I AM SO MAD RIGHT NOW

How can Arizona be ranked #1 for the largest amount of boaters in America and have so few Marine outfiters here in the valley?

I have like two retailers of stuff here and they both have the ABSOLUTE WORST Cusomer service and selection of stuff for our boating needs.

Now for what I have a HUGE Problem with. Here I am trying to get some answers about getting a new prop for my new to me motor and all I was asking for was what type of prop, are they available, and how much do they cost? Then he begins to tell me how much they suck, they are outdated, old, crappy, and is only worth MAYBE $100.00 SAY WHAT. So he asked me why would I want to pay $140 for a $100 motor. I chuckled and laughed as I told him why do I need to pay $2000-2500 for a new motor that does the same thing and my kids will not care, nor will they know the difference when we are on the lake. I then told him if I wanted to be serious I would go with my dad on his brand new Ranger boat that has a 200 HP motor on the back.

So I changed the subject and asked hi if they carried wire for my trolly motor. You know the wire that goes to the switch on the inside and connects to the battery which is like 6 feet long. Well the wire that is on it is getting old and is dry rought, so I was wanting to change it out. He throws me out a price of over $55 for this stupid piece of wire and I laugh in his face and say that is highway robbery, that part maybe cost a couple of dollars to make and is no different from going to LOWES or HOME DEPOT. His comeback was it is special and is made by the manufacturer. I said it is copper strung wire and nothing more. He tells me" you can afford it you own a Corvette". I just said yeah ok, well sense you dont want to help me I guess I will just browse around your store and see if there is anything else here that I may need for my boat. I walked around and said F this place and walked out. But before I walked out I noticed maybe around 75 new and used props hanging on the wall.

URRGGG some people really suck, why do they think it is ok to upsell when they could of had smoken customer service skills and I could of purchased tons of crap from there store. So now I am back to square one before waisting my hour lunch.

WISHBONE said:

He tells me" you can afford it you own a Corvette".

Click to expand...

I would have beat his **** face in upon conclusion of that sentence.

dyeguy1212 said:

WISHBONE said:

He tells me" you can afford it you own a Corvette".

Click to expand...

I would have beat his **** face in upon conclusion of that sentence.

Click to expand...

Yes I really did want to punch him in the face. I happen to really like old motors. They are built with quality, and they have style. This guy really ruffled my feathers.

i'd find the owners contact info and get with him. sounds like the guy is a prick

I hate smartass salesmen making a joke out of their bread and butter (you, the customer). On a couple occasions I’ve been pissed off enough to completely cut my relationship with those businesses. One time, a warehouse guy was making fun of my Subaru pulling a utility trailer. That equaled a $1000 loss and a very upset manager for that furniture store. The other time was when I asked my phone/internet/cable provider why they raised my rates by half again. I questioned why I should continue as a customer since their competitor had really good rates and the salesman said “because we’ve had a lot of good times together.” I won’t be a salesman’s joke! I’m not saying the customer is always right, but if you treat a customer right, they will keep coming back.

Here’s what I’d do in your situation:

1. You already voted with your feet by walking out…good for you…I would have done the same.
2. Get a price for the same prop from another retailer or two in that area.
3. Go back to the same jerk and only ask him for his manager.
4. When the manager comes (hopefully the jerk is still standing there) tell the manager your experience with the salesman. Also remind the manager of the other businesses in the area and their prices. If the manager is a decent character, he’ll find you the right prop for the right price and the salesman will get a major tune up on his attitude.

Oh, and WISHBONE, you do owe us all some pics of your new Valco. We've been waiting patiently :lol:

Thanks so much for the replies. I called another local place in town called Props Pluss. I spoke to a salesman/ mechanic named Mike who was top notch and wanted to give awesome service. He not only helped me, he went out of his way to explain what he felt would be good options do to the size and weight of my boat.

So get this, he would sell me a BRAND NEW Prop for $100 or I can get a Refurbished balanced and correct prop for my motor for only $55. I am going with the used, but I will atleast know a couple things from the begining of a long relationship with my new motor. The prop is the correct, size, balanced, and with no nicks or problems from day one. I am happy...

As for the pictures I am soooo sorry everybody, I will get to them tonight for sure. I have been so busy trying to get the project underway I have not posted the begining pictures. Lots to do to it tonight.

WISHBONE said:

...He not only helped me, he went out of his way to explain what he felt would be good options do to the size and weight of my boat...

...or I can get a Refurbished balanced and correct prop for my motor for only $55...

...The prop is the correct, size, balanced, and with no nicks or problems from day one. I am happy...

Click to expand...

Right on. I'm happy you found a good place to deal with. I think I'd go with a used unit myself. Fixed properly it will work perfectly.

So a couple question for you:

1. What year, size, brand, etc. motor are you running on your new 14'?
2. What pitch and diameter did your guy recommend for that size/weight/style boat?

Say, if you want the redneck fix for trolling motor wire, just buy a pair of jumper cables and use that wire! :LOL2:

We have a similar problem in our area. We're a tourist/resort town. I would like to give local merchants my business, but they know they can make more money from out-of-towners. They make you feel like they really don't care if they get your business or not.

