Ski Shop Expertise

Old Duderino · Oct 23, 2014

What is a reasonable price range for bootfiting at a shop when you didn't buy the boots there?

It wasn't like I went online and only thought of the fitting afterwards. I was trying boots on at the shop and had it narrowed down to to different Salomon models which felt to me like the brand that fit my foot best out of the box. When I was ready to pull the trigger, I called the shop to see if they had the model I wanted and would come close to matching the lowest online price I found which they said they would. By the time I got there they no longer had my size in that model and were not getting any more in so I try on the other Salomon boot I was interested in but ultimately bought the one I wanted online for about $70 less. The shop guy said they would do bootfiting for me if I did buy online so I know that isn't an issue. based on the off the shelf fit he didn't think much more than a $100 foot insert would be needed at first.

SkiFanE · Oct 23, 2014

One more plug for the brick and mortars...as a property owner in a ski town - I'm supporting neighbors, families with kids in the school, I see them on the slope...they are members of the community... who owns EVO? Just sayin....it's just how I roll

bigbog · Oct 23, 2014

wa-loaf said:
Not sure where you are going here, but I'm happy to have someone else do the work for me. Some people may not need it, but my feet and stance require a fair amount of work to get the best performance.

Fwiw...just throwing this out there....
..Shimming(if one has to) under the binding is the easy way to go...but, AFAIK, eliminates the choice of a system binding ski...so far, but maybe there is a system unit that's shimmable, many are different in how they sit, and are attached, onto the ski...

billski · Oct 23, 2014

Old Duderino said:
What is a reasonable price range for bootfiting at a shop when you didn't buy the boots there?

It wasn't like I went online and only thought of the fitting afterwards. I was trying boots on at the shop and had it narrowed down to to different Salomon models which felt to me like the brand that fit my foot best out of the box. When I was ready to pull the trigger, I called the shop to see if they had the model I wanted and would come close to matching the lowest online price I found which they said they would. By the time I got there they no longer had my size in that model and were not getting any more in so I try on the other Salomon boot I was interested in but ultimately bought the one I wanted online for about $70 less. The shop guy said they would do bootfiting for me if I did buy online so I know that isn't an issue. based on the off the shelf fit he didn't think much more than a $100 foot insert would be needed at first.

I went to Michaelson's in Plymouth NH with a pair of boots about five years old. I spent an hour, put a footbed in, did a modest amount of grinding, shimming and God knows what to relieve a pain point I had. He also threw in a set of Booster straps. I think I walked out for about $120. That includes a return visit for any tweaks. What was nice was he did it all while I waited, since it was a long drive.

BenedictGomez · Oct 23, 2014

billski said:
Reminds me of the old story about the plumber who fixed a faucet with a $3 washer in two minutes flat. He gave him the bill for $60. The customer objected. "Hey, that's so simple I could have done it. Plus it only took you a minute." The plumber responded, "you're paying me for what I know, not how long it took."

I've heard that story 101 times, and I've hated it all 101 times.

Hawkshot99 · Oct 23, 2014

BenedictGomez said:
I've heard that story 101 times, and I've hated it all 101 times.

So the plumber who has ammassed his knowledge over many years and at a expense is just supposed to fix your problem for nothing? How does he pay for the vehicle he drove to get their, or any of his expenses?

Domeskier · Oct 23, 2014

Hawkshot99 said:
So the plumber who has ammassed his knowledge over many years and at a expense is just supposed to fix your problem for nothing? How does he pay for the vehicle he drove to get their, or any of his expenses?

I guess if he wants repeat business he might. I would be much more inclined to rehire a plumber who will not nickel and dime me on a nothing job.

BenedictGomez · Oct 23, 2014

Hawkshot99 said:
So the plumber who has ammassed his knowledge over many years and at a expense is just supposed to fix your problem for nothing? How does he pay for the vehicle he drove to get their, or any of his expenses?

That story is always told from the standpoint of something that seems egregiously and unfairly expensive, but yet it's okay simply because the plumber knew something that you didn't know. It's not logical, and life doesn't really work like that.

If the town plumber ran around the neighborhood ripping everyone off, he'd lose his work to the other town plumber(s) in short order.

Hawkshot99 · Oct 23, 2014

BenedictGomez said:
That story is always told from the standpoint of something that seems egregiously and unfairly expensive, but yet it's okay simply because the plumber knew something that you didn't know. It's not logical, and life doesn't really work like that.

