Spring is Coming! - Canoecopia

8
“Rooted in the outdoors since 1976”
Our Policies, Values, Ethics
Having a fairly small organization,
we can’t spend a lot of time trying
to wordsmith our policies so they read
like legal documents:
Rutabaga staff (hereafter referred to
as “staff”) will endeavor to ensure that
Rutabaga clients (hereafter referred
to as “clients”) are fully satisfied with
their consulting, testing and purchasing
experience (hereafter referred to as “experience”)
in all manner pursuant to the
client’s ultimate enjoyment of paddling.
Ours reads more like this:
“We at Rutabaga treat people like we
would want to be treated.”
I wish I could take credit for the concept,
but someone with more authority
than me created it a few thousand
years ago. But to quote poet Edwin
Markham, “We have committed the
Golden Rule to memory; now let us
commit it to life.” We’re committed. At
least, we’re committed to committing.
We promise to be honorable; you
promise to be reasonable.
All of our policies are designed
around these two things; when you
come to our business, be it Rutabaga or
Canoecopia, we want you to feel as if
you just walked into my living room;
warmly welcomed. We would hope that
we would be treated the same. I have
always been gratified by the way we
are treated by you at Canoecopia and at
Rutabaga too.
When something goes awry (we’re
human, and make mistakes too), we
pledge to be honorable in how we fix the
problem. What we ask is that you be reasonable
in your expectations. We will fix
every problem that is fixable as quickly
as we possibly can. Just remember that
some problems take longer to fix.
We have endeavored to provide here
a succinct summary of how we like to
do business. This is our baseline. Thank
you and see you at the show.
HOW CANOECOPIA WORKS
In a perfect world:
1) You purchase gear.
2) You love it.
3) We all live happily ever after.
But the world is not always perfect ...
so here’s how we handle imperfection.
General Deposit
If you can’t make a decision on a boat
during Canoecopia, put a general $400
deposit down at the show for a boat to
be chosen later under less demanding
circumstances at Rutabaga. This will
secure the Canoecopia discounts on
boats and paddling gear for a one-time
purchase through May 31st, 2010.
Special Orders
If the perfect boat for you is not in our
stock, or you want something special, we
can order it. We plan production slots with
most of our manufacturers for custom or
special order boats. It might take a while
longer, (up to 8-10 weeks,) but you will
certainly get the boat you want.
Returns
Life happens and what you buy today
might not be what you expected. We’ve
been there ourselves. It may not be
tomorrow, or even next week before this
is discovered. We understand, so we try to
make it easy and fair. During Canoecopia,
Rutabaga extends its normal 30-day return
window an additional 15 days. After
45 days, a store credit may be given as
circumstances dictate.
Used Boat Trade-Ins
Is it time to upgrade your boat to a lighter,
longer, more stable or more playful canoe
or kayak? Whatever your situation may
be we have a trade-in program for you.
Let us look at your current boat, assess its
full market value, then apply a percentage
of that value to the boat of your choice.
Please ask the friendly staff for details at
the boat pick-up booth.
“We promise to be honorable;
you promise to be reasonable.”
Websites and Mail Order
Consider it your 24-hour Rutabaga. We may not be at the store all hours of the day,
but our products and insight are always available for viewing (and purchasing!) at
www.rutabaga.com. Compare products, create your very own “wish list,” read the
reviews of our staff or place an order in your jammies.