Sales Associates At Cabela's And Bass Pro Shops

[J Francho]

This is what consumers asked for - lower price, more inventory.  In almost every segment, the local, small retail business was edged out by a huge chain.  Now we want some minimum wage employee to possess the same knowledge and personal customer service skills that those small retailers had. Do your own research.  go prepared.  If you can't find something, then hopefully someone will know where it is.  If not, I guess you'll have to search all 5 fishing aisles for that one piece of terminal tackle you need.  I rarely speak to anyone working the stores I shop, unless it's someone I know, or to pay for what I am buying.  It's sad, but it's just a fact.  Some places will figure out that having a few well compensated employees that actually add value beyond facing and stocking the shelves will put them ahead of the competition. Bass Pro seems to get, most of their guys are pretty good.  Gander?  Uh, not really.  DSG?  hit or miss.  Usually I get asked if I need help by employees less interested in helping me, than they were told to greet every customer.  Seems like this aspect doesn't matter to management, so long as internet sales and in store sales support their bottom line.

[rboat]

I have to agree with Hootie on this one. I had a good job making good money as a manager and when the economy headed south, the business closed. Work was scarce. Our current government leaders have totally destroyed the middle class. I could not find a similar job to save my life. Before I lost everything, I fell back on something I know and care about. So I am an associate at a retail sporting store. I work in a large outdoor sports area and one person covers that area by themselves at most times. My knowledge is mostly fishing, some other areas I know the basics. I do not know it all, or pretend to. I will go out of my way to help you if you just treat me decent. There are times I would love to grab a customer and beat the crap out of them for being rude. Please keep in mind, these jobs are part-time with no real benefits and no 401k. You make close to minimum wage and have to work mornings, nights, weekends, holidays, and overnights. Your pay is just barely above minimum wage. So why you are home with your family or watching your favorite show or game, or even out fishing, I am trying to help customers that many times treat me like dirt.

 

Sorry about the rant, If I could find a better job I would. Take a walk in someone else's shoes before you pass judgement. 

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I will admit that I thoroughly enjoy when a customer enters my store with a preconceived notion about what I know or what experience I have. I try my best not to make someone look like a complete jackwagon but hey, sometimes it's well deserved.

[Raul]

I´ve been to several BPS stores several times, of course you don´t think that I can go every week to purchase stuff just cuz the neares one is a 2 hour flight for León, all the times I´ve met knowledgeable and very serviceable associates, so I have nothing wrong to say about BPS employees except for one ocassion when one of the asscociates bothered to go to the warehouse in search of hooks I wanted LEAVING ME ALONE WITH THE GODDAM BAITMONKEY FOR 15 MIN !!!! , hell, the only thing I wanted was a few packs of hooks and I ended up with WAYYYY more than what I went for.

[ColdSVT]

I will admit that I thoroughly enjoy when a customer enters my store with a preconceived notion about what I know or what experience I have. I try my best not to make someone look like a complete jackwagon but hey, sometimes it's well deserved.

Yup!

One guy i worked with (we both worked weekends mostly) was aTwo time classic qualifier and i co angled a few local tournys with him. That guy knew moreabout tackle and boats than i could ever know ( and i knew my products cold!)

My favorite question was always " what pole and reel is good for fishing?" I always asked what is your target species? And usually got a blank stare lol.

On the otherside of the coin i did get to meet and talk to some awesome anglers and a handful of pros over the couple years i worked retail. I leared a lot and i hope i taught a lot as well. Some guys would bring in pics of fish they caught on combos i set up for em...felt pretty good ro see em succeed

[HomersTomaco]

Depends on the store I guess. The Bass Pro near me all the people in fishing know a ton. Most our tournament fisherman or guides.

Gander on the other hand... I heard the guy at the counter tell a guy a navionics chip was for his computer and not a fish Finder....

A cabelas opened up a month ago too about an hour and a half away and no one there will even say hi to you.

[mjseverson24]

I love all of the sporting goods stores, I don't care if they people know a lot about their department, or not I already know what i am there for, and the only thing I ever need to ask them is if they have this reel in the X:1 ratio, or if they have more in the back somewhere. I have not met too many employees that cant accomplish those two tasks and even if they cant 5 bucks for 2nd day air on TW seems to work just fine... 

 

Mitch

[iabass8]

I love all of the sporting goods stores, I don't care if they people know a lot about their department, or not I already know what i am there for, and the only thing I ever need to ask them is if they have this reel in the X:1 ratio, or if they have more in the back somewhere. I have not met too many employees that cant accomplish those two tasks and even if they cant 5 bucks for 2nd day air on TW seems to work just fine... 

 

Mitch

I'm with ya on that one.

