I went to this place three weeks ago to buy a rod. After narrowing down my selections to two rods, I walked up to the counter and asked for the price on each rod. After getting the price quote, I handed him the two rods and said I'm buying only one. I expected that he would ring up one of the rods and he would return the other to the rack as a courtesy to the customer. Instead, he points back and says --"Rod racks are back there." I didn't like his attitude so I left without buying any of the rods. In fact I went to other places to buy all of my fishing rigs including rods.

I hope the manager of this place sees this and work with his employees on improving the service.

Aww, poor baby, had to put your own toys aways...

Teds has been a great place to go for gear and advice for years. Some folks who only come out here to fish once or twice a year make a point of stopping in to chew the fat and check out what's new. With a real dirth of independently-owned tackle shops here in the Metro area, Teds has been a great resource for a lot of people who want to spend their money with somebody who knows and cares about the sport. Try checking your attitude at the door next time. I think you're about to see a long list of folks who also appreciate having Teds around.

Bruce

I don't know why you would pick on such a fine place. It should have been up to you to put back the one you didn't want. As I don't think that all clerks are mind readers.

I have always had good luck shopping there. I broke a rod once and all it cost was shipping. Replaced a fly line no questions asked. I would shop there more but don't like to drive all that way. People there have always been friendly to me and also helpful.

Please let preface my remarks by saying that I have never been to Teds and am in no way passing Judgement on the store or the clerk in question.

That said, Liberty I hear ya. If I go to any store and feel that in my opinion the customer service is poor, I'm taking my business elsewhere. If you think they have a attitude when you are buying something thwere, what is it going to be like when you are returning a defective product that you purchased there? So Liberty, if you sensed bad service, by all means move on. also, what one individual deems bad service, another may not. So let your own experience, not anothers, make up your mind.

Just my $.02.

Tight Lines!

Sounds like you were probably talking to the owner. :p

Ted's is a popular spot to buy gear and they can get busy. I know when I bought my rod, I got great service. But there is one chap in there that has a bit of attitude that I have blown off a few times, and its not Mike. That's the kind of comment that I would expect from a clerk at Walmart, not Ted's.

I have worked customer service in some capacity for almost 20 years. Being on the other end means I get to see the other side of the coin. It also means that I know how to treat someone serving me. I fully believe that if a customer is not rude, offensive or in some othe way coming across really wrong, the employee of the store/restaurant/ should only be thinking of one thing.....I represent this business to this customer. If I want them to come back I had better act like it. The owner of the place should also be looking for this.

Let me just quickly add.... the only thing differentiating one place from another is service.

It is possible however, for the employee to have just had a bad day too and so I tend to give some slack and if the behaviour does not improve, I don't come back.

Mike Chamberlain has ALWAYS been very helpful anytime I've purchased something in the store. I've bought a few big ticket items there over the years (Loomis rods, Simms waders etc...) I'll continue to shop there, as I've been happy with the experience.

Maybe it was one of his EX employees? :p

LIBERTY...YOU ARE A NEW POSTER ON THIS BOARD AND YOU COME IN AND TRASH A SUPPORTING BUSINESS. WHY DON'T YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

IS THAT ALL YOU CAN DO FOR A FIRST POST???
WHERE YOU FROM? JUST A HINT?
METHINKS YOU ARE LEFT OVER FROM ANOTHER CROWD...
I WONDER WHO SET YOU UP????

More good info out of this shop than you will find elsewhere. Sounds like our new poster got off to a rough start with the shop. My question to Liberty: are you above replacing what you took off the rack? You wanted one rod, why did you take two to the clerk? If your feelings were hurt by a simple request to act as anyone else you are in for a cruel life. I see plastic bait containers along river banks that were left by those who are above using a little common sense. You know the type, let the next guy clean up my mess I'm too important.
Hope the door at Ted's didn't hit you in the ass on the way out.

Whooooa! Everyone's tearing this guy up rather quickly. All I know is the two guys I used to rely on for killer info and help at Teds are now working at Three Rivers Marine in Woodinville. Things that make you go Hmmmmmm!

Would be quite a concept to put a price tag on a rod eh?????

I believe in expressing his/her opinion as long as it is not done with a malice. I visit my relatives in Seattle very often and I am very fond of the area. Other than my experience at Ted' place (which could have been one bad service out of the one hundred good services--unfortunately the bad service happended to me and I think I'm entitled to take my business to other place); I really enjoyed the people I met and fishing while I was there. Again, I think Seattle is a wonderful place and I would like to be back again soon.

Liberty from Illinois...is that correct? It has nothing to do with how much you like Seattle or your aunt or uncle. You can voice your opinion all you want but when you bash a supporter of this board, you are out of line.
There are 2 other boards that would boot you off in a second if you did the same thing you did here.
Maybe your own attitude got in the way. Body language says a lot.

Hey Posh, are you reading more into his original post or am I not reading enough? I don't see anywhere in there where he said Ted's was a bad store or recommended that people went elsewhere. He told us of an experience that he had there. That's about all I got out of it. If I was the Manager or the Owner of that store and someone wasn't satisfied with their experience I would want to know about it too. Just so I could make sure there wasn't a problem and that I was doing business the way I deemed most fit. I might not change a thing, but I sure would listen to what a customer had to say.

I just don't see where, as you put it, He Trashed a supporting business. Give the guy a break!

I know his post won't stop me from checking the place out, in fact after reading this thread I will probably make it a point to stop in there and check it out for myself. Sounds like a pretty good shop to me that might have just had a little misunderstanding with one customer.

Hey Let's just all go out and catch some fish!!

Good comments, Busy. I agree with your take.

You can't please everyone all the time, but you should try to if you're hoping to make it in the retail business.

That being said......I've always found the serice at Ted's good and the prices fair. That's all I'm looking for.

Hey Liberty
I think I am the one who turned you on to Teds, you were asking some other general info, on another board. So anyways I am sorry you had a bad experience there. You are not the first! and probably not the last!.
I go there because of the knowledge they have and the quality of the gear they carry. I grew up here and that is the only place close to my house that the people working there actually fish themselves.
It can be a very busy place at times, and they may have just been too busy to put a rod back for you.
They are very helpful when they are not too busy!

It is not the only tackle shop I buy at, but I am glad they are there.

Woodsy Wayne

I've bought most of my tackle from Ted's for almost 15 years now ... long before they were an advertiser on the site.

In all these years and countless transactions, the fellas there have bent over backwards for me.

I've recommended the shop for a lot of years and continue to do so today

I too have gone to Ted's for at least 15 years, have had nothing but good service. Sure there is a guy there who has an ego problem, but hell, he works in a tackle shop, sheesh. No, Mike has always been a great help and have learned alot from him.

Liberty, you may have your shop names mixed up. Jerry's is the place with bad service.