My TorontoAirsoft.com review

[Trev140_0]

Originally Posted by Nickaayyy

Mmm... I'm gonna check Mach1, maybe i'm gonna buy my Ra-tech parts over there. A lot of people seems to like them.



That's why i've got lost in the conversation !!

Remember they AREN'T the cheapest, (Mach1), but they DO make up for it quick.

Airsoftparts.ca? Well they are just off the wall, fast man. I always chuckle ordering a gear set I just blew up, and ordering a bunch of other stuff on a Sunday night, only to have my secretary at work drop it on my desk Tuesday at 11:15AM.

I gave up even tracking the package. Why? cause they are MACHINES.

[Nickaayyy]

Nah it's fine. Not sure I was the one who enraged him or the other member...

Anyway thats the problem when people misunderstood eachother, you try to help and the guy get pissed of because he thought you insulted him.

Now not to be out of subject: Airsoftparts.ca? Gonna see that too, im gonna buy the WE HK416 and I heard they need some replacement parts NPAS, Steel hammer, etc.). Gonna be my first main gun and gonna try to learn how to modify them. couple of my friend want WE but are scared of the modification, so i'm the one who have to learn how XD

[Trev140_0]

I ordered this Sunday night after blowing my G&P up after our game at the Hill.

Order Placed at 10:49 pm-

Gears
Shims
Bushings

30 seconds later I get my order confirmation.

Monday Morning??


From: Airsoft Parts Canada [mailto:sales@airsoftparts.ca]
Sent: February 4, 2013 11:53 AM
To:
Subject: Order Update #17032


Dear
Order Number: 17032
Detailed Invoice
Date Ordered: Sunday 03 February, 2013
The comments for your order are: Tracking
7210029696326182
www.canadapost.ca
Your order has been updated to the following status:
New status: Shipped
Please reply to this email if you have any questions.
Airsoft Parts Canada


Tuesday 11:15?

On my desk.

Cost me $6 to put this in my hand. No taking a half a day off work to stand in line to possibly get this.

__________

Effort=Business.

[Towe1ey]

Originally Posted by Nickaayyy

Nah it's fine. Not sure I was the one who enraged him or the other member...

Anyway thats the problem when people misunderstood eachother, you try to help and the guy get pissed of because he thought you insulted him.

Now not to be out of subject: Airsoftparts.ca? Gonna see that too, im gonna buy the WE HK416 and I heard they need some replacement parts NPAS, Steel hammer, etc.). Gonna be my first main gun and gonna try to learn how to modify them. couple of my friend want WE but are scared of the modification, so i'm the one who have to learn how XD

Check them out man. Airsoft Parts is truly amazing. It's like the part you want to buy is sitting beside some giant CP mail shoot, you click purchase and it's fired into a mail truck on its way to you! Definitely my favorite place to buy from.

[Nickaayyy]

Great thanks guys for the info!!

[Trev140_0]

Originally Posted by Towe1ey

Check them out man. Airsoft Parts is truly amazing. It's like the part you want to buy is sitting beside some giant CP mail shoot, you click purchase and it's fired into a mail truck on its way to you! Definitely my favorite place to buy from.

BAHAHA. I was thinking the same thing!

Get this, I just went back in my email for kicks and sorted by "order update"

These guys shipped me THREE DIFFERENT ORDERS

1) Dec 5th
2) Dec 18th
3) Feb 4th

3/3 EVERY ORDER shipped NEXT DAY within ONE GOD DAMN HOUR of each other between 11:15 and 12:04 PM

Are you kidding me?

[Hectic]

Thats cause Jugglez is the man, hes always got what you need or will get it for you, he knows his stuff and is great to deal with.
i live close to his place so i cut out the shipping and constantly pester him to let me come for pic ups, he always accomodates me and almost always has some cool new products to check out.
in fact ima bug him a lil later and order up some stuff, then i cam get a look at the new modify magwell blocker thing for the v2 mechbox seein as i keep on breakin boxes in the cold lol.

Originally Posted by Trev140_0

BAHAHA. I was thinking the same thing!

Get this, I just went back in my email for kicks and sorted by "order update"

These guys shipped me THREE DIFFERENT ORDERS

1) Dec 5th
2) Dec 18th
3) Feb 4th

3/3 EVERY ORDER shipped NEXT DAY within ONE GOD DAMN HOUR of each other between 11:15 and 12:04 PM

Are you kidding me?

