and speak deal with them on
equal terms in the future even if from different perspectives.

I'ld say try that shop again. If the opportunity arises discuss your
irritation. If you have another bad experience never go back.

Yuma is a small city, and over time you get to know who all the business
people are. I hate to see a business suffer. Even guys I may not like.


--
Bob La Londe
Yuma, Az
http://www.YumaBassMan.com
Promote Your Fishing, Boating, or Guide Site for Free
Simply add it to our index page.
No reciprocal link required. (Requested, but not required)