Vent A touch appaled...

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techie

New member
Techie - do you try to encourage the non-tech staff to learn some basics? I suspect you might and that comes down to managers and what they value as important :thumbsup:

Your profile says you are from Leduc, which is near Red Deer. Is that the store you were at?

Out of the three girls who are NOT techs, two are mothers of children around 1 year old. So they know a bit, but all three of them feel more comfortable with me (or the other techs) giving information to parents, so they often call us and they will stand near by and listen while we help them. Parents often come in asking to speak to a tech, as well.

With the city I live in, there aren't many retail stores to get proper car seat information, so having repeat customers is a must, and giving that proper information the first time brings them back year after year!

I have also written a two page basic 'essay' on car seats for their knowledge at the store ... I called it "Car Seat 101, or How to Sell a Car Seat With Confidence" :p
 
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tam_shops

New member
You're not supposed to lift it by that? :eek:Thanks! It never really occurred to me, it's obvious I guess once you think about it...Thanks!

100% sure our Richmond BC BRU sells demo seats, was offered one more than once, and declined! Even though it was discounted....

tam
 

mam521

New member
Your profile says you are from Leduc, which is near Red Deer. Is that the store you were at?

Out of the three girls who are NOT techs, two are mothers of children around 1 year old. So they know a bit, but all three of them feel more comfortable with me (or the other techs) giving information to parents, so they often call us and they will stand near by and listen while we help them. Parents often come in asking to speak to a tech, as well.

With the city I live in, there aren't many retail stores to get proper car seat information, so having repeat customers is a must, and giving that proper information the first time brings them back year after year!

I have also written a two page basic 'essay' on car seats for their knowledge at the store ... I called it "Car Seat 101, or How to Sell a Car Seat With Confidence" :p

Nope, Leduc is closer to Edmonton. 5 minutes south of the International Airport. I was at the South Edmonton BRU. But thats awesome that you support your staff and have given them the tools to help parents make more educated decisions. Seriously - a supportive manager makes a HUGE difference, no matter where you work! Which store are you at? Saskatoon, Regina?

You're not supposed to lift it by that? :eek:Thanks! It never really occurred to me, it's obvious I guess once you think about it...Thanks!

100% sure our Richmond BC BRU sells demo seats, was offered one more than once, and declined! Even though it was discounted....

tam

The harness adjuster strap is always a no no, but some manufacturers recommend against the harness. Some even tell you were to carry it (SK, Britax do). I haven't been able to pull my Nauti manual because its with the seat at dayhome (I can't remember what it says but its too big to carry by anything but the shell for me...lol!).

I've seen demo seats for sale at TRU but the ones at WalMart usually have a tag sewn to the seat cover saying demo purpose only and not for resale.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
We're pretty lucky...Snowbird is a CPST trainer and works with TC and also works at BRU...but she doesn't work at the BRU I was at.

I just want to clarify this lest anyone misinterpret the comment - I'm not an employee of Transport Canada, I just have regular contact with someone who works for Transport Canada.

I guess I hoped when I went in that the expectation is higher when it comes to product knowledge. It is afterall, a baby "equipment" store. I reiterate that some people DO know their stuff and know it well. But its disappointing when you meet someone who is guiding often overwhelmed, bug eyed parents into making a very major decision. It applies to more than just carseats too. If I'm in a store and the staff member helping me knows a coworker has a greater encyclopedia to draw from, I'm never turned off if they call that person over to assist in their place. I truly appreciate it.

My co-workers will often call me over to help someone with carseats if I'm around. Our department has a good number of employees, and 3 are techs - myself, plus 2 who I didn't train but assisted in signing off at the end clinic. They know basics, but there is a lot of info that is gained only through experience.

I try to give new staff as much training as I can on carseats, but when it comes down to it, some people want to know more and some people don't. And some of the new employees I never work with due to my limited availability. FWIW, I don't think I've ever told a co-worker "don't carry a seat by the straps" - perhaps because it's common sense to me and I've never seen any of my coworkers do that?

The biggest thing I stress with my co-workers is reading stickers for limits of the seat, not ff'ing too soon, not boostering too soon, (law,) and why boostering is important - and to have them encourage parents to try their kids in seats and considering growing room based on child height/weight/age. I also try and tell them that infant/child seats have rf'ing and ff'ing belt paths so that they have basic familiarity, but the truth is, carseats are only a small part of their daily job expectations and it's a lot of info to try and give to someone in the very short time they're going through training.

