Store or Sell? What to do with your skis/gear when the season is done.

[crosscountry]

I have to think this is a case that the ski sales person didn't do their job. It is why you should deal with a reputable shop.

A ski shop sales person can't see how you ski. You get to "describe" how you ski. For beginners, they all think they're experts after they straightlined their first black!

Or, the reverse is true. A woman who takes lesson after lesson but are afraid to go beyond greens.

Or, if you live in the snowless flat land, how many "reputable shop" do you think he'll have nearby?

But the most important thing being, how do you know you got the "right" or "wrong" gear? It works, right?

Not until you try a few others ON MOUNTAIN that you realize what you have works better than the rest, or there's a better one, aka you got the "wrong" gear!

 

[Jilly]

Storing for summer. Selling items in the fall. 1 pair of skis are decoration, one pair for sale (Santa Anna 88's in 165 if interested), ST Ti going to rock status. Poles, helmet, suit for sale in the fall. So need new front sides, and something for all mountain. Maybe a new suit and definitely new poles. See what our CSIA deals are...

 

[Uncle-A]

A ski shop sales person can't see how you ski. You get to "describe" how you ski. For beginners, they all think they're experts after they straightlined their first black!

Or, the reverse is true. A woman who takes lesson after lesson but are afraid to go beyond greens.

Or, if you live in the snowless flat land, how many "reputable shop" do you think he'll have nearby?

But the most important thing being, how do you know you got the "right" or "wrong" gear? It works, right?

Not until you try a few others ON MOUNTAIN that you realize what you have works better than the rest, or there's a better one, aka you got the "wrong" gear!

Ski size is dependent on hight and weight as well as ability. If the sales person asks the right questions and they are answered accurately they should be able to get you in the correct ski. Without a doubt people do misrepresent their skiing ability but who is to blame for that? I have also had customers that just purchased a ski because they liked the color regardless of what is recommended.

 

[crosscountry]

Without a doubt people do misrepresent their skiing ability but who is to blame for that?

"Misrepresent" due to lack of knowledge.

The way the questions were asked, gets answers all over the place depending on the customer's understanding of the vast different level of skiing:

"What do you like to ski"
"What runs do you ski most"
"Do you like going fast"

Someone who "like to go fast on a black run" maybe "skiing the slow line fast" or straight lining it! That is two very different kind of skill (or lack of any). It would require two different kinds of skis regardless!

Someone who "likes to ski off-piste" maybe learning to zipper line the bump field, or dabble in the trees.

 

[anders_nor]

Ski size is dependent on hight and weight as well as ability. If the sales person asks the right questions and they are answered accurately they should be able to get you in the correct ski. Without a doubt people do misrepresent their skiing ability but who is to blame for that? I have also had customers that just purchased a ski because they liked the color regardless of what is recommended.

I think a pair of friends of ours wins this, he was put in 120 flex salomons, 2 sizes to big (29.5) he skied 25.5 for race, he found them to big when skiiing, so he went to another place, they put him in 120 XTD atomics, but I came into store as they were doing the final stuff saying he probably should be in a 130 at least, I know he has a ski racing background. he has never been a gear freak, and would just ski whatever was given to him

long story short, he got the 130 atomics, and we went skiiing, I havent skied with him before.. he is hands down the best skier I've ever skied with, both on, and offpiste, he flexes the daylight out of them. When talking about it later, it turns out he had about 100+ days a year racing/freeriding, complete long days, bell to bell, for almost . 20 years growing before his now 4-5 year hiatus(did I write that correct)

way to modest, way way. only person I've seen hipscrapeing out of the lift on skis he never skied and borrowed, on touring boots, after a few years off... it was a good trip, and such an awesome couple to ski with. when asked about his skill he would say not very good at all, and never caring about gear.. yeah you get weird results, first store didnt even bother to measure his feet, just pulled a pair from shelf he said

 

[BMC]

You maybe fortunate.

But there's no way to "research" a product when you're new to it. You just don't know what you don't know.

However, you may not "know" you got the "wrong" product. It may not work as well as it should be, even though it kind of sort of work.

I thought it's just me who didn't know how to ski. But the reality was it was the wrong size for my height and skill level. All it took was trying out another one!

I’ve been fortunate. I’ve only bought one pair of skis I didn’t really like (Line Supernatural 100). There was nothing wrong with the skis per se and in some conditions I quite liked them. But for what I had in mind (the wider ski in my quiver predominantly for powder) they just weren’t the droid I was looking for.

 

[Even_Stevens]

I thought it's just me who didn't know how to ski. But the reality was it was the wrong size for my height and skill level. All it took was trying out another one!

A ski shop hoping to unload inventory is how I ended up in Tecnica Mach Sport HV boots and skiing 165 cm Line Supernatural 86s. I have normal to narrow feet. Those boots felt cush but as I started hitting steeper stuff, I didn’t have as much control as I needed and got kicked into the backseat all the time.

I’m 175 cm tall and at the time was solidly in the intermediate category.

I’m now on 172 cm & 96 width skis and in low volume K2 Recon 130s. Couldn’t be more pleased.

 

[Uncle-A]

"Misrepresent" due to lack of knowledge.

The way the questions were asked, gets answers all over the place depending on the customer's understanding of the vast different level of skiing:

"What do you like to ski"
"What runs do you ski most"
"Do you like going fast"

Someone who "like to go fast on a black run" maybe "skiing the slow line fast" or straight lining it! That is two very different kind of skill (or lack of any). It would require two different kinds of skis regardless!

Someone who "likes to ski off-piste" maybe learning to zipper line the bump field, or dabble in the trees.

