Another disapointment at Chesepeake Knife and Tool!!!

S

smithd

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Hello Everybody: Had a let down at the CKT in Springfield Mall in Springfield, Va today. It went along these lines. I had a day off and went over to the Springfield Mall with my wife. She is interested in a Onion Shive and wanted to look one over. Of course, we would buy from one of the many cheaper places. When we walked the employee asked if if we needed any help. We responded with "no thanks, just looking." His reply (exact quote) was "Let me know if you want any help, I am a plethora of knowledge on knives." He was in his early - mid twenties. I stayed quiet in spite of temptation. We looked at the Shive and he gave my wife an attitude like "what are you going to do with that?" He also made a comment about carrying a knife required training. Then another customer came in that obviously was a regular. The CKT employee immediately ignored us and talked with the aquiantance. We spent another minute browsing and then left. I left a bit disappointed.

Attention CKT management: You lost a potential sale. My wife was going to buy it on the spot but changed her mind. I have been to several CKT in Fairfax (my hometown), Tysons, Dulles etc. That was the worst customer service that I have experienced. Maybe the employees should leave some ego at home and concentrate on customer service. Retail depends on customer service, not arrogance. Think it over.

I have seen many other posts from fellow Forumites on the same subject, I guess this time it was my turn to have a bad experience.

Doug
 
Crosman: She was disappointed also. She was ready to buy but did not want an attitude from "a plethora of knowledge"

Doug
 
Can Rev. Smithd get an Amen from the Choir?

Seriously: the thing to do here is complain to Chesepeake Knife and Tool's headquarters. Be sure to indicate the date and time that you were there. They can check the records and see which plethora of knowledge was working that day and then, perhaps, offer that individual an opportunity to expand his knowledge base in some other area... French fries come to mind.

A knife retailer won't do very well if his employees have a negative attitude about respectible (and I'm assuming that your wife is respectible and obviously adult) customers buying knives. You'd be doing them a favor by bringing this to their attention.
 
I'm a little confused.You said.
When we walked the employee asked if if we needed any help. We responded with "no thanks, just looking."
Click to expand...
The employee said
His reply (exact quote) was "Let me know if you want any help, I am a plethora of knowledge on knives."
Click to expand...
That does'nt sound like an insult to me.You also mentioned when you looked at the Chive
He also made a comment about carrying a knife required training.
Click to expand...
I think the employee must assume at first everyone walking into the store does'nt know much about knives especially a folder like the the Chive with the spring assisted opening.They must take that precaution to avoid injuries.Look at how many of our own knowledgeable forum members were nicked or cut by Mr. Onion's invention.
You didn't mention if you asked for any help and what his answer was.
Also you said
She is interested in a Onion Shive and wanted to look one over. Of course, we would buy from one of the many cheaper places
Click to expand...
This sounds like you never intended to buy from CKT,
I may be wrong on all accounts-I was'nt there but going on what you said the clerk did nothing wrong.
 
I agree - don't see where the clerk did anything wrong.

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By the way, this is one of my favorite knives. It is an older Greco marked Chesapeake Knife & Tool.
 
Hi, I own a couple of retail knife stores. I also worked for a short time at a Chesapeake Knife and Tool.

Ok here is what they taught me and what my clerks would do. First, since the clerk had no idea whether you were going to buy then or not, he should have greeted you as he first did...When you said just looking he should have said ok, asked if you were looking for anyone in particular and tried to engage you in conversation to get an idea of what you were "just looking" for.

When you expressed interest in the Chive, he should have shown you all of the models and expressed to your wife that many women carry them. He should have at some point in the conversation found out wich one your wife liked best, and asked if she'd like to buy it now.

If you actually intended to buy it at a cheaper place or online, he should have explained out lifetime satisfation guarantee, and other benifits of buying it from us.

If after spending half an hour learning about the product and taking up the clerks time, especially if there were other customers waiting you expressed you were going elswhere, he should have thanked you nicely (and cursed you under his breath!).

The people that waste valuable time in a knife store to only buy elsewhere, will eventually find thay store closed down, or worse find only clerks like you met because the store can not afford to hire and train people.

Pam
 
Well, wtf ya want him to do? Never ask if you need help or what? I think some self-appointed knife experts that take the little woman out to buy her a knife just love to go to knife stores so they can read something into the clerks attitude, and do their best to imagine he was being rude. Give it a rest already. Maybe his comment on being a 'plethora of knowledge' was some ill-fated attempt at being freindly or humorous....yeah, what a scumbag he must be :rolleyes:

Seems to be popular from time to time to go to a knife store with some secret desire to see what a moron the clerk is and then run home and whine about it on the forums.

Oh, and when ya take the advice by another forumite above to report the guy (who did nothing wrong, at least from what you have told) be sure and tell them that the guy did ask you if you needed help, and that you said no.

As for him then going off to talk to the regular customer...again, you didnt want his help, and in your post you stated that you had intended to buy somewhere cheaper....be sure and mention that to them. Anyways, knife stores are nice when they are freindly and they like to chat with their customers. Im sure if you would have said "excuse me, I would like some help now" he would have been more than happy....but in your rush to treat him like dirt here with that big chip on your shoulder, you just couldnt bother to give the guy a fair shake.

Glad ya never came into the knife shop I used to work at.
 
Moved to more appropriate forum. (In the loosest sense.)
 
