sarcastic remarks can get you banned from Neptune Mountaineering

**Chewy** · 04-30-2009, 01:10 AM

Originally Posted by frorider

i used to travel several times a year to Boulder on business, and would usually kill some time at neptune and occasionally buy gear.

i don't mind too much that most ski or bike shop employees know less about gear than i do --- at most shops their basic attitude is 'trying to be helpful' so i really can't and don't hold their gear ignorance against them. and typically there's always at least one employee who knows what's going on---just a matter of figuring out who that is.

Neptune, however, was a different story. repeatedly i'd encounter an irritating combination of attitude and ignorance.

to put it in terms maggots can appreciate, imagine a ski shop where the guy tells you 'Markers rule -- they never pre-release' in a tone of voice that implies that he knows everything and you know nothing, despite the fact that what he just said was idiotic in the eyes of 99% of people who pay attention to gear issues. that analogy pretty much summed up most of my NEptune experiences (but usually the discussions were about analog vs digital avy transceivers, etc.)

i deal w/ a couple of bike shops that sometimes cop an attitude, somewhat, but it doesn't really bother me since they have the deep knowledge to back it up. but attitude + ignorance = you will lose my business. I'd have to say Neptune is the only mountaineering shop in OR/WA/UT/CA/CO that has ticked me off in this way.

Seems that whenever the topic of shitty customer service attitude at Neptune comes up, everyone piles on with their story. Almost to the point that 'Neptune Mtneering' brand has come to be equated with 'tude.

This guy nailed it on the Head

Every time I've had to go in, in the past four years I've been met by self engrossed, jack asses from an overstaffed sales floor trying to bullshit me about some product that they actually know nothing about. I'm all for supporting the small man and local businesses, But Neptunes......? Given numerous tries and always left with a bad taste. Reform starts from the top and although everyone is self engrossed to a certain extent Gary has more than his healthy dose.

I hope that this form, all 29 pages acts as reminder to the other business of where their priorities should lay.

For the time being, find out about the other local business on the Front Range they're there, I’ve been patronizing them and haven’t been leaving disgruntled.

I'd have to say Neptune is the only mountaineering shop in OR/WA/UT/CA/CO that has ticked me off in this way. I second

**Blurred** · 04-30-2009, 01:32 AM

Neptune exudes Boulder culture

Boulder culture = psuedo hippie douchebags who act the part of the mountain person, but are basically clueless posers.

**LightRanger** · 04-30-2009, 01:50 AM

Originally Posted by Chewy

This guy nailed it on the Head

Every time I've had to go in, in the past four years I've been met by self engrossed, jack asses from an overstaffed sales floor trying to bullshit me about some product that they actually know nothing about. I'm all for supporting the small man and local businesses, But Neptunes......? Given numerous tries and always left with a bad taste. Reform starts from the top and although everyone is self engrossed to a certain extent Gary has more than his healthy dose.

I hope that this form, all 29 pages acts as reminder to the other business of where their priorities should lay.

For the time being, find out about the other local business on the Front Range they're there, I’ve been patronizing them and haven’t been leaving disgruntled.

I'd have to say Neptune is the only mountaineering shop in OR/WA/UT/CA/CO that has ticked me off in this way. I second

I find it funny that out of several new users' first posts in this thread, that this post is ripping on Neptune. The others are obviously shills, but this one is obviously not.

**beaterdit** · 04-30-2009, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by Blurred

Neptune exudes Boulder culture

Boulder culture = psuedo hippie douchebags who act the part of the mountain person, but are basically clueless posers.

Say it ain't so!

**RaccoonFace** · 04-30-2009, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by SCUTSKI

I find it funny that out of several new users' first posts in this thread, that this post is ripping on Neptune. The others are obviously shills, but this one is obviously not.

Well, I'd expect that more first posters are going to be posting in this thread since it's the second link you see when you google Neptune Mountaineering.

okbye

**ACH** · 04-30-2009, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by Blurred

Boulder culture = psuedo hippie douchebags who act the part of the mountain person, but are basically clueless posers.

This is basically why I chose to live in Ned.
I still had to commute through it, but I could turn my back to it at the end of the day as I headed up the canyon.

**DeeAre** · 04-30-2009, 10:20 AM

I'd love to claim I'd read all 29 pages of this epic thread, but I can't. I can't even claim to have stepped foot in Neptune. Got the picture tho. And Boulder, despite being home to (I'm sure) many devoted mountain geeks, still sucks balls and gives the mountain geek culture a bad rep.
But the perception represented by the disdain for Neptune... doesn't it arise from lots of "core" shop experiences? It's the battle of the alpha-bro... the staff guy cops a 'tude because he gets pro forms and thinks he's hard-fucking-core, and the other is a patron... been there, done that, got a real job, now he's paying retail but he cops a 'tude because he thinks the staff guy is a punk without a clue about real life. Happens in skate shops, snowboards shops, ski shops, mountaineering/climbing shops, fly shops, golf shops.
Everyone's a hater, and everyone's an elitist.

