I just came back home after visiting my FLHS. I’m kinda disturbed by something that transpired between the owner and one of his employees while I was there. I’ve seen this happen once before and have heard from other locals about this guys behavior. I know two employees that have quit this particular shop because of similar treatment. I just wanted to run it by you guys and see how you all feel about this situation.
What I observed was the owner verbally chastizing an employee for pre-ordering some items for a customer without getting the OK from him prior to ordering. In the past it wasn’t required to get the OK and just to complete the order request, which is exactly what this employee had done. It seems the manufacturer decided to cut the HS discount and so sent him the order, as usual, without notification of the new discount. Apparently it was 25% rather than the normal 40%. I can appreciate the shock the owner felt when it was made apparent to him about the new discount policy but I think he could have better spent his time calling the manufacturer rather than beating up on his employee in front of everyone.
Anyway, in front of a busy store (there were 7 customers and one customer had his wife there too) right behind the counter in a loud voice he ate this employees butt out for about 7 minutes. I’ve know the employee for about 15 years and he’s a loyal and efficient guy. I’ve never known him to do anything but help the customers in every way possible. He’s also a very quiet and rather unassuming man who would definitely not get into any verbal confrontation…especially with his employer in front of customers.
Others in the store were not very thrilled by this action toward the guy judging by their faces and the fact that one guy dropped his stuff on the counter and left rather quickly.
To compound the situation the owner got on the phone after that tirade and called a distributor and proceeded to cuss him out, demand to know who pa
That would be my solution. A couple of the guys at my LHS my not be the smoothest socially, but nothing compared to what you describe. If that’s how he treats people, hard to imagine that his business is very successful. Take your business elsewhere like the customer you described.
Last time I went to my not so local LHS, I had to stand there and wait 10 minutes to check out while the owner and his wife yelled at each other right in front of me. That’s completely ignorant and unprofessional if you ask me.[V] Unfortunately they are the only game in town.
I would wonder if he’s on his way out of business already. Stress can do funny things to people. That being said, chewing out an employee for any reason in front of customers is uncalled for. I would shop elsewhere.
That would be a shop that wouldn’t get any more of my money. And, I would definately let the owner know why. I tend to use my money as a way of “voting” for fair and good business practices. BTW, I don’t shop at certain “big box” stores due to the way they do business and treat their workers. While I prefer to shop at locally owned stores, I have several that I don’t shop at due to the type of people who own and run the businesses.
pretty much all the hobby shops I used to go to when I was a kid in the 80’s had rude employees and for the most part there arnt any more shops in my area they all closed down over the years…
I just order stuff off the internet these days, saves gas money and I wont have to waste time going out to some store in the boonies that wont even have what Im looking for
I witnessed similar behavior at a local mom and pop store (not an LHS) as well. I’m close friends with the owner and when I was able to get him alone and explained that his behavior was unprofessional especially in front of customers, and demeaning to the employee he seemed hurt by what he had done. Since the owner and all the employees have been together for years it didn’t occur to him what he was saying and doing. For the next week the owner must have apologized to every customer that came in for his outburst. One of the workers told me that the owner got them all together and apologized to the employee and said that he would work on being a better boss. Not all shop owners that blow-up are bad they might just be having a worse day.
Once in a while there is some growling in the LHS. But the ones I go to dont have employees. Just the Store Owner. It really makes life pretty simple.
I dont recall any problems in either store in my area worthy of note.
Now. I do make a special order once in a while and it will go out to be acquired and I am to be ready to pick it up when it arrives. Otherwise I dont pre-order something. If I have to wait 2 years for something, I just flat cancel the order. If that item shows up later? Well… we will see.
You need to be very certain that you will get this item before ordering. That makes life very simple and less stress between customer and owner.
Now the problem with the pricing? Not my problem, that is the store’s problem. Hopefully in the future that hobbyshop will see those changes coming BEFORE placing the order. As a customer, I am only concerned with the final total after taxes at the counter. I would like the store to make a profit so that it will be a win-win situation all around.
Now, if I hit the store and it is REALLY bad … say a strange store NOT in my local area, I have no problems leaving the stuff on the counter and leaving. They can restock it when they calm down.
Ive been going to LHS’s for over 25 years, only twice on the east coast have I turned around and walked out to get the items somewhere else. All the other times either the situation was explained and apologies all around or… everything was fine. No problems.
