Etiquette while at Woodcraft?

[jp_white]

I was just wondering if I did the right thing during my last visit to Woodcraft. While picking up a few pen parts for Christmas gifts I overheard one employee "helping" a new pen maker. He explained that if you're doing acrylic that you'll chip it no matter how sharp your tools are. He went on to say that as long as you leave it over sized and start with 120 grit sand paper then you're "good to go". Even being a bit of a novice I still started to cringe. I started thinking.....what do I do? I jumped in but couldn't make myself correct the employee. I decided to just tell them both about IAP. They seemed genuinely interested. Did I do the right thing? I included a terrible pic of my last acrylic. For me the coolest thing about acrylics is seeing the smallest ribbon I can get. With this pen I was able to start with 600 grit.
Thanks,
Jeff

 

[navycop]

Words can not describe it. Is that a twist or a click?

 

[Mack C.]

I was just wondering if I did the right thing during my last visit to Woodcraft. While picking up a few pen parts for Christmas gifts I overheard one employee "helping" a new pen maker. He explained that if you're doing acrylic that you'll chip it no matter how sharp your tools are. He went on to say that as long as you leave it over sized and start with 120 grit sand paper then you're "good to go". Even being a bit of a novice I still started to cringe. I started thinking.....what do I do? I jumped in but couldn't make myself correct the employee. I decided to just tell them both about IAP. They seemed genuinely interested. Did I do the right thing? I included a terrible pic of my last acrylic. For me the coolest thing about acrylics is seeing the smallest ribbon I can get. With this pen I was able to start with 600 grit.
Thanks,
Jeff

Hi Jeff; I would have waited till the conversation was over and caught the new pen maker outside to give him proper advice. Some employees know it all, best to leave them with their ignorance, I say.

Telling them about IAP was a good thing. No doubt about that!

 

[mredburn]

Unless your asked for your opionon, its better to point them here where they can "discover" the information to improve themselves rather than to try and correct the employee in the store enviroment. Unless the employee was giving advice that was totally unsafe or dangerous to the other customer. And if that was the case I would discuss it with the Manager/owner about the advice you overheard the salesperson giving the other customer and let them handle it.

 

[Billman]

You did the right thing.

But I wouldn't have held back on telling them a proper technique either. Explaining how I am able to accomplish what the customer is wanting to achieve without trying to put down the skills of the sale person. But that's just me, some people may not feel comfortable doing that.

It's a fine line between being helpful and too pushy sometimes... And ya just gotta go with what feels best for you at the time. Worse comes to worse... Let your work speak for you. I have gotten the attention of several of their sales people when I have whipped out one of my pens to sign the credit card slip.

 

[tim self]

I've done it many times. Wait till the employee is done giving advise then pulling the newbe away and telling the truth. I show my pens to show I know what I'm talking about. The employees even ask me what my latest creations are. Never miss an opportunity to teach.

 

[IPD_Mrs]

Our WoodCraft people are hammerheads. Rockler use to be real good people but they have lost all their knowledgable help. You did good.

 

[Rangertrek]

I would have talked to the pen turner on the outside and said this is "how I do it".

 

[alphageek]

I would have done what you did... But make sure to let the person know there is better talent out there.

THEN - you should have found the manager and offered to teach a class (to their employees if necessary!!) on how to turn the acrylics they sell (and thus sell them better). Could have opened you up to an possible chance to teach classes there in the future?!

 

[penhead]

I would have jumped in also...but very politely..!..

I tend not to correct the employee, (he may know the customer and know that the customer may not even know how to hold or sharpen a chisel yet, so his advice is based on that knowledge), however...I can also lend the knowledge that I have and how that I turn and that the way i turn (be it one in a million ways) but I have very little if any chip out problems...a lot of times both the customer 'and' the employee are willing to learn a new way...sometimes you will run into an employee who is 'flatworker' 8>) and has turned very little if any.

...JMHO...

 

[TellicoTurning]

I probably would have jumped in and corrected the employee's statements, but then I do have a tendency to go around with foot in mouth a lot... my good fortune is that at my local Woodcraft (local is 50 miles away), we have a number of accomplished turners as clerks there, so I would likely not have be put in this situation. When I do have an opportunity to give instructions on acrylic turning I'll quote Ed Brown's demo I saw at the Mid-West Penturners Gathering a few years back... I also agree with Jeff's method of very sharp tools and light fine cuts.

I'm cutting way back on the number of pens I do now, preferring to do bowls, Peppermills and hollow forms, but I still turn a few and most of my acrylic blanks do come from the local Woodcraft.

 

[bitshird]

I think you did the right thing, but also you might have spoken with the manager and possibly gotten a chance to teach a class there.

 

[MesquiteMan]

Being a hands on professional builder, I have run into similar things many times at Lowes. It is amazing the stuff some of the Lowes employees try to pass off as truth. Normally I will wait until the Lowes ASSociate leaves and then give the proper advice.

 

[its_virgil]

It is amazing the stuff some of the various pen forum members pass off as truth. I read erroneous information on all of the forums and websites I frequent... here, there, over yonder, back there, it's everywhere...it's everywhere. Just because info is posted in a forum orwebsite does not mean the info is correct. I love the posts that start out "Now I've never done (whatever) but here is what I think is happening." We must filter what we read and not just take it all as truth. I mean no offense to anyone and I'm not attacking just offering what I have observed.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Being a hands on professional builder, I have run into similar things many times at Lowes. It is amazing the stuff some of the Lowes employees try to pass off as truth. Normally I will wait until the Lowes ASSociate leaves and then give the proper advice.

 

[LarryDNJR]

I think I would have politely interjected with a suggestion as to how I try it or what might be a method that could work as well.

It used to kill me going into some electronic or mainly computer stores and here some salesperson just rattle on about what this can do or can do and what a person would "need". There has been many times I stepped in and explained the facts. I see it more with computers that its logical and specs so there is black and white, what works what don't work. Woodworking or turning there are methods I'm learning but sometimes things work better than others so there are variables to how things pan out.

I think you have to judge as someone said earlier the safety of what is being explained and then decide if the information being explained is really off base. There are some people out there that are just salespersons with enough knowledge to try and sale you product because they might know more than you even if by a little bit.

I think you did alright with what you did. If you was being genuinely helpful then that is what matters.

Larry

 

[Displaced Canadian]

I will wait until the clerk leaves unless he admits that he is not an expert on the subject. Then a great way to break into the conversation is to pull your pen out of your pocket. Reading some of the experiences that people have had in some of the other woodworking stores makes me realize how lucky we are here. If the associate doesn't know he will point out who to talk to and sometimes hang around to hear the answer.