Misrepresent their ability is 90% of the time an over estimate of how well they ski. Ask any member here that ever worked on a sales floor if they have gotten a honest answer about that question. It is not due to lack of knowledge, they may not know how to ski but they do know just by looking around what a good skier looks like. This is more common in guys that clame to be a good skier, I have found the woman are more honest about their skiing ability.

 

[crosscountry]

woman are more honest about their skiing ability

Women are routinely shortchanged in their gear because shop guys sell them whatever they want to get rid of!

 

[Uncle-A]

Women are routinely shortchanged in their gear because shop guys sell them whatever they want to get rid of!

You really have to find a better shop. Of the four different shops I worked over 18 years I never ran across that. Even the big box sports stores I have seen have better people than that. In fact I have seen the woman get better attention because most of the guys I worked with were single. One of my customers years ago claimed to be a Playboy Bunny working at the club in North Jersey, when I was fitting her boots my coworkers were all hanging around looking over my shoulder so to speak.

 

[crosscountry]

I have seen the woman get better attention because most of the guys I worked with were single.

Just because women got more attention doesn't mean they actually got better service.

I was sitting next to a woman at a boot fitting bench. Watched in horror on how the sales guy trying to push all sort of useless stuff to address her complain.

Mind you, that's a reasonably reputable shop. But the sales guy was new.

 

[Uncle-A]

Just because women got more attention doesn't mean they actually got better service.

I was sitting next to a woman at a boot fitting bench. Watched in horror on how the sales guy trying to push all sort of useless stuff to address her complain.

Mind you, that's a reasonably reputable shop. But the sales guy was new.

You answered your own question the guy was new. Pushing useless stuff, is that like OTC or custom footbeds that most members here use.

 

[Chuck danache]

You answered your own question the guy was new. Pushing useless stuff, is that like OTC or custom footbeds that most members here use.

New guy or not, I was in one of the more reputable boot fit shops out west in Dec. and again last week end. They were busy, and I was there awhile both times. Is amazes me the the fitters are constantly offering the OTC footbeds, never offered custom footbeds to anyone while I was there. I find that if you don’t already have some understanding of boot fitting/options, the fitters just seem to pushing people off the bench and on to the next patron. I see this a lot in So Cal but expect more from reputable shops in ski towns. I’ve seen this too many times over the last few years, in busy and slow hours in the shops.

 

[crosscountry]

You answered your own question the guy was new. Pushing useless stuff, is that like OTC or custom footbeds that most members here use.

He maybe new to that shop. He wasn't new to the trade. He constantly drop comments about his previous "work experience". I only knew he's new to that shop because I frequent the shop and never seen him before.

But the poor woman he's "serving" wouldn't have known.

 

[BMC]

Misrepresent their ability is 90% of the time an over estimate of how well they ski. Ask any member here that ever worked on a sales floor if they have gotten a honest answer about that question. It is not due to lack of knowledge, they may not know how to ski but they do know just by looking around what a good skier looks like. This is more common in guys that clame to be a good skier, I have found the woman are more honest about their skiing ability.

If I can I like to see retailers/bootfitters who have seen me ski. Since I’ve got a pretty clear idea of the gear I like nowadays it’s less relevant, but it’s nice to see someone who already knows your style, ability etc.

 

[Uncle-A]

New guy or not, I was in one of the more reputable boot fit shops out west in Dec. and again last week end. They were busy, and I was there awhile both times. Is amazes me the the fitters are constantly offering the OTC footbeds, never offered custom footbeds to anyone while I was there. I find that if you don’t already have some understanding of boot fitting/options, the fitters just seem to pushing people off the bench and on to the next patron. I see this a lot in So Cal but expect more from reputable shops in ski towns. I’ve seen this too many times over the last few years, in busy and slow hours in the shops.

When you consider the difference in price of the OTC footbeds vs. custom footbeds I can understand why they might not push the custom footbeds. But is it pushing a footbed if a OTC footbed is used to improve the fit.

 

[BMC]

New guy or not, I was in one of the more reputable boot fit shops out west in Dec. and again last week end. They were busy, and I was there awhile both times. Is amazes me the the fitters are constantly offering the OTC footbeds, never offered custom footbeds to anyone while I was there. I find that if you don’t already have some understanding of boot fitting/options, the fitters just seem to pushing people off the bench and on to the next patron. I see this a lot in So Cal but expect more from reputable shops in ski towns. I’ve seen this too many times over the last few years, in busy and slow hours in the shops.

It’s the up and down side of resort based boot fitters. On the upside they typically do more fitting, and consequently have more experienced than most city based fitters. Plus they’re right there for further tweaks as necessary. On the downside they may be pressed for time with customers stretching out the door with a mix of appointments and walk ins. The risk here is the fitter may apply the immediately apparent heuristic based on their deep experience to solve your problem rather than have extra time free to work the problem through thoroughly.

 

[Uncle-A]

Try boot fitting the week before Christmas with customers all wanting to get their boots before the holiday. Or parents that want their kids boots, skis, and bindings fitted and mounted for the 24th of December and they are in the shop with the kids on the 23rd.

 

[zircon]

In fact I have seen the woman get better attention because most of the guys I worked with were single. One of my customers years ago claimed to be a Playboy Bunny working at the club in North Jersey, when I was fitting her boots my coworkers were all hanging around looking over my shoulder so to speak.

I feel like it should go without saying that a bunch of straight men being unable to keep it in their pants is not the same thing as good service. And while we’re at it, the quality of attention a woman receives in a retail setting should never ever correlate with how physically attractive the salesperson personally finds her. Wildly unprofessional.

 

[crosscountry]

And while we’re at it, the quality of attention a woman receives in a retail setting should never ever correlate with how physically attractive the salesperson personally finds her. Wildly unprofessional.

In reality, the quality of service is largely unrelated to the physical attractiveness of a woman.

The amount of attention, yes. The quality of that attention, not so much.