Dick's Sporting Goods

[shooter88]

Customer Service

Wasn't sure where to put this, but it has to be said..... Dick's has awesome customer service. I recently went in to look at purchasing a new driver, and was between the new RBZ and Callaway razor Hawk drivers. After trying both for about 30 minutes and hitting my 2009 Cleveland Launcher, I could not decide if spending upwards of $300 was worth it. The young gentleman who actually sold me the CLeveland 2 years ago came by. He was polite and ask a few questions....

Like : " what exactly do you not like about your current driver?" and "Have you considered changing the shaft?"

It dawned on me at this time that there are people out there who really do want you to have all options availible to you. This guy could have just let me spend $300 w/o saying anything, but he did the right thing by presenting me with all options availible to me.

In the end, we went with a new shaft that has a lower kick point and a larger grip. As I am writing this, I have yet to hit the club, due to a broken thumb suffered later that week. I have never experienced customer service at this level, so my point is, "I don't care if the new configuration is better or worse, I appreciate the thoughtfulness and service I received"

[jli2636]

Depends on which Dicks Sporting Goods you go into. Most of the ones that I have gone into are horrible, especially the one closest to me.

Dicks = Wal Mart of sporting goods.

[oubravs2b]

[quote name='jli2636' timestamp='1331666929' post='4500511']
Depends on which Dicks Sporting Goods you go into. Most of the ones that I have gone into are horrible, especially the one closest to me.

Dicks = Wal Mart of sporting goods.
[/quote]

Sadly, I've had the same experience with Dick's.

[joeykukz]

The dicks sporting goods near me is always 50/50. If the older pro (like65) it's great he loves to help. If the you g guy(35) is there its a waste of time. My area has one local good shop, service is great but the pricing is outrageous

[Meista]

They just replaced my sf 2.0 driver that I bought a few months ago. All he did was a quick call to taylormade and then offerd to replace it on the spot. Then maybe he did it because my wife went and not me? Lol

[Cwing]

[quote name='jli2636' timestamp='1331666929' post='4500511']
Depends on which Dicks Sporting Goods you go into. Most of the ones that I have gone into are horrible, especially the one closest to me.

Dicks = Wal Mart of sporting goods.
[/quote]

Dick's is nothing like Walmart. Dick's prices are well above what they should be.

[Stinger82]

One near me is really good when the pro is there, he's great! The other one that I went to today is terrible. I was going to buy a fast 12 3 wood today but noone would help me so after about 45 minutes I just walked out. Oh well I can probably get it cheaper on ebay anyway!

[MuvintotheMusic]

I worked at Dick's at the golf department while I was playing in college. During the slow winter months, they moved me to hard goods/fitness so I could sell warranties and brought in a kid who the "pro" (who didn't know how to teach someone that wasn't playing with persimmon) had a relationship with. I guess his dad was a big shot with the par 3 course that the "pro" taught at.

Yeah...but wait...there's more.

I got sent over to cover the one day for his lunch. When I went over, he was talking to a customer about the Big Bertha 440 (yep, it was a long time ago). He was telling him how it had excellent feel because the face was forged to the rest of the head.

After I talked to him a bit about what forging was, he insisted I had no idea what I was talking about and that's why I was moved.

Sigh.

I'm glad you had a good experience. I find that in many positions, it comes in thirds. A third of them are up and comers that are great. They just haven't been promoted yet. A third are the average Joe that will sit in that position because it's what fits them or they just enjoy it and don't want/need to do anything else. The last third are morons that either haven't been disposed of yet, nobody has caught onto yet, or they just know someone who knows someone. It's like that in every profession it seems.

[scottdc52]

I personally have never had a good experience at a Dick's Sporting Goods Store. Its not that they haven't had good or correct information, its just that there has been no customer service. I'll add this too.......I worked at a golf retail store for 5 years, and there were 2 guys who would give almost as much false information as they gave true information about everything from clubs, shafts, balls..........and even shoes. Some of the stuff I heard was ridiculously unreal.

