Okay, Finished my story. But for those of you not prone to visit the Texas Fly Caster website, (and for the good graces of TFF!) here's how it starts:

Having been informed that Backwoods Fort Worth had indeed been reborn, I did my duty and went in to apologize at the rumors I spread of their demise. Of course, who could have known the store has reopened under new ownership IF IT WAS NEVER EVEN ANNOUNCED?

I found the new Backwoods digs (1013 Foch St, Fort Worth, TX 76107) to be a bit cozy, but I was encouraged by the move of the fly fishing area to near the front of the store, and much of that pricey clothing shifted to the back ...




It's complimentary reading for the rest of the day at:
Backwoods Fort Worth Follow Up

I been fly fishing my entire life and I'm still not comfortable in fly shops.

And I forgot ... have you been to Tailwaters yet? About as comfortable as it gets IMO.

Actually YES,,, backwoods in ft worth did quote me out 500$ for shipping. Your sales man "did not want me to buy other models than what he had in stock". I am not spreading rumors and lets make this clear,,,i did NOT buy a inflatable bote board from you it was the hard model flood that was susposed to come with 3 fins. I know cause i called you after i got home and found out i only had one. I know cause i called the bote warehouse and even then yall acted like it was my problem. You wasnt even polite knowing yall was the ones in fault,,,some customer service. Your sales man even gave me a generic part that didnt even goes to the board just to be an @$$.And even then he was like "if you want it you have to come and get it" rudely over the phone- couldnt even ship it to me even though i offered to pay shipping. Oh btw i tell everybody my experience with yall, wich is alot. Im an very avid fisherman and outdoorsman and i do talk. Cheers!

Oh and there was other people with me on the floor and they can also attest and also the other customers there watching- you put yourselves in that position nobody else did. And you have the nerve saying im making a false claim,,,shame on you. Sounds like your only in it for your own personal gains- im not saying this to benefit me. Im saying this cause its true and as a reputable business you should of done what was right to begin with. Admit your faults man,,,dont call somebody a liar in public it just makes you look small and very unprofesional as a business or business leader

GSlayer, I still find it unbelievable that any of my sales associates would have ever quoted someone $500 in shipping and, even if they did, I find it unbelievable that any reasonable person would take that as a credible quote. I am sorry if you choose to interpret that as me calling you a liar.

I cannot help every single customer that walks into my store and I cannot look over the shoulder of all of the members of my team. However, I can help every customer that asks to speak with me when they have a reasonable complaint that they are not getting good service from the members of my team. Had you asked to speak with me, I assure you that I would have taken care of everything for you and I likely would have offered you something more for your inconvenience. Unfortunately, you did not give me the opportunity to do that at that time and are now here badmouthing me personally and my store in a public forum. At that time, I could have apologized to you, addressed the issue of poor customer service with the sales associate the you were dealing with, had the appropriate fin box from Bote expressed shipped to your home, and I could have offered you a discount on your original purchase for your inconvenience.

As someone who has worked in the service industry for over 25 years, I highly recommend that everyone who is unhappy with the service that they are receiving in a retail establishment, restaurant, or whatever kind of business, ask to speak to the manager right then and there. That is the only way that you will ever get what you feel that you deserve, that the business can properly apologize for and address the source of the issue, and that a solution can be found to remedy the problem so that everyone has the opportunity to be happy at the end of the day.

By the way, here is the link to Bote's website for both versions of the Flood which GSlayer purchased from Backwoods. You can see that, while the shorter version does have spaces for 3 fins, it clearly indicates that the center fin is included, but the 2 smaller ones are not.

https://www.boteboard.com/products/catalog/botes/flood/

Thats funny actually how your posting something thats been changed over the last couple yrs from botes website till now. Even when i purchased the second board from them they "the dealer sent me 5 fins" cause thats what the board called for. And either way the apologys dont mean nothing when they have something contradicting each one. It dont matter now. Good luck with your new location, i really do wish you well!