 

I personally don't want any sale associate bothering me or trying to push products at me to which they know nothing about aside from the price. I would never expect ANY sales associate at a retail sporting goods store to know much more than they really need to. The only thing I ever expect from any sales associate is being able to type an item or number into a computer and tell me where it is or if they have it if I can't locate it myself first. I understand some people do the job to provide for their family and there are some that care about the job more than others. To expect anything much more than "the product is over here" or "this is the price and we have X amount of them" from a minimum wage paid employee is ridiculous. There's no excuse for not doing your own research on products these days with more information than you can handle rather than relying on 8$ an hour knowledge,

 

As for the thought of finding the elderly employees in the fishing departments, I totally agree. There's a couple old guys that work the fishing department at Cabelas just north of me on the river. They are only there because it is located in the most perfect location for all fisherman to come in and out as its located 5 min tops from a few launchs. They love to talk to all of us and will bend over backwards for the most simple task. I'm not sure how many of you on here are Cabelas employees, but whatever sales contests they run from time time in the company, these old guys have won the Loomis and Pure fishing contests (something about selling the most of X brand over X time) a couple times company wide. They get something like 250$ credit for each brand they win. 

[reb67]

I am sure we have all notice that this problem is not only in our local sporting good stores that is why I always do my research before I go to purchase anything so when you get there the sale rep can just point you in the right direction.

 

Hell that is why I joined this site when I started bass fishing because with the guys on this site like Glenn, Sam and all you other guys who are so willing to help and give advice on gear, lures and techniques there is no reason for you to walk in any bait and tackle store not knowing what you are looking for.

 

  I'm a contractor and when I'm at Lowes and Home Depot some of the things I hear the sales reps tell people just crack me up.

[ChrisAW]

As a currently employee of Bass Pro, I have to say, seeing threads like these can be painful. This is a long winded post, and I mean no offense to anyone if you find it to be, but:

I hate to see people saying "I went there once and this kid didn't know anything, I'll never go back!" Yes, they will hire younger people that might not be very experienced. They might really enjoy hunting and fishing or what have you, but may have only been taught to do it one way their family or friends have taught them to do it. Do you really want to talk down to a kid who may enjoy the sport, but might not know EVERYTHING about it? They are there to learn and get some work experience just like many of you with your first job. We have a new kid at my store as well. A highschooler, on the school Bass fishing team, who enjoys the sport and wants to work in the industry. Where else do you start? A customer recently, very angrily, called him a moron because he didn't know what backtrolling was. That is the kind of thing that makes retail very stressful when it definitely should not be.

Not only that, but there are often employee's walking around the whole store that work in recieving, promotions, maintenance, or even just taking an item they found in their department back to where it goes. Even if they aren't in sales, they are told to try to be as helpful as possible. Many times they aren't going to try to pass a customer to a department associate, as some of us have witnessed, that this will annoy a customer just as much as them not knowing an answer.

But I keep seeing people mention minimum wage, and the truth is, most of us make more than that. They really don't hire at minimum wage, besides MAYBE holiday seasonal workers. I hired in above and have continued to climb in the pay scale, because hard work and knowledge is rewarded. They also have a lot of full time employee's that get full benefits and can buy pretty cheap healthcare and insurance.

BPS may now be a big box store, but Johnny Morris started it in a gas station in the 70's and grew because of a good reputation and good service. We might not always be cheaper than small shops and internet based companies who may have under 20 people working for them, but they now employ something like 14,000 people that are for the most part paid decently, and Johnny donates a LOT to conservation groups and charities. Whens the last time you seen any of these online stores giving a shopping spree to someone terminally ill or things of the like? This is just one example from the store I work at:

http://tinyurl.com/pboe9gn

But yes, there are downsides. Because we are such a large chain, product comes in slower than people would prefer. And because we may have thousands of customers a day, popular stuff sells faster than we can get it. And if the lures that don't sell well end up being removed from our stock, even if it was one of your best producers.

Being mad at the people you see at the store is not going to make things any better. If you want to see things improve, talk to the store managers and the people in corporate, whether its good or bad. They decide what goes on at our stores. Believe me, we don't want to have lazy co-workers as much as you don't want them. And we can only carry what people buy. If you just come to us to look at things but buy online, things will only get worse. In my case, I'm always willing to do whatever I can to get you the lures, reels, rods, or line you need if we don't keep it in stock, as fast as I can. I had lures ordered and shipped in within days for quite a few guys fishing the BASS Open on St. Clair, and I would do the same for any customer if they just ask instead of getting mad at me for not having it on hand at all times.