Example: "Oh, you want to hit a tight draw with your irons..........go get yourself a cadet glove, that will help you hit a tight draw." Seriously, this was no joke, the salesman was being 100% serious with the customer. Apparently, the same guy thought that a stiffer shaft flex would help a person hit a tight draw. I've also heard (from a former co-worker) that he didn't know that the new RBZ driver had an adjustable shaft. Ridiculous! scott c.

[moonshine]

I worked at a Dick's in college. While they hounded us, almost to the point of discrimination about shrinkage, there were many positives. They are the only current store in my area that offer points system, coupons, and sales! They tape the heck out of new clubs, purchase zero demos, and usually are spotty about installs and club work. They will NOT adjust the adjustable clubs at all and allow NOT to try your shaft in their club. However, they take anything back...seemingly worn to the brink shoes they will take back.

I have seen them go the extra mile again and again. Much more than I can say about my local "golf" store Watts. When left with few options, Dick's IMO does many things right in comparison these days. I have met few true morons in my life, so that opine I can't relate to at this moment. The local store is not so local for me at this time, so I am not really a regular customer. They smoke Academy for sure.

[RJRJRJ]

The closest Dicks to me (Pasadena CA) was good the one time that I talked equipment with the guy. I usually avoid talking details with big box store workers since its only going to end up being awkward, but the tall, youngish white guy there was pretty knowledgeable about equipment and was happy to talk about it. You can usually tell the difference between the ones that are excited about cool stuff and golf, and the ones who could really care less and are just gonna feed you lines from straight off of the signs hanging up 2 feet away.

[Aithos]

In retail sales it's a roll of the dice what kind of person you're going to get. The pro at my store is very knowledgeable and has been a PGA teacher for over a decade. One of the kids is trying to become a PGA pro so he can teach and although he isn't super knowledgeable at least has good intentions. Then there is the ****head who knows a lot but couldn't find sales ability or customer service if it hit him on the forehead, and the kid who is stoned more often than not and doesn't know where he is most of the time.

I've personally worked in commission and salary sales/management for around 10 years (finally got out 1.5 years ago, thank god) and in all that time you wouldn't believe the range of commitment/knowledge/people skills you would see in a given store. As a customer I have little patience for people who don't treat me the way I treated my customers, you have the money and the power and as long as you're patient and willing to walk away you will generally have good experiences. If you do find someone who treats you well, make sure you go only to them and ask for them by name. Even if they aren't commission they'll appreciate it because it makes them feel good, trust me.

[hef63303]

I see these types of threads often. Here is what I have trouble with. When you are sick, do you go to the doctor or do you go to Walgreens and ask whoever is working the aspirin aisle? If you want great golf advice, I would suggest you find someone in your area that really studies golf clubs, shafts, grips, etc. and talk to them. It could be a golf professional, a guy that operates a custom fit golf shop, or every once in a while, you will find one at a big box golf shop. Find out how much training the person you are talking to has had. The odds are, if he has only been working at the shop for a few weeks or months, he probably does not know much yet.

[tmw4h5]

I currently work at DSG and I can see where some of your points are valid. Our pro has been a PGA teaching professional for 20+ years and the guy is extremely knowledgable and helpful -- he's great.
We have a couple other guys who are older and who play a decent amount and relatively keep up with the new technology and releases, but one of them is pretty terrible with customers.
The other guy has almost zero knowledge when it comes to golf as he's basically a warm body to stand guard over the golf clubs on our sales floor.

DSG is not interested whatsoever in hiring employees that are knowledgable about the product -- they are interested in hiring somebody who will do whatever they are told and recite the information given to them by corporate.

Our store was recently selected (one of 35 DSG stores nationwide) to carry Titleist, Ping, and Mizuno clubs. We were able to get our Titleist rep to come in and brief us on their merchandise (which, by the way, thanks GolfWRX for turning me into a nerd -- the rep was quite impressed with my knowledge regarding their line of products), which was helpful for the department.
However, we apparently can't spare the ~$90 it would take in payroll to get Mizuno to come in and brief us on their products. These stores carrying Ping, Titleist, and Mizuno are simply testing the waters. If sales are good, the clubs will stay, and they might expand to more stores. If our sales are poor, we won't carry those products, simply giving the demographic of the serious golfer to Edwin Watts Golf, Golfsmith, etc, etc.

