Saddlers and hat fitting service.......

Chestnutmare

Chestnutmare

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I went to a saddlers near me this morning to get measured up for a new hat and have to say I came away from the shop really quite put off.

I went to get measured up for a new hat and quite liked the JTE range that they did but would want one in brown...now the person that apparently is qualified to fit hats took a rather unusual approach...he started off by asking me to put my head down whilst he felt my head...guess checking for 'what he thought' was sized OK...so off he went to get some hats...saying in the process that he'd done this for years etc..blah blah quite alot of waffle actually so I kind of switched off at that point, he then tried a couple on...which were rather loose and had the chin strap done up quite tightly near enough choking me in process lol...did not like that hat one bit I knew that it didn't fit but he said it did..yeah ok.

Anyway, I wanted to try the JTE one on so off he went again to get the hat to try....more blah blah blah...tried a couple on...yes one felt really quite nice on not too tight and not too loose either and very lightweight felt good wearing it, so I asked what size it was...his reply "I don't know darling" and swiftly put the hats I had tried on behind the counter in order for me not to see the size...idiot! Don't ever underestimate me I had already checked the sizes out for myself beforehand...but he kept saying he couldn't get any more of these hats in and that they didn't do anymore brown ones which is what I wanted but then said 2mins later I can order one in this size and in brown to be here for weds/thursday next week....eerrrm but you had already said you couldn't...make your mind up!!!

So in all I have come away quite peeved really....his sales ploy didn't work on me i'm afraid SO I shall measure my head and go via the internet or take a trip to a very large and very well know saddlers next weekend and buy one that I actually want instead of being given tribble...

Minus one future well spending customer me thinks to this shop....shame :(
 
Interesting!!!! I'm a hat fitter and that's not quite how it's done.
Yes go else where and get fitted properly and get what you want but please don't measure your head and go on line as all makes, styles vary and unless you have had the hat fitted properly in a shop there is a chance the hat may not fit. Could be wrong shape,depth etc for your head.

The thing that people are doing now which is so annoying for the shops,hat fitters is people are getting fitted in the shop than going on line to buy the hat which yes I can understand why people do this but it is wasting the shops time when you have no intention off buying from them. That is why some shop now and I believe if it becomes a big problem a lot more shops will take it up is charging for hat fitting. If you buy the hat from the shop you get that money knocked off the hat so it hasn't cost you but if you don't but a hat you are paying to get fitted. I totally agree with this as I see it day to day
 
I would of happily bought from the shop had I have been filled with some confidence I am out to buy a new hat as I don't have one...my last one I had a fall with so has been dispossed of.

I shall more than likely visit the large saddlers next weekend as I really want a good fitting hat and one that I want.
Thank you for your input I am pleased to hear that I wasn't being odd in my thinking.
 
How odd!! I'd try the other saddlers if I were you. We now charge for hat fitting as so many people were getting fitted then buying off the net, which is very unfair when shops have to find cover to send staff on training courses, and it ends up costing us a fortune for very little return. Our hat fitting fee is fully refunded when buying a hat from ourselves.
Personally I would like the see hats only being fitted and sold via professional fitters only and internet hat sales banned.
 
ooh god that is a bit bad thanks Galaxy for bringing that to my attention....everything's so different these days been some years that I bought my last hat.

Could anyone recommend me a really good vented preferably hat for general use, not really going to use it showing so will be for hacking some jumping at home etc...and lunging if I really need to.

Thank you for all your comments, just glad I wasn't the only one thinking this is odd...

I would also happily pay the fitting fee if my hat was fitted by a professional qualified fitter I think next time I shall ask to see the certificates.
How can someone fit a hat like that?.....someone's safety at the end of the day...
 
Until recently we ran a saddlery / tack shop and were BETA trained hat and body protector fitters...this does sound an odd way of fitting a hat especialy the hands on approach at the start!
Are you sure they are BETA approved fitters...if theyre claiming this check them out on the Bristish equine trade association website and if theyre not listed as hat fitters then please send Beta an email informing them.
I suspect that he didnt want to tell you what size hat you were as he possibly suspected that you were only in there to get your hat size...and buy elsewhere... We got fed up with this as well but allways let the customer know what size and explained to them that not every hat fits the same even in the same make different designs fit totally different...Please don't just buy a hat because its the one you want...If it doesnt fit..it doesnt fit. We have refused to sell hats that we knew wouldnt fit. On occassions the customer wouldnt believe this and purchased elsewhere..coming in a few weeks later thanking us as they'd been sold an ill fitting hat elsewhere and would come in and buy a correctly fitting hat of a different design.
Saddleries and tack shops need to sell larger items, rugs, hats body protectors etc to survive...The profits on fly sprays etc are not enough to survive on...So please support them..more and more are closing once gone theyre gone!
 
so they need to be BETA qualified do they? this I didn't know but will certainly check this out now as I really wasn't too happy with the service I received I understand what you all say about the part of customer's getting hat size's to buy elsewhere as I also considered this, however I have not bought a hat in a very long time so would like to get one that does fit and will pay whatever to do so by said qualified person, but from now on I will be checking on their certificates etc...

I am all for supporting your local tack shops, but not when you get treatment such as I received this morning it has totally diswayed me from ANY future purchase's as seeing as I am going to get a new horse I really need EVERYTHING again so will be about to spend an awful lot of money to get this all again...but sadly not from that shop I won't.

I will be buying from either other saddlers and not just in my area I may go back 'home' to purchase from saddlers that I know and trust or from internet.

I will look into that BETA though to see if they are registered.
Thanks for that :)
 
Out of concern for the safety of the rider, we insist upon a fitting service.

Our suppliers include Champion, Gatehouse, Just Togs and Charles Owen.

Our staff are Champion qualified and a fitting service is insisted upon.

This is the abstract taken from their website it doesn't state the qualification except that they are Champion qualified...but have more than champion in their range...
 
They dont have to be BETA qualified hat fitters to sell hats but would reccomend anyone looking at new hats to seek out a BETA member who is qualified...The course they offer covers a wider variety of hats etc and goes into much greater depth than any of the manufaturers own training courses.
The same can be said about body protectors.
Most shops who charge for a fitting will refund you this charge..better described as a deposit against the cost of a new hat.
Be honest...If you know you can buy the same hat elsewhere explain this to the person doing the fitting..you will propably find that they are willing to sell you it for the same price or very close to it...but bear in mind a lot of the sellers on the internet are trading in bankrupt stock etc so are able to sell cheaper...sometimes less than what any shop can buy for from wholesalers etc!
 
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