It seems that over the years if you get the owners of a surf shop you generally get good advice and assistance. My local shop had some really good staff at one time, but most of them have moved on.

Most of the time if you talk to the staff about something and :

I was building a kiteboard and I wanted some parts. The person told me how it would never work and my plan was doomed to failure. Needless to say the board worked really well and two versions of it are going strong several years later.

Asking about kite stuff and you get a windsurf guy who a) hangs sh it on kiteboarding and b) hangs sh it on the products I am interested in ... that they sell.

Even if you get a kite guy ... dude you have to go unhooked on a C kite.

Asking about specific products from a major manufacturer and get told all sorts of crap that I knew was crap because I had read the manufacturer's web site. Even the local distributors seem to be unable to read the manufacturer's web site.

Asking about quality fins for body surfing. One boofhead tries to sell me a cheap plastic snorkelling kit. The other cannot disguise his contempt for anyone who would go bodysurfing ...or SUP or longboarding or whatever (this one is really common).

etc etc etc etc

Unfortunately they just don't pay enough to keep the educated smart people. I loved working in a surf shop but money talks at the end of the day.

I find it amusing that many people expect minimum wage earners to be smart, efficient, polite and caring. You pay for what you get.

What's more retail is one of the worst jobs going. Boring boring, look at watch, boring. Staff discount is the only benefit.... oh and the repetitious music.

sorry, i shouldn't call them idiots...

'customers' who spend $50 on a t-shirt

slammin said..

I find it amusing that many people expect minimum wage earners to be smart, efficient, polite and caring. You pay for what you get.

What's more retail is one of the worst jobs going. Boring boring, look at watch, boring. Staff discount is the only benefit.... oh and the repetitious music.

regardless of what your paid if you take the job your supposed to do it and at least make some effort

its people with the retarded attitude like this that caused the frustration in the first place


. . . . if you take a job a monkey can do and you fail at it - what does that say about you ?

Just for the record. My local shop they are young, attractive and also good at what they do. Do they no everything about it all in the board room. No but more than happy to stock the right stuff and don't pretend to be experts.

Went to the Super sale today and saw a leggie i wanted for $50 apparently on special. Picked it up from my shop for $39

airjunkie said..

slammin said..

airjunkie said..

slammin said..

I find it amusing that many people expect minimum wage earners to be smart, efficient, polite and caring. You pay for what you get.

What's more retail is one of the worst jobs going. Boring boring, look at watch, boring. Staff discount is the only benefit.... oh and the repetitious music.

regardless of what your paid if you take the job your supposed to do it and at least make some effort

its people with the retarded attitude like this that caused the frustration in the first place


. . . . if you take a job a monkey can do and you fail at it - what does that say about you ?

So stop whinging get a job in the said shop and solve the problem......

?????????????

What's that?

You wouldn't do it for the $hit wages and better off in your current position?

not winging just stating some facts . . . .

but i do apologise to you slammin for using the word "retarded" its not politically correct and has obviously touched a nerve

No stress or offense taken. I just think that unless you're willing to do the job better yourself then you can't expect someone else to. Lead by example and don't ask anyone to do something that you yourself wouldn't do. Are you willing to take the job?

zarb said...
I tried after high school to get a job in the local-mall surf shop. After a day of trial with a few other prospective job-seekers, I thought I did an excellent job giving wetsuit and surfboard advice, good customer service and selling a bunch of stuff, but the owners told me that they were after staff with a more "surfy image". So instead they hired the 15yr old kid with a trucker hat, fluro pink polo shirt with a popped collar, and who had never spent more than a day at a beach other than to get drunk underneath the pier.

Yes I am totally bitter about it.

Surfboards in a surf shop. That's hardcore.

Gorgo said..
...

Wow bro duuude, dat was like totally out of disorder man. We may be a little out there man, but dat's cos we're dreaming of the waves bro, and dis sales shoobie is just to get wax, hooch and blow.
Any how chances ur just an ankle snapper wasting my karma, when ders an Emma checking out da real fibro.

Wait bro did u say SUP? WTF, I'm bailing.

I don't like that I can't scroll down through the avatars on my phone to find the doctors goofy face and read his select smart ar$e comments.

edited out boring content

This got too deep and argumentative.

I like the dumb staff. Many are employed as they are pretty.

For most of the young girls in the surf shops their choice of employment was either surf shop or pole dancing...

fingerbone said..
For most of the young girls in the surf shops their choice of employment was either surf shop or pole dancing...

now there's a business idea, an establishment with both.

Mark _australia said...

fingerbone said..
For most of the young girls in the surf shops their choice of employment was either surf shop or pole dancing...

now there's a business idea, an establishment with both.

I think wind surfers tried that for a few decades,and look where that got them

Just like going to the Bank and asking a simple question ..........Yer