I am a teen ager, and at my lhs i constatly get bad aditude from the employes. They asume that because i am a teen ager i am up to no good, and are going to steal or break things.
I have had some say:
'CAN I HELP YOU SON!!!"
“YOU LOOK WITH YOUR EYES NOT WITH YOUR HANDS!”
A while ago my friend was going to get started in model railroading, he was looking at a n-scale bachmann silver series set and was looking for a road name he liked. When he made his decicion, a store employ ran over and yelled “STOP MESSING UP MY TRAINS!!” so we left teh store, their loss not ours, the set was around $130(canadian)
There are other stores in town, with nice people, but they are farther, so i rarly get to go. (this will probaly change when i get my lisence soon)[:D] wich means i will rarely go to this place again.[:(!]
As for my friend, he purchased n-scale kato track, and an atlas engine the next year from a diferent place.
Yeah. There is a guy at the LHS who just doesn’t like me, I guess. I don’t know what his beef with me is about. He was shady when I was young, and he’s shady now. [V]
Rude behavior from store employees is not acceptable, period.
I would hope this never happens to you again. However, if it should, respectfully state you meant to cause no harm. If a bad attitude persists, speak with someone in charge. It the manager happens to be the person with the lousy attitude, remind him (or her) that the hostility is unwarranted and that not only will you not support his business in the future, but that you’ll encourage your friends not to do so either.
You could also return to the shop in question with either of your parents in tow to help establi***hat you’re not trouble-makers, but rather teens who are truly interested in establishing a mutually benefical relationship because of your love of the hobby.
Hobby shops are few and far between in comparison to other businesses (such as clothing outlets) and many of them are struggling to keep the doors open. Treating people harshly is foolish and doesn’t exactly endear the owner to potential new customers. For the record, you should also know that adults have had similar experiences; you’re not alone.
When I was 14 or so, I ordered some Kadee couplers for some n-scale trains. What I didn’t know (and the owner didn’t tell me - and WASN’T stated in the catalog) was that they came 2 pair per envelope. So I accidentally ordered 2x what I needed. When they came in, and I didn’t want to buy all of them, he gave me a hard time about it.
Keep in mind, we’re probably talking about 5 or 7 envelopes of couplers. Pocket change for him - and he could sell them later anyway. But an appreciable amount for someone on a very, VERY tight budget.
This same guy had, on other occasions, ignored me, or up-sold me something I didn’t need.
Suffice it to say - this is one of the largest hobby shops in the Chicago area, and I don’t patronize him - and I’m 33 now!
Honestly, I don’t think the “reasonable conversation” approach will work. Many people have their pre-conceived notions, and if you challenge that by trying to talk to them, you’ll just get kicked out of the store.
Find a store where people are nice to you, and patronize them. They will remember the “young, well behaved kid who buys stuff”.
I think that this issue is more important to the question of why hobby shops are on the decline than any other. It isn’t just teenagers, I too have been treated rudely and and have left many an hobby shop never to return. I have been in the hobby for over thirty years and have constantly been amazed by some of the things that go on in hobby shops. I travel frequently and try to visit a hobby shop in every city and I would say about 20-25% of the time it is an unplesant experience. The most amazing thing is people treating you like you are wasting their time or interupting their lunch for asking a question. Not surprizingly, when I return a year or two later to a city, it is common to find out that hobby shop has closed. No wonder so many people go through mail order. On the other hand, when I go to a good hobby shop like Caboose Hobbies in Denver the experience is aways very pleasant and I find that my willingness to spend considerable amounts of money in increased. AB Charles in Pittsburgh is a place where I am always treated nicely.
I think that if we are going to reverse the decline of interest in our hobby, the first thing that needs to be done by the “industry” is a crash course for hobby shops in how to treat people and marketing 101. Manners and shop organization wouldn’t be a bad idea either. - Nevin
Yes, only once, and I was in my teens. The owner was busy talking with a sales rep or something. Trying to get his attention, I wanted to ask a quick question. He very sharply pointed out that I was interrupting. Only once cuz that was the last time I went there. They’re gone now. Wonder why…
Even now, any store or business only gets one chance to be rude. Dan
t3488g and other young people, To set the stage for this, I’m in my middle 60’s and about a year ago traveled to Kentucky to visit our niece, who’s husband was over in Iraq. She took me to the local hobby shop there, as she knew I was a model railroader. Upon entering the shop we realized it was geared more for the R/C car crowd but carried a little (very little) of anything else. No problem there, probabley very few train people in that town and he was catering to the R/C car people. The owner and his wife were the only ones there running the shop. He greeted us with a “good morning” when we entered and quickly went back to reading a magazine as we walked the isles looking for train things. The most conversation I got out of him was four words (we don’t carry that). No offer to help us was given and quite frankly, we got the impression we were actually intruding by being there. Needless to say we promptly left with no purchases. I wrote this to show the youger people (I hate the term “teenager”) that we older poeple get the cold shoulder also. Now, lets turn the paper over and look at the hobbyshops view of things for a second. Before I start, I want you to realize several things here. I don’t know you personally and my comments are not aimed at you in that context and my next few comments my anger some here but thats not my intention, since it may not even apply to you. With each generation, there comes changes. Some are in the form of language, some fashion and some attitudes. My generation went through it with our 6" cuff in or jeans, and cigarettes rolled up in our white t-shirt sleeves, cool guys wrere called cats and the gals were called dames. Now days it seems the trend is still jeans but about ten sizes to big, there is competition for the guys to see how many tattoes they can get nad how many thins they can get stuck in there bodies. The language has changed which, if used here would get quikely edited. Now does all this make a young person bad? Not necessarily, but like us back in the 50’s it gives
The two closest hobby shops to me are very kind and helpful. There is a hobby shop in a city near by that I hate going to. They are rude and lazy but they are the only place I have to go to find certain parts. My not going there won’t hurt them any and I don’t know anyone else around to suggest not going there. I’m 29 years old and I get alot of the treatment that has been stated above.
