- Joined
- Apr 27, 2007
- Messages
- 27
Went in yesterday to return on warranty a 10" French knife that I chipped the edge on.
While I was in there, the lady running the shop was working on selling knives (for home use mind you) to an unsuspecting Chinese mother/daughter tandem. Conversation ran roughly like this:
Mom: We're taking Western cooking class and need the correct knife for preparation of this style.
Saleswoman: You definitely need a new Henckels chef knife, and carving knife, if you want to prepare quality food.
Daughter: Gee, $140 seems like a lot of money for a knife. How about those? (points to the $45 Victorinox)
Saleswoman: No, those go dull very fast and so can't be used after a month or so. The expensive ones will keep the edge forever. Will you be cutting raw meat with your knife?
Mom: Yes...
Saleswoman: In that case you will need a duplicate chef's knife, as the same knife can't be used on both raw meat and vegetables, or your family will become sick from the bacteria.
At this point she's got $400 worth of 'essential' cutlery out and ready to cram down these people's throats.
Luckily the saleswoman turns her back for a moment and the mother/daughter sprint for the door, just as I'm about to step into this conversation swinging. I understand upselling, but this is ridiculous.
In 10 years of cooking professionally those $40 plastic handled Victorinox knives have been some of the best I've used, never had a problem with chipping or rusting or rolling an edge, like I've had with Global, Henckels, Wusthoff, the list goes on. Sure you get a lot of pride of ownership with having a nice shiny expensive chef's knife, but these people were obviously not into that AT ALL, and this salesperson was flagrantly trying to hose them.
In my area House of Knives is one of our only retail options for reasonable quality edged tools. In the last 5 years I've never once talked to a salesperson in there who knows a thing about knife steels, or used a cooking knife for more than occasionally mangling a tomato or opening a pack of weiners, or even using/carrying knives period. Hell, when I bought my SAK Outrider from them a while back, the salesperson -
1. Couldn't figure out the locking mechanism, and
2. When I told them how (grey sliding button on the side of the knife), didn't want to close it for fear of cutting themselves and asked me to!
I'm a proud Canadian and actively try to support Canadian companies. Maybe I've just had bad luck with this company and they're usually great, I don't know. But I'll never buy a thing from them again.
One thing about our brothers and sisters South of the border, they sure know about friendly and knowledgable customer service. Hopefully the HoK's I've seen can smarten up and learn from them, and from great local businesses like Warriors and Wonders :thumbup: (sharp implements) and Ming Wo (cookware).
While I was in there, the lady running the shop was working on selling knives (for home use mind you) to an unsuspecting Chinese mother/daughter tandem. Conversation ran roughly like this:
Mom: We're taking Western cooking class and need the correct knife for preparation of this style.
Saleswoman: You definitely need a new Henckels chef knife, and carving knife, if you want to prepare quality food.
Daughter: Gee, $140 seems like a lot of money for a knife. How about those? (points to the $45 Victorinox)
Saleswoman: No, those go dull very fast and so can't be used after a month or so. The expensive ones will keep the edge forever. Will you be cutting raw meat with your knife?
Mom: Yes...
Saleswoman: In that case you will need a duplicate chef's knife, as the same knife can't be used on both raw meat and vegetables, or your family will become sick from the bacteria.
At this point she's got $400 worth of 'essential' cutlery out and ready to cram down these people's throats.
Luckily the saleswoman turns her back for a moment and the mother/daughter sprint for the door, just as I'm about to step into this conversation swinging. I understand upselling, but this is ridiculous.
In 10 years of cooking professionally those $40 plastic handled Victorinox knives have been some of the best I've used, never had a problem with chipping or rusting or rolling an edge, like I've had with Global, Henckels, Wusthoff, the list goes on. Sure you get a lot of pride of ownership with having a nice shiny expensive chef's knife, but these people were obviously not into that AT ALL, and this salesperson was flagrantly trying to hose them.
In my area House of Knives is one of our only retail options for reasonable quality edged tools. In the last 5 years I've never once talked to a salesperson in there who knows a thing about knife steels, or used a cooking knife for more than occasionally mangling a tomato or opening a pack of weiners, or even using/carrying knives period. Hell, when I bought my SAK Outrider from them a while back, the salesperson -
1. Couldn't figure out the locking mechanism, and
2. When I told them how (grey sliding button on the side of the knife), didn't want to close it for fear of cutting themselves and asked me to!
I'm a proud Canadian and actively try to support Canadian companies. Maybe I've just had bad luck with this company and they're usually great, I don't know. But I'll never buy a thing from them again.
One thing about our brothers and sisters South of the border, they sure know about friendly and knowledgable customer service. Hopefully the HoK's I've seen can smarten up and learn from them, and from great local businesses like Warriors and Wonders :thumbup: (sharp implements) and Ming Wo (cookware).