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October, 2024

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So I got a job at a ski shop...

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Tall_Paul
Posts: 958 - Karma: 57
just wondering what I should expect because I'm guessing some of you guys on here work at your local shop....
Oct 8 2011 6:06PM
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Caucasian_Asian
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 1,665
Learn how to sell boots properly.  Happy feet make for return customers.  


Oct 8 2011 6:17PM
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MothaHucker
Posts: 4678 - Karma: 2,591
full tilts
Oct 8 2011 6:22PM
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Yossarian
Posts: 1078 - Karma: 56
Learn your gear.

Also it takes a while, but being able to gauge your customers interest level is important if your trying to make a sale. A seriously intense racer dude won't be keen on this season's K2 Revivals neither will a guy who is happy taking a few quiet runs and just having a good time want to buy Völkl GS skis. It may sounds obvious, but the job makes itself easy if you can figure this bit out.

Also be a genuinely nice dude - stupid questions do happen - if it's from a "gaper" let it slide. If it's a local or a regular they will probably laugh at themselves, but no matter what happens DO NOT BE A DICK. Return customers are always nicer and if your lucky you get some pretty cool stuff - I got a crate of beer and burgers bought for the whole shop cause I fitted a whole family every weekend for 3 months, prepped their daughters race skis and could remember them and their gear.

Sparknotes: Know your gear. Know your customers. Be a decent human being. (That applies to pretty much any shop based job ever)
Oct 8 2011 6:59PM
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SlurrP
Posts: 172 - Karma: 26
All of the above.

Also, don't push your own personal agenda. Just because you have gear that works best for you doesn't mean it's going to be the best for someone else.

And please wear a belt
Oct 8 2011 7:30PM
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t-h[uTAH]ff
Posts: 332 - Karma: 48
you're an idiot, as a boot fitter i wouldn't put anyone in a full tilt unless they ski park or have a problem putting boots on. anyone who buys full tilts gets them from the internet or doesn't get a boot fit anyway.
Oct 8 2011 7:41PM
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ski-or-die
Posts: 770 - Karma: 17
make sure to send the europeans into tightest trees you know of
Oct 8 2011 7:43PM
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UFOsarereal
Posts: 2285 - Karma: 1,132
....okay TGR....
Oct 8 2011 7:43PM
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*simba*
Posts: 9125 - Karma: 512
quit
Oct 8 2011 11:43PM
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ironic
Posts: 735 - Karma: 104
I work at one and it's great, on the slow days we watch netflix and play nerf basketball. There's usually a large supply of pizza and free ski wax. Good time good times.
Oct 8 2011 11:52PM
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Tall_Paul
Posts: 958 - Karma: 57
No.
Oct 9 2011 12:13AM
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*simba*
Posts: 9125 - Karma: 512
LOLJK
Oct 9 2011 12:16AM
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MothaHucker
Posts: 4678 - Karma: 2,591

Click for larger image

check your meter.

Oct 9 2011 12:22AM
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forrest1
Posts: 88 - Karma: 18
Hot bitches trying on boots with no panties, pot gardens on the roof and freeky women, that is what ski shops are made of....
Oct 9 2011 12:23AM
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patduval
Posts: 28 - Karma: 10
ur an idiot, you must be the worst boot fitter in ur shop. a proper fitter would sell a boot on the shape of the shell. Full tilts are just a re branded raichle, nothing about them makes them park specific. plus where the fuck do u work sport check? i work in one of the bigger shops in whistler and we have people coming in for them all the time.
Oct 9 2011 12:52AM
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t-h[uTAH]ff
Posts: 332 - Karma: 48
i have a done a reasonable amount of boot fitting and have never gotten a complaint. close to everyone that I fit would return and tell me thank you for making the ski experience more enjoyable. you don't sell a boot based 100% on the shape of the shell. do you understand the importance of flex, canting, shell thickness, and even the buckles? you do realize that full tilt does market primarily to the park scene right?which means that they are park specific. also if someone comes into a ski shop and says they want a certain ski boot, it is more than likely that it isn't the correct boot unless they had been previously fit. i know how to fit a fucking boot, and in my personal experience the demographic for full tilt is much smaller compared to any other brand.
Oct 9 2011 3:20PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
What shop do you work at? I just want to be extra careful I never end up there.
Oct 9 2011 3:24PM
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Cleeetus
Posts: 217 - Karma: 14
Its because they're sooo underground yo. You just dont understand, It's full tilt or nothing.
Oct 9 2011 3:29PM
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lukemeahan.
Posts: 1689 - Karma: 330
FT are not park specific ski boots. Okay they make just about every boot besides racing. All mountain, big mountain, park and what not. And if the boot fits you right and you ski park doesn't mean you have to get a park boot. Mike Riddle was wearing an Atomic RACE boot during half pipe comps.
Oct 9 2011 3:34PM
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MothaHucker
Posts: 4678 - Karma: 2,591

have you ever heard of seth morrison?