Edit: And I forgot to mention, NO ONE at Bass Pro works on commission. We're not asking you if you need help because we get a fatter paycheck, we're asking because its what we're known for and what most people expect. If you dont want help, just politely say, "I'm fine, thank you." Or something similar, and well be on our way.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Easier to make money when 20 john doe's on the floor sell 20 cheap combos every hr then high paid employees selling 2 great combos in 1 day.its business i ignore them unless i cant find something or i talk politics easy way to get rid of um

[*Hootie]

I had one HUGE gripe I forgot to mention. The absolute WORST customer, at least for me, is the guy who comes in carrying a spit cup, or worse yet, a see through container already half full. ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. If I saw you coming I would make every effort to avoid you. If you still approached me I would as quickly as possible, attempt to pass you off to another associate.I find that practice sickening and very inconsiderate to me and anyone else in the store. So guys, if you really have to do that, could you please leave it in the vehicle for the short time you are in the store. THANK YOU!

Hootie

[Djf3864]

As a currently employee of Bass Pro, I have to say, seeing threads like these can be painful. This is a long winded post, and I mean no offense to anyone if you find it to be, but:

I hate to see people saying "I went there once and this kid didn't know anything, I'll never go back!" Yes, they will hire younger people that might not be very experienced. They might really enjoy hunting and fishing or what have you, but may have only been taught to do it one way their family or friends have taught them to do it. Do you really want to talk down to a kid who may enjoy the sport, but might not know EVERYTHING about it? They are there to learn and get some work experience just like many of you with your first job. We have a new kid at my store as well. A highschooler, on the school Bass fishing team, who enjoys the sport and wants to work in the industry. Where else do you start? A customer recently, very angrily, called him a moron because he didn't know what backtrolling was. That is the kind of thing that makes retail very stressful when it definitely should not be.

Not only that, but there are often employee's walking around the whole store that work in recieving, promotions, maintenance, or even just taking an item they found in their department back to where it goes. Even if they aren't in sales, they are told to try to be as helpful as possible. Many times they aren't going to try to pass a customer to a department associate, as some of us have witnessed, that this will annoy a customer just as much as them not knowing an answer.

But I keep seeing people mention minimum wage, and the truth is, most of us make more than that. They really don't hire at minimum wage, besides MAYBE holiday seasonal workers. I hired in above and have continued to climb in the pay scale, because hard work and knowledge is rewarded. They also have a lot of full time employee's that get full benefits and can buy pretty cheap healthcare and insurance.

BPS may now be a big box store, but Johnny Morris started it in a gas station in the 70's and grew because of a good reputation and good service. We might not always be cheaper than small shops and internet based companies who may have under 20 people working for them, but they now employ something like 14,000 people that are for the most part paid decently, and Johnny donates a LOT to conservation groups and charities. Whens the last time you seen any of these online stores giving a shopping spree to someone terminally ill or things of the like? This is just one example from the store I work at:

http://tinyurl.com/pboe9gn

But yes, there are downsides. Because we are such a large chain, product comes in slower than people would prefer. And because we may have thousands of customers a day, popular stuff sells faster than we can get it. And if the lures that don't sell well end up being removed from our stock, even if it was one of your best producers.

Being mad at the people you see at the store is not going to make things any better. If you want to see things improve, talk to the store managers and the people in corporate, whether its good or bad. They decide what goes on at our stores. Believe me, we don't want to have lazy co-workers as much as you don't want them. And we can only carry what people buy. If you just come to us to look at things but buy online, things will only get worse. In my case, I'm always willing to do whatever I can to get you the lures, reels, rods, or line you need if we don't keep it in stock, as fast as I can. I had lures ordered and shipped in within days for quite a few guys fishing the BASS Open on St. Clair, and I would do the same for any customer if they just ask instead of getting mad at me for not having it on hand at all times.

Edit: And I forgot to mention, NO ONE at Bass Pro works on commission. We're not asking you if you need help because we get a fatter paycheck, we're asking because its what we're known for and what most people expect. If you dont want help, just politely say, "I'm fine, thank you." Or something similar, and well be on our way.

 

This is a spot on response. 

 

People need to chill out and take it for what it is; I am certainly no expert in fishing and will ask questions when I don't know while at the store.  It is the responsibility of the consumer to take in the information that is given and make informed decisions, if something smells fishy then take it with a grain of salt and do more research on your own, this is not Bass Pro Shops problem, it is yours.  Don't put a kid down for now knowing or even one of the more "seasoned" guys working in the store.  Everyone needs a job, but what they don't need is some ****** bag on his high horse cutting them down for insignificant bullcrap to make themselves feel good or because they didn't get the instant gratification they desired.

 

*Edit - The above assumes that the employee is respectful and helpful in trying to assist you.  One thing that I do get a little peeved about it are inattentive and rude sales associates.  If they don't know the answer to a questions that fine, but I am sure that they are able to find someone who can better assist you.  That relates to stock, inventory and product locations more than whats the best lure for X fishing.

