Boaters World - a Rant

[SKYCHENEY]

I own a retail business and we do inventory on Christmas Day . I say we because it is just the Admiral and me. It is the only day of the year that we are closed and all of my employees have the day off. I wouldn't think of closing just for inventory. How many sales were lost and how many other customers were p-ed off? I guess they need to teach a "common sense" class at business school.

[J's Dream]

[QUOTE=REBrueckner]
Inventory and restocking should be done in off hours and out of season if the operators are too stupid to do inventory and serve customers at the same time.
QUOTE]

OK....I think I've heard enough of this. For 8 years, I was the Assistant Manager of a Boater's World store. Inventory day is set by people in the corporate office in Beltsville, MD, and the individual stores have absolutely no say in when inventory is scheduled. As for stupid, yes...i think it's rediculous to close on a weekend day, but to call the employees stupid, who have nothing to do with when the store is closed, is COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE.

You also state restocking should be done after hours and out of season...So, in June when you go into the store for a Rule float switch becauase they crap out four times a season, and it's out of stock, remember...you didnt want them to restock that during the boating season anyways.

[ThirdHatt]

Hold on now, nobody said that "employees" are stupid, just the "operators", meaning whomever it is that makes those decisions like when to close for inventory (corperate office, etc.).

The suggestion was AFTER HOURS or out of season (winter), not only out of season. After hours would probably work quite well during the boating season.

Please be careful before posting accusatory statements before reading clearly what was stated.

Now everybody play nice!

[Pascal]

J's I hope you complained up to the corporate office and explained how many P.... off customers showed up to the stores door ! there are better ways to do an inventory than closing...

same thing happened here last year, I rushed to the WM before they closed to get something i needed, in rush hour... to find it closed! they had a guy outside passing 1o% coupons on next visit... yeah right.. that helps...

Large chains like that should have inventory teams dong inventory after hours...

in any case, yes.. let's play nice.. REBr. sayed the operators were stupid.. not the employees....

[J's Dream]

Pascal,

The corporate office knows full well how many upset customers are affected by the Sunday closings. In BW's early years, we used to close at 3pm on Sundays and work through the night. The decision to close during the day Sunday is due to budgeting hours, and hiring temporary help (so I've been told).

Now that I no longer work there, and need parts, I too am one of those p'd off customers when I drive to the store and it's closed.

FYI,

Boater's World is owned by David Ritz, owner of Ritz Camera Centers, Wolf Camera Centers, Ritz Interactive, etc. This is one of the largest private corporations in the US, with approx 13,000 employees.

Trying to get a point across to corporate is, well, you know...

David Ritz just took delivery of his new 150' yacht (sold the 105' jet powered sportfish) and is travelling with Greg Norman. Must be nice.........

[ThirdHatt]

So THAT is why they made the decision to close on Sundays, the boss's new yacht was being delivered! Time to scrape up all the spare change lying around!

[Bob Bradley]

My only question is why a Sunday? If you're going to pick a day to close the store, I would think that there has to be significantly fewer customers coming thru the doors on a Monday when everybody is at work.

[J's Dream]

My only question is why a Sunday? If you're going to pick a day to close the store, I would think that there has to be significantly fewer customers coming thru the doors on a Monday when everybody is at work.

Here's their reasoning....Sunday stores are only open 7 hours rather than the 11 or 12 other days. Everything comes down to money. If they close on a day normally open 12 hours, they lose more business. Common sense tells me that a weekend day is terrible to close on...but i guess that's why I don't work for them any longer...i have a little common sense. at least i did....


Oh, I forgot to mention the computer systems used there are so antiquated that they have to EITHER be doing inventory, or making sales...They cannot do both in the same 24 hour period.

[luckydave215]

The "world's largest boating superstore" is the new west marine in San Diego. They took over a large supermarket, and then DOUBLED the size of the building. It takes up a whole city block. They have an internet cafe for the cruisers about to head south, they have a fish fighting game, complete with chair, they have a marine stereo listening room, a glassed in rigging shop, more tackle than any other tackle shop in the area, etc, etc, etc. It truly is an awsome store, but they raised the prices to match.
I do most of my buisness at a local chandlery called "the San Diego Marine Exchange". I have a charge account set up there, and that is really convienent, because I can send my son or a friend to pick up parts, and I just get billed later. Their personnel have mega years of experience, and they specialize in high quality US made supplies and parts for large and commercial boat repair, unlike west marine that specializes in gee-whiz gadgets for trailerboats and monogrammed drink coozies. When you ask for parts sized for a 60 footer (line, fenders, valves, pumps, hose, shore power cord, whatever) west marine doesn't have it.
The new west marine store is a great place to buy deck shoes, though. They have hundreds in stock.

[MikeP]

Our local marina store (Tidewater Marine) is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. They substantially beat WM or any of the big chains on any products. I find WM et al to be too annoying to deal with, inconveniant, and their prices are stupid. The only reason I go there at all is because my daughter insists on sending me WM gift certificates for Fathers day and Bday. So when she does I go there to stock up on hose clamps, electrical connectors, SS nuts/bolts, and whatever else I can find to use up the money! She's a good daughter but she's just a kid (39) so she doesn't know much. At least she's much better than my son - he only sends me an email!

Most mechanical parts I order on line. Engine soft parts - gaskets, etc, I get from the local DD dealer.