Honest question for bootfitters...

[Gaperious Basterd]

How many visits, punches, and punches-per-visit start to annoy you?

At what visit #/amount of punches does someone fill your shithead meter to the red zone?

Thought about and just sincerely curious about this.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Bushwacka]

I mean is it really the person fault if they have to keep going back?

[toast2266]

I mean is it really the person fault if they have to keep going back?

Probably depends on the person.

Doing lots of small, incremental tweaks because you want a perfect fit is almost certainly looked at differently than the gaper who just isn't tuned in to what's going on, and keeps returning for more work but can't accurately identify the problem that needs to be fixed.

[The Tortoise]

I'd think a 6/12 pack would take care of most annoyances.

[dgillis73]

I'd think a 6/12 pack would take care of most annoyances.

This, so much this. It all depends on the attitude and demeanor of the person. We have people who come in frequently for work (ie. multiple boots, small tweaks here and there), but they are never a bother. They usually bring beer, let us work, and have a good chat about skiing, sports, whatever. And has regular customers, they have in a way become friends with a lot of us. Key thing is to just let the boot fitter do their job. The most annoying people to work with, by far, are people who read it on the internet, and want to look over your shoulder the entire time. Point is, have a little faith, be a decent person, maybe bring some beer, and don't be the "well such and such forum says" guy, and you won't annoy the boot fitter at all. In the end they want you to be happy, and have the best fitting boot possible. So just let them work with you towards making that happen.

[old goat]

This, so much this. It all depends on the attitude and demeanor of the person. We have people who come in frequently for work (ie. multiple boots, small tweaks here and there), but they are never a bother. They usually bring beer, let us work, and have a good chat about skiing, sports, whatever. And has regular customers, they have in a way become friends with a lot of us. Key thing is to just let the boot fitter do their job. The most annoying people to work with, by far, are people who read it on the internet, and want to look over your shoulder the entire time. Point is, have a little faith, be a decent person, maybe bring some beer, and don't be the "well such and such forum says" guy, and you won't annoy the boot fitter at all. In the end they want you to be happy, and have the best fitting boot possible. So just let them work with you towards making that happen.

At Olympic Boot Works the shop provides free beer while you wait. Just sayin'.

[mntlion]

standard/average is 2 visits for new boots (some none, some 4)

annoying is the customer, not the number of visits (people can piss me off the first time, even without needed boot fitting)

I fire 1* customer a year usually (I'm really sorry that I can't seem to get the boot fit results you want, maybe going to see another store would be best for everyone, and see what ideas they can come up with)

[XXX-er]

If i bring in a boot I bought on the internet I assume its pay-as-you-go, but if I buy from a shop who is going to guaranty the fit its up to them to make it so or i would assume try a different boot or worst case scenario money back?

[jacob_dbu]

If i bring in a boot I bought on the internet I assume its pay-as-you-go, but if I buy from a shop who is going to guaranty the fit its up to them to make it so or i would assume try a different boot or worst case scenario money back?

I bought boots from a pro-deal and brought them to shop and subsequently paid $200 for custom insoles. Then they did the rest of the fitting free-of-charge. When I came back for the 3rd time on a punch I brought them a 12er and we drank and chatted it up past close.

[Bushwacka]

Yeah the thing is I actually wish they would go further sometime. I now am doing some of my own boot fitting because I can feel instantaneously if the boot has been punched enough.

[Eluder]

The only thing that irks me is when I do exactly what someone asks me to do and then they come back with a "new" issue that I find out was there all along but never communicated. There is a good chance the solution would be different from the original approach, this does nothing but waist everyones time. A lot of consumers assume most retailers are there to screw them over, a good boot fitter just wants to help you out so you can ski happier. Making money is nice but none of us are raking it in.

Communication is key with boot fitting. You can measure and obverse all day but everyone has different thresholds on what they can handle for compression. My left foot can't handle the same amount as my right even though they measure very similar. Everyone has their own idea of what racer fit, performance fit and comfort fit mean. Be realistic about your skill set and current gear. Generally speaking most things in life are a compromise, be truthful about where you sit on the scale of expectations from your boots. I've had a customer finally admit after multiple trips back that her boots actually are great all day while skiing but really suck to stand around in at the bar after skiing... Basically a good open dialog is the ticket to success, if that involves a 6 pack to get there you won't see me upset about it.

[sierra_cement]

standard/average is 2 visits for new boots (some none, some 4)

annoying is the customer, not the number of visits (people can piss me off the first time, even without needed boot fitting)

I fire 1* customer a year usually (I'm really sorry that I can't seem to get the boot fit results you want, maybe going to see another store would be best for everyone, and see what ideas they can come up with)

I was fired by my local shop early this season. We spent a ton of time and work last season getting my boots comfortable, especially with my heel spurs. I brought food and beverages for everyone to share over the course of my visits. This season, something changed in my left foot (don't know what), and i started getting pain at the styloid. They were definitely not happy to see me again in the shop.

