TravelValue, TravelSafe, ValueTravel .... Follow CombatCritic To Travel Value

Title: TravelValue, TravelSafe, ValueTravel .... Follow CombatCritic To Travel Value

Key Words: Trademark, Copyright, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, TravelValue, TravelSafe, ValueTravel, Follow Me To TravelValue, CombatCritic, 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC

Salon DiMarco: Hair Today, Spa Tomorrow!

Salon DiMarco: Hair Today, Spa Tomorrow!

This was my first time here after being haircut free for over a year. After 20 years in the Air Force, long hair is not something I am used to.

Corrina ("Carina" means "pretty" in Italian) was very nice and she did a great job with what she had to work with ... my hair. She washed my hair, cut it, and blew it dry, spending about 30 minutes overall ($25 + tip).

The salon is in an old building downtown, occupying a large space two stores wide, with 12 foot ceilings and an old decorative copper ceiling (which could use a paint job by the way). 

Greeted as I walked in, my only complaint being that the nice pair of older ladies were offered tea by the receptionist while I was merely instructed to "have a seat". 

Overall, a nice experience and fair value, I will return, maybe getting a tea next time?

CombatCritic Gives Salon DiCarlo 7 Bombs Out of 10 ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: Salon DiMarco, salon, dimarco, di, marco, hair, cut, haircut, beauty, spa, color, massage, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value

A Smokin' Hot Yelp Check-in Offer ... 25% OFF ... WOO HOO!

An unassuming location in a strip mall on the east side of Iowa Street, Smoker's Depot is not large, but the walls and shelves are literally overflowing with products.

Steve was extremely knowledgable and helpful regarding the vast array of smoking products available. They offer a large selection of tobacco products, pipes, hookahs, and vaporizers, and prices are fairly reasonable.

When I produced a Yelp Check-In Offer good for a 25% discount, Steve was unsure how to apply it to my order, but he quickly figured it out, saving me $30 on my purchase ... HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives Smoker's Depot 8 Bombs Out Of 10

Key Words: Smoker's Depot, smoker's, depot, smoke, smoking, cigarette, cigar, pipe, vape, vaporizer, hookah, tobacco, Iowa, street, Lawrence, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value

Finally ... A Full Service, Full Size Sporting Goods Store In Lawrence ... WOO-HOO!

Finally ... Lawrence needed a full service, full size sporting goods store! 

I went to three different "sporting goods" stores on Massachusetts Street (downtown) a couple months back to buy a simple yoga mat, but two did not have them and the other (a yoga studio) was closed in the middle of the day. I realize this is not the BIG CITY, but for a city of close to 100,000, you should be able to buy a yoga mat anytime you want. Now you can!

The store is new, clean, well laid-out (same as other Dick's), and the staff friendly and helpful even though I found that being newly open, they did not have the knowledge of a well seasoned staff. They made up for what they did not know with vast enthusiasm and my questions were eventually answered to my satisfaction. Growing pains!

I would have thought that there would be more ON SALE being the GRAND OPENING and all, but prices were high (mostly suggested retail), hence the missing three bombs. I did find a nice Columbia waterproof jacket for $60 (regular $90) and it came in handy during the monsoon rains at yesterday's Cottonwood Classic Gold Tournament at Alvamar Country Club. My shorts were soaked, but my core was dry as a bone after over four hours in a downpour ... HOOAH!

The store was packed having been open just a few days, so I think Lawrencian's feel pretty much the same way I do. The line was extremely long, probably 75 people in front of me, but I made it to the register in 15 minutes. Not bad. Do not forget to sign up for their loyalty card and get an EXTRA 10% DISCOUNT at the register, a particularly good idea if you are making a large purchase.

CombatCritic Gives Dick's Sporting Goods (Lawrence, Kansas) 7 Bombs Out of 10 ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: Dick's Sporting Goods, Dick's, Sporting, goods, sporting goods, Lawrence, Kansas, golf, baseball, hunting, guns, bikes, bike, bicycle, tennis, running, shoes, CombatCritic, TravelValue, 66047

JC Penney Is Better Than Kohl's, But Not By Much!

Kohl's refused to work with me after THE ONLY LATE PAYMENT IN 25+ YEARS partially as a result of their failure to send a bill or late notice, so we started shopping at JC Penney after a many year absence. It seemed like they were offering great prices between 2012 and 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri, but recently the "value" seems to have disappeared, at least here in Lawrence, Kansas.

The store here in Lawrence is dead as a ghost, so it is only a matter of time before this one-time giant goes belly-up like so many other retailers these days. Too bad because I do not buy clothes or shoes online because sizes vary so much and inevitably they do not fit once they arrive. 

Make sure you read the fine print on their coupons. It says 25% off on shoes, but in the fine print it says "athletic shoes excluded" ... I didn't have my glasses with me and made the trip across town for some much needed tennis shoes. What a waste of my time and gas!!!

