West Marine

[Howard]

West Earned my Loyalty

West Marine just went above and beyond to have an out of stock Garelick Motor mount drop shipped to my front door in two days. I am launching my boat next Thursday, and was told a few weeks ago by the catalog salesperson that it would not be a problem. Thankfully, I checked the status, and West said it would not be available until the end of april. I dealt with Bruce @ West on line, and in no time , he called the manufacturer, and saved me a lot of problems. They have earned my business , and the motor mount was $100 cheaper than any one else. Model # 71091 , best deal around.

 

[Bob]

Out of towner

The nearest WM is about 120 mi away from here and there are no other outlets any nearer that have any real inventory. So I enjoy just browsing on the infrequent occasions when I'm in the store. Pricing concerns so frequently mentioned are significant - the customer feels insulted and abused when he has to pay so much more for an item, and that causes him to go anywhere else whenever possible. However, that is balanced by great service, both in the store and by phone - I've had West reps go out of their way to make me happy on several occasions when there was a mix-up or misunderstanding with an order, and once they sent some sandpaper to another branch for me, in a day, (at no charge) just to make sure I had it when I needed it. Right now I am preparing to buy some running rigging, but I would be crazy to get it from West unless I had to have it in three days - it is just priced too high. When it's offered at 20 or 40% off during a sale, that means I'm getting fleeced the rest of the time - not much of an incentive for customer loyalty. On the other hand, I've had great luck with the house brand bottom paint and a VHF radio (I confess: both were bought on sale.) If West is anywhere close in price, I'll buy from them, but regardless of brand loyalty, if the Ford costs half again what the Chevvy does, not many will be sold.

 

[larry w]

WM

I'm really glad to see this thread! I've been shopping WM for almost 20 years and for all that time I've had the same complaint. Not the prices, which I think are reasonable (no one ever said owning a sailboat would be cheap), nor is it the staff, which are for the most part helpful, if not particularly knowledgable. My biggest complaint is the INVENTORY, or lack of it!! If I need 6 of something, the Long Beach, CA store has 5. If I need 10, they have 8. Many times there's an empty slot on the shelf where the part should be, and I'm not talking esoteric and obscure things, either. I'm talking about common things like pump impellers (raw water and macerator) clamps, wire terminals, fuse holders, swage fittings, fender covers, the things people need on a continuing basis. WM needs to do a better job keeping the inventory up on the maintenance items. Thanks for the opportunity to vent.

 

[Liam]

Look at the stock price

Reading the responses on this thread leave little question in my mind about why my West Marine Stock which is traded on the Nasdac and was once worth about $35 a share is now only worth $13 a share.When you start gouging your customers they abandon you.I have been hoping the stock would come back at least to $20 so I could get out without too much loss, but I think that it is time to unload it.

 

[JC on Bainbridge]

xxxx, Do you know if they have split?

You can't just look at the stock price. Do you know if between the $35 and the $13, did they split? what was the split? how many time have they split?Those info would be nice to know before saying they are down.Oh, by the way, I assume you have never had a cup of coffee from Starbucks.

 

[Jon W.]

I used to be loyal.

Up until a few years ago I used to do all my shopping at West Marine. I now shop mostly Fisheries Marine Supply. It’s local, the prices are often better, plus the Catalina Fleet gets a discount that runs about 12%. Their service is as good as West Marine’s, and the product knowledge may be better. They do business online also.The only real issue I ever had with West Marine was a few years back when I bought a charting GPS. A few weeks later it had a major failure, and I took it back per the West Marine “no questions asked” replacement policy. I was told by the store manager that it didn’t apply to electronics, and that I would have to wait weeks for it to be sent out for repair. I wasn’t happy because I was leaving on a three week cruise the next week. I emailed the head office to advise them that they should revise their published exchange policy. I got a call from the local store manager three hours later to pick up my new unit! I was satisfied that they did make good. Maybe this policy causes high prices, although I bet I can get replacement at my favorite store.I still buy West Marine crystal boat soap because I’ve found nothing better. I bought my bottom paint there last year as well when it was on sale. I will head back soon to use my reward certificate to get some new flares.I think the prices have risen out of proportion and the service is very good but not as knowledgeable as it was in the good old days.

 

[Allorshas]

1No inventory

Believe it or not but here in new England they do not carry any engine winterizing pink stuff during the winter!I sail year round and need to re winterize the engine every WE . And I am not the only one on the water . But at WM they stop selling winterizing product after october !Congratulations to the merchandisers !

 

[Allorshas]

2 Worst palce to shop

I own a boat since 10 years now and every year for Christmas my wife and kids go to WM to buy a nice gift .Problem is that she knows nothing about sailing and is not a specialist nor a technician So they just treat her like SHIT ...and never try to help 2 years ago she was looking for books needed for the Captains licence exam and they sold her a ....log book !! LAst year she was looking for a hand held GPS and the sales people gave her so much hard time that ...she gave me a $200 gift certificat This year the family clearly told me to choose anything I wanted but that they would never go back to WM

 

[Liam]

Haven't split

Believe me if they had split recently I would not be complaining. They split once about a year after they went public. The initial offer in 1990 was at $14. It went to $64 and split. Hovered in the $30's for a while then tanked to about $6. Climbed back to the low teens and has been bouncing around there ever since.I should have bailed when the big guys did.Same thing happened to Sears an Kmart stock...Hmmmm.