Ahmen to that last paragraph for sure. A....take a look yourself too when leaving help us help you. B....who did you talk too drives me nuts I don't know who ever answered. Did you ask for a manager or owner? I've got A guy who is mildly schizophrenic that works for me and he will answer the phone if it rings I try and grab it from him. but if you don't askto talk to a manager I don't know what he might tell you to tell you everything is free today. Don't get me wrong he's one of my best employees and fantastic help and has worked for me for years. But you could shoot me before I would have him handle a problem with a customer! I have not been able to make it down to the new store but I hope to soon glad to see the flyfishing stuff is in the front now. Hope you really do well! Gslayer I can promise wether it was them or any other service Industry type of operation promise you you will have much more success just staying calm and getting a manager's opinion before dealing with anybody under that because it is hard to find good help these days then that's an understatement. Yet everyone I have ever dealt with it Backwoods has been very pleasant but if I had a complaint I would definitely asked to speak to a manager and take care of it and I'm sure you might've come up with a much different resolution to your problem but nonetheless good luck and God bless

I'd say retail generally does have a hard time finding good help, and maybe (returning to the ground from this hijacking) that is a huge factor in the demise of brick-and-mortar as well? A good retail sales person first needs good training. A great retail sales person needs great training. I consider my retail training to be "old school" - ie. as good as it gets. Fly Shops listening? I'll send you a .pdf of my resume' on request! Funny thing is, no fly shop ever takes me up on that threat! I've even volunteered to man the counter at shops during the Christmas season ... still no takers. Hmmm, I better sniff my armpits more often ...

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but those clouds look fake!

I have read, pondered, and reread this post now several times with particular interest in the comments regarding Backwoods in Fort Worth. So that I may give the reader some context, I will tell you that I have been fly fishing local Fort Worth waters since 1992. I have been shopping at Backwoods since 1986 for Philmont expeditions and for almost all of my gear needs since. I even have Lifa, Patagonia, and North Face gear all made in the USA from the early days of the store. For those who remember, the legendary customer serviceman, Joel, was the associate at the time. He was much beloved among Fort Worth outdoors enthusiasts and is fondly remembered. Sadly, Joel passed away at a young age due to complications with cancer.

A prior poster in this thread mentioned being followed around and pressured into high cost gear. My now 20+ year fly fishing shopping experience with the store reads similarly to that poster's. Now two decades of frequenting the store as my primary fly shop, I am still badgered about where I am fishing, what trips do I have planned, etc etc. It is true that all I ever need in there are flies. The same ones now for 20+ years. About a year ago, they seemed unable to regularly stock these flies. So, I ordered online. I grew to learn that the problem was with the store having financial problems and were struggling with viability. Fair enough. I know that someone who just buys flies isn't likely going to suddenly spend a fortune on gear upgrades. In fact, seasoned fly fishermen rarely need to spend large because they have learned how to nourish their habit efficiently.

I have visited the new store. I like it. I am glad they have been able to stay running to serve us flyfishermen. I admit, I don't have stories of my trips to Patagonia or to Battenkill or to private waters in Wyoming. I don't need new flyfishing costume wear. All I need are a few clousers, some poppers and some wooly buggers. For those that know me on TFF and personally, you know I flyfish 4-5 days a week. After 20+ years of shopping with Backwoods, I introduced myself for the 200th time. Yes, Stephen I have been here before. Yes Stephen, I fly fish a lot. Yes Stephen, I know what I'm doing. No Stephen, I am not going on a trip. I'll see you in a few months, we can act like we have met for the first time all over again.

Mateo Clemente

No wonder you're so uncomfortable in fly shops! Heck, just book a few of those trips and they'll leave you alone again ... for awhile ... BTW - our Wednesday trip is strictly "Don't Ask Don't Tell!"

Hmmmm wonder what trip this is.....

Check out the "Guide Report" ... fun comes in all sizes!