Reading this , and other replies, makes Me REALLY APPRECIATE my LHS (Whistle Stop Trains) here in Portland, OR. Charley the owner has always been Polite and Friendly when I have been around. Don his 3 rail O-Gauge guy will often call me to let me know about any new items that I might be interested in. And, it is only about 4 miles away, barely a 10 minute drive unless traffic really goes south. They are almost TOO CLOSE (Dangerous to the Budget).
Sorry to hear that many are not as LUCKY as I am with their LHS,
I just came back home after visiting my FLHS. I’m kinda disturbed by something that transpired between the owner and one of his employees while I was there. I’ve seen this happen once before and have heard from other locals about this guys behavior. I know two employees that have quit this particular shop because of similar treatment. I just wanted to run it by you guys and see how you all feel about this situation.
What I observed was the owner verbally chastizing an employee for pre-ordering some items for a customer without getting the OK from him prior to ordering. In the past it wasn’t required to get the OK and just to complete the order request, which is exactly what this employee had done. It seems the manufacturer decided to cut the HS discount and so sent him the order, as usual, without notification of the new discount. Apparently it was 25% rather than the normal 40%. I can appreciate the shock the owner felt when it was made apparent to him about the new discount policy but I think he could have better spent his time calling the manufacturer rather than beating up on his employee in front of everyone.
Anyway, in front of a busy store (there were 7 customers and one customer had his wife there too) right behind the counter in a loud voice he ate this employees butt out for about 7 minutes. I’ve know the employee for about 15 years and he’s a loyal and efficient guy. I’ve never known him to do anything but help the customers in every way possible. He’s also a very quiet and rather unassuming man who would definitely not get into any verbal confrontation…especially with his employer in front of customers.
Others in the store were not very thrilled by this action toward the guy judging by their faces and the fact that one guy dropped his stuff on the counter and left rather quickly.
To compound the situation the owner got on the phone after that tirade and called a distributor and proceeded to cuss him ou
I would not call a store owner or a shop keeper a professional, so I don’t really expect what I have come to know as professional behaviour from such a person. Still, common courtesy and good manners would not be in keeping with what you observed. It was an affront to the dignity of all within earshot, and certainly to the hapless employee. In fact, the verbal abuse of that nature, had it happened in the Canadian Federal Government milieu, would have been grounds for a charge of harassment. Had such a thing gone to mediation, it would probably have gone better for the owner than had it gone before a tribunal or some other authority where fault-finding was to be determined.
And yes, stress makes folks do things they wouldn’t normally do. Also, declining to shop at that store might have the unforeseen consequence of making the employee lose a livelihood with which he closely identified and that sustained him in otherwise troubling times.
When I was a manager at a print shop, I always made sure I took any employee into a supply room if I had to reprimand them.(or usually fire them) It got to be a running joke. They hung up a sign that said “Dismissal Room”[}:)]
If there was any firing to be done it was done loudly and a example made of.
Dismissals are done in secret away from the rest of the workers.
In trucking there wasnt much firing or dismissing. Not in the way we understood it. Generally an officer of the company trained in this work isolated the problem ex-employee and processed that person off the company property; while ensuring no stabotage or other dangerous actions occured.
Usually that Officer in the management is avoided and to see this person entering the room you are in drops the temperature 10 degrees; sorta like meeting the grim reaper coming for you.
I have frequented my local hobby shop for years. The wife and husband team that own it have become my friends and have seen me marry and start a family. Just an example- last evening I brought two Atlas engines to the shop so that I could select appropriate decoders for them. Not only did the owner help me make my selection but he and I installed them right on the counter. Granted, there were no other customers in the store at the time but this is exactly the sort of service I’ve always received. I have used e-bay to purchase oop materials but I will continue to patronize this store and pay a marginally higher price if neccessary to assure that kind of service.
I agree-I wish Whistle Stop wasn’t across the continent. I’ve dealt with them a few times via internet & by phone pertaining to a few hard to find HO parts. I don’t know who I talked to both times, but they were extremely nice, helpful, & expeditious in getting my stuff out to me.
I’m still lucky though-my 2 LHSs that I deal with have the same type of people too as Whistle Stop-just wish they had more stuff!
I am not happy with my LHS and I feel bad about not going there anymore and buying from them to help them out but they just don’t want to have a possitive relationship with me. I’ve had a number of times that I’ve been in there and have left the store feeling like I want to burn it down. I will NOT buy from them anymore and now I do all of my major purchasing online from places like First Hobbies and Caboose because they have prices there that work better for a guy like me on a budget, and I don’t mind waiting a week or two. It’s not like I have a layout just waiting for that particular engine to be ran on. I would love to support anyone in this hobby but I can’t not with their customer service…Or maybe it’s just me. I just don’t know.