If the town plumber ran around the neighborhood ripping everyone off, he'd lose his work to the other town plumber(s) in short order.

Yes they would lose their business if they are running around ripping everyone off. But they lose their business if they run around doing everything for less than they can make a profit at.

So what is the $ amount that you feel is the line at which a service provider is aloud to start charging? A business is in business to make money, not to provide free servise. If you dont like their price, dont call them.

Savemeasammy · Oct 24, 2014

BenedictGomez said:
I've heard that story 101 times, and I've hated it all 101 times.

I think of this in terms of opportunity cost. If this plumber is traveling .5 hour out of his way each way to make this simple repair, he obviously isn't making money when he otherwise could be. How would your financial situation be if you spent 1/2 or more of your day traveling, and the other 1/2 getting paid by people for performing work in your area of expertise - rather than getting paid for the ENTIRE day...?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

SIKSKIER · Oct 24, 2014

billski said:
I went to Michaelson's in Plymouth NH .

That would be Richelsons.He is one of the best in NE.
http://www.myfeetfirst.com/#!__proper-footwear-home

Glenn · Oct 26, 2014

I worked at a ski shop during my college breaks in the mid to late 90s. Everyone was paid an hourly rate. Then the shop owner started offering a $10 bonus for every pair of straight skis sold.

My pie in the ski dream if I owned a shop: Anyone selling skis (or boards) would have gone out on all the skis/boards the shop sold.

Sent from my iPad using AlpineZone mobile app.

Scruffy · Oct 26, 2014

BenedictGomez said:
That story is always told from the standpoint of something that seems egregiously and unfairly expensive, but yet it's okay simply because the plumber knew something that you didn't know. It's not logical, and life doesn't really work like that.

If the town plumber ran around the neighborhood ripping everyone off, he'd lose his work to the other town plumber(s) in short order.

Sure it does, ever visit a lawyer, doctor, accountant, financial adviser? Ever pay for an education? What, plumbers are somehow beneath it all? In that hypothetical fable, the plumber was honest and professional. He could have told the customer they need a whole new facet and replaced it for $300. That story says more about the customer than the plumber. The customer should have happily paid for learning to how to fix a simple leak the next time.

marcski · Oct 27, 2014

Scruffy said:
Sure it does, ever visit a lawyer, doctor, accountant, financial adviser? Ever pay for an education? What, plumbers are somehow beneath it all? In that hypothetical fable, the plumber was honest and professional. He could have told the customer they need a whole new facet and replaced it for $300. That story says more about the customer than the plumber. The customer should have happily paid for learning to how to fix a simple leak the next time.

Go online and watch a youtube video. you get schooled for free. I've fixed many household items and appliances etc. over the years that way.

But that plumber in th example did nothing wrong. He has to have a flat rate fee for just walking in the door..otherwise, as others have said, he couldn't make a living. Now, if that plumber tacked on $0.50 cents for the new washer...that would have been highway robbery.

SkiFanE · Oct 27, 2014

Got a touch of this over the weekend. My normal ski shop wasn't open...stopped by another in town to look for some skiboots I want. I'm pretty certain of the model I want (technica mach1 105). They only had the Conchise 95 (? I think). I asked for the model I wanted after not seeing it on display. No..they don't have it. How about this one (the Conchise) he says. No...I don't want that combo walk-boot feature...I want the 105s. Well..he goes on to rave about the 95s...and that boot thingy is great, no problems with it (I don't want it...no need and wtf do I want more moving parts in my boots? I've got 300+ days on 6yo boots...I beat them to shit and I guarantee I'd have a problem with some new-fangled feature). So then he says he could get the 105 for me special order, in my size. I said that'd be great...but since I'm not 100% sure I'd buy it, depends on the fit is that okay... he says "well...we would expect you to buy it". See ya buddy.... never stepping foot in that shop again. Found it on the website of my old-standby shop, talked to them today, it's in the store - I'll buy it online today and they'll let me return it if it doesn't fit (only 1 left in my size). THAT is why I go to that stop religiously.