Oct 9 2011 4:32PM
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Brenone
Posts: 4944 - Karma: 296
Dont be afraid to not know the answer to something.
I hate when I go in a shop and ask a question and get the feeling that the person helping me is just feeding me bullshit because they dont know the real answer.
Oct 9 2011 5:09PM
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steezenskis
Posts: 1044 - Karma: 31
know your gear, and know your customers. theres no use telling a mother the stats about a pair of skis if she only cares about if the color matches her boots.
Oct 9 2011 5:54PM
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t-h[uTAH]ff
Posts: 332 - Karma: 48
why am i arguing with people that buy everything online and wear full tilts anyhow? guess i should have seen this coming. not a fan of full tilt. the end.
Oct 9 2011 7:03PM
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skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
because you're making broad generalizations and some pretty stupid accusations.

who the fuck are you to say that you wouldn't sell someone a full tilt boot unless they ski park or have a hard time using boots? I'm sure thats why seth morrison stocked a room with flexons when raichle went under and why he skis full tilts now. he probably doesn't understand how to put on a ski boot. or maybe they're the only boot that works for him the way he wants... and by the way, he charges 100 times harder than you, so to call FT a park specific boot is like calling you intelligent. both lies.
Oct 9 2011 7:21PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
seriously. id love to know what shop. so i can tell no one to ever shop there. you might be the worst "bootfitter" i have heard of.
Oct 9 2011 7:29PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,014
i'd like to know as well
Oct 9 2011 7:38PM
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Yossarian
Posts: 1078 - Karma: 56
Yeah bro your giving us bootfitters a shit name.
Oct 9 2011 7:41PM
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.RYAN66
Posts: 5381 - Karma: 235
do you actually think that he rides a store bought boot?

he most definitely has a different tongue and probably a custom shell as well.
Oct 9 2011 7:46PM
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t-h[uTAH]ff
Posts: 332 - Karma: 48
do you wear full tilts? i have worked at multiple shops. for you to judge my boot fitting skills for the simple fact that i don't prefer full tilt boots is absurd. i have tried multiple boots, (including full tilt) and i will continue to voice my opinion when someone simply states that full tilt is the only brand anyone should ski. i am not arguing specifically with you, I am just disappointed in the newschoolers community for not giving other brand recognition (other than salomon SPK's) if you don't think my accusations are right I don't know what else to say. i would actually love to run you through what ski boot you should be in, and I guarantee I will be right in the sense that you give me an accurate description of your skier type, weight, what you ski on, where you ski, what your foot looks like (instep, calf, previous injuries, arch, width/last, toe issues), and size of foot. pm and i will give you a boot fitting (through the internet) and you can determine my skills. also to the other guy, i don't think you can really compare many people to morrison in the first place? i am not saying full tilt is a park company, i am saying that they are primarily aiming towards the park/freestyle genre of skiing.
Oct 9 2011 7:48PM
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.RYAN66
Posts: 5381 - Karma: 235
i think you need to check your meter
Oct 9 2011 7:51PM
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Big_Willy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 6
Do you really cant boots or just adjust the cuff angle?
Oct 9 2011 7:54PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
You are basically ruling out an entire brand of boot through a broad generalization. I dont ride Full Tilts, I have a boot that Ive already found that fits my foot quite well. But to say they are a park based company is incredibly wrong, considering the best big mountain rider in the world arguably rides and backs their boots. They make a vast range of boots, just like every other major boot manufacturer on the market.


The kid wasnt saying Full Tilts were the only brand anyone should ski, its been a Newschoolers joke for years.
Oct 9 2011 7:57PM
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hallamt
Posts: 162 - Karma: 11
Know your shit, know the ladies equipment better
Oct 9 2011 8:09PM
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garrett.
Posts: 9304 - Karma: 3,670
.
Oct 9 2011 8:13PM
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skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
the fact that you just offered to boot fit through the internet proves you're a moron.

nobody is saying that full tilts are the only boot anyone should ski.

please stop talking.
Oct 9 2011 8:15PM
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Jthon74
Posts: 399 - Karma: 19
^ knows his shit about marketing a product and the demographics of who is buyin that produce.  well said
Oct 10 2011 5:59PM
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lands11
Posts: 1818 - Karma: 1,677
You make extremely broad generalizations, and simply rule out a brand of boot because you don't like them. Therefor I hope I NEVER get fitted for a boot by you.
Oct 10 2011 7:14PM
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S_Jenk
Posts: 345 - Karma: 92
Holy shit you guys, all of you. They're boots.