[MaciekA]

I think it's a bit unfair to characterize the Toronto Airsoft crew as careless or grossly incompetent, but mainly because I know many of them decently-well and think they deserve the chance to respond to their current challenges.

It's great that you've all found alternatives to Toronto Airsoft, and that speaks volumes to the growth of the airsoft market in Canada, but the fact of the matter remains that Toronto Airsoft handles a much larger volume of product than anyone else. I'm guessing far, far more than Mach1, if not just due to physical location, but also due to better visibility to Google, lower prices, a much larger catalogue when it comes to "parental visibility" (see below), and a well-designed web store that has actually paid attention to how commerce on the web is optimized.

As someone who actually works in internet media, I can tell you a place like Mach1 has a loonng way to go to improve their web presence. Their landing page is focused on all the wrong things: recruiting potential distributors, mentioning official supplier status, a wasteful giant logo graphic. The listing of product categories is way below the fold on most screens, and the area could be used by a product category listing is taken up by a twitter feed widget which to many consumers (i.e. parents, 90%+ of this business, and any retail business really, is done at Christmas shopping time) will be essentially incomprehensible. I won't get into the poor usability and design of the actual catalog itself, but it needs a lot of improvement to match the lean mean selling machine that is Toronto Airsoft.

The reason for mentioning the above is that even if Mach1 and TAS were identical stores with the same physical location, product range and the same people but next door to each other, Mach1 would handle lower volume of sales just due to their poor SEO and website. Thus, Mach1 has stacked the deck against themselves not only by physical location but other factors, and ironically enjoys the luxury of not being stuffed with random people and orders all day and therefore is able to offer better service. Not too surprising.

Why is this all important? Because Toronto Airsoft is a victim of its own success and can't easily be compared against other stores. It needs to be benchmarked against itself. They've been an important part of the airsoft community for quite some time. The reason why y'all oldskool guys don't see Frank much anymore is that he's busy running the business behind the curtain. It will be similarly difficult for Mach1 if and when they reach that scale. Retail ain't easy.

That said...

I think there are a few things Toronto Airsoft could do to improve the sales experience that might be doable. Making people take numbers has helped a LOT because now you always know where you stand with the lineup -- no ambiguity, no hoping to make eye contact with Louis or catch a glimpse of Frank.. Just take a number, chill out and admire the guns on the wall. On the other hand, there absolutely needs to be an express line for people who know what they want and just want to pay. The salesperson taking 23 minutes to explain airsoft to a doubtful father while 10 other customers wait impatiently needs to not be the same guy that works the cash.

These are scaling pains, and I think Toronto Airsoft needs to bring some of the automation and slickness of their website operation to their physical retail operation. When you go into the store on a Wednesday afternoon and nobody is there yet but you, it's at that moment that these guys are at their best and will patiently follow your every request, every question, and let you touch and try everything and even invite you to hang out for a bit. Now they just need to figure out how to copy a little more of the mid-Wednesday experience into the late-Friday.

For what it's worth, Toronto Airsoft is going to continue to get my business, warts and all. They've improved by leaps and bounds since I started shopping there, and will probably continue to.

[Stryker]

I usually stay clear out of this types of threads, I like to stay under the radar, its my nature, but a positive feedback deserves a positive acknowledgement. I believe I was put in there for a reason, and that is to help the community and educate everyone else trying out this fun sport.

Thanks for the kind words about the shop. Great Customer service only happens because of the clientele. When positive people come into the shop, it's a domino effect. It's a reflection of the team within the shop and the community/players.

Of course, if you have any further inquiries about MACH1, feel free to contact Shinobii or myself, better him as he will probably answer them better than I do.

Originally Posted by Trev140_0

I have been to Mach1 to fix a gun.

Was fixing an ICS for a friend of mine. I needed parts. I took the gun to Mach1 and asked them if I could try a few parts in the cylinder as there was something screwy going on relating to compression.

They said sure, opened a few parts and to the surprise the issue was a mismatch with nozzle etc, all of which they worked through with me. Would have been impossible to go back and forth 50 time to chase this. I am in no way new to this, but ICS is very specific in parts. Chroned the gun and left very happy/impressed. (First purchase) About $80 bucks.

Second visit. Needed a cheap and dirty pistol. We can shoot over 400FPS at our field so they steered me to the Styr COs. Let me fire it and try it out. A few other too. All the while NEVER getting distracted by an email/phone call nothing. So I bought it. They did not have spare mags. So I asked can you at least find me one. They opened another gun and sold me the mag.

