Member of the Month

KilaTsunami
October, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Ski Reps

profile picture
p-oskier
Posts: 1407 - Karma: 58
I wanted to know if you guys think it would be okay to say to a ski(gear) rep that he does not know what the fuck he is talking about.? It happened a couple of times where I would be talking to a rep about a product and I would tell myself: he doesn't know shit about what he is talking about.
So my question is would it be fine to straight tell him that he does not know what he is talking about and has it ever happened to you?
May 3 2010 7:37PM
0 0
profile picture
PC.
Posts: 1105 - Karma: 18
I really wouldnt advise it. Your shop owner probably wouldn't really like it.

Not to mention he won't hook you up with ANY gear from the companies he reps. If you feel like you have say something, try to say in as pleasant of a way as possible.
May 3 2010 7:40PM
0 0
profile picture
steeze-doodle
Posts: 141 - Karma: 12
yeah be nice

May 3 2010 7:49PM
0 0
profile picture
Jwalk
Posts: 4647 - Karma: 134
yea just be nice being rude wont have any positive outcome
May 3 2010 7:52PM
0 0
profile picture
.peter
Posts: 1222 - Karma: 63
Idk, do you have a working relationship/ buying his product for a shop etc/ trying to get sponsored, because if that's the case then probably not.

But if you're just chillin talking to the guy, call him out he's just a person. Reps aren't magic or all knowing. BUt keep in mind that they're salesmen and will tell you just about anything to get you to buy their product. That's what they're hired to do. Also keep in mind that they're not the people developing the product and may not actually know what they're saying means.

Just don't be a dick
May 3 2010 7:59PM
0 0
profile picture
pjbauer
Posts: 2148 - Karma: 495
thiss
May 3 2010 7:59PM
0 0
profile picture
dompuch
Posts: 1449 - Karma: 1,186
dont come off like think you know everything but bring it up that you think something else
May 3 2010 11:39PM
0 0
profile picture
skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
I got bitched at hard when I kind of did something along those lines. Not by any shop people, but by the reps. It got heated. They were wicked defensive.
May 4 2010 12:23AM
0 0
profile picture
Markus13
Posts: 800 - Karma: 111
get over yourself and just listen to the reps. if you don't like the product then sell other brands to your customers.
May 4 2010 9:24AM
0 0
profile picture
nickyp
Posts: 5673 - Karma: 215
Unlike most people in this thread, I think it is perfectly legit to call someone out if they seem not to know what's going on. Reps have a duty not to mislead the consumer.

I've talked to reps and shop owners who didn't understand the difference between reverse sidecut and reverse camber, got the core materials wrong, I've seen 75 waist being sold under the premise that they are 'good in the powder', etc

One of the major UK retailers has begun stocking Moments, and because they are the most expensive ski on sale, the sales staff try to sell them to anyone. So one of my friends, who has been skiing for just over a year, now has a pair of Rockers, which are totally unnecessary for him, but bought them because the salesman wrongly convinced him they were a good ski for him.
May 4 2010 9:35AM
0 0
profile picture
chickenwang
Posts: 5639 - Karma: 40
the only dumb rep ive ever met used to work for surface, called himself shotgun or something like that?
May 4 2010 10:21AM
0 0
profile picture
p-oskier
Posts: 1407 - Karma: 58
Btw I don't work at a ski shop, when I would take to reps its cause I wanted to buy gear for myself.
May 4 2010 10:39AM
0 0
profile picture
Alkyy
Posts: 2839 - Karma: 149

gotta remember for a big company not all reps are skiiers, some like a friend of mine is a snowboarder and he is a winter rep for a company.  we were shootin the shit and he said some things that were a little wrong about some of the new skis they are comming out with next year.  I explained to him what it was and he said thanks.  that was it, now he can correctly rep his gear, he didnt want to mislead but what they have to go off can be very confusing sometimes to someone who rides 1 stick not 2.

and i know some kids are gunna be like "well thats bull shit i want my company to be core as hell"  bigger companies SOMETIMES mean better gear though (more money=more research=better product) i know thats not always true though

May 4 2010 3:11PM
0 0
profile picture
NWPA
Posts: 2309 - Karma: 165
be polite
May 4 2010 3:12PM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)