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Stuff heard at a ski shop's service desk....

Scotty I.

I only care about the graphics
Skier
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Posts
502
Location
Evergreen, Colorado
Fortunately, I'm not buying anything he sells! Fun kid, very polite, but one wonders about the lying. I've listened to him lie to his mom; she doesn't buy it either. He is so enjoyable, confident, and smooth that I worry about psychopathy.
He should sell timeshares. He can use his natural sales tactics, be his charming self and make a helluva lot more money than selling skis.
 

John O

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Posts
423
Location
Seattle, WA
When I was back at my old shop in Pa, the hardgoods room was up stairs. One time the owner brought his friend up to see me for new gear and jokingly told him "Don't be alarmed, I am just bringing you into the spiders web, try not to resist, you will just be making it harder on yourself". His buddy looked visibly scared as the owner walked away laughing.
Haha, awesome. That was a great shop, I miss it (I’ve since moved away too). I have long wondered if you sold me my first skis and boots or not. Both purchased from Wick’s around 1991 or so. No way to know at this point (unless you weren’t there at that time), but I’ve wondered anyway.
 

ThomasD

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Dec 24, 2021
Posts
281
Location
Johnson City, TN
In 2019, when NASTAR was having their Nationals at Squaw, we had a woman come into the shop to get a race tune on her skis because, "I'm pretty high in the rankings but my skis skidded out on the course today so I need a complete race tune. Can I get them back first thing in the morning?"

She brings her skis in and :geek:
View attachment 153300
Conversation:
Me: We can't get them tuned for you by morning because we're backed up in the shop, but I'd suggest you take one of our demos out insetad. I can put you on a Head Supershape which will be better than these XScreams.
Her: But I love these skis so much. They are my favorite race skis.
Me: Let me get my boss and see what he can do.

Boss comes down and explains the same things I did. No edges left to tune, dated equipment and bindings, better off with a demo...
He gave her a discount on a demo to help her out and though I never heard a follow up, I'mm guessing she did a lot better on the demo ski than those.

Reference NASTAR thread.
2019 NASTAR Nationals Returns to Squaw Valley|Alpine Meadows
I have been trying to pry my wife off of her Bandit Ls for the better part of a decade.

Finally succeeded this year and got her some Cloud 9s.
 

Tricia

The Velvet Hammer
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Posts
27,298
Location
Reno
I hated that pig and it hated me.

This is looking a little tired, but @Bob Barnes mocked this up for @SBrown to attach to a bottle of bacon infused bourbon. It lives on our refrigerator door.
IMG_9224.jpeg
 

newboots

Learning to carve!
Skier
Joined
Dec 9, 2016
Posts
1,367
Location
Catskills
Heard in the shop today:

"Sir, I"m so sorry. But the bindings on your son's [system] skis are no longer indemnified."
[Explanation of indemnification etc.] [Guy starts texting somebody.]
But that can't be! They aren't 10 years old! They have to be over 10 years old not to be indemnified! They aren't 8 years old!]

[Explanation of indemnification re age of bindings. At length.]
But wait! You said they aren't on the list! That means you can work on them!

[Explanation of how the list is constructed. Manager offers to contact Marker to double-check, but can't until Monday, "because it's New Year's Eve and they aren't in."]
We are going skiing tomorrow!

[Offer of rental skis until Monday.]
No! My son wants to ski his own skis! If I need rentals I'll get them on the mountain. If you guys won't work on them, I'll look on YouTube and do it myself.

[Man stomps out of store.]

Manager calls the bindings guy at our other store. Definitely not indemnified.
Half an hour goes by.
[Man calls on the phone.]
I went on my computer and looked these up on Marker and they are definitely indemnified.

[Man is invited to come and get his son's skis and boots.]

Addendum:
Manager tells me that ours was the second shop that refused to adjust those bindings.
 

Henry

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Sep 7, 2019
Posts
1,229
Location
Traveling in the great Northwest
I almost bought new skis the year we went to Europe. We could have bought new skis and paid to ship them back for less money than paying the airline for our skis which qualified as “oversized luggage.” We were staying at club med so rented through them instead; though it did take a few tries to get some in the right length with a good tune. They had some very nice skis but wanted to put me on a mid 140!
Actually, if the shop ships the skis out of the EU then the VAT refund probably covers the air freight cost. Lufthansa is an airline with very high oversized luggage charges.
 

Henry

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Sep 7, 2019
Posts
1,229
Location
Traveling in the great Northwest
Yup. We are flying Lufthansa. Next time I will buy skis and skip renting!
I'm skiing in Austria, via Lufthansa, this year. Ski hire (rental) will be less than buying, but if I was in the market for new skis, I'd shop around for a purchase and air freight home. I might be in the market for 2023 Stoeckli Laser AX next year. I really like my 2017 AXs, and I'm waiting for the noticeable upgrade any year now....
 

jwilli

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
Posts
280
Location
Oakland/Berkeley/or in the mountains
Matching? Honestly, guys are the worst. As soon as I see a guy grab a boot and bring it over to the ski wall, I know he will be a problem.

When someone asks about boot color options I simply ask if they have black ski pants. If the answer is yes then they're not allowed to have opinions on fashion. (If no, I still tell them that I respect their life choices but they're out of luck :) )
 

crgildart

Gravity Slave
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
16,328
Location
The Bull City
Matching? Honestly, guys are the worst. As soon as I see a guy grab a boot and bring it over to the ski wall, I know he will be a problem.
Sez the guy with the Imelda Marcos binding collection.
 

dbostedo

Asst. Gathermeister
Moderator
Contributor
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Feb 9, 2016
Posts
18,096
Location
75% Virginia, 25% Colorado
When someone asks about boot color options I simply ask if they have black ski pants. If the answer is yes then they're not allowed to have opinions on fashion.
So I own a pair of black ski pants... but I haven't worn them in a long time, in lieu of the others here:

SkiPants ACR Conv.jpg


That said... I too am not allowed to have opinions on fashion. :P
 

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