While rushing toward the mall or a “Big Box” store, we miss the jewel tucked neatly between buildings on a tree-lined street. Often we consider the “mom & pop” stores overpriced and think we are getting a better deal in a larger store. That’s not usually the case, and often we not only miss the valued-priced items, we forgo good-old-fashion customer service.
That’s what happened to this ski virgin. After becoming totally confused wandering through a maze of winter sports gear, and not finding anyone who seemed interested in helping me, I stumbled upon Ski Frisco Sports. It’s located in historic downtown Frisco, just off the North Dallas Toll Road. I spent over an hour talking to the owner, Rick Holliday. He explained about jacket weights, and assured me that the $300 jacket did everything the more expensive jackets did, and in fact for where I was going, and the season of the year I would be skiing, the less expensive jacket was actually a much better fit for me. (Who knew?)
But then it really got interesting. We moved from hats, gloves, jackets and pants to ski boots. I learned that you don’t just buy a pair of boots – or at least you shouldn’t if you want to be comfortable and ski better. You actually need to be fitted for proper foot alignment. So, after some time measuring my feet, the owner who just happened to be one of a handful of certified master boot fitters in Texas, custom fit my boots to my feet. I needed a custom footbed orthopedic sole and some shell stretching of the boot in a couple of places; but after that, they will be the perfectly-matched boots for my feet. I’ll go back in a couple of days to pick them up along with my hand-waxed skis. (That’s when I learned that skis were porous and needed to be brushed up, then waxed, and waxed again.) I bet you don’t get that kind of service from a “Big Box.”
Now, here’s the best part . . .
While Rick was fitting my boots he told me this amazing story about a family who came in to be outfitted for their ski vacation. There was only one problem. One of the girls in the family had part of her foot amputated. The father asked if there was any kind of ski boot that would work for his daughter. Rick’s business partner, Gil Murray got to work. He formed a mold of her foot, and then reversed the mold. From the mold they fashioning a pseudo prosthetic made of firm foam that fit into the space of her boot. She not only was able to ski with her family but had the vacation of her life, doing what she never dreamed possible. Seeing the joy that this brought to a young woman was one of the best moments of his life, Rick explained, with a tear in his eye. He actually got choked up telling me the story. According to Rick, this wasn’t an isolated instance.
He also told me about a 50ish woman with degenerative arthritis. She visited the store pushing a walker, and Rick said he was surprised when she bought ski clothing, but she didn’t comment so he didn’t pry. The next year she came back for a new ski jacket and pants. This time she opened up about her wonderful experience on a toboggan sled and said she was going back to Steamboat Springs to participate in the adaptive ski program. She’s hooked, and has gone back year-after-year. She commented to Rick: “I never felt such joy, such freedom, such excitement. It was everything I never dreamed I could do.”
Kudos to Rick and Gil, and the passion they have for their work, and the joy they bring to others!
Thanks for restoring my faith in retail. Customer service is alive and well in Frisco, Texas.
To find out more about Ski Frisco Sports go to: http://www.skifriscosports.com or call Rick Holliday at 972-377-2200. You can “like” them on Facebook: Ski Frisco Sports and follow them on twitter: @SkiFriscoSports.