CombatCritic Gives JC Penney (Lawrence, KS) A Lackluster 4 Out OF 10 Bombs ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: JC Penney, JC, Penney, JC Penneys, Pennys, Penny's, department store, department, store, clothes, clothing, shoes, purses, shop, shopping, Lawrence, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue

Genesis Health Clubs (Lawrence, Kansas - North/South) DID NOT DO THE RIGHT THING

I joined Genesis after a miserable, humiliating experience at The Summit, which is just a couple blocks from our home in Old East Lawrence, yet eons away in terms of values and how they treat their customers. I was hoping Genesis would be focused more on compassion, integrity, dignity, and respect, but I am starting to have my doubts.

I was lured into signing a one-year contract, an obsolete practice in the fitness industry for decades, by a young salesman who told me that my "wife can join for just $10 extra per month". Considering that my monthly payment is close to $50 per month, that information sealed the deal and I joined that day.

When I finally talked my wife into joining after years of begging, we went to sign her up ONLY TO BE TOLD BY LISA THAT IT NOW WOULD COST $20 per month ... NOT the $10 I was quoted before enrollment. Lisa, the young, female manager, did not offer to honor the price we were originally quoted, but instead offered a two-week trial membership available to the public at-large. 

I informed Lisa about the poor public perception of Genesis's practices, particularly on Yelp where I am an Elite '14 member, but she did not seem in the least bit concerned, a potentially fatal flaw for a business in a college town like Lawrence where students use Yelp (and other social media apps), making or breaking most small, local businesses.

I am considering canceling my membership due to false advertising and breach of (oral) contract, but will wait to see if my wife wants to join and if GENESIS HAS THE INTEGRITY to honor the price quoted prior to enrollment.

GENERAL COMMENTS: 

1) Even though $50 per month is the most expensive gym membership in Lawrence by far, Genesis offers fair value due to the fact that the other fitness centers in town do not compare in terms of facilities, equipment, amenities, and classes offered. The equipment, while somewhat dated and dirty, is sufficient in number to accommodate patrons without having to wait and the classes (yoga, spin, Pilates, cross fit) offered are abundant and varied enough to fit anybody's schedule.

2) With only one drinking fountain at the Lawrence - South facility, with a prostate problem at that, BRING YOUR OWN WATER ... filling your bottle in the bathroom with the smell of poop lingering in the air is disgusting! A couple of Culligan water dispensers in one of the back exercise rooms would cost $100 a month at most, increasing sanitation and hydration for customers.

3) The men's locker layout in the Lawrence - South location is sub-optimal in that there are only two benches and they are situated by the entrance so that traffic to the shower and toilets must pass between the benches and lockers, a logistical nightmare for the few people lucky enough to have a seat and one of the sparse number of lockers available.

4) The Lawrence - South facility has only two showers and no sauna, steam room, or whirlpool, so exercise is all you are going to get there. The North facility has all three, but the steam room is never hot enough, the sauna is broken more times than not, and the whirlpool, beside being a little too hot, is so chlorinated that it burns the eyes and lungs.

Beside the concerns addressed above, I was pleased with my membership even though both facilities are somewhat dirty, until I found out I was lied to during the registration process. As a retired military officer, honor and integrity are paramount in my life and I do not frequent businesses which fail to practice those core values. We will see if Genesis holds the same values and whether or not they choose to DO THE RIGHT THING, honoring the price I was quoted prior to enrollment. 

UPDATE  - April, 2 2014:

Sad ... not for me, but for the shortsighted owner of Genesis- Lawrence. Not only will Lawrence South Manager Lisa NOT HONOR THE PRICE I was quoted before signing-up, she had the nerve to insinuate that I, a retired military officer, Veteran, and customer, was trying to game the system! Extremely be ad decision on her part. 

I will pay the additional $10 per month over what I was quoted before signing the contract because $10 is not going to break the bank and I do not want to go through the hassle of suing Genesis for Breach of Contract. Genesis, on the other hand, now has a very unhappy customer, one who has provided them with FREE AND MOSTLY POSITIVE check-ins, tips, and reviews up until now. As I told Lisa, I cannot in good conscience continue to support a business that neither treats customers with dignity and respect NOR DOES THE RIGHT THING ... IT IS CALLED INTEGRITY FOLKS!

CombatCritic Gives Genesis Health Clubs (Lawrence, Kansas) 2 OUT OF 10 BOMBS (based on the lack of truthfulness prior to enrollment and poor customer service) AND THAT IS GENEROUS ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: Genesis Health Club, health, club, Fitness, Genesis, gym, center, exercise, workout, yoga, integrity, honor, truth, lies, membership, CombatCritic, TravelValue

U.R.U. Has A Little Bit Of Everything ... For Everyone

A very nice antique and collectible shop on Mass Street between 11th and 12th Streets in downtown Lawrence.

As an avid collector and American and English auction veteran, I know quality and value when I see them. U.R.U. has a plethora of items, from vintage books and comics to Murano glass and antique furniture at reasonable prices.

Service with a big smile and convenient hours make browsing or shopping a delight. I will be back regularly as inventory is turned frequently. Grab a $2 taco at Fuzzy's next door or take a walk in South Park just across the street while you are in the neighborhood.

CombatCritic Gives U.R.U. 9 Bombs Out of 10 ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: U.R.U., URU, home, decor, antique, collectible, furniture, knickknacks, jewelry, vintage, clothing, glass, porcelain, CombatCritic, TravelValue, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044