I went there to get some decals and instead of them looking to see if they had them he tosed a catalog and a form for me to order. I live 45 miles from that hobby shop and gas prices are not getting any cheaper. So I decided I could live without the decals for now. I am getting sick of the holier than thou attitude from these people, but what do you do?
I’ve never had a LHS guy be mean to me, but there was this guy at a train show. I was holding one of his locomotives and he almost jumped at me when he saw me, “YOU PUT THAT DOWN, KID!!!” I’m like “ok, sorrrrry”. Then he pointed out I was holding it wrong, blah blah blah. Man, he was a jerk.
ive never had a problem with my local hobby shop, he, and his wife run it and they are always very pleasnt people. i only visit the shop maybe once a year, but its always a good experience, and i have recomended it to many people
I know what you mean…Im also a teenager and the guys at the hobby store never take their eyes off you…which hobby stores have you had trouble with…you mentioned canadian prices and maybe ive visited or shopped at these stores.
in response to the other post about the term teenager…I understand this kind of stuff happens to older people to but in this hobby shop I go to they are always so helpful and curteous to others…except me
Once. To get even, I took a product to the counter (most effective when the owner is there) and asked him if they know any on-line stores that carry “this”.
i haven’t had a problem yet. the 2 that i go to treat me very nicely. i think part of it is because my mom is usually with me and she is talking to the people working.
all the places i go to see to be very helpful and aren’t very mean people.
I have had no problems with either of my two LHS’.
I’m not a “browser”. I go in with a list of what I want, usually including the Walthers number, and let them find the items for me. Those not in stock they order. While they are compiling, I go through the back issues of the train magazines looking for ideas.
Once in a while, the clerk will ask what the materials are for and we strike up a conversation. All very pleasent and painless. I’ve gotten several bits of information and useful modeling tips as a result.
Sensibly, both shops keep the highend RTR and brass in well-lit display cases convenient to LOOK AT. Potential buyers can examine items by asking.
I suppose that I have yet to meet a hobby shop staff that mistreated me. Keep in mind that where I was raised there were many LHS’s back in the 70’s and 80’s… a rule was you drop it you buy it.
Therefore my father was always with me and the staffs apparently realized that there would be no problems even if I disappeared behind the Blue box and roundhouse kits. Now that I am a bit older, I enjoy the services of Hobby Stores nearby and have yet to meet a grouch. Occasionally they would be steaming about something that poped up before I walked in the door but would quickly assure me that I have no problems there.
The best chance of meeting grouches is at Train meets and shows. I find it amazing how occasionally there is a dealer who is always in a bad mood and glowers at everyone at his or her table while peeking over a newspaper and coffee; daring even one to pick up a item or ask a question. I like to walk up, pick out a item and ask questions about it after a “Sunny” greeting. Eventually they get up and deal with the situation with short and shorter answers. See if I buy that item =(
Now what is amazing to me is that occasionally you enter a store (any store mall or whatever) and find a disgrungled crew eyeing the clock, yaking on the phone or worse in the back while small items walk out the front. We have had repeated situations that we are going to get a specific item and wanted to ask questions and examine it… the cold shoulder usually kills the potential sale on the spot.
This is more common in the North east and down into some areas of the midwest. More so in urban areas (with a few exceptions) and less so in rural areas that do not experience the problems created by a “Undisciplined” younger generation.
I realize this thread will have advocates and naysayers fromm all thru the hobby. I encourage any young folks who are in the hobby store to greet the staff with eye contact and a list of wanted things in hand. Sometimes a display of willingn
My LHS has never had or given ill word to me, but there is one in Toronto, on Mt Pleasant, that told me that they had a certain product in stock, so I drive an hour into Toronto to find out that they’ve been out of stock for a week.
MAN THAT [censored] me off!! [banghead] STUPID [soapbox]s
Needless to say I haven’t been back to that shop since & probably won’t again.
That’s a shame as that use to be one of my favourite LHS’s when I was growing up. Personally I have the “One Chance” rule, where everyone is allowed one chance, you politely inform the person why you’re [censored][censored], see what reaction you get and if they haven’t royaly [censored][censored] you, then you give them another chance.
As we all know we all (say it’s not so) make mistakes. To date Home Despot, Crappy Tire (one particular store), two restarants and a couple of others have not had the opportunity of taking my money.
I have had three rude encounters within a 20 year period that I remember. So that’s not too bad. One encounter was at a train show in Sarasota, Florida where a man selling his used rolling stock would yell out a price to you and tell you to leave if you wanted to bargain. Obnoxious!
One suggestion to our young people that usually worked for me when I was in my teens. When you walk in to a shop just say hi to someone behind the counter, even if you just want to browse. Most of the time, you’ll get a friendly response. Not excusing rudeness from shop reps, but some of them are automatically “on their guard” due to theft and crime. When a rep has been rude to me, I’ve usually smiled and before I turn to leave I say in a mellow tone: “You know I’m sorry if I’m irritating you, but I was planning on spending my $100 hobby budget on HO freight cars. I’ll get out of your hair.”
On one of those occasions, I was suddenly treated very “respectfully”.
This is the exception as 99% of the time my experiences are positive.