**gh444** · 04-30-2009, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by Blurred

Neptune exudes Boulder culture

Boulder culture = psuedo hippie douchebags who act the part of the mountain person, but are basically clueless posers.

pot kettle black

**Danno** · 04-30-2009, 10:39 AM

Boulder sucks. Nobody should move here.

**BurnHard** · 04-30-2009, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by Blurred

Neptune exudes Boulder culture

Boulder culture = psuedo hippie douchebags who act the part of the mountain person, but are basically clueless posers.

**stash searcher** · 04-30-2009, 11:12 AM

I'm a girl. they've offered to help me a few times. I've never bought anything more than chapstick from them, though they were out of dermatone, and i had to get a weird organic herbal tube of chapstick that i don't really like.. also, i've only been there about three times over the past 4 years. mostly just to look at what they had because it's different than what we have.
they seemed like idiots about skis, however. As we only have one local ski shop (outdoor manager is awesome, tech knows what he's doing, most other employees are retarded) that carries few options, I was psyched to see the volkl line for the first time in person. finally got to touch the gots, the mantras, the rest.. and the sales dude said something like "oh, some people like those gotamas.. i just don't know why. i think they're too stiff, you'll probably like these better." (points to k2 bakers) uh... not the same ski category?? not even close to the same idea??

Gotta say, I was more annoyed with a knowitall at Berg's in Eugene, OR. I drove down from pdx specifically to look at the full tilt boots, since i was planning on replacing my too big kryptons (mail ordered, no shell fit, i'm a retard, i know, i learned the fun way). i called before hand, and asked a bunch of questions i knew many of the answers to. he assured me that he knew more than anyone about bootfitting, and fit boots for people all day every day and had seen many feet and could tell me what boots i needed by looking at my feet. (start chanting "idiot" in your head...)
when i got there, since i really did want to see a pair in person before spending my money on a pair over the interweb, they only had one pair of bumblebees, and they were one size too small, but i could at least take a look. the sales guy asked me to take off a shoe, so he could look at my foot to determine what boots i should get. he then handed me a salomon boot and told me this was most likely the boot i was going to want. having skied the kryptons for two seasons, i really wasn't keen on switching back to an overlap boot. i told him I'd really like to look at the full tilts. he proceeded to tell me all about how he had a bunch of old replacement parts for the full tilts, and how the extra tongues he had were awesome 10year old raichle tongues. he then went and got them, found out they would not fit the boot he had in stock, tried to put one on anyways, which didn't work, then proceeded to show me how stiff they were by flexing them. "Crack!" and the tongue breaks across the bellows.... "oh, it's old plastic.. i think i have another one somewhere..." Then he tells me about how he does the molding in the oven, and explained to me the wrong process for heat molding (I thankfully never mentioned that i had once worked in a ski shop). i escaped to the snowboard side of the shop until he was helping another customer.
needless to say, i was relieved to get away from that guy.
sorry full tilt, but I had to come home and get a new pair of kryptons from my local shop, where they molded my boots very well first time, and let me come back later to punch out the left toe box, allowing me to just use the heat gun myself.

i know it's not totally related, but i was so amazed at his annoyingness that i was highly amused...

**LightRanger** · 04-30-2009, 11:56 AM

^^^^^ He may post on this forum.

**stash searcher** · 04-30-2009, 11:58 AM

i guess he's gotta find out somehow that he's not that great a salesman... maybe he was having a rough day.

**ACH** · 04-30-2009, 01:01 PM

Said poster family owns the shop?

**Danno** · 04-30-2009, 01:23 PM

yup, that's the one.

**donutlynx** · 04-30-2009, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by stash searcher

Gotta say, I was more annoyed with a knowitall at Berg's in Eugene, OR.

i know it's not totally related, but i was so amazed at his annoyingness that i was highly amused...

Now this is good stuff.

**MakersTeleMark** · 04-30-2009, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by stash searcher

Gotta say, I was more annoyed with a knowitall at Berg's in Eugene, OR.
i know it's not totally related, but i was so amazed at his annoyingness that i was highly amused...

O JRLY?