Ragman · Oct 27, 2014

Scruffy said:
Sure it does, ever visit a lawyer, doctor, accountant, financial adviser? Ever pay for an education? What, plumbers are somehow beneath it all? In that hypothetical fable, the plumber was honest and professional. He could have told the customer they need a whole new facet and replaced it for $300. That story says more about the customer than the plumber. The customer should have happily paid for learning to how to fix a simple leak the next time.

I completely agree, however not all plumbers are created equal. Seeing as weve successfully gotten off topic, I figured I would contribrute a little story.

I live in a split level home and we have a bathroom downstairs that I could not get to flush. I pulled the toilet off, snaked the line and still nothing. Finally I called a plumber, he jammed almost 50ft of snake down there and couldnt get it to flow. He was dumbfounded. Now the toilet sat on a small wooden platform that was finished and sat about 6 inches up from the concrete floor. He said I would have to tear that up and see whats down there and charged me $150 for travel and time.

Ended up there was a tub underneath the toilet with a submersible sump pump that would pump the waste up and out. The float on the pump was bad and one of the PVC lines was broke. I ended up fixing it all myself but it did kind of suck to spend $150 to just be told that I had to tear up my floor to find the issue.

billski · Oct 27, 2014

Shifty behavior. Back in the pre-cambrian days of minicomputers, 16 megabytes (16MB, yes, that's right) was selling for $101,000 even before it was put on a circuit board the size of a large pizza box. Knowing the customer was inevitably going to upgrade, we'd sell them a 16MB board with only 8MB enabled for $200,000. If they wanted to upgrade to 16MB, we'd charge them $150,000. Then we would move a jumper to enable the other 8MB. To make the customer not get wise, the service proceedure called for an 8 hour process, where the cabinet would be entirely disassembled and then reconstructed, and then moving the jumper.

Anyways, some enterprising customer engineers went into business doing upgrades for our systems. They changed $75,000 and all they had to do was move the jumper. That company is now called EMC. Information is power.

Scruffy · Oct 27, 2014

Ragman said:
I completely agree, however not all plumbers are created equal. Seeing as weve successfully gotten off topic, I figured I would contribrute a little story.

I live in a split level home and we have a bathroom downstairs that I could not get to flush. I pulled the toilet off, snaked the line and still nothing. Finally I called a plumber, he jammed almost 50ft of snake down there and couldnt get it to flow. He was dumbfounded. Now the toilet sat on a small wooden platform that was finished and sat about 6 inches up from the concrete floor. He said I would have to tear that up and see whats down there and charged me $150 for travel and time.

Ended up there was a tub underneath the toilet with a submersible sump pump that would pump the waste up and out. The float on the pump was bad and one of the PVC lines was broke. I ended up fixing it all myself but it did kind of suck to spend $150 to just be told that I had to tear up my floor to find the issue.

Interesting story, and we can come up with a gazillion anecdotes of the lawyer that charged thousands and offered shoddy representation, so it goes on and on. The points are: buyer beware, you get what you pay for, nothing is free, and everyone has to make a living.

BenedictGomez · Oct 27, 2014

billski said:
Shifty behavior. Back in the pre-cambrian days of minicomputers, 16 megabytes (16MB, yes, that's right) was selling for $101,000 even before it was put on a circuit board the size of a large pizza box. Knowing the customer was inevitably going to upgrade, we'd sell them a 16MB board with only 8MB enabled for $200,000. If they wanted to upgrade to 16MB, we'd charge them $150,000. Then we would move a jumper to enable the other 8MB. To make the customer not get wise, the service proceedure called for an 8 hour process, where the cabinet would be entirely disassembled and then reconstructed, and then moving the jumper.

Anyways, some enterprising customer engineers went into business doing upgrades for our systems. They changed $75,000 and all they had to do was move the jumper. That company is now called EMC. Information is power.

That's an absolutely amazing story! But that story is exactly what would happen to your plumber eventually. Undercut on price & ultimately screwed out of a customer.

Scruffy · Oct 27, 2014

BenedictGomez said:
That's an absolutely amazing story! But that story is exactly what would happen to your plumber eventually. Undercut on price & ultimately screwed out of a customer.

You don't have much respect for plumbers, do you? $60 is totally reasonable for any call-out to your house, by any profession. By your own admissions, you don't own a house, you're clueless here. Sure, it would have been nice if the plumber decided to give the customer his time and money, and it would have made the homeowner feel great and tell wonderful stories about her heroic plumber; but to use your words, life doesn't really work like that.

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