Please let me know what you all think...BOC Review

[De la Boot]

I would guess you won't get too many responses, which is a direct indication of the challenge you face as head of marketing at BOC: overcoming old stigmas.

Good luck!

[Bubbles]

I used to shop at BOC alot because Boulder doesn't really have any other paddle shops. However, two out of the last three times I have been in, I have been over charged for sale items. It's not a huge deal and they were always quick to fix it, but its still an inconvenience. To be perfectly honest, it has made me really wary of shopping at the BOC. De la Boot is also right on with the old stigmas - you will probably have your work cut out for you.

[rasdoggy]

This winter the g-f and I went boat shopping. We went to ALL the Kayak shops from BV to the Fort and everwhere inbetween...

Did alot of research online like everyone today does even found some useful info on this forum, thanks people!!!

Went To BOC and had a very good experience with a couple of the sales people there. Found some posts of used gear there and saw the post about the gear swap there.
Went to it, Well the good experience ended there.
I asked a sales person about some foam they had posted here that was being givin away was told they didnt have any, asked an other person and he went to the back and got me said foam, Asked about a drytop they had on their website and was told they were sold out and wernt getting any in, another sales person found me one. Got some used float bags out a box with a price on it and was told at the counter the price was per bag even though the box said per set which was the same price as a new set I went and got the box and was givin the price on the box. needless to say I wasnt that pleased with my shopping experience that day but wrote it off to being a gear swap rush day but that is not an excuse for poor customer service.

Well a couple of weeks ago I called BOC and asked if they still had some used float bags, as the g-f found a boat at the Miser boat swap and was told yes, I asked if they were still for sale at the gear swap price and was told yes I asked if I could come get them and was told sure. After Driving up to Boulder I walk in and was told they didnt have any bags for sale, Well I pushed the issue and noone there knew who talked to me and it was basicly implied that I was making it up. So with other customers in the store I figured what do I have to lose so I started to make my displeasure known alittle loudly. Well the sales person found the box with the bags in it but tried to charge me 20.00 per bag instead of the per set price I paid and when I told him what I paid he told me I couldnt have, that the bags cost the store more than that. these were used floats with 2003 written on them and I don't care what they cost the store... when a customer is told a price that is the price the item is to be sold at I have worked in retail over 25 years and that is the way things are done.
I ended up paying 22.00 dollars for the set and that was after I told the sales person that is the price I found new ones for online.

I for one WILL NEVER AGAIN shop at BOC for anything!!!!

[FLOWTORCH]

I gotta say, I've had problems with the staff there at BOC as well. Then again, theres barely any shops you go into in Boulder where you dont have to deal with elitist shop snobs. Save the attitude, nobodys impressed. If this isn't you I'm talkin about, then you might wanna give your fellow coworker bro-heads a good talkin to.....even the chic behind the counter had an attitude.

[l-dot]

Hmm.. I've never been to BOC, but I just got a job in Boulder so I figured I'd check it out. This thread isn't really encouraging me to do so. Perhaps opening yourself up to everyones complaints on a public forum isn't the best way to get new customers. Just a thought. I'm sure I'll get over it and check it out anyways.

[m0110]

I appreciate all your honest opions. As one reader noted, maybe this wasn't the best public forum to be asking or discussing this. But as a fellow athlete I know that "word of mouth" is one of our main forums for discussing gear and current events. Whether the opinion is negative or postive doesn't concern me - I just want to know what people are thinking about it because these comments explain a lot and without them, how can there be a push for change and better standards.

Please don't be shy about your comments, be truthful. Thanks again, M.

[alex]

If I were your boss, I would not be particularly happy about you collecting feedback in this way, especially without checking in with me. The danger is that you set up a "vent about BOC" thread which turns off other potential customers who have never visited the place. And people who have had mildly pleasant experiences will not be as driven to post as those who have had very negative experiences.

If you want to be the best in customer service, take a trip over to McGuckin's and observe what they do. University Bikes apparently decided, some years ago, to adopt this very customer-friendly attitude, and they have survived when a lot of Boulder bike shops have closed down. McGuckin's will survive even when Home Depot opens down the street, because of this superior knowledge and service.

[Peev]

The few times I've been in there I've had to deal with the "elitist shop snob" as well. And everytime it's been someone different working, same attitude though.

[Jones]

To put in a good note. I went in to the BOC during your gear swap and bought a new boat. I was donating my old boat at the time, so I was able to get the gift certificate for a bit. I found that the staff was really helpful, at least one of the staff was new, but still did a good job at helping me out. When I got home that evening I realized that the bulkhead was not there, so I went back a couple of days later, and the staff pulled one out for me, no questions asked.

The only thing that didn't go great was that the way the boat donation worked did not make the most sense to me. It seemed like the web site implied one thing, but wasn't completely accurate. The overall experience was good for me though.

[Loaner]

[quote="alex"]If I were your boss, I would not be particularly happy about you collecting feedback in this way, especially without checking in with me. The danger is that you set up a "vent about BOC" thread which turns off other potential customers who have never visited the place. [quote="alex"]

I respectfully disagree. If I were your boss, I would admire your initiative. While true, those with extreme experiences would be more likely to post, that's what you want. Customer surveys are common, and though this type of survey is very uncontrolled, it appears that honest feedback is what you're getting.

You're already getting a common theme..."shop snobs". This is huge. I've never been to your shop, but I can tell you that I immediately feel inferior and intimidated when I encounter these types. I will rarely buy from them because I am too intimitated to ask questions that may or may not appear dumb to the too cool, experienced (or not), shop snob. This is true in every type of sports retail, skiing, biking, etc.

Having never been in your shop, I would venture in if in the area. Your informal survey makes me think that customer service is a priority and if it was poor in the past, you are looking to remedy that. I'd at least give you a shot.

In my way too many years as a consumer and a business person, customer service comes down to one thing, helping people as you would like to be helped. That means taking on a customer's problem as if it were your own. If your salespeople can't do that, they need to work in a cubicile somewhere else. Customer service keeps em coming back. Studies show that customer service more often than not, wins out over pricing.

Just my two cents. (Or maybe 4, sorry )