I went to this place three weeks ago to buy a rod. After narrowing down my selections to two rods, I walked up to the counter and asked for the price on each rod. After getting the price quote, I handed him the two rods and said I'm buying only one. I expected that he would ring up one of the rods and he would return the other to the rack as a courtesy to the customer. Instead, he points back and says --"Rod racks are back there." I didn't like his attitude so I left without buying any of the rods. In fact I went to other places to buy all of my fishing rigs including rods.

I hope the manager of this place sees this and work with his employees on improving the service.

Aww, poor baby, had to put your own toys aways...

Teds has been a great place to go for gear and advice for years. Some folks who only come out here to fish once or twice a year make a point of stopping in to chew the fat and check out what's new. With a real dirth of independently-owned tackle shops here in the Metro area, Teds has been a great resource for a lot of people who want to spend their money with somebody who knows and cares about the sport. Try checking your attitude at the door next time. I think you're about to see a long list of folks who also appreciate having Teds around.

Bruce

I don't know why you would pick on such a fine place. It should have been up to you to put back the one you didn't want. As I don't think that all clerks are mind readers.

I have always had good luck shopping there. I broke a rod once and all it cost was shipping. Replaced a fly line no questions asked. I would shop there more but don't like to drive all that way. People there have always been friendly to me and also helpful.

Please let preface my remarks by saying that I have never been to Teds and am in no way passing Judgement on the store or the clerk in question.

That said, Liberty I hear ya. If I go to any store and feel that in my opinion the customer service is poor, I'm taking my business elsewhere. If you think they have a attitude when you are buying something thwere, what is it going to be like when you are returning a defective product that you purchased there? So Liberty, if you sensed bad service, by all means move on. also, what one individual deems bad service, another may not. So let your own experience, not anothers, make up your mind.

Just my $.02.

Tight Lines!

Sounds like you were probably talking to the owner. :p

Ted's is a popular spot to buy gear and they can get busy. I know when I bought my rod, I got great service. But there is one chap in there that has a bit of attitude that I have blown off a few times, and its not Mike. That's the kind of comment that I would expect from a clerk at Walmart, not Ted's.

I have worked customer service in some capacity for almost 20 years. Being on the other end means I get to see the other side of the coin. It also means that I know how to treat someone serving me. I fully believe that if a customer is not rude, offensive or in some othe way coming across really wrong, the employee of the store/restaurant/ should only be thinking of one thing.....I represent this business to this customer. If I want them to come back I had better act like it. The owner of the place should also be looking for this.

Let me just quickly add.... the only thing differentiating one place from another is service.

It is possible however, for the employee to have just had a bad day too and so I tend to give some slack and if the behaviour does not improve, I don't come back.

Mike Chamberlain has ALWAYS been very helpful anytime I've purchased something in the store. I've bought a few big ticket items there over the years (Loomis rods, Simms waders etc...) I'll continue to shop there, as I've been happy with the experience.

Maybe it was one of his EX employees? :p

LIBERTY...YOU ARE A NEW POSTER ON THIS BOARD AND YOU COME IN AND TRASH A SUPPORTING BUSINESS. WHY DON'T YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

IS THAT ALL YOU CAN DO FOR A FIRST POST???
WHERE YOU FROM? JUST A HINT?
METHINKS YOU ARE LEFT OVER FROM ANOTHER CROWD...
I WONDER WHO SET YOU UP????

More good info out of this shop than you will find elsewhere. Sounds like our new poster got off to a rough start with the shop. My question to Liberty: are you above replacing what you took off the rack? You wanted one rod, why did you take two to the clerk? If your feelings were hurt by a simple request to act as anyone else you are in for a cruel life. I see plastic bait containers along river banks that were left by those who are above using a little common sense. You know the type, let the next guy clean up my mess I'm too important.
Hope the door at Ted's didn't hit you in the ass on the way out.

Whooooa! Everyone's tearing this guy up rather quickly. All I know is the two guys I used to rely on for killer info and help at Teds are now working at Three Rivers Marine in Woodinville. Things that make you go Hmmmmmm!

Would be quite a concept to put a price tag on a rod eh?????

I believe in expressing his/her opinion as long as it is not done with a malice. I visit my relatives in Seattle very often and I am very fond of the area. Other than my experience at Ted' place (which could have been one bad service out of the one hundred good services--unfortunately the bad service happended to me and I think I'm entitled to take my business to other place); I really enjoyed the people I met and fishing while I was there. Again, I think Seattle is a wonderful place and I would like to be back again soon.

Liberty from Illinois...is that correct? It has nothing to do with how much you like Seattle or your aunt or uncle. You can voice your opinion all you want but when you bash a supporter of this board, you are out of line.
There are 2 other boards that would boot you off in a second if you did the same thing you did here.
Maybe your own attitude got in the way. Body language says a lot.

Hey Posh, are you reading more into his original post or am I not reading enough? I don't see anywhere in there where he said Ted's was a bad store or recommended that people went elsewhere. He told us of an experience that he had there. That's about all I got out of it. If I was the Manager or the Owner of that store and someone wasn't satisfied with their experience I would want to know about it too. Just so I could make sure there wasn't a problem and that I was doing business the way I deemed most fit. I might not change a thing, but I sure would listen to what a customer had to say.

I just don't see where, as you put it, He Trashed a supporting business. Give the guy a break!

I know his post won't stop me from checking the place out, in fact after reading this thread I will probably make it a point to stop in there and check it out for myself. Sounds like a pretty good shop to me that might have just had a little misunderstanding with one customer.

Hey Let's just all go out and catch some fish!!

