I work at a knife store... please let me vent

Para, I don't believe your post for a second. You couldn't answer a Yes or No question in less than a paragraph. :p

I love those threads, "Why do you carry a knife?" I've always wanted to answer. "I've worked in retail and I know I may have to kill a customer at any time." ;)

Because I have worked in Retail and can relate to the Salesperson I'm one of the Worlds Best Customers. I tip everyone that gives me Service I don't care if it's a Bar a Restaurant a Clothing or Shoe store or the Hardware store. Sometimes the salesperson is really surprised, but they never forget me. I used to work retail in Mens Clothing and though lots of people don't think to tip in a clothing store I regularly used to make an additional 25% income just in tips. The secret is to know your product and to be someone the average person wants to buy from, and don't let PIA's mess up your day for the next customer.
 
Hey Alchemy Knife,
Where's your store? I go down to Front Royal camping every year and never saw a knife store in Winchester. The closest they had that I saw was the Sport Shop on 50 across from the Cracker Barrell.
Let me know, love to stop by next time I'm down there.
Dave
 
I was a Deputy Sheriff for 7&1/2 years, and you DON'T EVEN want to hear some of the things I've heard, while dealing with MY "customers"!.:D.:eek:.
 
I've been in one Chesapeake Knife and Tool, and must admit, their prices scared me more than anything. Don't think I've ever seen a store that will actually charge more then MSRP. However the salesperson was rather knowledgeable, and more than happy to show off some of the knives they had on display. Kinda scary considering she was about a 20 year old college student..Oh well, she was cute at least.;)


And I know how you feel when it comes to interesting questions, such as

Customer: "Are we in the ocean?"
Me: "No, you are on the wrong side of the land to be on the ocean."

Customer: "What do fish taste like?"
Me: "Chicken"

When the wind is blowing 20-30 knots..
Customer (with several small children): "What's it going to be like out there?"
Me: "It's going to be really rough today"
Customer (with several now scared small children): "Ok, let me bring my stuff to the boat"

Not to rag on anybody that has asked these questions before, just want to let you all know you entertain me:D


Chris
 
The store is at Apple Blossom Mall. It is off I81 at exit 313. I opened it last Oct. I was lucky; the mall had actually been looking for a knife store. I went into the smallest store in the mall (600sq. ft.), but it had a castle front! I have a 20ft wall filled with swords, as many good knives as I can fit in 25 ft of display cases 3 shelves deep, a case of customs, plus some fantasy knives, kitchen cutlery, dragons, unicorns, steins, etc. It has done so well I am thinking of opening two more. (one in Harrisonburg, VA and one in Hagerstown, MD).

There was a definite need for a good knife store in the area. The average customer had only seen knives at flea markets, HSN, or fantasy magazines. A few had shopped at CK&T near DC. Fortunately, I have even had a few customers that have known more about custom knives than I do.

Thanks to the forums and you guys, I have been able to keep up on whats new, hot, and good. I've been able to pass so much good info to the customers.

Check out http://alchemyknife.com for directions.

Visit anytime,

Pam
 
matriculate,
where do you work?

para,
the ck&t in towson, by any chance?

alchemy knife,
wow! your store sounds like a breath of fresh air compared to the stagnant state of the knife stores around here. you sure you won't open a branch in baltimore? i'll work for you! :)

peace.
aleX.
 
I swear I'm not making this up. I live in a town so small it doesn't have a gun store (there isn't a traffic light in the entire county). I'm one of those individuals who work Monday through Friday, so one Saturday afternoon, I drive 40 miles to another town that has a gun store. This store even has the word "GUN" in its name. So I go in and wait 20 minutes while the one person behind the counter chats with a buddy. I pass the time looking at their knife displays, mostly Benchmade and Cold Steel models that have been discontinued for a year or more. Finally the large fellow behind the counter ambles over.

Salesperson: "Can I help you?"
Me: "Yes, I'd like to buy a Glock model 19."
Salesperson: (insert long pause here) "Uh, I'm just the archery guy. You'll have to come back Monday to talk to the gun guy."
Me: (silently) AARRGGHH!

Needless to say, another day I drove 40 miles in the other direction and spent over $600.00 on a pistol and accessories in a different store, this one with a helpful and knowledgeable salesman.
 
I've been to the CK&T store at the Towson Mall. Prices are outrageous, but i got to handle a MT vector, kestrel, LCC, and a hbunch of benchmades and a benza. i was there for a while with a friend showing him different knives and stuff to educate him. The store clerk was cool, but she thought it was funny that i was there for 45 minutes and didnt buy anything :) I was gonna ask if they would match internet prices, cut the LCC was $190, and net had it for $130, but i dont think she would have liked that too much. :) I;ll have to go back there with some of my customs to show off and rag on the little POS blades that made up most of the store. maybe I should buy one, snap it and bring it back. "I dunno, I was opening my mail, and the blade snapped" :)
 
Haha..Matriculate, that brings back memories...LOL.

I did my time (3 years) in a knife shop in the mall. You hit the regular brilliant questions right on. I'll just add couple more....
-------------
Customer: Is this sharp? Ouch!
Me: Why don't you put that down and I'll get a bandaid. (and peroxide to wipe the blood off my damn counter and knife.)
-------------
Customer: Why don't you sell Cutco? You know they are the best knives made, I've never sharpened mine.
Me: Uhmm.....You know we sell watches and do engraving.
-------------

Take care,
Tom
 
Originally posted by Raver
I swear I'm not making this up. I live in a town so small it doesn't have a gun store <snip>
Click to expand...

You mean New York City?

