Alpine Shop — Local services in Sandpoint

Over the last few experiences I’ve been hesitant to post a review but as someone who has been going to the alpine shop since the 90s I feel the shop is really going downhill. I do appreciate the shops contributions to both POP/bike trail support and winter avalanche education. Having the shop thrive is in the best interest of the community and owners. Hopefully some constructive criticism will help improve the shop.

Here are my 3 reasons why I feel customers and owners should be aware of local experiences. One recent and 2 other older examples of why I just can’t recommend the shop and unfortunately will need to shop around and utilize online ordering rather than supporting the shop.

Most recent, came into the shop with a Marker Barron, common binding in need of mounting screws as I lost them when I had to send in for a warranty repair. The guy at the shop seemed bothered that I needed screws in the end of summer. He proceeded to grab a bin of random screws, set them on the counter and said good luck. Not an ounce of customer service. I picked one/two bolts out but realized that some of the bin would have to be poured out so I could sort though and dumped, far less than an 1/8 of the bin on the service counter. He immediately grabbed the screws and put them in the bin and scowling about not doing that on the counter, which has a plastic top and is far easier to clean then dumping them on the carpet. What I find troubling is the overall attitude and lack of any customer service.

Previous encounters:

As a newer bike shop in town, having not previously been selling mtn bikes I was hopeful Sandpoint would have another option for high end bike and bike repair. A friend brought a bike in for some suspension work, the front shocks were clearly leaking fluid from the seals onto the stanchions. It was easy to wipe the fluid clear, depress the shock and see new oil, it was a no brainer that the seals were bad. When they picked the bike up, the shop said the seals were fine and “shocks do that”, which we all know is ridiculous. Needless to say next place did a fork service and replaced the seals.

Personal experiences with ski boots along with more than one friend being belittled for not wanting a race fit with feet being crammed into an overly tight boot and toes smashed into the end. Again, a poor experience that contributes to a...

After a 20 year hiatus for personal and adult reasons, I had the opportunity to start skiing again. My equipment was outdated so on a whim I decided to visit Alpine Shop in Sandpoint for a new pair of boots.

I'm bad with names, but I believe it was Nolan who helped me out. He took measurements of my foot, and had a chat about my prior experience and brought some boots out. I tried on 4 pairs over the course of about an hour, during which time he was super attentive and courteous in taking in my feedback and explaining options on how to address potential issues (e.g. discomfort, hotspots, slop). He nailed the right boot on the first attempt - we ended up keeping on coming back to it.

I left to give it some thought and to let my feet relax before trying one more time and came back a day or two later to wrap up and made the decision to buy them, along with a pair of custom insoles that the store owner Zach made.

Fast forward about a month, I have a week worth of skiing on the boots and they feel fantastic. I can leave them on completely buckled all day without needing to take a break or loosen them. They both did a stellar job bringing the boot fit and the insoles together.

Picking the sport back up again after 2 decades could have easily gone the wrong way, but the shop helped make it something really memorable and special.

Fantastic folks that know what they're doing and make you feel valued - I couldn't ask for more from a ski shop. Highly recommend them for boot fitting and other...

As an update to this review: I brought my sons bike around the corner to Bonner County Bicycles and it took them exactly an hour. So for proper, professional, and an enthusiastic hour of their time, they replaced the motor and charged me $40 plus tax. The egg is on your face Alpine Shop. Maybe you can tell your mechanics to man up?

Previous Grievance: They lost all my business when they said they wouldn’t work on my Son’s Stacyc because it was a “pain in the neck.” This after they had already performed work on it once in the past. Yeah, work is usually called “work” because it’s not easy and involves some thinking. Even offered them money in return for the work😂😂😂. Imagine making money in return for their work…He advised that if my “mechanics aren’t comfortable,” then they can’t do it? It’s akin to saying “it’s hard and we suck, so we don’t wanna do it.” Should’ve told me not to bring it back to you after the first “pain in the neck”…not waste my time or give me some kind of false expectation. Thought you guys were capable. Thought you guys were figure-it-out kind of people. I’ll go to CDA to rent my family skis and snowboards, take my kids and my own MTB’s, go anywhere else to buy our wake and water gear. We spend quite a bit of loot down there, but say goodbye to roughly $10k a...