The way @mntlion phrased his customer break-up speech was amusingly similar to the spiel I got. Heh. Happy ending, though. Steve bagley at snowbird was able to sort out my left foot issues. The man knows his stuff.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Ritalin Kid]

Would love thoughts from bootfitters on skiing without a footboard but with a custom footbed...seems to give me a little more room and only drops my heel a little...planning to try this weekend


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Eluder]

Would love thoughts from bootfitters on skiing without a footboard but with a custom footbed...seems to give me a little more room and only drops my heel a little...planning to try this weekend


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Can your boot board just be lowered to accommodate the room you need? The bottom of a boot is rarely flat, I worry that unequal pressure from below could cause issues not to mention the ramp angle likely being nonexistent.

I have a backwoods tinkerer that trust me to help help him out here and there... he has aluminum foil covered bubble wrap in place of his boot board... I would never recommend this but I would offend him If I told him it was a bad idea. Each case represents a different challenge and he is happy walking around in the woods where his fit is at so who am I to judge, my feet aren't in there.

I would need more information and see what the problem is to really affirm it but in general it's a really bad idea at worst and a bandaid at best.

[mr_pretzel]

I was fired by my local shop early this season. We spent a ton of time and work last season getting my boots comfortable, especially with my heel spurs. I brought food and beverages for everyone to share over the course of my visits. This season, something changed in my left foot (don't know what), and i started getting pain at the styloid. They were definitely not happy to see me again in the shop.

The way @mntlion phrased his customer break-up speech was amusingly similar to the spiel I got. Heh. Happy ending, though. Steve bagley at snowbird was able to sort out my left foot issues. The man knows his stuff.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Fuck that shop. If a bone is getting pissed it should be fixed.

[gregL]

How many visits, punches, and punches-per-visit start to annoy you?

There's no real limit if I'm convinced you're in the right boot, the goal is attainable, and you'll ultimately get a better skiing boot because of it. That means you are willing to do the 40-50 hour break in period before telling me your feet are "falling asleep," the overall volume of the boot works or can be made to work, and you ski often enough and well enough to appreciate the effort.

Best to come in before Thanksgiving or on a quiet mid-week day if you need a bunch of boot work done, though. If you come in when I'm slammed expecting me to drop everything and dial in your 6 punches you may be disappointed.

The guy with a 25mm shell fit who insists I punch the toes of his new boots for length because they are killing him out of the box pisses me off, but I do it anyway to sell the boot.

[auvgeek]

This is why I buy boot from a shop that's going to do the work if it's at all possible.

I've had too many experiences bringing a boot to an aftermarket boot fitter who works out of his garage/basement. I always start with, "Is this the right boot for me" and inevitably, they say they can make it work. Or sometimes recommend a boot that I go buy for cheap somewhere else because they don't sell boots. But then, they get annoyed when I continue to have issues after several visits. So I've had much better luck buying a boot from a shop that they recommend and then getting it dialed in at that shop only.

Of course, I try to find out what the shop likes -- favorite pastries, beer, etc. And always pay in cash.

[XavierD]

It’s about mindset and attitude not number of visits; to a point. If you appreciate the bootfitter’s desire to help you get the right fit and avoid blaming them it will likely go a long way to keeping you on good terms. Understand it’s still a plastic boot in sub freezing temperatures wrapped around your foot tight enough to make 6 foot long pieces of wood do want you want on icy bumps. If you accept that boot fitting is neither magic, nor cheap, you won’t be disappointed.

It also helps if your bootfitter is able to build a taste for wine they shouldn’t be able to afford.

[XXX-er]

I would rather buy from the shop who is going to Guaranty a fit, becuz its in both our interest to get it right

the last boot I bought on-line, got lucky with the right shell just change the liner and ski them right out of the box

the boot before that I asked the guy (later I heard he was a bootfitting god) what would work for my foot and I was interested in trying on a Full Tilt? He said forget Full Tilt it won't work for your foot and i don't really have anything except this Dalebllo I could order, so I guess i got fired before I could even become a problem

went to another Dalbello dealer and he had " the boot "

[Benny Profane]

At Olympic Boot Works the shop provides free beer while you wait. Just sayin'.

Probably because they have so much beer given as tips. Seriously. Last time I went to see Hal at Northern Ski Works at Killington [shameless plug], he almost sighed at the sight of my gift of a six, and said, one more for the pile. I glanced in the back room, and he could have a pretty sweet party if he wanted to.