[CarolinaBoy4Life]

I agree with the guy's that work at BPS. I honestly don't expect an employee to know everything about every product in the store. Basic knowledge yes but some people now day's are just absolutely ridiculous in what they ask or demand. I work for a major Outdoor Power Equipment company and some of the complaints we receive are absolutely ridiculous. People will want something specific but will not provide specific information. And they get mad when you cannot answer this question because they have provided little info to assist. I could only imagine what they deal with in BPS fishing department. I'm not one of these customer's who feel's the customer is alway's right or I should get whatever it is I want. I expect good customer service within reason.

[J Francho]

"if it weren't for all the darn customers, we could get some work done around here!"  Something I used to say to my employees when I ran a retail store, lol.

 

Sarcasm as motivation...

[Brnnoser6983]

I play customer service rep almost every time I go into my local Bass Pro. The only knowledgable guys are behind the reel counter. The other reps walking the floor are non-fisherman.

Not always the case. I had a person from Gander spin a spool of braided onto my reel. He did this while I was looking at some other tackle. (And not paying attention..... 100% my fault) Come to find out on my first trip out the SA didn't even backspin the reel and I wasted $40 on some braided line.

[J Francho]

 

Come to find out on my first trip out the SA didn't even backspin the reel and I wasted $40 on some braided line.

 

 

Huh?

[rboat]

That is another thing that irks me. Our line winding machine at my store is far from perfect and many times it does not work the way the way it was intended. Stop being so d**n lazy and put the line on your own reel. If you want to call yourself a real fisherman, that is a task you should learn and do religiously to your own standards. You will never see an elite tournament angler go to a store and ask to have his line spooled. If you are a beginner, that is a different story and I will gladly put some line on your reel to get you started. I have been spooling my own line since I was a young kid and would never ask a store associate to do it for me. If you spool it yourself, you know how it is done and if it is not perfect you can blame yourself.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Line winding for someone is one of the most mind-numbing, mundane tasks I've ever encountered.

 

As stated, buy line, learn to tie an arbor knot and do it yourself. It's not difficult and I'd be more than happy to show someone how to do it in store.

[everythingthatswims]

I am a demanding customer, but also spent a number of years working in retail.   I agree with posts above explaining dissatisfaction on both sides of the counter.  But, I no longer expect anything approaching expertise from anyone in an entry level job who is paid close to minimum wage.  Most of us here, as can be seen from numerous posts, value best price as much as service.  Big box stores in any retail segment aren't going to have much expertise in store.  Can't compete anymore if they tried to pay wages for that value.  Lower your expectations.  Sorry. 

Also, it isn't helping any of those brick and mortar retail guys any when I go into BPS and handle rods and reels and ask questions.....but make my purchase from TW when I get home.

 

  The one thing that does routinely tick me off in B&M's is associates who bullchit me.  Often it isn't a deliberate attempt just to get me to buy something....it is usually just some poor minimum wage Joe who somehow has decided that it is better to answer and/or suggest something totally wrong or inappropriate than to say "I'm not sure ---- let me find out (or ask a manager)."  Seems lately that a whole lot of (usually) young retail workers just make crap up instead of finding out the answer.  That's what really upsets me in a store.  Not ignorance.

^This...but I don't have a local bps so I do this type of thing at gander mtn, dicks, etc...I have had rods (from stores) break the first time I fish them because they weren't taken care of during shipping/storage/something. Some of the rods on the shelves are visibly bent from being stored jammed up against a bunch of other rods, not the case with ordering from TW.

[X-JaVeN-X]

Do you also expect the bag boy at your local supermarket to explain to you how to prepare Coq Au Vin?  Most people (barring the occassional surprise) that work these counters are there getting maybe a bit above minimum wage and have no or minimal interest in the product they are selling.  They are there to point you to the correct isle and take your money when you check out. 

[BassThumbAddict]

The guy that works the reel counter at my local BPS doesn't know whether to s**t or wind his pocket watch. 

[Chris S]

Line winding for someone is one of the most mind-numbing, mundane tasks I've ever encountered.

 

As stated, buy line, learn to tie an arbor knot and do it yourself. It's not difficult and I'd be more than happy to show someone how to do it in store.

I don't trust anyone but myself to do it

 

As for the BPS or Cabelas employees they do their best to help out anytime I ask a question but most of the time I know what I am there to get and grab it and leave.

[roadwarrior]

...but most of the time I know what I am there to get and grab it and leave.

 

Ask your questions here on the BassRsource.com Forum. We have VERY knowledgeable anglers

and for the most part the guys around here are not representing a sponsor. Many of us have a bais,

but that just comes from experience. More importantly, "favorites" are pretty diverse.

 

 

 

[Chris S]

Ask your questions here on the BassRsource.com Forum. We have VERY knowledgeable anglers

and for the most part the guys around here are not representing a sponsor. Many of us have a bais,

but that just comes from experience. More importantly, "favorites" are pretty diverse.

 

 

 

I am part of that Central KC Area Group and we are a pretty tight nit group and share info, trust me moving From FLA to Kansas almost made me quit fishing