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| Gusto |
 Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 8:59 am |
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ORDER OF THE SKULL
Joined: 20 Jun 2002
Posts: 9275
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do you guys have space or money to put up a small miniramp in the back of the shop or behind the shop???
and slob makes an excellent point. |
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| skateindex.com |
| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:12 am |
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Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 186
Location: DFW, TX
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slob-air wrote: Byrddog - That free baby sitting service breeds long term customers�it makes your shop a hub for skateboarding. And it has apparently worked�even the cops think of your shop that way. You should be pleased.
@ byrddog...23 kids at one time would drive me crazy too, but you have to cope.
If I get more than 5 kids stranded at the store on a weekend I send them outside to play SKATE for some stickers or posters.
Usually they play for a while, collect their winnings, and go street skate. Getting them off the couch usually keeps them off it.
You could find something constructive for them to do too. Print up a letter head that is addressed to your area congress-person. Anytime it gets rowdy just pass those out and tell the kids to write a letter about why they deserve a new (or better) local skatepark.
Whoever participates will be quiet for a while, and whoever doesn't want to do it can head home for the day.  |
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| auragreg |
| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:36 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 2382
Location: Highland, Michigan, USA, Earth
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Aura has been around for a year now and I have a TV with Playstation 2 and Xbox (both have been brought in by my regulars). I have vids to watch and tons of different games. I try to keep the games PG ... No GTA or anything like that ... well, during business hours at least 
At the beginning, there were kids that hung out all day, but in a way it is good. The parents have thanked me for giving them a place to hang. And I put em to work every once and a while. You'd be suprised at the kids that want to help put the brand new product out. They think it's cool to see the new stuff first. Plus, you do have a customer for life.
Food has been an issue to, we're next to a pizza place. And I sell Jones Soda. The rule is, you make a mess, you clean it up. And also - ask before you bring in food.
The kids that come in all of the time police themselves and know to turn it down when I ask. Or to tone it down when customers are in.
Run a tight ship, give em rules. The trouble makers won't come back. And you're regulars will help you police for theft. |
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I was born to love you. I was born to lick your face. I was born to rub you. But you were born to rub me first.
Support skateboard art/artists: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BurbSkateboards |
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| Byrddog |
| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:29 pm |
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Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Posts: 15
Location: Madison, MS
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Thanks for the input guys.
I'm at the shop now and it's quiet today... so far.
Landlord is not letting us skate in the parking lot anymore so no games of skate for stickers. I've done some best trick stuff but they always seem to know who's going to win so it takes the fun out so they say.
Mini ramp would be the best thing but again the landlord is big time freaked out by ramps and the liability issues with it. We had a quarter but it was hauled off.
I too agree with slob-air. I'm breeding some great customers at the expense of my sanity. Well... maybe it's all not that bad but... I do want this to be like the Zephyr Shop in a way, just a childhood dream thing, but that's easier said than done. No wonder Skip was drinking so much.
I can actually use the TV room as more space for boards, say a longboard/mountainboard room, but I hate to cut it out all together.
I'm so confused!
You guys are great and make me feel better about what I'm confronted with. I'll work though it and turn it into a positive, it's all I can do. |
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| MMS |
| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:55 pm |
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ORDER OF THE SKULL
Joined: 03 Jul 2003
Posts: 15098
Location: Heaven or Hell...kinda hard to tell.
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Hey if there's no skate shop to hang around...where would you buy your weed?
Kidding.
As a retailer, though I sell booze, I'd rather have active customers spending money, than have loiterers.
As a skater it was always fun to hang out at the local shop (and I did buy my weed from one of the other skaters). Looking back, I wonder if that guy (the shop) owner ever made any money, or if he just paid rent to be a clubhouse. Tough call. A welcome environment breeds business for sure, but people just hanging out not spending money might scare off others. |
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I'm kinda over it... |
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| auragreg |
| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 2:29 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 2382
Location: Highland, Michigan, USA, Earth
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| I have a board in here with the "Soft Trucks". Our landlord doesnt like it for us to skate in the parking lot either. |
_________________
I was born to love you. I was born to lick your face. I was born to rub you. But you were born to rub me first.
Support skateboard art/artists: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BurbSkateboards |
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| Byrddog |
| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 8:32 pm |
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Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Posts: 15
Location: Madison, MS
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I have softtrucks boards, indo and vew-do balance trainers. I have had close calls on kickflips ending up in customers ankles, real customers ankles. I've had my longboard rack pulled over on top of a person due to an indo getting away from someone (a Dad trying it out). Liability there? If the wrong person gets nailed by a loose board it could be really bad.
I have had one or two Mom types come in and give me a strange look after trying to "shop", make a comment like "we'll be back" and dart for the door. So, there is business to be lost by running a clubhouse that doubles as a skateshop.
Today was better. My rants yesterday kept some hanger outers away today.
Check us out at a still unfinished website: www.byrddogzboardsports.com/wp |
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| auragreg |
| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 11:37 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 2382
Location: Highland, Michigan, USA, Earth
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My "hangouters" know to stop all "horseplay" when customers come in.
I heard a lot of shops have problems with voo doo boards. I wont get one here .. to much of a liabliity ...
The soft trucks are great - but loud on a hard surface. Especially wheh you have a headache and a kid is trying to beat a kickflip record! |
_________________
I was born to love you. I was born to lick your face. I was born to rub you. But you were born to rub me first.
Support skateboard art/artists: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BurbSkateboards |
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| inkycaps |
| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2006 2:24 pm |
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Joined: 08 Oct 2004
Posts: 14
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We have put in the couch since we opened up on Oct. of 2003.
Its great to make a skate shop a hangout spot, but it doesnt mean more business. We are next a the only concrete park in town, and that doesnt mean more business either.
Its cool and all, but sometimes you get a kid in there that you just hate. All they talk about is bam, tony hawk, or grand theft auto. Or they come in and ask can you put on the Baker video. I swear ive seen that vid so many times its not funny. YES you CAN get sick of watching videos all day.
And in summer...oh shit the kids are ALWAYS there.
Yea they can bring in food and throw it away properly...but who is gonna take out the trash? Who is gonna wipe the display cases all day cuz these little kids love to caress clean glass for whatever reason. Who the fuck is gonna clean the dry crusty piss stains on the toilet?
you can make a cool hangout spot, but id be careful cuz you can get burned out on that shit quick.
what is cool about it though, is you build loyal customers that you trust, and they watch out for the thieves and neglected customers when it gets busy. BUT, not all of the kids that hangout there are gonna be loyal. Kids dont give a shit anymore. in elpaso, we have 4 core shops, 2 other shops that sell boards and anything else. 1 big chain mall store, and 2 pac suns, with one Zumiez. A lot isnt it? I see kids come in, chill, talk about shit, play your guitar and vintage NES games....then they come in 3 days later with your competitors board/shoes/shirt/hat/whatver.
i say fuck em. |
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| skateindex.com |
| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2006 4:34 pm |
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Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 186
Location: DFW, TX
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inkycaps wrote: ....then they come in 3 days later with your competitors board/shoes/shirt/hat/whatver.
Yep...same shit.
We try not to front on the kids that pull this, but it gets harder all the time. The only thing I can do is hope that they keep skating and figure it out for themselves. |
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