Has anyone ever seen a "salesperson" in a welding supply store?

No kidding, I have never seen an industry consistently staffed with unenthusiastic help that prefers not to be "bothered" by those darned customers!

I was just in my downtown local welding supply store and (I live across the river from Portland, OR) and, while spending $ on an Argon exchange, asked about a water cooled Tig torch set.....Now, admittedly, I like selaepeople to at least put forth some effort to make a sale, but I am astounded at how hard is is to buy ANYTHING at every welding supply store I have been to!

Really, is retail a "necessary evil" that is a pain in the butt to these guys?? I assume maybe all the money is in the gasses?

I ask questions that are "lead-in" kind of questions, so i can learn about products, and, if a good salesperson shows me how available features will benefit me....I buy stuff!
If I know exactly what I want (filler metal, gas, flux etc) of course I am direct with those requests.

Water cooled torch system:.......I simply asked whether they were under or over $500......The guy laugehed at me and said "Way over that".....no further questions...........I didn't say I couldn't afford one (I easily can), I just had No idea how muchg they were, or anything else about them........I needed advice. Anyone have one for sale?

Smoke-eater:..... Seriously, I went to every shop in the metro area asking about Smoke-eaters.......None of them are under $1500 or so on up, but when BEGGING I couldn't get any help. Bought one elsewhere.

Helmets:...........So a couple months ago, I said the auto-darkening helmet I had kind of made my eyes hurt, and would a new top of the line (well $350, maybe that's middle) helmet might help.......again, a weak pathetic shoulder shrug from the salesperson.....So I read the box, looks good to me, and i buy it....still felt like a $350 helmet sale was "interrupting"

A professional salesperson, listens, inquires, simplifies then repeats to customer what they have learned about their challenges: I.E.:

"If I have listened correctly" followed by:

"Your torch gets too hot, great, do you have the time to let me tell you about water cooled torch systems?"

"You don't like breathing toxic smoke, great, do you have the time to let me tell you about smoke-eaters?"

"Your eyes hurt, ouch!, I think the new helmets might respond quicker which might address that; do you have the time to check a few of these out?"

Sales is not rocket science, and I don't go to welding supply stores to "Browse"......these folks could sell SOOOO much more if they became somewhat proactive.

Brett in vancouver,WA

you oughtta copy and paste your post in an e-mail to your current welding supply house. imo there's not a whole lot worse in any business than apathy...I can't stand it.

fwiw my local welding shop is great with service and support...probably why I've been with them the last 10 years. As soon as they change...so will I

Gosh, I hope it wasnt my store you went into (8th and Harney Downtown.) Our guys are always helpful unless you are a total moron then we humor you and try and get what you need.


We do have a used smoke extractor for sale as well if you are interested. Its an older lincoln.

I can understand what Brett says. It happens to me whenever I ask a question in the LWS. I guess it's a boring job so they don't put forth the effort.

Another issue is the internet. It must have caused a drop in sales from LWS's. The prices are often three to four hundred dollars less, often with free shipping on current welding machines.

I suspect that large companies such as Air Gas and Praxair do a great deal of business at discount to commercial customers on open purchase orders. Thus, the over-the-counter sales are of less importance in the whole profit picture. They certainly don't give discounts to the small-time solo users such as myself.

My 2 cents.

Yeah, go to macona's store and hope he's actually there and can help you as he seems to both know his stuff and and also is interested in helping the customer.

But so far in my experience most of the LWS counter guys in the SF Bay area, even if reasonably helpful, have got a much smaller clue than I do, and I don't claim to have a very big clue.

I ended up ordering stuff from Jerry because he neither blew me off (like a LWS) nor tried to sell me something completely inappropriate (like another LWS).

cheers,
Michael

Macona, well the water cooler and helmet experiences were in your store (sorry).......I was talking to one guy there and mentioned my Miller syncrowave 180sd and he said "Miller never made a Syncrowave 180, only this one and that one" I said how long you been selling Millers, he said 20 years! So that guy puts me in a position to teach him about Miller's history....he looks it up, all the while looking at me like I am a time-waster?
Most people probably wouldn't consider me to be a moron, but, although I often know much more than the counter folks about what I need, (and often what they are selling) I intentionally try to convey a tone of humility and so as to not come across as arrogant.

What I have consistently experienced in all welding supply (I guess to be fair fill in "industrial supply")places is that no one even has any clue about trying to learn what the customer is trying to acomplish, then matching product suggestions to those needs........Complete lack of any motivation to SELL......and, hey,............ I love to BUY!!!!

Brett

Hmmm... Older guy with a beard?

I think a lot of it also comes down to most people that work in a weld shop have never used the equipment they sell.

There were actually two versions of the Synchro 180 FWIW...

Macona, what's your name? I could ask for you next time, as I have switched "Home" welding supply stores from Associated in Portland to you guys because Neale Brown went elsewhere.....I really like to develop a "relationship" in retail. The woman that helps me at Vancouver is nice and helpful. Can't remember the guy, but think he was more in his fifties.

Oh, and maybe the reason I don't receive great service at "he-man" industrial places is that I drive up in my girlie Subaru wagon rather than a lifted f-350 double cab Power Stroker!.....I.E. maybe I just don't "look" like a welder?????

