Crappy Attitude at Gun Stores

[tool1075]

college station has a good store like that- champion firearms. the owner is pretty cool as well.

 

[Green Hornet]

The guy sat and talked to me and my buddy about 1911's and various concealment tips, tactics, and the best bullets. He did all this for about an hour and never tried pushing a gun on us or got tired of our dumb questions. Now that is a good salesman in my eyes.

Maybe it was a slow day. Wanted to look busy, so crappy did not to clean the crapper.

 

[GM.Chief]

I agree that that's what I like in a salesperson...but the question remains, did you buy from him or just use him for the info and shop somewhere else. I've talked to a few shopkeepers lately who have talked about this problem. For some of them, it's not worth the time to sit a chat and tell you all that you want to know just to have you walk away happy if they won't be making money. Many of them like to b.s., no doubt, but they're also there to make a living...

 

[Stangfan93]

Carter's Country in Pasadena ask for Jason. He will bend over backwards to help you out.

 

[ebk06]

I agree that that's what I like in a salesperson...but the question remains, did you buy from him or just use him for the info and shop somewhere else. I've talked to a few shopkeepers lately who have talked about this problem. For some of them, it's not worth the time to sit a chat and tell you all that you want to know just to have you walk away happy if they won't be making money. Many of them like to b.s., no doubt, but they're also there to make a living...

Ive bought quiet a bit from McBrides. Not from that particular person but enough to make up for his time. Actually I would frequent them more but they close early and are far out of my way.

 

[texas_teacher]

McBride's

Generally it's because 10 hours into a 13 hour shift you really don't care to argue with someone about how .45 Auto will leave two smoking shoes if you so much as wing someone with it, and how 9mm is lethargic, but their .38 Special has killed 10 men in Vietnam when they were a Scout Sniper from a moving truck at a range of 1500 yards in a monsoon / tsunami / typhoon. Or how Billy Bob took that raging bull Elephant at 7200 yards with a .22-250. Or how AR's are unreliable, but AKs are the best ever, and how their friend's uncle's brother was an Airborne Ranger that went to Delta Selection and got in, and he uses nothing but a sawed off AK47 and a toothpick, and how they are going to get training from said operator even though they are a 300+ lb. LARPer that spends every dime they earn on more Blackhawk tactical gear, in black of course, because they only are seen at night... never in the woods.

It's nothing on you... but dealing with the morons that walk into a gun store, or call a gun store, will wear down anyone. Especially when you have a gun range attached, and said morons waive guns in your face on a daily basis.

Not bad for $9 / hr.!

That also doesn't necessarily apply to people that are just assholes... those people don't need the excuse.

I agree that sometime people can turn into real asses especially after dealing with idiots all day at work. I know especially in my field that after hearing countless times "Well my son says that they didn't do that and he's never lied to me and you must be mistaken." that it takes a good trip to the shooting range to clear my head, and a couple mags.

I can definitely understand that sometimes the unaware customer gets the blunt end of service and unfortunately that is the name of the game.

I always try to visit McBride's in Austin as much as humanly possible even if it is just to shoulder some nice over-unders. My fiance and I have got a couple of sales clerks that we have bought arms from and we always try to show up towards the middle of a Saturday afternoon as one of our favorites is usually about ready to "shoot a customer". So we stay and chat with him and the others and usually end up spending much more than needed there and everything is o.k.

All I can say is that every job is stressful, especially in modern day America where our society is constantly looking for others to give, give and give and then turn their ass around and forget about a friendly favor. If you remember how you feel when people just onslaught you filling you with frustration and how much it makes your day to have a person come in and just express the least bit of interest in you as a person and just trying to make sure you have a nice day. That's what treating your dealer is like.

 

[Texas1911]

and we always try to show up towards the middle of a Saturday afternoon as one of our favorites is usually about ready to "shoot a customer".

I've been nearly to the point of dragging out a customer to the range to put his money where his mouth is. I'm not the best shot in the world, but I can hold my own. I bet they'd go fetal at the sight of being called out.

 

[country_boy]

My neighbor went to mcbrides today to pick up his s&w 357 he said there was a guy that was very helpful. Of course there's Mr. Mcbride

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Then there are customers like the one I had today....the one that literally took 2 full hours of my time....the one that got upset and walked off after I explained to him that we cannot possibly give a 25% discount on new guns and expensive high-end scopes just because he wants one. Heck, I've only been at this two months and have already seen a lifetime's worth of Darwin award candidates. I try to be #3 on that list and go out of my way to help people.

Hoji, I can't remember if you said you were looking for .45acp also, or if it was just 9mm and .40sw. Check your PM's though.

 

[Hoji]

Then there are customers like the one I had today....the one that literally took 2 full hours of my time....the one that got upset and walked off after I explained to him that we cannot possibly give a 25% discount on new guns and expensive high-end scopes just because he wants one. Heck, I've only been at this two months and have already seen a lifetime's worth of Darwin award candidates. I try to be #3 on that list and go out of my way to help people.

