Skirack

Reviews 4

DA

David Morgan

I went to Skirack to purchase a Specialized Tri-cross because they carried that make and model. I could have purchased it on-line but decided instead to support a local business. This is what I got from Skirack for my efforts. I had a few questions about the bike, one of which was if the manufacturer had corrected the shudder in the front fork during braking that had been reported by other owners. Tom, the sales person said “Oh, no. I’ve never heard of that being a problem.” One of the repair techs who happened to be standing there said that the shudder issue did sound familiar. Tom promptly interrupted and said “I’m sure they’ve addressed it.” That was as much definitive information I could get out of him. The shudder didn’t exhibit itself during my test ride of the bike so I figured that it had been addressed. As I discovered much later, the forks do shudder occasionally when riding with loaded panniers. It seemed that Tom was much more concerned about getting the bike out the door than in setting me up with a bike I would be happy with. I also wanted to purchase a handlebar-mounted mirror. The model they had was not what I was looking for but Tom said their other customers had been very happy with it and said that I could try it and return it if it didn’t work out. When I said that I probably wouldn’t be able to get it back to the store within the 30 day return limit he said that that wouldn’t be a problem and that they would honor the return. I purchased the mirror, tried it twice, and when I returned it a couple months later in perfect condition with the receipt and un-damaged, original packaging, they would only give me store credit. I explained what I had been promised but it made no difference. Only after I got testy and started to raise my voice on the crowded sales floor did they refund my money. The last straw occurred just after returning the mirror. When I purchased the bike I also paid for the installation of narrower tires. When Skirack installed those tires they didn’t bother to user smaller tubes. The oversized tubes got stuck between the tire bead and rim when they installed them resulting in a blow out of both the front and back inner tubes in the same week. Apparently, doing it right the first time seemed too much to ask. It’s hard to believe that in a small community like Burlington, Skirack seems so dismissive of customer satisfaction. I will never set foot in that store again.

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JE

Jen Dole

Color me impressed by how good Skirack is at fitting running shoes! I told the shoe-fit specialist all my various foot, knee, & running issues to give her a jumping-off point as to what my needs might be in a shoe. Then she carefully measured my foot--and not just with a Brannock device: She observed it from a variety of angles, and even watched me walk. Based on that information, Alison brought out her first couple of best ideas as to what just the right shoe would be for me. I tried each pair on, and each time she had me hop onto the in-store treadmill for a test run. She filmed my stride at heel level from behind. Then she played the recording of the test run back in slow motion, enabling her to do meticulous gait analysis. Alison spent a good amount of dedicated time with me, fine tuning her shoe selections based on the video of me running in each pair, & then moving on to the next pair until, together, we got it just right! Its no coincidence that the correct shoe from her standpoint of expertise on studying my stride was also the one that felt the best to wear. I exclaimed during the test run in that particular shoe, "It doesnt even feel like Im wearing anything on my feet!" Mission accomplished. It just so happened that the shoe that felt & ran the best for me happened to be last years model, which was discounted at 20% off. So its not a high-pressure or upselling vibe there. Skirack simply fits you in the best shoe FOR YOU, whichever product that may be. Skirack also has an insane exchange policy--at least for the brand I purchased--whereby, if AFTER FULLY USING THE SHOES, outside, running in them, etc, youre not satisfied, you may bring them back & have the money you paid for them put toward a different pair!? (Try pulling that on Zappos.) When you take all this into consideration, it really is not worth buying running shoes online, only to have them arrive in the mail & not be quite right. Put yourself in Skiracks capable hands just once, like I did, and I suspect youll never buy running shoes anywhere else.

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SC

scott bedell

Did my ski boot shopping this past sunday(8/21) looking for some good summer deals. Went to alpine shop, outdoor gear exchange, then Skirack, Ive been to skirack in the past and bought my skis, googles, and poles from there and its always been my preference but Ive always thought all the shops were pretty similar. Until I sat down and worked with Doug. Doug explained, helped, and taught me about ski boots and the fits/brands. He was very honest with me and patient especially with my tight budget of $300. Well, He recommended a few things to me to fit my budget like trying for a used pair of these Lange XT 120s since they were the best fit for me but were way out of my budget with a price of $650. Im not sure how he did it, and he didnt pressure me at all, But after we went through it all he gave me a great deal on them and I walked out with them, and a pair of insoles. Spending twice as much as I planned wasnt what I was expecting, But actually felt great about it. The guidance he gave me and the honest easy approach worked wonders. I have never felt so taken care of by an employee and actually felt like he was trying to help me instead of sell me something. After I tried these on since they were way out of my price range he didnt push me at all and just educated me on the whole fitting process and technical aspect that I didnt know about. I learned a lot about boots, more than I thought possible. The rest of the places I went to didnt give me much help or explanation. And one specific guy I worked with at another place answers kept changing, Like he was just trying to say different stuff until I bought from him. But anyway, I will definitely be back, and I now have a store that I feel like I can trust and can set apart from the rest. So I appreciate that.

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JO

Joel Schumacher

It takes a lot to get a grumpy IT guy to go out of his way to write a rave email about customer service, but I just sent this to the store today: I just wanted to let you know that I had the BEST shoe-buying experience of my life when I bought my new Asics gel running shoes at your Run Center in Burlington. The staff member "Jon" was so helpful and took his time with me and got me into the shoes that were right for ME, and not the most expensive in the shop. As a heavier guy trying to start getting active again, I had a certain amount of angst gearing up to go get what for me are going to initially be walking shoes. I am at a low point in my fitness life, and a high point (not the good kind) in my personal weight record to date. Jon was so encouraging and helpful, concerned and empowering, that I did not feel at all judged like a fat guy who had wandered into a runners club. It felt like I was getting help and encouragement when I needed it most. You have made a customer for life, and thought you should know that and that Jon should be commended for his thoughtful, professional and caring approach. Now I am ready to put some healthful miles on these shoes and have started to think about bikes. Thanks so much!

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