I wasn't there to hear and see this situation,but from the description, it didn't sound like the sales clerk had done anything terribly wrong.The way you described the experience in your post,it sounded like you had walked in with an attitude that you had more knowledge then this mall loser could ever have.I got the feeling that you thought the knife shop and salesperson were beneath your all mightyness.I could be reading it wrong.Well anyway,it really does take a big set,to go shop somewhere just to handle the item and take up the salespersons time only to plan buying somewhere else to begin with.I purchase on-line and brick & mortar just about evenly.I want my hometown knife shop to still be in business so I have a place to go to actually see the products custom and production alike.A nice couple of hours spent shooting the chit etc.etc.Back on this clerk your complaining about,did you ever think he might have been more knowledgeble then even you?Maybe he is even a member of bladeforums.Perhaps he was correct about knife training?He didn't appear to be more interested in a commission or sale,but sounded like he generally was trying to provide the best advice and guidance he could.The salesman probably could sense you were just wasting his time and left you and your wife to just look at the product and ponder the purchase while his money spending,knife buying aquantaince walked in?Maybe I'm just not getting it because either you've left something out or I just had to be there to see this rude prick for myself.I honestly don't know,sorry you had a bad experience.Take care,Ralph
 
It honestly does my heart good to see that at least a few were able to see what an ass smithd most probably came across as, and his likely motive for going to a B&M at all.

Maybe there is some hope after all...

The customer is NOT always right, no matter how much you want to believe you are.
There is just something seriously wrong when people honestly believe they have the right to treat another person like **** and get respect and politeness in return...
 
My take on this.
I was a Bartender for a lot of years and owned a couple of bars for 20+ years.Although I did not work them full time I spent a lot of time behind the plank.
My regular bartenders couldn't figure out how I made more in tips than they did.One of the things I keyed on,was when a stranger came in ,I made it a point to make him feel at home.Usually found out what they did for a living,what their interests were ect.Most of the time I had made a new friend.A new tipping friend.
I did not spend a lot of time "BS"ing with my regulars,but taking time to fulfill their needs and wants,kept them happy ect.
Same in retail sales.IMO
 
Wow, this thread just hit me on so many different levels, I'm not sure where to begin.

I'm going give smithd the benefit of the doubt and assume that he doesn't treat all retail staff like this.

I have worked in jobs facing the public for literally most of my life.
In that time I've seen and learned what are considered "people" skills. One thing I've never forgotten is that retail staff aren't mind readers.
Most of them do want to help but a customer reply of "Just lookin'" gives the salesperson nothing to work with.

It's like a martial arts teacher once said to me, if the other guy gives you no energy to work with, you can't throw him, or it's a hell of a lot harder.

You sir have said that he came across with attitude. Well, a salesman
has a fine balancing act: to act the expert but not come across as a jerk who knows it all. It's a tough act and most people can't do it.
After all, would you buy a cigar from someone who didn't know how to light one? On the other hand, if the salesman says you have no taste because you don't smoke XXX brand of the month...

The difference between good and lousy customer service should be how the salesperson acts (or doesn't). It shouldn't be the customer walking in with a chip on his shoulder, and having unreasonable demands or expectations. Sure, I've gotten lousy service before from many different stores, businesses, etc. But to be honest, how many of those times did I walk in with the attitude?

I gotta admit I don't see what the sales guy could have done to please you, at least with the info given.
 
Hello to all: I would like to make some clarifications.

I did not go into CKT looking for trouble. I did not have preconceived notions, no chip on shoulder. Every other visit to CKT has been good. I am not claiming to be a knife expert. I like most forumites am an enthusiast. Arrogance and self importance are not in my lexicon. 'Nuff on that.

The main point that I tried to canvey was that the customer service could use improvement. How many forumites greet people that you are not sure know anything about knives with a statement about how much you know? That would generally be considered bad form.

If my comments were percieved as arrogant by some, my apologies.

In order to keep the forums a positive experince, let's keep the flaming to a minimum. If waomeone wants to continue flaming, pleae email me (xotdt@yahoo.com) I will be happy to discuss it there.

Regards,
Doug
 
Perhaps the business in question could have benefited from your bringing it to management's attention personally and at the time before you decided to announce it to the world which seems just a bit petty and vindictive.

Just my read on it.
 
"Let me know if you want any help, I am a plethora of knowledge on knives."

plethora is a noun... originally meanings overfull ... perhaps a suberabundance. See this.

I think he would have conveyed his brilliance better by claiming to be a encyclopedia of knowledge or perhaps even a compendium
 
Whatever happened to actually confronting the person you have a problem with?
These days, you have have a problem, you take it to your lawyer, or the persons boss, etc....
It does not even occur to people these days to deal with the source of a problem directly.
You got a problem with someone, have the balls to take it straight to them and get it settled.
You don't like the service at a store, get a clue and don't go there anymore...good lord.

Furthermore, if your ego is so fragile that you need salespeople to suck up to you to feel important/worthwhile, you need serious help.
 
Doug,

I will agree with you that the clerk's statement "...I am a plethora of knowledge on knives." was somewhat smart assed. Explaining that you need training to use a knife would have been irritating. Talking to his friend and irnoring you is just plain rude. I would have had a talk with my employees on any one of these issues. (We try to use real situation as education to improve customer service -- in fact I have email them your original post to see what their ideas are on handling it differently.)

However, my original post stands. You seemed to indicate that you were just using the knowledge of the store and ability to handle the product to then go buy from someone else. That was worse than rude. That was effectively stealing knowledge and resources of the store. That is why there are so few good retail knife stores anymore.

The knives you are able to actually touch, feel and try out, the ability to provide trained staff, and the fact that all of that is in one convenient place cost money...quite a bit of it. You may want to save money, because you have to pay rent, etc.; but we have to pay rent for the store, for ourselves, for all of the employees, liability insurance if you cut yourself trying the products. Educating, and keeping employees also costs a great deal of money.

All of this is provided by the store in hopes that you will spend your money there. Not for you to come in look around, learn about and test out the product, to just go buy it elsewhere.

I'm sorry if this sounds like a rant, but if you intended to buy your knives elsewhere, why go into that store in the first place?

Pam
 
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