Mary sent a message to Edward W. Stack – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dick’s Sporting Goods – Email Address that said:
I have had a sit-on-top kayak for about 10 years and have, in the past year, been thinking about purchasing a sit-in kayak so I can extend my "kayaking season" here in Virginia. A friend just became interested in kayaking last year and is seriously thinking of purchasing one so we can paddle together sometimes. Yesterday she called the Dick's Sporting Goods Store on Broad Street (Richmond, VA) and was told by a salesperson named Paul that they had about 50 kayaks, that he was a kayaker and that we should visit that store and he could help us. We drove the 30 miles over there, specifically to shop with Paul (even though there are 5 Dick's Sporting Goods stores closer to our houses) - and because he said they had the largest selection around. When we got to the kayak section of the store a young salesman was coming out of the back and we asked for Paul. He said he would get him for us, so we started looking at kayaks, taking them off stacks, putting them in the floor and sitting in them. We compared sizes, weights, lengths, prices, etc and decided on the kayaks we would probably get, but had some questions. After shopping for 45 minutes WITH NO HELP FROM ANYONE, we decided to leave the store. We stopped downstairs at the front desk and asked for the Manager. Lisa approached us, we explained that we had been in the store for almost an hour (3:15 p.m.-4:15 pm at that point) and had not had ONE person help us. She listened but seemed rushed and unconcerned, so we left. We then went to the newly opened Cabela's where two salesmen helped us get kayaks off racks, answered questions for us, checked colors we were interested in, prices, etc. and we still very pleasant to us, even when we left without purchasing a kayak. Dick's Sporting Goods has always SEEMED to have a good reputation, but we were NOT impressed with our visit and, if the Broad Street store, so close to the new Cabela's, continues treating customers like we were treated - or rather, ignored - the store will quickly be in trouble.