 

[ken]

WOW..... what a response

One of the constants I see here is the fact that the knowledge of the WM associates is poor. WM pay's next to nothing in an industry that is infamous for low pay. They have gone the same way as Home Depot and Lowe's. A self-service store. Don't come here looking for advice. We hire college kids for $10 an hour.. not plumbers/electricians/sailors for $20 an hour. It's the wave of the future and the beancounters love it.I recently had an opportunity to work for WM but I had a severe moral issue with the high prices... I just would not be comfortable working for a company that (IMHO) was just screwing people.Peace!!

 

[JerryA]

Port Clinton, Ohio - Good

Rob,I've had good luck with the two stores I visit. The one in Point Place, Ohio (old Boat US store) is closer to me and have been helpful. The one I recently visited in Port Clinton, Ohio (original WM store) is awsome. They had a much better inventory and the prices were good. The employees I've had the pleasure to deal with have been very helpful, and are boat owners. Maybe that's the difference, I don't know. But I've been satisfied so far. The Point Place store had a younger kid working one day and he turned out to be very knowledgeable... been sailing since he was 8 or something like that. In summary both of the WM stores I visit are better stocked for boats than a comparable auto parts store like Autozone for cars.JerryA

 

[Don]

lets' be realistic

Price comparisons with small stores with smaller inventory or with warehouse or garage type internet businesses isn't valid.Looking for antifreeze after the season is almost over for winterizing and finding a depleted or no stock is who's fault?Is it realistic for someone who's had boats for 30 years+/- to expect a 25 year old to know more than him/her?Do career managers actually know and allow poor customer relations to continue?I believe the reason Rob started this discussion was to get some constructive feedback on how to improve - an action which in itself is laudible.

 

[s sauer]

Competition?

When there was price competition from a Boat US or from Boater's World, you could easily see the dollar difference on every 3.99-4.99 item. Now that they've bought out most of their former competitors there is no viable competition. I just used up a two year old container of Marinetex from Boater's World with a 19.99 price tag and replaced it with the same size for $34.99 from WM. One gallon of Baltoplate purchased two years ago at WM was $175; this year its $199.When there was competition, I would go out of my way to shop anywhere else. Not too many choices left, but I'd rather pay the same high prices at the marina stores, knowing it helps the locals.

 

[A Rich]

Sandusky WM Manager Calvin Is Great

I have been going to the WM in Sandusky Ohio for 20 years. Over the years the staff has been quite stable. Three or four years ago the store got a new manager, Calvin. He is a boater and knowledgable. In addition, he is also very personable. I am not a fan of the prices, and I did not like the merger of West Marine and Boat US because it took away a major competitor. I too have noticed the issues with minimal inventory and a propensity to be sold out. That is probably my biggest complaint about the store and the chain.

 

[seanshine]

Worst Marine

It's very easy to see, if you go t WM, you get fleeced. At least you know it is going to happen. I now see what the internet is for. SAVE YOU MONEY!!

 

[abe]

Ken, you are funny...you want low prices...

otherwise the company in immoral and screwing people, yet you want employees to make $20/hr. Go back to school and take an economics class. If you think the company is making a bundle.... invest in it get rich with them. If we all come together and want WM to hire professionals at Ken's rate then we should all go to WM and pay their prices. I agree, WM expensive and for items that I can get at lower price somewhere else, I will. Sometimes, I will have to bite my lip and pay.

 

[Nereussailor]

Service

I forgot to address the last part of your question Rob. The service at your store is great. The Appleton store was much better when Gary was there, he knew more about sailboats than everyone else in the store combined. He will truely be missed! Every manager at a West Marine store that has helped me, has been more than helpful when inquiring about products. Just get the company to quit gouging us on price!

 

[Jeff D.]

No Longer Discount Operation

I have used West Marine since it was a small mail order Mom and Pop mail order operation. It was a discount operation then with very fair pricing. It has bought out its various competitors such as E&B are now and Boat U S. Just compare the catalog prices from a catalog 2 years ago. Disgraceful. They are now a public corporation that has lost sight of its original mission. I use them only as a last resort. Poor customer service and they have become non-competitive to even smaller entities.

 

[Steve Dion]

I was just there today.

Yes, there prices are usually within a few buck of the mfg suggested list. I was just at a West Marine in Reno, NV. They did not have any Raymarine instruments. I was looking for a Wind Display & a Tridata. They had neither one.My experience has been so so with them having a common items in stock. Quite often they have one when you need two, or they have 3 when you need 6.A lot of this has to do with the computerized stocking levels that their system establishes as "normal" stock levels based on sales. Ever since they went public, things have really changed (especially prices). Stocking levels are lower and prices are higher. You need to satisfy your stock holders. It is all about the bottom line.

 

[Capt Ron;-)]

Sun Sets in the West Marine

I'll write this for the entertainment value on both sides here.West Marine started out like Jaque Eves Choinarddid, he make pitons in a kiln in his van in Yosemite, now Owns 'Patagonia' sportswear and climbing gear, was the finest American ice climber too, but another story.We cannot argue with our capitlist system, supply and demand works and keeps everone happy.The only thing that gets me is: West Marine buys up ALL competition, like Boat US (it was a REAL chandlery with good stuff), and now West Marine is into brass lamps, books and foulies, instead of nuts & bolts; more touristy.Rann worked at Sausalito W.M. he was the best manager, and cheerful guy I met; a great delivery skipper as well and shared his wealth of knowledge. He is on good terms with WM still.