Hoji, I can't remember if you said you were looking for .45acp also, or if it was just 9mm and .40sw. Check your PM's though.

Of course you sometimes get customers who do not want to fondle the guns and just want "one of those" and check out.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[texas_teacher]

My neighbor went to mcbrides today to pick up his s&w 357 he said there was a guy that was very helpful. Of course there's Mr. Mcbride

It's an awesome store... I feel terrible because for the life of me I can't remember the couple of guys that continuously help us... I've bought three of mine there plus countless boxes of ammo and a couple of spare clips.

If you ask their personal opinions they are usually pretty apt to tell you which ones are the pieces of shit and which ones aren't. It's even better when you come in looking for some specifics because you've done a little research first.

Happy shopping fellow 2nd ammendment advocates. (On a side note whenever our resource officer comes in and talks to the kids about guns he is an old buddy of mine, we actually made Eagle together in our scout troop and it is just pure coincidence that he works as a PO in the same city I teach, anyways he always tells them that not all guns are bad and legally owning a gun is a right that citizens in the south are apt to exercise and that's why the majority of home break-ins happen during the daytime hours because over 75% of southern homeowners are locked and loaded... YAY for the majority)

 

[Wolfwood]

last time i was in a gun store i felt like i was in a library. it was so quiet i was almost afraid to talk in a normal voice.
so naturally i overcompensated and became as boisterous as i could manage. suprisingly enough, the guys behind the counter began to loosen up after about 15 minutes of me making an ass of myself :-) any longer and id have given up and bought my remington 597 .22 lr replacement mags someplace else.

 

[DCortez]

last time i was in a gun store i felt like i was in a library. it was so quiet i was almost afraid to talk in a normal voice.
so naturally i overcompensated and became as boisterous as i could manage. suprisingly enough, the guys behind the counter began to loosen up after about 15 minutes of me making an ass of myself :-) any longer and id have given up and bought my remington 597 .22 lr replacement mags someplace else.

Same here, what's the worst they can do? Shoot me?

 

[shilohshooters]

Let's fix the attitudes, we're all in this together...

Wow, this has really been a hot topic lately! I urge you to please take action! If you feel slighted, mistreated, or ignored by your salesperson, you should find another employee, preferably in management and speak your mind! Yes, you want to spend your hard earned $$$ on guns, ammo, mags, gear, etc. and the best way to feel good about spending your $$$ is to have helpful, friendly, service. If you don't have that service, SPEAK UP! A store owner can't have his or her ear in every sale. We want to know you had a great experience, but we also would like to know if you are dissatisfied. And ideally, I would like to know face to face. That's the only way we can improve! I hate giving my money to someone that doesn't give a shit. I have personally had shitty service when buying cars, furniture, appliances, etc. and after finding somebody who cared about his reputation ( manager, general manager, OWNER ) my buying experience improved infinitely, plus most of those times they "threw some things in" to make me happy! I know I have made mistakes with a few customers, but they were usually following some asshole who pointed his loaded gun at me. Or some prick that flamed us on their chosen forum because he chose not to listen to our rules, then got his feelings hurt by the 15 year old who sweeps the range. Look, we want you to enjoy our shop, we want everybody happy, we don't want to be known as Douchebags, we want to have safe fun with like minded people. Help us do that by calling us out if you feel slighted or ignored. It will not hurt our feelings, and we will do our best to improve. Your input is always appreciated. Especially your face to face input.
Jeff

 

[Big country]

There is a "that guy" in every line of work. and chances are you are not the only one that has seen him run off business. The owners tend to notice people who run off the people with the money.

 

[brickboy240]

Actually, Shiloh has a long way to go before they will "out-douchebag" many of the Houston shops! LOL

You've got some serious competition in that arena. Mostly why I don't shop in those places anymore.

I think the customer service situation will improve when the craze slows down. And it WILL slow down. Heck, I actualy FOUND 9mm and 45 at a Wal Mart on two occaisions last week...I have also seen somewhat sanely priced ARs and AKs.

Keep the faith...it cannot go on forever.

- brickboy240

 

[shilohshooters]

Thank you for the vote of confidence brick. It's good to hear that once in a while!

 

[308nato]

Well with all the time you guys have spent helping me, man your service and the friendly way you conduct business will always be#1 with me.
It is why folks keep coming back.

 

[Texas1911]

I heard after hours at Shiloh the entire staff does LARPing.

 

[SapperMapper]

On Friday, I bought a Ruger LCP at Guns Galore in Killeen. The guys there are always helpful and talkative. They're more than happy to open the case and let you put your hands on whatever catches your eye. (Which is good salesmanship, of course)

A few months ago, I was in there when my cellphone rang - it was my wife. I told her, "I'm at the store." "The grocery store?" "Not the grocery store..." All the salesman grinned at each other.
I bought some ammo, and as I was walking out the door, one of the guys hollers at me, "DON'T FORGET THE GROCERIES!"