(ALMOST kidding - I CAN think of 3 stores in NYC that sell guns, and 2 of them are the place were the cops go to buy their patrol weapon)

Charlie
 
I thought I had it bad trying to sell Firestone tires. :) You know, because everything on the news is true. Oh well. Good Luck!


Blades
 
Matriculate

Hey!! Where can I get one of those Killatron 4000 jobs? And maybe a nice turkey carving axe?? :rolleyes:

I feel your pain. I set up at gunshows and encounter the same sort of nonsense.

Mike
 
Common Sense is an oxy-moron. There is nothing common about having sense. Look around the world is full of idiots and morons whos parents either failed to teach them sense or they were to dumb to learn from thier mistakes. Educating the public is a full time job.
 
Customer: at my table at Show..(whistling and humming) "Man..you Reeeally got some nice stuff their buddy...

ME: Why Thank you, can i show you something...
Customer: Oh noo....just lookin' today.we'll BEEBACK........
ME: Another BEE-Backer FeverDoc


Customer at Show: Yah every do any tradin'....
ME: Whatcha Got
Customer: Shows me beat up Pakistan Dagger........
ME: :barf: Go see that fella down there at that table, he "really" loves that kind of stuff!:rolleyes:

Customer: Comes with wads of cash...I'll take this, this, & this..will you take $$ for it..
ME::D

I love all the customers tho, soending or not spending! I just have fun and make the best of it at the shows or online :)
 
Having done gun shows in the past, and worked retail, I can sympathize!
====================================
"Popcorn grease dripping person" (loved that one), picking up rifle with "Do not touch" sign on barrel: Wow, what's this?
Me: A rifle, -now please put it down.
Him ( sarcastic): If you don't want people touching it, why don't you put up a sign?
Me: If you are able, read the sign that is now in your hand!
Him: Oh...
======================================
I live in London Ontario- gun store? HAH!!!
I am not familiar with CK&T, but we have House of Knives... They sell a SOG Seal pup for CA$129 (U$85), the MSRP is $75, Bass Pro sells it for $49.95. They too have some cool stuff periodically, but grossly overpriced, in addition to the many "collectables".

I'd love to see a good knife shop here! Anybody know of one I missed? Until then, I buy when I go Stateside...
Rob
 
I would agree, except on the handling sample part, i like to go to knife stores and handle some knives. And most of the times i feel really bad not buying anything, but i do so online, so in a way i am propagating their business by buying knives elsewhere since it would in the end help the entire industry. I like having a knowledgable sales(wo)man, but at the same time i don't like how SOME of them assume i don't know jack about knives; And the worst part is that they know full well how much the knives are online yet they look at me funny when i don't buy, as if i don't know how mcuh they really cost. I know you are all just doing your job, but if knife store would go the way of bicycle shop things would be alot different.

FYI: Bicycle shop often sell at msrp (we're talking $2,000 dollars mountain bikes here) but they do good business since most of them serve as a service center and a place to go and try out stuff, it is cool to support a local bike shop. Now if it is the same for knives store than things would be alot different. if the knife industry would support more of a "come in a try it out" attitude versus "it's in a glass case, ask if you want to even breath on it" than i believe things would be different.

And another thing, i have noticed when you highlight the smiley faces, some of the turn into sad faces. Anyone else noticed this?
 
Pam, had an FFL for over 20 years and worked the store at minimal mark-ups -- competed with Shotgun News & Gunlist sellers. Most of my business was older, quality collectable shooters. I agree, many customers are ignorant of the product they're thinking of buying. As knowlegable as you are, try hanging out at your local WalMart sporting goods area. Listen to the 18 yr old clerk sell a customer some "copper jacketed" .22LR ammo. Makes me want to puke!!"Most" retail clerks, in my experience, don't know the product lines the store carries, nor anything about the products in general. Most refreshing to go to a local "Mall shop" several weeks ago and have the clerk say " Sir, I noticed your knife clip, is that an Elishewitz"? I answered, no --he said, oh a BM 690, then!! With a grin, he aked to see it. This young man was/is knowlegable and demonstrated curiosity of products his store doesn't carry. Whether he remains in cutlery retailing or not, he'll be sucessfull!! The other sales folks in his store didn't seem to care. Maybe that's the point - sales people should like, be knowlegable of, and have respect for the products they sell. Other point is that we're here on this forum, mostly as knowing knife knuts -- not your average pocket knife buyer- we know what's good and what's not. Our sales folks can help by being knowlegable of all the products on the market and helping to educate "John Q. Public" as to where he should spend his money on a knife and what to expect from the product he buys. Sure, we all get the "visitor" who wants to talk about subjects of which he's short on knowlege. And yes, we wish he weren't there in our store, particularly when he tries to capture an audience of potential customers with his/hers vast sum of "knowlege" aka BS! Guess that just goes with the territory of retail sales. Looks as though many of our former B & M sellers are switching to e-business marketting. Can't say as I blame them - different set of challenges, less interaction with uneducated customers and a different business method, Wish you well and much patience with your walk-in clientele.
 
Hi Pam, cool, been to the Apple Blossom Mall many times(though not in the last year). Will definitely stop in next time I'm down there. Gonna let my friends in Stephens City know about it in case they aren't aware you're there. Take care, Dave.
 
rdangerer almost has it right - except those idiots he's referring to actually vote republican. The republican party is full of low IQ AJ types too stupid to realize that they are supporting a party and philosophy that do not benefit them in any way.
 
I worked selling magic tricks for years. It is really weird how people act almost the exact same way in a magic shop. Most times the kid behind the counter knows nothing and the customers think they know everything and try to tell everyone they see. I must say,I don't miss that kind of work.
 
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