How's your local welding store??

[hooda]

I want to know how your local welding store is. Please state your area, but not necessarily the name of the store. This is why I ask. It seems that, as a guy that's been out of the welding "scene" for some time, going into a welding store, I felt like once I was sized up as an amateur looking to part with less than $50.00, and not a commercial whale forking out $2000.00 a month, I was not treated the way I felt that a customer should be. This has happened at every welding store in the area, with 1 exception, and unfortunately that 1 exception has an employee who is a sanctimonious, condescending little **ick that would rather be surfing ebay than helping a customer make a decision. I guess that what I could equate it to is going to a regular auto parts store, vs. walking into a racing shop. In my experience, The auto parts store is going to give you about the same level of service wether you're buying a $4.00 PCV valve, or a $600.00 set of brake rotors. The racing shop will politely tolerate your request for the PCV valve, and possibly refer you to the auto parts store to get it, perk up a little for the rotors, but still consider you a waste of time until you've established yourself as a customer by buying a $7500.00 crate motor. The biggest difference is that the auto parts store has a much larger base of competition, big box retailers nipping their heels on oil and filter prices, and the internet, dealerships, and independent shops on the upper end. Whereas the racing shop relies on customers spending much more per capita to pay the rent and light the lights. Our friends at the LWS seem to not realize the impact the internet is having on people similar to those found on this site, we are finding VALUE here. If you have had a positive or negative experience, please post it.