I visited this shop on Wednesday morning. I have been shopping at the Wilderness Shop for about 20 years. I first visited it when it was in Carrington Street, Box Hill. Back then it was a pokey little shop full of hiking and climbing equipment and enthusiastic, friendly staff. I no longer live in Box Hill, I live in Clayton, so visiting this shop required planning and about half an hour each way travel time.
Now, the staff that work there during the week days are simply awful. There needs to be a serious adjustment in their attitude, in particular the middle aged male with a beard. He just didn't make an effort to engage me....though this has been the rule with this guy. He radiates hostility. I can't figure out whether the issue is my much younger wife or the fact that she is Asian. Either way radiating hostility at the people who pay your wages just isn't smart.
As it happens I was shopping for a sleeping mat for an upcoming trek. I was shown the limited selection in the shop. I explained that at 105 kg that I needed something that wouldn't compress all that much...which the mats on display were doing. I was told by the younger staff member that such a mat didn't exist. When I replied that I had found just such a mat at Anaconda I was told that I had already found my mat. Absolutely NO effort was made to engage me, to make sure I spent my money in this shop rather than the competition. You can forget any mention of: give us the brand and the price and we'll match or better it.
My wife is a chatty, happy woman. She tried to engage the bearded horror with no success. The guy literally did not get off his stool the entire time we were in the shop.
When we mentioned that we are expecting twins....happy news by any standard we got grunted at. No smiles or congratulations.
In the final minutes of our visit to the shop, we think a Gay couple came in, certainly two males who clearly knew each other. The bearded horror was at best indifferent...afterall why treat your customers as if they're something special? So there is clearly an attitude problem. Given the age difference between Selina and myself there are always going to be wankers who have issues with us. Extending this attitude towards a same sex couple is simply stupid.
I won't return to this shop. I can find what I want in shops that are much closer to me and have friendly staff who both like their jobs and are without the bad attitudes. This is a shame because I genuinely used to like shopping at the Wildnerness Shop.
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