I've worked for HTO several times during academic breaks during high school and college. I am an outdoors enthusiast, National Outdoor Leadership School semester Graduate, Survival guide, and I currently reside in the Rocky Mountains region. I'm writing up my resume, trying to find old information about the company, when google sent me to this site. I started reading and then felt compelled to add my two cents. My experience with the the Managerial Staff is less than pleasant. I felt rushed, discouraged, and incompetent when I wasn't sales machine. It was a rarity for any one of them to praise their staff. I don't know the store managers who are currently working, but the old ones were cold, unsympathetic, and all in all seemed to have lost the reason why they once enjoyed selling outdoor gear. The store has become more of a corporate monster than the local guy they falsely describe themselves to be. There's not enough space in the stores for the products they sell. I could never get my parents to step foot into the store because it was so overwhelming and uncomfortably claustrophobic. Unlike REI, HTO seems to pick the products they choose to sell not for the benefit of the costumer but rather for HTO's relationship with that specific company. Do we really need to sell ""Life is Good"" tire covers? Why do we have the entire Northface line but never seem to receive restock for sizes people are looking for? My biggest complaint and fear is that I seemed to be given the title of rocklimbing expert for the whole store. I didn't feel qualified to tell a group of business men exactly what they needed for an expedition. I mean, I had enough knowledge from my personal experience, but I was never trained by the company on what people needed. My training came from NOLS, and we only sold some of the equipment needed. Most people came in looking for helmets, shoes, belay devices, ropes, or harnesses. Just with those basics we had a poor selection and high prices. Then we would have more advanced stuff like sport bolts, but anyone selling that stuff seemed to be just making it up as they talked. The training that we did receive was focused on HOW TO SELL MEMBERSHIPS! and on how the newest version of gortex or capaline worked. It was not focused on how to give responsible advice to mountaineers. The prices are high. REI has much better relationships with their staff and better costumer service. Don't complain to the sales staff, go directly to the manager! There are also poor relationships within the managerial staff teams. Your voice may not be heard unless you go further up the ladder. (None of this is by any means reflective of the head manager of the bike department at Rockville, he's the most sympathetic great guy in the whole place)
Pros: Sells Arctyex
Cons: No quick restock, lack of costomer empathy
more