As others have mentioned in their reviews, customer service at this store is very hit or miss. My…read morefirst two visits were great. The employees were helpful, took the time to look up parts to check availability, showed me where the products are in store, and even offered advice on alternatives. Those experiences were exactly why I prefer shopping at a local hobby store rather than ordering everything online.
Unfortunately, my most recent visit was a completely different experience.
I stopped in to ask for some advice about parts I had purchased from the store just a week earlier. Specifically, I had purchased a motor and ESC for an RC car build and wanted guidance on whether I should use connectors on the motor or solder the wires directly. This was just one of several questions I had.
The employee told me I needed to bring the parts in before he could offer any advice. I explained that the exact motor and ESC were sitting in their display cabinet just a few feet away. Rather than taking a moment to look at the products and help answer a fairly straightforward question, he simply gave me a blank stare and repeated that he needed to see the parts. He made absolutely no effort to help.
Next, I showed him a battery listed as in stock on their own website. I had the product pulled up on my phone and explained that I was looking for that specific battery. As we walked toward the battery section, he asked, "Do we even have that battery in stock?" I had literally just shown him the listing on his own store's website indicating it was available. I also verbally told him, this item was in stock while showing him my phone. It felt as though he either wasn't listening or wasn't paying attention to what I was showing him.
At this point, I was already questioning whether it was worth asking about the remaining parts I needed.
Throughout the entire interaction, I remained polite and friendly. I explained that one of the main reasons I choose to shop locally is because I value being able to speak with knowledgeable employees, ask questions, and get advice on my builds. His response was, "You can pay for us to help with your build."
To be clear, I wasn't asking anyone to build my RC car, perform labor, or spend an unreasonable amount of time troubleshooting something. I was simply asking for basic product advice about components I had already purchased from their store. There is a significant difference between asking for a paid build service and asking a hobby shop employee for guidance on the products they sell.
That response pretty much ended the conversation for me. I still had several items left to purchase, but I decided to leave and order them from an online retailer instead.
It's disappointing, because I genuinely want to support local hobby shops. I'm willing to make the drive, pay local retail prices, and give them my business because I appreciate the knowledge and customer service that a specialty store should offer. If the experience is going to be no more helpful than shopping online, however, it becomes difficult to justify making the trip.
The frustrating part is that I know this store has employees who provide excellent service, because I've experienced it firsthand. Unfortunately, the inconsistency makes it difficult to know what kind of experience you're going to get when you walk through the door.
I'm not expecting employees to know everything. I am expecting them to listen, make a reasonable effort to help, and show some interest in assisting customers who are actively trying to support their business.
Unfortunately, my future business is going elsewhere.
