Bad luck at Sportsman's Warehouse?

corrirod · 08-16-2002, 03:11 PM

I don't know if it was just bad timing or not, but I went to Sportman's Warehouse last night and their service sucked.

First of all there were three groups of people, including myself, looking for someone to help us look at different items in the store. Nobody was around. Finally, when I was helped at the reel counter, I decided to pick up an Okuma reel. I asked if they could put Tuff line on, they said yes. I asked which test they had and they said 30-85. I said fill'er up with 65. We went back to the line area and all they had was 30# on the shelf!!! O.K. no problem I'll get the reel filled elsewhere. My buddy asks the guy where to find the sharpeners and the guy takes him to the back wall and shows him the cheap, crappy sharpeners. When we ask where the good "Diamond" ones are he says "we must be out of them." Well as we walk up to the center island and notice the filet knives, we notice about a dozen different types of sharpeners including 3 different kinds of Diamond sharpeners!

Don't get me wrong, the store looks great and the prices were very comparable in most cases but they need to shoot their staff and start from scratch. I would hate to say how many sales they are losing to people who don't have time to wait for help. I had all the time in the world and I almost left. There was another guy looking at Pontoon boats who had questions and I don't think he ever did get help the whole hour I was in there.

Anyway, just my experience with them. I heard alot of people say it was great so maybe it was just bad timing.

skein · 08-16-2002, 03:17 PM

Too bad. I'm kind of a "home-town" shopper, but I was going to go up there and check out some items that aren't to be had down here. I've heard their selection of stuff is really good.

Can you tell me where they're located? I don't get to the city much.

Thanks.

Skein

corrirod · 08-16-2002, 03:25 PM

Skein,

They do have great selection I just couldn't get anyone who could answer questions.

They are located on Lancaster Drive and HWY 22. They are in the same shopping center as ShopKo and Winco Foods.

sturgn · 08-16-2002, 03:50 PM

I think we gotto remember to that this store is only about a month old, so theres prob a big learning curve going on, not making excuses for them but I wonder in a couple months from now if you would have the same impression? I actually had pretty good response when I went up there!

[ 08-16-2002, 04:50 PM: Message edited by: sturgn ]

bassin · 08-17-2002, 05:53 AM

I was there last week to check them out and picked up some new Life vests and some hooks. Nice section on tackle.
And we had no less then 4 sales persons ask if they could help me. So it sounds like it was just bad timing. Or they had a shift on that was new...... Its a new store and there my be a few bugs yet.
I have been to the one on Saltlake City and they are very big on CS at that store.

South Paw · 08-18-2002, 07:14 AM

Is this a big chain store or just a single unit? Do they have a good saltwater selection?

Straydog · 08-18-2002, 09:58 AM

This is a chain store.

As new as it is, the service level is more than likely the best it will ever be except, perhaps during the holidays.

The trend is for these stores to open their doors with help stumbling over one another.... as time goes on, the labor budget will be cut and the service level will fall if this chain follows the trend most others have established.

Lured In · 08-18-2002, 08:33 PM

I drove all the way down there on Friday afternoon (1.5 hours) to check it out. Overall I thought it was a good store and if it were closer, would probably buy stuff there. IMHO they have little or nothing I want that I can't get a Fisherman's or Joe's. There are; however, things I can get a those places that didn't seem to be at the Sportsman's Warehouse.

I was most impressed with the hunting section. It is by far the best I have seen anywhere. Not perfect but better than anything else. The fishing selection seemed to be good, with the notable exception of some locallly manufactured gear. (Alvins, Delta Divers, etc.)

If I absolutely had to have something NOW, I might go down there. Otherwise, Fishermans, Joes and Cabela's get my vote.

The service I got varied by department with the best in the shoe's and firearms. I saw no one in the tackle department.

just my .02.

[ 08-18-2002, 09:35 PM: Message edited by: Lured In ]

Mojo · 08-19-2002, 10:59 AM

Sportsmans opened their Boise Idaho store a year or so ago. They have held a consistantly high stock level on all their merchandise. That is the major complaint I have had with all the other "sporting goods stores" here. They also have most of the gear I need for fishing the Columbia, Snake, Salmon, Clearwater, and all my local rivers and lakes. They even have a decent selection of gear for Big Blue, which is tough to come by in Idaho. I have found that the folks that work there are very helpful, and the few that weren't were fired quickly. I hope the Portland store gets with the program soon. They are the best thing I've seen here.

live to fish · 08-19-2002, 12:01 PM

I have been to the one in boise a couple of times and had great service and a great selection.