Oct 10 2011 7:27PM
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L.G.P.
Posts: 906 - Karma: 187
tell them to buy jiberish
Oct 10 2011 7:49PM
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Ryno
Posts: 31125 - Karma: 336
This for sure.

Someone else above also mentioned to be genuine too which is great advice. If you need help in the beginning (and you will), dont be afraid to say "I'm not sure about that, let me grab someone who can help us out". That kind of service goes a long way with customers. Speaking from experience, i walk away from salespeople when i start to smell the bullshit.

Also, my shop didn't care if its new hires sold anything for the first while so long as they spent their time shadowing experienced salespeople. See if your shop is cool with that and if so, follow everyone from the best sales person to the asshole and pick up as much as you can, it will help you define the whole process of getting info from them to help them find what suits their style, fitting/sizing them up, and closing a sale. All key.

PS. Start selling/fitting with kids too...easiest way to break the ice ;)
Oct 10 2011 8:06PM
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SPskier543
Posts: 2413 - Karma: 324

if you have have a shitty fitter fit your boots, you will have a shitty season.

Oct 10 2011 8:07PM
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brapclap
Posts: 101 - Karma: 65
EH wtf I work at sport check
Oct 10 2011 8:15PM
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Flacko
Posts: 1495 - Karma: 788
agreed too mutch hype on ft the make nice boots but there over priced and 90% of the people buy them cus there FULL TILTS!!!!!!!!!!! and TOM WALISH rides em i used to be a trend whore and i owned the hot douger from two seasons back and it was the shitest boot ever. i would recomend tring on some other boots


Oct 11 2011 9:54AM
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ChasingFlakes
Posts: 822 - Karma: 1,544
All my shit on my tilts are broken and no shop carries enough parts to fix them . I think theres a issue . That being say , no shin bang but everything else no thanks il'l buy salo or tec next. That being said , busted ass tilts anyone? anyone?
Oct 11 2011 10:05AM
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Pee_and_Ski
Posts: 1869 - Karma: 57
be friendly, smoke a fuck ton, become a borderline alcholic, ski as  often as you can, love the life
Oct 11 2011 11:08AM
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uosdwiSrjewoH
Posts: 4220 - Karma: 122
learn the gear you're selling. first just get the ability level of all the boots down, so it's just a matter of trying a couple on until they find one that's comfortable with no heel lift and no pressure points. eventually, through experience and asking those with experience, you'll get an idea of the shapes of the different boots so that when you look at a foot, you'll have a pretty good idea what boot to put on it.

as for fts, if your shop carries them, don't hesitate to sell them, but not to everyone. if you see a huge ham foot, chances are they won't want a hot dogger, but if someone's got a narrow foot, doesn't hurt to suggest them. they've got just about the best liner going in boots, easy to put on and they're light as all hell. but you've got to be careful. tons of kids come in looking for some todd wallnutz boots, and their feet simply don't fit. sell what they need, not what they want.
Oct 11 2011 11:25AM
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BCASSASSIN
Posts: 1330 - Karma: 37

Exactly this, $20 to anyone who can find a video of Seth Mo in the park...............

Oct 11 2011 11:36AM
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bikerocker
Posts: 1427 - Karma: 461
this.

But unless it's saturday afternoon skip the drugs and alcohol while working. You don't want to make your shop a shit show unless it's a big box store like sports authority.
Oct 11 2011 11:40AM
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2_fadez
Posts: 7780 - Karma: 4,183
pics or it didn't happen.
Oct 11 2011 12:29PM
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Mykel
Posts: 1560 - Karma: 84
Haha, I actually have a poster of him doing a Mute off a park jump in his flexons, on the wall of the shop at my house.

But to the OP ... I really appreciate it when the person is knowledgeable, but also shares that knowledge with me.  I feel like I know a lot about skiing and equipment, but there's always something I can learn.  I got new boots last month, and the guy fitting me explained everything as he went along and discussed all questions I had.  I learned a few things from that, and feel more comfortable with the boots now.

I'll buy my next skis and next boots from that guy.  He built some customer loyalty, just by communicating and being helpful.
Oct 11 2011 1:10PM
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T.MARTIN
Posts: 1333 - Karma: 62
BEST ICON ON NS.
Oct 11 2011 1:12PM
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