Stores definitely appreciate experienced staff though. My training and experience has made it so that I don't get hours cut when hours are trimmed for seasonal or budget reasons - and I know I make a big difference with the parents I help.

We do sell our display seats, and I have big issues with it. But that's a rant of it's own and something I'm hoping will change at some point...

I don't ever carry my seats by the harness straps - it makes sense to me that I wouldn't want to put stress on the adjuster mechanism - I think it's more the harness adjuster mechanism than the webbing that I would be concerned about if a seat was being regularly carried by the harness.
 

ntrenary

Active member
OK, I read my instruction manuals for my radian 80 & RA50 because I swear I've heard it was OK to carry them by the harness. SK says to carry it either by the red carry strap, plastic shell, or shoulder harness. Britax says, plastic shell or tether straps.
Thank you for starting this thread. I know I'll be more careful about what I grab to carry my seats now.:)
 

Ontario.CRT.Jennifer

CPST Instructor
You're not supposed to lift it by that? :eek:Thanks! It never really occurred to me, it's obvious I guess once you think about it...Thanks!

tam

:yeahthat:

AND, in 2007 when I was first trained as a tech my entire class of around twenty people (save and except me and one other, a Public Health Nurse) were BRU employees!
 

Mingie

CPST Instructor
My tech class was also primarily made up of BRU employees in Mississauga.:thumbsup: I was thrilled that they were learning so much!
 

BritMum-in-US

Active member
Oh gosh, I was in a BRU here in California sometime this year and they were just dropping the car seats in their boxes from the top shelf! I would say that was much worse!
I did talk to a very knowledgable employee another time though, he looked at me like I had two heads when I said I was ERF. He asked where on earth I came from and that he wished everyone thought the same as me! I of course referenced this site :)
 

monica-m

CPST Instructor
I was trying out seats with DS when he was 5ish months. A sales associate at BRU laughed at me for calling their test bench a test bench and he tried to get me to try the My Ride out FF even after I told him who the seat was for. He looked at me crazy when I told him that DS would not be FF for a few years. I'm sure there are knowledgeable BRU associates out there, I have just never crossed paths with them.
 

tam_shops

New member
Now I'm confused, just *got* that you were talking about two different things, funny how much more I process when the kids are in bed! LOL

"The harness adjuster strap is always a no no, but some manufacturers recommend against the harness."

I've never carried mine by the harness adjuster strap, not sure how you would? Doubt I've carried mine by the harness, but am very sure I have picked it up by the harness straps, more than once.:eek: One of those things that once you *think* about it is so obvious, but when picking something heavy up, I grab what I can get w/ out having to bend down & go from there, over the shoulder usually...

Does anyone know off the top of their heads what the Britax MA Classic & RN w/ wings & Maestro rules are? The Manuals are under the seats in the car, which is outside in the cold dark rain! :whistle: Does that classify me as lazy? :eek:

tam
 

mam521

New member
I hear you about processing info once the kiddos are in bed!

Does anyone know off the top of their heads what the Britax MA Classic & RN w/ wings & Maestro rules are? The Manuals are under the seats in the car, which is outside in the cold dark rain! :whistle: Does that classify me as lazy? :eek:

This takes care of Britax and SK for you...not sure about Maestro.

OK, I read my instruction manuals for my radian 80 & RA50 because I swear I've heard it was OK to carry them by the harness. SK says to carry it either by the red carry strap, plastic shell, or shoulder harness. Britax says, plastic shell or tether straps.
QUOTE]

As for the adjuster strap, I suppose if you half grabbed the top by the shell or harness, you could carry the bottom by the strap. But call me silly...if you have the harness in hand, isn't that kind of indirectly carrying it by the adjuster strap as well since the harness is yolked to the adjuster? The whole point is to avoid damage to the adjuster mechanism from what I understand. :shrug-shoulders: I'll just avoid carrying by the harness and be gtg lol!
 

Adventuredad

New member
I would not be concerned about carrying a seat with harness straps. I rarely see it though since it's normally not a convenient way of carrying a seat.:twocents:
 

tam_shops

New member
Thanks ladies! The harness adjuster strap breaking when you think about the small piece of metal that it is...and when you process that farther & think that the entire mechanism is hooked together, it's so obvious & risky you'd think they're be a warning sign on it! LOL

I'd never carry a seat like that, now that I *get* the risk probably wouldn't lift one like that either, but also like to know how/why/which you can/not do if I ever see someone else do it to one of my seats too...

Thanks for not making me read the fine print! ggg

tam
 

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