Not to mention the fact that when a serious golfer comes in and wants to purchase clubs from Mizuno or Titleist, they're expecting great service, knowledgable employees, and they expect the golf associates to be as helpful as possible. From the manager's standpoint: Customers are to hit no more than 10 balls in the driving range. Use of the launch monitor (the new Foresight HMT) costs $30 unless they purchase a club, in which case the fee is dropped. Also, we are to spend no more than roughly 15 minutes per customer. Oh, also, we aren't allowed to do fittings. Only the pro is "certified" to do that. By the way, DSG considers a customer using the launch monitor as a "fitting session".

I can say that for the DSG that I work at, our department is fairly knowledgable and helpful. However, I will say that the odds are stacked against us from a corporate level. Corporate doesn't care about giving really good customer service, they just want you to sell as much as possible as quick as possible. Oh, and don't forget to get the customer to do the survey!

[smackygolf]

[quote name='hef63303' timestamp='1331697889' post='4504071']
I see these types of threads often. Here is what I have trouble with. When you are sick, do you go to the doctor or do you go to Walgreens and ask whoever is working the aspirin aisle? If you want great golf advice, I would suggest you find someone in your area that really studies golf clubs, shafts, grips, etc. and talk to them. It could be a golf professional, a guy that operates a custom fit golf shop, or every once in a while, you will find one at a big box golf shop. Find out how much training the person you are talking to has had. The odds are, if he has only been working at the shop for a few weeks or months, he probably does not know much yet.
[/quote]
Thanks Hef. The voice of reason. These threads always make me smile. For every 1 guy here at WRX that knows what he's talking about, there are 3,000 posters who couldn't be more clueless. And we have to deal with them, just like you have to deal with the salesman who you think is clueless. I promise you, I hear (and read here) more ridiculous garbage than you can imagine from people who like to think they are "in the know."

[shooter88]

[quote name='smackygolf' timestamp='1331736375' post='4505789']
[quote name='hef63303' timestamp='1331697889' post='4504071']
I see these types of threads often. Here is what I have trouble with. When you are sick, do you go to the doctor or do you go to Walgreens and ask whoever is working the aspirin aisle? If you want great golf advice, I would suggest you find someone in your area that really studies golf clubs, shafts, grips, etc. and talk to them. It could be a golf professional, a guy that operates a custom fit golf shop, or every once in a while, you will find one at a big box golf shop. Find out how much training the person you are talking to has had. The odds are, if he has only been working at the shop for a few weeks or months, he probably does not know much yet.
[/quote]
Thanks Hef. The voice of reason. These threads always make me smile. For every 1 guy here at WRX that knows what he's talking about, there are 3,000 posters who couldn't be more clueless. And we have to deal with them, just like you have to deal with the salesman who you think is clueless. I promise you, I hear (and read here) more ridiculous garbage than you can imagine from people who like to think they are "in the know."
[/quote]

Let me clarify one point... I was giving praise to a young person who did the right thing. I'm sorry if others have had less than stellar service at their locations. If you don't agree, that's fine, but very seldom does anyone take the time to comment on the things a salesperson/ company does right. I DO know as I am in the advertising and promotional products industry where the complaints ALWAYS overshadow the compliments.

As my 1st Drill Sergeant said back in 91' " One awshit ruins a thousand atta boys" So I take the time to compliment good service when I receive it. I suggest others do the same.

[MelloYello]

[quote name='onlyonfridays' timestamp='1331703228' post='4504481']Oh, and don't forget to get the customer to do the survey!
[/quote]


LOL!

Yes...ah, the memories!

[flip flappy]

A buddy of mine ordered some Callaway Razor X irons several weeks ago from DSG. While the regular staff was clueless, the pro was pretty helpful.
The irons have been slow to arrive so my buddy has made several calls to check on progress. The usual "they are going to ship this week" story. He called again today and was told it would be next week again. This time the pro told him to come by and he was going to give him a $100 gift card for the trouble! That's stand-up!