Ok I purchased or traded up my 1994 Mariner 3.3 2 cycle OB for a 1967 Evinrude 18 HP motor. I LOVE this motor by the way.

So the proffesional stated that for my Valco 14'6" Deep V-Hull boat loaded as a bass boat that I should use the 9X10 prop.

If you were a fly on the wall and some guy that looked and smelled of money walked in that same store, that same sales person would be all over him kissing up and tell the rich guy how wonderfull and smart he was. It's enough to make one sick. I'm glad you found an honest down to earth person to help you out. An outboard that runs well is worth a lot more then the book value even if it is old, we all know that. Don't let that jerk get you down. Just be thankful you're not that jerk, he has to get up and live with himself ever day.

tccanoe said:

...Just be thankful you're not that jerk, he has to get up and live with himself ever day.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, most people like that are ignorant to the fact that they are like that.

Let me tell you something, there is no room for bull...t service in this economy, he leaves, 15 people will apply for his job, I would register a complaint with the owner, not the manager. let them know how you feel, customer first. If you get better service in a Dollar store, there is a problem.

I agree with ^^^^^^^^. But also the internet does seem to be full of 1 sided stories. :wink:

I agree with you, online you are going to have mostly one sided stories. In our Car club we hear and see stuff all the time because we are a small clique and the word gets around. I think the same is here, and I have no problem giving a piece of my mind to people that dont care to treat people with respect. Neverless, I went to a repitable company that treats there customers the way they should be treated.

Happy fishin

True, one-sided stories abound on the internet, but this seems like a classic case of a smart-alec sales guy doing two things wrong:

1) Trying to establish himself as the authority in the conversation (and from there, he's in a more easy position to suggest you buy the more expensive items)
2) Trying to sell you what he wants to sell, not what you're trying to buy.

If a sales guy can't tell when he's talking to someone who doesn't want to spend money with reckless abandon, he should just make the sale (of what the person wants) and move on. Even in our economy, there are people who just shovel money at a problem. It should've been obvious you weren't that guy.

You should make sure that you send some type of correspondence to the owner and tell him you found a different place that is just what you are looking for and that he can do what he wants with your story. If you don't let the business owner know what's up, not going there anymore won't matter in the end because they'll never know.

Here is an update to this on going battle. I went down to pick up my new prop and spoke with Mike and his partner, how cool is that speaking to two small business men just doing what they love. There were hundreds of props there which was to be expected. After speaking with him I did have some more questions and his store has more then just props. so I ended up picking up a lot more stuff from his store which added up to well over $250.

Here is what I just picked up from Props Pluss here in Scottsdale Arizona.

Brand new propeller
Ordered a new impeller for the motor
Spark plugs
throttle extention which goes out way longer then I will ever need but realy handy.
Prop wash fins atleast that is what I call them. they go on the cavitation plate so you can get up to plain much easier and faster.
Two brand new chrome cleats
Two Chrome rear handles for the boat, the old ones were salt water trashed.

I needed all of this stuff and would of purchased all of it from Martin Marine. Just like I suspected though, Mike told me this was the origional prop size and style that came on my motor. I told him the one I have on it is completely different. When I go back to his store tomorrow to pick up the impeller kit I am giving him my old propeller, I wont be needing something that is not for my motor. He said they can recondition it and sell it to another customer that needs it for their application. He would of bought it from me but their cutomer support means more to me then the $30 he would give me for the prop. Now I am back on track and feel much better now that I have the correct prop going on it.

Having a prop different than what may have come on the thing in 1967 is not at all uncommon. In fact, it would be much more rare if it did have the same one... whatever that might be.

Props are sized for specific loads and performance.. not a one size fits all because that's what it came with.

Most outboards today don't even come with a prop on them. You get the prop that is most appropriate for what the motor is going on.

I have the same exact motor ('68 model) on a jon and I've been through 2 props just since I've had it and it needs another right now (and I bought it long after '68 :lol: )

Quackrstackr said:

Having a prop different than what may have come on the thing in 1967 is not at all uncommon. In fact, it would be much more rare if it did have the same one... whatever that might be.

Props are sized for specific loads and performance.. not a one size fits all because that's what it came with.

Most outboards today don't even come with a prop on them. You get the prop that is most appropriate for what the motor is going on.

I have the same exact motor ('68 model) on a jon and I've been through 2 props just since I've had it and it needs another right now (and I bought it long after '68 :lol: )

Click to expand...

Wow that is really cool that you have the same motor. When I take the old prop in to Mike at the Pro store he will be able to give me some insight to what it is and if it had any corelation to what the engine should of had on it. After Mike asking me what I was using and what it was used for he sudgested the 9X10 prop for me and my application. He told me there were three different props sizes that I could have and the first one was obsolete and not able to get it anymore, who knows maybe that is what I have on my motor because this new prop is definately much bigger then the one that is on there now.

How do you like the motor? Is there anything that I should know about the motor that it is famous for having troubles with? Thanks for chimming in.

Mine has been pretty much bulletproof.

I put a head gasket on it probably 10 years ago and a couple of fuel pumps and that has been it. Mine gets abused during duck season, too.