Got a used water cooled tig torch? OR, as I was trying to find out when "Shut down" last time, is there anything out there in an air cooled torch that might be just a touch cooler than my "Diamondback" setup.....I don't weld all day long, but weld in batches until torch gets too hot, then I move on to other projects (Plenty!) till torch cools down and weld some more....that's not a big problem, but if the torch was just a bit cooler, that might be nice......is there such thing as an insulated cover? or better insulated torch?

Brett

i have noticed my local welding shop is not very helpful with anything more than switching out gas tanks and getting rolls of mig wire. ask about a welder or plasma cutter sitting on the floor and you cannot get an answer on anything. and it bothers me when places dont put prices on stuff.. if i knew i was not getting porked on the cut off wheels i would grab 6 or so wheni am there. but the hassle of having them try to find a price for each thing is a p.i.t.a.

macona is right. people are selling stuff in a field they know nothing more than a,b, and c about. it would be like me selling machine tools... because honestly i know nothing about any of it... most post are jibberish to me, but i am picking up bits here and there.

I hate it when they don't put prices on the merchandise.

I overcome the "no price" problem by saying that if they don't tell me the price right now, I'll assume it costs $3M and ignore as too expensive. Even the mitsui salesman chokes on that number and hastens to quote some kind of ballpark number.

My LWS seem to be pretty good....

Bob Plummer at Pacific Welding Supply in Tacoma has always been really good. He's an outside guy.

my 2 cents is that most sales people don't seam to know much at all and will not do that bit more to get you what you want / need----i get on the phone and ask -- OK it costs time but some time it can save money

The above was a consideration when I bought my last major purchase.
The first supplier, a smaller place owned by 2 brothers didn't seem to care less what I was going to buy.
The 2nd and 3rd actually had ex welders or people from heavy manufacturing that at least appeared to know what they were talking about and also were somewhat interested in what I was going to use the equipment for.
The 3rd got the sale because he was the only one that offered(without me asking) to let me try out the machine.

A good friend of mine was a counter salesman at one of the national chains for 34 years before they drove him off. He now works outside sales for a new small company. Most of the guys that work the counter here in socal are order takers. Would you like fries with that synchrowave 180 thingamajig sir? Most of these guys don't know the difference between cc, cv, or bs. I like to stop into any LWS I happen to pass and see how many chains I can jerk.

Who does a welding supply store hire? Welders? I don't think so,at least not from what I see. They might get somebody that retired and would like something to do in a field that he knows. I believe that is a rarity. A good welder will make more money welding than he will at a supply store. The supply store has to hire somebody to mind the counter. Do supply stores offer a commission on the salesman sales. They must not or your sales people would try a little harder to get you what you want, and need and not what you don't need so you come back. If there is just a regular paycheck with no chance of increasing it's size through sales what does he care. As long as the boss believes that the employee is putting forth effort he is safe. The way of the professional salesman is gone for the most part.

Bottom line is money. Where can I make the most, where can I spend the least. Having to start out building a client base is not the quick way. This is just way I perceive things.

sounds like Welding Supply stores are the same all over!

I know at the local Lowes they hire some pretty good guys. The guy in Electrical is actually, by day, the city electrical inspector. Definately the guy to ask how to do something since he'll be the one inspecting it!

I suppose it would help if they hired Welders looking for part time work, but I imagine that's rare.

Maybe they have some good online welding sites??

My two cents...

www.ncsprobing.com

It amazes me that this subject keeps coming up and nothing is ever done. I have had similar experiences in the Los Angeles area. Complained directly on Airgas's website and never heard back. Is this a west coast thing?
http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/showthread.php?t=26163&highlight=expect

I guess I lead a charmed life.
For ten years in LA, I went to the General Welding Supply store in Culver City (I think they are gone now, or bought by somebody else) and had three of the greatest salesmen ever there- all had actually worked as welders, knew their stuff, and were nice as can be.
They helped me get financing direct from Miller for my first few machines- I think it was a third down, and the other 2 thirds monthly over a year. dont know if Miller still does that, but I sure never could have afforded a tig welder at the time any other way.

Now, I use Central in Burlington Wash, a small regional chain with a dozen or so stores- and, again, the guys are the greatest.
I can call from a jobsite in Pasadena Ca. with a stupid question and they will talk me thru hooking up my welder to a jobsite powerbox. I can break a part, and the outside salesman will run it out to me that day in his truck.
They will order me anything, give me price breaks on big machines, and once in a while slip me a freebie.

One thing I have found is it really helps to get an account.
If you dont buy anything, it costs nothing, and if you do, you get net 30. It legitimises you in their eyes, and helps build a relationship.
Me, I usually run $200-$300 a month in consumables at my little business, nothing compared to the shipyards, factories, and oil refineries around here, but they sure treat me right.

DBC58, Really, what do you expect. Why would a welder want to quit his (hopefully) well paying job and work for half his wages selling this stuff.

Those who can, do. Those who cant sell tho those that do.

Its just like in the auto parts stores. A good parts guy can make 60k a year but there are not many of those left. All you have now are kids who can only tell you what is in their computer system. They cant tell you if this part from this model will work to fix this problem on this car.