All-Star Late Uniforms

[mollymags]

Hey Rebel---> get ready. I feel like you're about to get a flood of new customers next season. ;)

No kidding. I've only heard good things! I just looked at their website and I noticed this on the homepage.

"We are humbled by the warm reception we have received from the Allstar Cheer industry this year. As of Oct 17, 2012, due to overwhelming demand, we can no longer guarantee any delivery dates prior to March 30, 2013 for NEW customers. If you are an existing customer that has a fill-in order, we can accommodate you. If you are a new customer, please contact us immediately to pre-book and reserve your 2013 order.

In an effort to provide personalized service to every single one of our customers, we are accepting a limited number of new accounts for 2013. We look forward to exceeding your expectations. "

I love that they are being realistic and knowing they have to stop taking orders at a certain point so they can provide good service to their customers.

 

[CoachTamara]

What are you unhappy with? Quality? The proto didn't match the final product?

Quality is bad, but the fit is worse. I would say about 5-10% of our uniforms fit correctly.

We had a rep come in and do sizing BTW.

 

[5-6-7-8]

Just asking...do people stick with "not GK" because they also put on competitions that gyms want to attend?

I am just too logical, so screw me as a customer once, shame on you. Screw me again, shame on me. If not GK is really this bad...WHY do people still use them??

 

[CoachTamara]

Just asking...do people stick with "not GK" because they also put on competitions that gyms want to attend?

I am just too logical, so screw me as a customer once, shame on you. Screw me again, shame on me. If not GK is really this bad...WHY do people still use them??

The gym owners get a percentage back for competitions and uniforms... With a lot of kids, it adds up to a good chunk of change at the end of the season.

Also, I know some of the big gyms are in a contract with them so they cannot leave for both uniforms and competitions.

 

[5-6-7-8]

The gym owners get a percentage back for competitions and uniforms... With a lot of kids, it adds up to a good chunk of change at the end of the season.

Also, I know some of the big gyms are in a contract with them so they cannot leave for both uniforms and competitions.

Got it. That makes sense. I had to assume there was a reason people even thought twice about going back to them.

 

[Rudags]

GK does not fabricate dates. As I showed previously, we have a webpage that shows our need by dates. I have that website posted in my signature in my GK email so customers can always see it. The biggest problem seems that customers don't like the date I tell them and either try to go above me, or worse, lie to their parents.

I had one gym owner (the gym is actually shut down now, thank goodness) that contacted me in May of 2011. She said she was interested in GK's and we went through the whole design process. She said she was going to order in August, even though our designs were done in June. She said she needed time to collect payment (which is pretty typical). I made a note on my calendar to follow up with her in August about dates. I did and never heard anything back. Its not uncommon for people to use GK for designs and go to another company, so after numerous weeks of follow up emails, I just moved on with life.

Come December of 2011, I got a phone call from a parent at the gym asking why GK keeps backordering their gyms uniforms because now they have to compete with out them. The only thing I am allowed to discuss with anyone that is not the owner of the gym is weather or not they have an account set up with us. So I told that parent that her gym doesn't even have an account set up with us so there are no orders in our system. The next day, the gym owner emailed me with a sob story that she was in and out of the hospital and is finally ready to order. She placed her order, and paid the 50% deposit. Months later when the uniforms were ready to ship, and the final payment was due (GK doesn't ship without final payment), she took the parents other 50% deposit and ran. Shady business, but just goes to show how some people can be.

As far as the 1/10 that may have a problem, typically SOMETHING is done about it. Ive had accounts that had problems with the previous rep of my territory, or even a GK error and they got a significant discount on a future order as a "I'm sorry" or something similar. The problem is, if its not a GK error or a Sales Rep Fault.... Why would GK offer an "apology discount?"

I also want to take this time to say I am not speaking on GK's behalf but only sharing my experiences with working with them for so long. Despite GK being a large company, we do have a "family atmosphere" Us sales reps are very close with Customer Service and our National Sales Director, as well as our owner of our company and even the marketing and design team. GK does care, and i guarantee you if it was an internal error, SOMETHING will be done to compensate that error. However, when email trails are sent off to prove what was REALLY said or REALLY promised, sometimes things don't go gym owners ways.

 

[RaRaMama]

Quality is bad, but the fit is worse. I would say about 5-10% of our uniforms fit correctly.

We had a rep come in and do sizing BTW.

If you had sizing done, I would definitely complain and ask for a partial refund or replacement of the incorrect ones. Heck, I did our sizing myself (well, I used a fit kit and added length to skirt, top, and sleeves as needed) and we've only had a few that came in a little snug or loose. Most of those are girls that are in between sizes. That's waaayyy too many to have issues with, especially if a professional fit the uniforms.

 

[CheerBank]

Rudags I am fascinated every time you or any parent posts something about it being 100% the gym's fault yet the gym has blamed GK or Not GK for their lack of uniforms because you could be very well be describing our first gym. It blows my mind the shady business practices some of these gyms follow, and that we trust them with our money and our kids.

 

[taytaydaubs]

This season my gym went with a small company for our new uniforms. We received our uniforms later than expected but still in time for the first competition (the day of actually). Overall, there were some small issues with the uniforms but we were pleased in general. Our issue is that we also ordered practice wear and warm ups from them and those are still not in and aren't expected to be in for quite some time. I am finding this just as frustrating as missing the uniforms especially since this is my last season. Now instead of being able to have them for the whole season, which I thought I would when I paid, I will only have them for 3 or 4 months.

 

[Rudags]

Rudags I am fascinated every time you or any parent posts something about it being 100% the gym's fault yet the gym has blamed GK or Not GK for their lack of uniforms because you could be very well be describing our first gym. It blows my mind the shady business practices some of these gyms follow, and that we trust them with our money and our kids.

CheerBank - Its not always 100% the gyms fault, but Id say most of the time what seems like a GK error always isn't.

I worked at a gym in Chicago, which obviously made it to the Fierceboard last year - and you wouldn't BELEIVE the BS parents bought it. I would present LEGAL DOCUMENTS supporting the truth and the parents disregarded it because the owner would say I made them up and simply it wasn't true. At that point, you can only lead a horse to water.

 

[CricketCheerMom]

So now Varsity is blaming Hurricane Sandy for late production of uniforms.

 

[CheerBank]

So now Varsity is blaming Hurricane Sandy for late production of uniforms.

I'm not surprised. Some of my employees are still trying to use it as an excuse for late paperwork and we were very much affected but enough is enough. But how is Varsity blaming Sandy? Aren't they located in Tennessee?

 

[Gcscoach88]

I'm not surprised. Some of my employees are still trying to use it as an excuse for late paperwork and we were very much affected but enough is enough. But how is Varsity blaming Sandy? Aren't they located in Tennessee?

Apparently the factory that manufactures the special fabric they use have been flooded out and are just getting up and running again. At least thats what we have been told.

 

[magical mom]

What about if you are just flat out unhappy with your uniforms? In a normal business, you would expect a refund or a fix, but with these uniform companies everything is "custom" and cannot be returned. Although we will not use the same company again, we are also stuck because we have to reorder for new kids and use them again.

We (GK) require a sample for all custom uniforms. Therefore you can see it on a person and fix what you don't like prior to ordering.

 

[BowsnBling]

Apparently the factory that manufactures the special fabric they use have been flooded out and are just getting up and running again. At least thats what we have been told.

Parts of the garment district in NYC was very effected by the storm. I own a bow company and I had some shipment delayed out of nyc for fabric but it was only a two or three day delay.