987

**Wildman** · 04-30-2009, 01:51 PM

So about two months ago I broke a Naxo NX21 heelpice. I brought it to Neptune cuz i live across the street and its convenient. The tech told me 2 weeks. This relieved me because I had a trip planned to LCC for the last week of March - First week of May and obviously wanted my skis by then. I called to check in multiple times over that month...nothing. So almost 8 weeks later I check back in person. Guy goes into the back and brings out my ski! Sweet it was fixed...but they put a NX22 heelpiece on it!!! WTF!! So long story short I am going to Bent Gate for work and gear from now on.

**Caucasian Asian** · 04-30-2009, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by stash searcher

I'm a girl. they've offered to help me a few times. I've never bought anything more than chapstick from them, though they were out of dermatone, and i had to get a weird organic herbal tube of chapstick that i don't really like.. also, i've only been there about three times over the past 4 years. mostly just to look at what they had because it's different than what we have.
they seemed like idiots about skis, however. As we only have one local ski shop (outdoor manager is awesome, tech knows what he's doing, most other employees are retarded) that carries few options, I was psyched to see the volkl line for the first time in person. finally got to touch the gots, the mantras, the rest.. and the sales dude said something like "oh, some people like those gotamas.. i just don't know why. i think they're too stiff, you'll probably like these better." (points to k2 bakers) uh... not the same ski category?? not even close to the same idea??

Gotta say, I was more annoyed with a knowitall at Berg's in Eugene, OR. I drove down from pdx specifically to look at the full tilt boots, since i was planning on replacing my too big kryptons (mail ordered, no shell fit, i'm a retard, i know, i learned the fun way). i called before hand, and asked a bunch of questions i knew many of the answers to. he assured me that he knew more than anyone about bootfitting, and fit boots for people all day every day and had seen many feet and could tell me what boots i needed by looking at my feet. (start chanting "idiot" in your head...)
when i got there, since i really did want to see a pair in person before spending my money on a pair over the interweb, they only had one pair of bumblebees, and they were one size too small, but i could at least take a look. the sales guy asked me to take off a shoe, so he could look at my foot to determine what boots i should get. he then handed me a salomon boot and told me this was most likely the boot i was going to want. having skied the kryptons for two seasons, i really wasn't keen on switching back to an overlap boot. i told him I'd really like to look at the full tilts. he proceeded to tell me all about how he had a bunch of old replacement parts for the full tilts, and how the extra tongues he had were awesome 10year old raichle tongues. he then went and got them, found out they would not fit the boot he had in stock, tried to put one on anyways, which didn't work, then proceeded to show me how stiff they were by flexing them. "Crack!" and the tongue breaks across the bellows.... "oh, it's old plastic.. i think i have another one somewhere..." Then he tells me about how he does the molding in the oven, and explained to me the wrong process for heat molding (I thankfully never mentioned that i had once worked in a ski shop). i escaped to the snowboard side of the shop until he was helping another customer.
needless to say, i was relieved to get away from that guy.
sorry full tilt, but I had to come home and get a new pair of kryptons from my local shop, where they molded my boots very well first time, and let me come back later to punch out the left toe box, allowing me to just use the heat gun myself.

i know it's not totally related, but i was so amazed at his annoyingness that i was highly amused...

Did he tell you how much he lurves Coca-Cola?

**Hutch** · 04-30-2009, 02:55 PM

Stash, Would this be your salesman?

**RaccoonFace** · 04-30-2009, 03:12 PM

I have to admit that isn't the Coke Room I expected...

okbye

**ACH** · 04-30-2009, 07:38 PM

Perhaps this is what you had in mind?

**Horu** · 05-01-2009, 11:15 AM

Stash- dunno who you've been going to in the pdx area, but I picked up some boots from Hillcrest out in Gresham this past fall and have been more than satisfied with both the fitting and their service in general. Their tech had my lhasas mounted the morning after I brought them in because I was planning on skiing that day. They didn't charge me for any of my bootfitting, including an adjustment I had done later on in the season. I haven't been going to these guys for very long, but have been more than satisfied with their service and attitude.

**Caucasian Asian** · 12-07-2009, 12:44 PM

Bump for jongs to read

**stevey s** · 12-07-2009, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by shredgnar

Just because they have the gear doesn't mean I have to buy it from them. If I can get a better deal elsewhere then my buck goes to the lowest bidder, plus like I stated before I think their service and attitude stinks so I would rather not give them my money. I also buy gas at the cheapest station in town, might only save a few cents but it's just the principle.

No paint thinner, just an ice cold pale ale

Actually this would be a great thing to do. Yes, I know I am way late to the thread, and havent gotten to the newer posts yet, but if they started getting tons of people coming in just to give them tude, try stuff on, waste the employee's time trying stuff on they won't buy....