Got off work early last night to run down to sportco for some fishing goods, and I roll in there at 5:53 and the doors are closed. My clock is a little fast as well. Last of the customers are paying and finishing up their shopping. What gives? I live in Mineral so dropping in to Fife is way out of my way. Not happy at all and I don't think I will shop there again because of it. Just thought I'd pass this on. Yeah yeah you don't care, but now you know anyways. I ended up having to go to GI Joes who charge an arm and a leg and only have half of what you want.

Kris

You know, for all the advantages of huge selection and price that Sportco offers I have never been impressed with the day-to-day management of the place. I'm mostly just tired of fighting the trafifc to get there in the middle of winter steelhead season only to find out that they're out of 1/0 AND 2/0 hooks, 1/4 inch snubber AND the the floats I needed. Try finding #2 steel toward the end of duck season...out of stock again! Elk calls in mid-September because you lost yours...forget it! They always seem to have plenty of walleye lures and pink gore-tex jackets!

I'm sure I'll continue to stop in from time to time but I have never been able to depend on them to have what I need when I need it.

GB,
That was way raw! Comes down to some more wayward management. Perhaps their huge market share has them a little complacent?


I do miss the neighborhood small sporting goods shops!

Thats how you vote, with your money! It's the only recourse we have, since most retail management cares very little about the customer these days. I had a similar situation at Costco a couple years ago. I had $1200.00 worth of outdoor furniture on a cart headed for the checkout when I realized I forgot the umbrella. I tried to go back but at 8:30pm they had already closed the row that had umbrellas. I went to the checkout and asked for the manager. I asked him if he wanted to lose a $1200.00 sale for a one minute walk. He declined. I walked. I vow never to walk through their doors again. You want my money, you got to earn it and show me some respect. Period.

I'm not impressed with Sportco either. The couple times I've been there,It's been a total mess. I understand they're a wharehouse,but the place was hardly shopable. I probably could have found what I wanted if I wanted to dig thru the cardboard boxes littering the aisle.

GB,
check out Sunbird in Yelm, many miles closer to home, they have practicaly eveything and the prices are only pennies more than SportCo.
G

i also think sunbird is a pretty good place to buy tackle. still a little out of the way(20 minutes from lacey with that godawful 1 lane 1 way in or out of yelm with a 25mph speed limit), but better than anywhere else outside of sportco

Thats right! Nobody go to sportco...

That will just leave more room for me!

I will admit though that it can be a little frustrating because they always seem to be out of stock of what you need for the weekend.

If it was my store and I move as much merchandice as they do I would make sure I'm always stocked up on plenty of the "hot items"... Like spinners during silver season... and 1/0-2/0 hook during any season! Thats just good business...

don't know about the rest of you but I was able to do all of my chrismas shopping there this year... in one stop no less... even picked up some stuff for me!

I have a friends who both work at Sportco and two GI Joes stores. I'm curious as what people's opinions are, as to what the best tackle store in the Seattle Tacoma Everett area is and why.
I guess that should be a topic, but I haven't decided on an answer to my own question. I've got my likes and dislikes with all the popular ones.

I just wanted to recommend another place. If you are ever fishing the Cowlitz it is worth every extra mile to go to Bob's Sporting goods in Longview. It is like an organized Sportco who is seldom out of stock of anything. When I first visited sportco I was impressed by the size and inventory but unimpressed by the organization and the fact that you have to buy a membership to get the good prices. Then my buddy took me to Bobs and I left there saying wow that is what a sporting goods store should be. Great prices, great service and great big!!!

Gsiegal, I mean Gary, whats up with that? You and I both know you have enough inventory to stock both GI Joes and Sportco.
Give me a ring, itchin to go steelheading soon, that is if I can get away from the dreaded "work" thing.

Oh and by the way, is the 60 pounder out of the planning stages yet.....give me a call!

Steve

Kyle A,

Which Costco were you shopping at? THat manager screwed the pooch, you always let the member go back for an item, or go get it yourself. That would never happen at the warehouse I work at, in Silverdale. Sorry about the bad taste they left in your mouth. I will shop at sportco, until we get our Sportsman Warehouse.

Later

Elkman

Sportco has given me some of the best customer service I've ever recieved from a retail outlet.

Sportco is the kind of place for a shopper that knows what to look for, don't expect average customer service. Its kinda like Info Tech Computers, Great prices but crappy cust service.
I got into it once with a manager there over a 11$ difference on their price mistake, he would honor the dif, just gave me attitude and never once said "we're sorry" for the price error.
I wrote the owner of Sportco and wrote a Looong letter on the complaint of BAD management and customer service, I told them I had cut up my membership card and will tell all my friends not to shop there.
The owner sent me a 40$ gift certificate and apologized and will get my issue with management rectified. I was hoping that manager would get fired, but hes still there. Oh well. I don't talk to anyone there except to Bill H.
Write the owner of your issues, its the only way to make them get better at customers service

Yes, I agree a lot of times they are out of the stuff you came to get. But, I still find the corkies I like to use. And I have found the customer service to be very good. I have taken back a leaking pair of waders, and a busted rod and John back in fishing hooked me right up. Maybe G. Zog will speak up to this slam!

For price check out Wal-Mart. Not sure about the selection but passing through the fishing section I saw the big hot spot flashers were like $6-8. Some other name brand stuff was real cheap too.

I visit Sportco several times a week for this-and-that stuff. I have yet to have bad customer service there. They always have what I need and then some.

I guess you just have to be a smart shopper and know, for example, when it is salmon season they are going to be out of Hot Spot flashers, hoochies, and Coyote spoons.

As far as hours of business goes, now you know.

"It is like an organized Sportco who is seldom out of stock of anything." Bob's in Longview....

How true that is.

Sportco is not alone in having horrible customer service. GI Joe's staffs their stores with kids who don't know JACK about fishing and therefore are not helpful at all. The common sense it takes to run a business just is absent at most stores. Sportco is like a Salvation Army store with crap all over the place and employees who seem to be asleep or watching the clock most of the time. I'm sure there are a couple of smart guys working there but perhaps they are prima donnas and don't interrupt their schedules with annoying customers.

Jacob...you must be the dream customer who is satisfied no matter what you you get or you are just lucky.

The state of customer service across the board is the worst I have seen it in my life these days. Perhaps it is because the buying public is so price oriented. Small tackle shops with "how to" and "where to" advise like 3 Rivers need to make a decent profit to continue to provide advise with your tackle purchases. So if you would drive 40 miles to save a few bucks you deserve crappy service.

I make the drive from Everett to Sportco about once a month. Do I go there for the low prices? No, I go there for the selection. The biggest problem that they have is inventory management. They have a bar code inventory system but either its totally outdated or they aren't looking at the information that can be generated. It is annoying to have to dig thru boxes because the shelves aren't stocked. Just basic blocking and tackling that needs to and can be improved.

I hate the disorganized mess........boxes everywhere, sooooooo slow at the checkout....no cheaters, no FST's...... so much easier to "shop on-line" Cabelas, Bass-Pro, Fishin.com, or many others.......AND ITS DELIVERED TO MY DOOR....

Now if I could just find "cheaters" in size 12 and 14....in the colors I like..mmmm well, maybe someone out there knows where I can buy them by the 100, let me know.

"Worse day sport fishing, still better than the best day working"

I'm with you Aunty