Charlie P

I have been talking with Len through PM this morning.I didn't read any of this until now.

Had already decided to take a drive down to Maryland,it's only 4.5 hours I used to drive truck so it's not a big deal. lol. See you this summer Len, have some coffee on,I could be there awhile.

ebutler79

I am new on this forum and can see there are some great people and PROfessionals here. The shop that i use to deal with had to close its doors due to internet sales and he got custody of his kids and had to find a job with insurance available. He still works out of his home at night and on the weekends. He has more knowledge on equipment and taking care of the customers than the other three shops combined.

I still have him order my equiptment and he makes a little money on the side. I know i am not supporting my local shops but they are not in business for the customer. I can only hope that when his kids are out on there own he can reopen a PRO shop.

Best of luck to everyone finding a PRO like Ken and Straight. Its hard to do in some areas.


Thanks
EB

J in GB

Charlie P,

Just call ahead to make sure that Len isn't having one of those COF days!

Just kidding. If he indeed has those days, I've never seen one. And I admit to being able to be a royal PITA, and he is always willing to bear with me.

You will enjoy your visit to his shop. Great store, and he has instilled his knowledge and courtesy skills to his employees as well.

I was just in yesterday, along with one of the newbies that Len mentioned in his initial post. I can see that the gentleman is glad to have found Len, and as a matter of fact he has been in there the last three times I have stopped by! Talk about your quality repeat customer!

Keep up the good work Len! I'll work on not overtightening things!

PABowhntr

No, not all of it, but you did make some very good points.

How about this though.....why don't you comment on some of the things that small shop owners can do in order to compete with the big mail-order companies? I am sure many folks would benefit from it. I definitely did even just from that little bit of an article in that archery trade magazine last summer.

Straightarrow

Don't I know that! There are always going to be a few customers that you really don't want in your shop. Fortunately, I've only run into 3 in the last 20 years. I try to keep in mind the old adage that a happy customer will tell a few friends about their good experiences with you, but an unhappy customer will tell 20 or 30 about your "terrible" business. It pays to make sure you have no unhappy customers. The 3 "bad" customers I had, I quietly took the aside and politely suggested that they would probably be better served by another. In fact, in each case I purposely lost all of the money in the transaction, so they would not feel it necessary to talk too badly about my business.

You have to be real careful in today's world of the internet, because an unhappy customer may tell a few thousand people how bad their experience was.

Len in Maryland

Rules for small shop owners.

#1 Never let them see you sweat. I've heard that somewhere before!
#2 Don't try to compete on pricing with the discount houses/marts. Set your prices where your accountant tells you they have to be to stay in business. You can vary +/- 10%; but, the average better be above what is needed. If products don't sell at those prices, don't sell the product. Things I don't handle any more because of this is clothes, shoes, 3D targets, certain treestands, blinds, etc. There are stocking ideas that I have that would take up an entire seminar. My new approach is to stock variety and not quantity unless I know that it's a good seller. Ever hear of the MIN/MAX approach to stocking items. You should also never run out of staples - kissers, peeps, etc.
#3 Sell what the big boys don't sell: Pro Shop only items, SERVICE, specialty items, SERVICE, strings and cables, SERVICE, traditional equipment, SERVICE.
#4 Keep up with the latest in both archery equipment and tools. Attend seminars given at the ATA Show. They're free and they even serve a continental breakfast. If you don't attend the ATA Show, shame on you.[&o]
#5 You're NOT going to please everyone and may tick off a few. I just got someone else mad at me today. Man, I'm having a bad week![:@]
#6 No matter what price you charge, it'll never be low enough. To some people $0 is the price they want. They'll badger you to see how low you'll go if you give an inch. If your price is fair and you're not gouging the customer, stick to it. If, on the other hand, that item is wearing a hole in your floor, let it go. It's called negotiation and you have to learn when and how to do it.
#7 There will always be 'basement bandits' that give away their talents for free. They come and they go. They are in it for fun and must not mind being pestered any day and at any hour. If you're going to run it as a profitable business, you'll look like a bad guy no matter what you charge. If you're good at what you do, make sure you charge for it. Do you think that a plumber, electrician, doctor or lawyer derates his fees very often?? If you're a PROfessional, act and charge as a PROfessional. And when I say PROfessional, you'd better have the credentials and certifications and background to prove it, or you're just another bow mechanic. Sounds harsh but it's true.
#8 Listen to your customers' needs. Listen to your customers' complaints. Listen to your customers. Sometimes you have to read between the lines to get to the true matter of the problem.
#9 Change your store set-up around from time to time. If it remains the same, it becomes mundane to both the customer and your performance. Change will also make the customers look around more to see what new things you may have brought in and may make them see things that they missed on their last visit. Take a look at the BIG stores, they're always moving things around and highlighting certain items.
#10 SMILE and greet every customer who walks through the door. And DON'T let cliches develop that will chase new customers away. How would you feel if you felt like a stranger as soon as you walked through the door??????
#11 Visit the local BIG boys and leave your card(s) with them. They are known to send customers elsewhere when they don't carry a product or can't do the service. I get a lot of business from some of them.
#12 You'll be working long and hard hours at times - especially during the height of the season. Pace yourself so that you can remain fresh in mind and body. Remember, they've got a staff that only works standard shift hours, but can cover a longer work day because of their large staff. Give yourself a break and don't try to match them hour for hour.

That's 12 to start with. Anyone else is more than welcome to chime in. Remember, we're talking about things that will set a small business apart from the BIG boys. I could go on but I think it would be nice to either add to or expound upon the first 12 points.

Straightarrow: Only 3 in 20 years?? Man, now I know that I'm a COF.

Straightarrow

Well, I've had quite a few bad ones, that I managed to tolerate and act like I wanted their business, but those three were so bad, they almost made me want to quit. They were the only ones, I literally told to go elsewhere.

By the way, I disagree with #7, to a degree. Regardless of what you have taped to the wall, customers will know good service when they get it, and will recognize an incapable bow mechanic, regardless of what the piece of paper on the wall says. I do agree that all bow mechanics should be continually learning to improve their craft. Formal certifications might make a good sales aid, but the real value is in the quality of the service being performed.

Len in Maryland

SA: The "background" is the catch-all word in that statement. I know as well many a great PROfessional without any papers. Paper just adds to the pedigree of the person.

JoshKeller

Len, I admire your spirit and passion for the business. I just wish most of the shops around here would do the same. You seem like an honest guy. The guys working on the bows here are the "self proclaimed god's of 3d and hunting". They will be your buddies, and talk till its closing time when your in the shop spending money, but saying "hello" to them on the 3d course would get you a look in your direction if your lucky.

When the tax return comes in, I plan on making the hour and a half trip to Baltimore to come check your operation out. Hopefully, I'll have my press by then, but if not, I'll be bringing my Liberty and an open ear and mind to learn all I can. All but one of the shops around here still dont have a press that can accomidate pararrel limb bows. Thanks for letting me rant.

Not sure what else I need, but hey, theres always something you can buy to help support a TRUE archery shop.

Len in Maryland

Josh: I will certainly look forward to your visit. By the time you arrive, we should be finished with our renovation. Right now the place is a mess.[]

One thing that could help the PRO Shop industry is certification by the ATA. It's been discussed time and time again by them. Figuring out the way to do it is the real problem. One of the ways being considered is Dealer attendance at ATA seminars. A Dealer attending a certain number/type of seminars could be given a certification. I would also like to see ATA consider certifying not only the individual but also the shop. This would be a separate certification based on tools and facility. This doesn't make anything absolute when it comes to finding a good shop, but it is a guide and a method to educate.