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My Lhs is now a disappointment

Levi

Rock Crawler
Joined
Apr 7, 2017
Messages
644
Location
US
What can I say, i now feel everytime I go into my fav lhs I now leave disappointed. They have lots of stuff and can order just about anything. Even if I get what I needed it feels like I got no service. The disappointed part, my two fav employees quite recently. These guys were the best part of going into the lhs. They were great to talk to about anything rc related and non rc related stuff.

Theses two employees you could ask them for any part or part that was not in stock and they new right where the part was in the store and if they needed to order it no hassle and it was ordered. They new their customers by name and provided excellent service.

Now that therit gone I walk in there and you might get noticed that your in there. The owner is willing to help you when he is there. Ask anyone else and it's like nope we dont have that. Really cause I can see it behind the counter. That means you have to get off your ass and actually work. Ask to order something and it's like asking them to move a mountain. And it's been like this since theses two employees left. I know why they left, but I wish they would return.

The other two lhs around are ok I guess. The one has lots of stuff they stock and can order lots of things. Problem is the manager is the only one that know what he is doing and it great to work with. The other lhs in town is ok. The one owner is awesome and knows lots of stuff and knows what he can and cant get ordered. Far as the other employees they all suck. I ask for something and its nope dont have that. But I'll turn around and ask the one owner and he can walk right to it, pisses me off. I dont know how this lhs stays in business.

I've even brought this problem to the owner and he knows it's a problem but I think hes doing the best he can with who he gets to hire. I can image for him it's hard to pay any real good money and still keep the doors open. Especially in theses times were in now. But I also know from talking to the owner they have increased in business with everyone staying home he told me.
I'm always one for shopping local. Even if the prices sometimes might be a little more. Anymore I'm frustrated about even stepping into these lhs. And like lots of others might have to start spending money online more. See how that goes maybe.
 
Many “LHS “ are so deep with vendors, it can kill attitudes if the chain dictates $$$
Hobbytown is a great example, mine (before closing) I arrived and asked “clerk” I need a pair of XT60’s.....
Must of thought I asked for Russian Uranium!!! I then said “battery connector “ and he opened the case and wandered away for me to find them..... My LHS did tie into AMain for special order availability, and I just got a pair of batteries that they normally wouldn’t get.


Hang up and Drive
 
My LHS is a one man show. He keeps prices low by having no employees. He has a few guys that help him out sometimes, but he probably just pays them in extreme discounts on inventory.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
LHSs are an ebb and flow for their employees, and the good guys never seems to stay long enough. Hobby shops are minimum wage, and for the most part, the people that work there consider the job temporary.
 
Feel extremely privileged that you have 3 hobby shops to choose from, I have zero.

It sucks to lose your good LHS though. When our last LHS closed I went in and tried to support them with some big purchases I even offered them warehouse space to store their inventory while they found a new location but it wasn't enough.
 
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Both of theses guys were there was long as I've been j. The hobby. The one guy it was a second job. The other did it for the fun and went to school than moved on to other things. This shop is no chain, just a local guy running it. Eventually theses other yahoos will move on and maybe some good will come. I guess I'm lucky if I've got 3 shops close by.
 
Feel extremely privileged that you have 3 hobby shops to choose from, I have zero.

It sucks to lose your good LHS though. When our last LHS closed I went in and tried to support them with some big purchases I even offered them warehouse space to store their inventory while they found a new location but it wasn't enough.

You are in Nor-Cal's Humboldt county?
 
You are in Nor-Cal's Humboldt county?


Yeah, my local hobby shop ends up being RPP and Amain. I have gone to RPP before just to check it out but its a 3 hour drive. RPP is also online focused so there isnt a shop to browse just a tiny office/showroom with paints and small number of RTRs and kits on display.
 
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Yeah, my local hobby shop ends up being RPP and Amain. I have gone to RPP before just to check it out but its a 3 hour drive. RPP is also online focused so there isnt a shop to browse just a tiny office/showroom with paints and small number of RTRs and kits on display.

Oddly enough, there is a hobby shop down in Garberville, between Garberville and Redway actually. That is likely a bit of a drive if you live around the Fortuna/Eureka area, but it isn't a bad drive to take on a Saturday.
 
Oddly enough, there is a hobby shop down in Garberville, between Garberville and Redway actually. That is likely a bit of a drive if you live around the Fortuna/Eureka area, but it isn't a bad drive to take on a Saturday.


Really? interesting. I googled it but cant seem to find anything, do you know the name?


It would be odd if theres LHS under my nose that I just didnt know about.

Thanks BTW
 
When I was there a year ago, it is on Evergreen Rd, just up from Just Rent It (my sister's business). I'll text her and see if it is still there. It has been there for a few years, it would be sad if it were closed.
 
There are hobby shops around me, but would not consider them local. I bet its at least a 1 hour drive each way and not in a direction I frequently go.
 
Really? interesting. I googled it but cant seem to find anything, do you know the name?


It would be odd if theres LHS under my nose that I just didnt know about.

Thanks BTW

Sad news, that show has closed. Honestly, I was amazed it was there to begin with.

My brother-in-law and nephew dabble in RC, and they say that the Power Sports store in Eureka has RC parts and such, but is not a full-blown hobby shop.
 
Trying to make a brick and mortar business profitable in this day and age is a serious challenge. Everyone, myself included, shops online and it is extremely hard for a mom&pop LHS to compete with the likes of RPP, Amain, etc. I feel for these small businesses and will try to support them as much as I can. When I run across a LHS employee who does not know about something I try to take the time to explain what I'm doing. Unfortunately this does nothing to help a poor attitude. I have run across these people and I come right out and ask them if they don't want to help customers why are they working in retail.
 
0 within 100 miles of here as well. I am not happy about not having hands on access to all the new vehicle and tech. That said, aMain, Horizon, Amazon, and Traxxas all do a good job with access and service. Return policies are excellent as well. No problems, except the delayed gratification.

Back in the old hood when I was racing buggies, we had a climate controlled indoor track track that doubled as an Associated/Losi warehouse, so repair parts were always at hand. Then again, there was a much greater need for repair parts 25 years ago. :)
 
I haven't had many good LHS experiences which makes me order everything online as a result. When there was a somewhat close shop nearby I'd stop in whenever I was in town and the couple times I met the owner he was just a patronizing, jaded old guy and not very helpful. I just don't understand how a lot of owners/employees are the way they are given that the main advantage of physical stores nowadays is your one chance to be nice/helpful to customers.
 
Quite the opposite for me - I have three great LHSs within a few miles. All staffed with knowledgable people and generally well stocked.
 
I have a hobby shop a couple miles from the house, but they really do not cater to crawlers. A few random parts here and there but mostly basher stuff or drones. I usually deal with the same guy there and he is pretty helpful.

Its pretty annoying to walk into a store and get the vibe that the people working there not only have no idea what they are doing, but they do not even care. They are just there for the paycheck. I have gone into so many shops and asked for a basic simple thing that any shop should have (such as a sensor wire) only to be told "No we don't have those", while the lazy moron was standing right in front of them.
 
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