Good comments, Busy. I agree with your take.

You can't please everyone all the time, but you should try to if you're hoping to make it in the retail business.

That being said......I've always found the serice at Ted's good and the prices fair. That's all I'm looking for.

Hey Liberty
I think I am the one who turned you on to Teds, you were asking some other general info, on another board. So anyways I am sorry you had a bad experience there. You are not the first! and probably not the last!.
I go there because of the knowledge they have and the quality of the gear they carry. I grew up here and that is the only place close to my house that the people working there actually fish themselves.
It can be a very busy place at times, and they may have just been too busy to put a rod back for you.
They are very helpful when they are not too busy!

It is not the only tackle shop I buy at, but I am glad they are there.

Woodsy Wayne

I've bought most of my tackle from Ted's for almost 15 years now ... long before they were an advertiser on the site.

In all these years and countless transactions, the fellas there have bent over backwards for me.

I've recommended the shop for a lot of years and continue to do so today

I too have gone to Ted's for at least 15 years, have had nothing but good service. Sure there is a guy there who has an ego problem, but hell, he works in a tackle shop, sheesh. No, Mike has always been a great help and have learned alot from him.

Liberty, you may have your shop names mixed up. Jerry's is the place with bad service.

First off i have never been to teds ( wrong side of town ) I work too hard for my money. If you want my money you will have to work for it.

It sounds like it was the clerk not teds as a whole.

I have been shopping at Teds since I was 10 years old, well I did not buy anything then. It was My dad and grand father doing the buying back then. Anyways that was when mike chamberlin was very young and just an employee. If you want to do the math I am 37 now. anyways I do business with them in both capacities both buying and selling and I have never had problem one and enjoy doing business with them. I bet if you went back in there when they were not so busy and you talked to them you would have a much better experience.
Peace Superfly

You mean one of the ones that QUIT!!!!!!!!

No need to publically badmouth a former employer when one is far better off!!

I too buy all my local tackle at Ted's and have for years------If it was Mike [the owner] who so rudely pointed out the rodrack for you -a small explaintion. Since Sparkey left for Kaughmans[sp] and Reiterrat went to 3 Rivers Marine I would estimate that Mike Has worked Close to 5 months with only 2 days off. I would venture to say that it would be the rare individual that could deal with the public[ fisherman at that] and not p!ss somebody off. Not that Mike is a perfect gentleman at all times, but then again who is.

Stilly Bum.....Now that was FUNNY I couldn't agree more with you....

I personally thought Ted's was great...My first time in there, a few years ago.... Mike, sat there and BS'd with me giving me some tips and pointers like he had known me for years or that I had been a customer of his for years. I have also been in there when he was busy and not so...'talkative' but hell it happens. I didn't take it personal...

I believe if I get terrible service somewhere the best thing you can do is never give them a dime of your money. That's the only way a business will listen.

I bet Kent @ 3rivers Tackle would put the other rod back with a . Check them out at www.3rivers.com

Whoah there Sparkey! You haven't worked there for a while now right? Liberty said his incident happened about 3 weeks ago.

You wouldn't happen to be harboring some kind of grudge now would you? Certainly couldn't tell by your response.

Lighten up my friend. You are much too young to be so angry

Kent isn't always an angel either. Just because he's handsome doesn't mean he's nice.

Where is Ted's... Kind of New to the Lynwood/Edmonds area.
devine

Are your feelings really hurt that liberty didn't enjoy his experience at teddy's. Some strong words been used in his direction. Maybe we aught to mellow out a bit. no sense losing sleep b/c some guy had his panties in a bind. Kinda makes me laugh that you are so easily agitated. Same kind of people end up causing the problems when combat fishing is taking place. Hope not to see ya out there.

Devine
The address is at the top of this page., but

Basically it is in North Lynnwood, on Hwy 99.

Woodsy Wayne

Thanks woodsy. I am going over there tonight to check this place out. Be ware I might come back with my panties in a wad and start crying on this board. ha ha
devine

Hey Jer, I always knew there was something between you and Kent. Always sneaking those looks... :p

Sorry 4-Salt...I thought you were somehow implying a former employee made the post bashing Ted's.

So someone left Teds in the past couple weeks??? Do tell...inquiring minds want to know!!

To get this straight, I think, the original poster
said that he went to this place three weeks ago.

Everyone has good days and bad days. I can tell you that any time I'm in Seattle, that Teds is on the top of my list. Next stop is somewhere on a river.

I know Mike has new guys in the shop now, and don't know them at all, but Mike is nothing but top notch. He has always made time for me, and is a true wealth of knowledge for fishing in Washington and Alaska. I'll continue to do business at Teds, and will stop in to say howdy to Mike, even if I'm not buying anything.

Have been buying, shooting the breeze, and just hanging out at Ted's for- yikes! 30 years. Where else would I go? Mike is the best, and has to put up with all the B.S. that goes with owning a tackle shop (not the easiest job in the world) for a long time now. If you had 1 bad experience, please give them another shot. Like almost all the posts here have said 'their one of the best'.

Two weeks ago Mike accidentally rung me up for three tapered leaders that got mixed into my pile of gear at the register; about $10 over. Since I already paid for the stuff on my credit card I just grabbed two PW darts to make up the difference. Anyway, on the way out he stuffed a pack of Owner trebs in my bag, on the house. It was a good experience because he didn't have to do that...

"Yes" it was crowded that Saturday. And "no" I'm not one of the regular customers that hang out there to shoot the breeze. Since I live in Fed Way I usually buy gear at Sportco or Outdoor Emporium. But now I'll make it a point to go north and give them more business.