Third Visit which came from the first 2. I need a CQB gun. I decide to go HERE as they obviously want my business. I say I have an open budget---take me to school. Tried several guns, and they set me up with a VFC quake, a sweet poster and a few stickers. Again. Effort.

Fourth visit?

You guessed it, another VFC Quake for my buddy.

$1,500 total

Why?
Cause of first visit.

Airsoftparts.ca is the same deal. These guys are like machines for shipping and service.

Find your guys, get to know them, and enjoy the sport.

[MMatersk]

I for one have no favourites whoever has the product in stock for the cheapest BOOM.

On a side note Airsoftparts, Mach1, Airsoftstore have some of the best customer service I have experienced in the airsoft business here in the GTA by far keep up the good work!

[Trev140_0]

Richard I stayed clear of mentioning you, but since you responded, you are absolutely welcome and should expect what I posted.

The owner too (forgot his name)

The attitude of your location and level of true effort is there. I walk in ready to plunk down 6 bills on a gun and you appreciate it.

And BTW, I saw the pile of stuff sitting at your front door, waiting to be shipped out for Canada Post.

I was there when a sub dealer was picking up a mountain of gear/guns etc.

You guys ARE moving a lot product!

But the web site does need a bit of a tune up. I think you guys know that , but I have a feeling you will be adjusting that.

Bottom line though, I don't ever get the shit show when I see you!

And I thank you.

[MaciekA]

Originally Posted by Stryker

I usually stay clear out of this types of threads, I like to stay under the radar, its my nature, but a positive feedback deserves a positive acknowledgement. I believe I was put in there for a reason, and that is to help the community and educate everyone else trying out this fun sport.

Thanks for the kind words about the shop. Great Customer service only happens because of the clientele. When positive people come into the shop, it's a domino effect. It's a reflection of the team within the shop and the community/players.

Of course, if you have any further inquiries about MACH1, feel free to contact Shinobii or myself, better him as he will probably answer them better than I do.

Just to clarify, I said some negative things about your website, but meant them as constructive criticism, which I think every airsoft store deserves... (just like TAS deserves). For anyone else reading, Mach1 is super top notch, many of my friends shop there and have had nothing but extremely positive things to say.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by MaciekA

Just to clarify, I said some negative things about your website, but meant them as constructive criticism, which I think every airsoft store deserves... (just like TAS deserves). For anyone else reading, Mach1 is super top notch, many of my friends shop there and have had nothing but extremely positive things to say.

Maciek thanks for clarifying what you have said, but we don't look at your comment as negative feedback. The team is aware of the problem with our website that at one point, we had an online order sometime Christmas(Customer will remain anonymous) and the client said he searched our website to get all those product, we all laughed in the office that in fact he went through all that trouble to get all those products, we ended up throwing him some free stuff in the package just for going through HELL!!! We're just all dudes in there trying to serve the community better!!! Pass our thanks to your buds!!!

[Thenooblord]

Originally Posted by MaciekA

The salesperson taking 23 minutes to explain airsoft to a doubtful father while 10 other customers wait impatiently needs to not be the same guy that works the cash.

THIS! this so much, people taking a number and then getting to the counter and then asking what they should buy, the numbers are for "buying a gun" which I would take to mean "I want that one" not "please browse with me for an hour"

I called the store beforehand to ask about the product I was interested in, and made sure it was in stock, drove downtown, go into the place with cash in hand, and I can see the gun right there but it took me over an hour, cause the guy he was serving when I came in changed his mind and they had to go find him another gun, then the mom and her kid after that spent 20 minutes arguing with eachother about what to buy while the attendant stood there, not to mention there were maybe 10-15 customers waiting in line, infront and behind me, and they had one staff on the floor, there was another guy in the back, dunno what he was doing, but I would think if the store is plugged up like that you'd want to be concentrating on that...

[Trev140_0]

Originally Posted by MaciekA

Just to clarify, I said some negative things about your website, but meant them as constructive criticism, which I think every airsoft store deserves... (just like TAS deserves). For anyone else reading, Mach1 is super top notch, many of my friends shop there and have had nothing but extremely positive things to say.

If you are going to listen to advice, print this off, stick it to your fridge, and focus. (Mach1)

This is not his first Rodeo.