DFW Gun Range - what takes them so damned long to do an FFL transfer?

[Exile Machine]

DFW Gun Range - Lengthy FFL Transfer time RESOLVED - See UPDATE 1st Post

UPDATE: 4/15: Just got an email from the COO. Delay was due to a family emergency. They've got my firearm ready and waived the transfer fee, and thrown in a few range passes for goodwill. Good save DFW Gun Range! I consider the matter resolved satisfactorily.

Bought a pistol off Gunbroker, a nice used Ruger P89, had it shipped to my nearest FFL, the DFW Gun Range. Watched the tracking as it arrived and signed for on Tuesday afternoon around 1PM. Went in today at 1PM, a little over 24hrs after they received it, and was told that I needed to wait for them to call first.

OK let me set the stage for you. There were about three or four customers in the firing range. There were three salesmen at the desk with nothing to do (I know this because each one of them in turn asked me if I needed help), and there were no other customers in the store except me, and one guy who was sitting on the couch watching their big screen TV. One of the sales people after being told I hadn't been called yet reluctantly went into the back to check on it and came back and said "yes, it's back there but you have to wait for us to call. Could be tomorrow or the next day."

What exactly are they doing to it? Am I getting a free trigger job or feed ramp polishing? Maybe their gunsmith is giving it a complimentary 32 point safety inspection? Perhaps they're running a police check on the serial number to save me from the indignity of receiving stolen property?

As far as I know, all an FFL has to do with a transfer is type the S/N into their computer, then sit me in front of a keyboard to fill out the form 4473 while they put my $35 in the register. Since I have a CHL they don't even have to lift the phone. Any one of the three sales people who were standing around with their hands in their pockets could have done any or all of these tasks.

Is this par for the course around here? I know in CA there's a waiting period before you can pick up a firearm but I never expected to see it in Texas.

Mark

 

[txinvestigator]

DFW has one employee assigned to transfers. Transfers take more than just entering a serial number in a computer. Records have to be meticulous; therefore, they have one person so it keeps things straight. They also receive a HUGE number of transfers.

Just out of curiosity, did you check with them before you had it shipped?

 

[Exile Machine]

Yep I gave them a few days heads-up on the transfer and they called the sending FFL to give them their FFL info. So this was not a surprise to them. And yes they did tell me to wait for the call so that's my fault for showing up without the invite. Just could not imagine they would take more than 24 hours to do this, and felt sure that it had slipped through the cracks. Which can happen.

I admit it's been fifteen years since I got my MBA and there may have been a business fundamental or two I've let slip away in the interim, but if I had such an incredible volume of transfers yet had only one employee capable of performing such a business-critical function I'd be training up another clerk or two immediately to share that load, at least as a backup. I don't care how complicated or meticulous the data entry is, this is data entry, not tensor calculus. I would be very surprised if it takes more than fifteen minutes of desk work per firearm. If they do that insane volume of transfers it's folly to put that all on one person.

I also get that they only make a few bucks on a transfer, so it may not seem like a big profit center for them, but how many customers who walk into the store to pick up their transfer see something in the case they just can't do without. I bet it happens all the time.

-Mark

 

[ussoldier1984]

If I go to an indoor range I go to DFW Gun range and I have always had great experience with their employee's. They are a very busy almost all the time. I can not comment on their FFL transfer times but every visit has always been a pleasure to me. I would say if txinvestigator is correct that they only have one employee to do transfers then I could understand why it would take longer again they are usually always busy.

 

[Exile Machine]

Agreed, the employees were friendly, place looked very clean and well lighted, great selection of firearms to choose from. If I'd been in there to just buy a pistol I had 3 sales people waiting on me with no delay and would probably have been out in five minutes. Place was clean and the range looked great.

Just the transfers, man they've got to speed that up. I've done a transfer with them before (back when they were temporarily in the office building next door) and it was over in five minutes. I've also done transfers elsewhere in town and it was same day the package arrived, five minutes with the 4473 and cash in the drawer and out I go.
-Mark

 

[txinvestigator]

Agreed, the employees were friendly, place looked very clean and well lighted, great selection of firearms to choose from. If I'd been in there to just buy a pistol I had 3 sales people waiting on me with no delay and would probably have been out in five minutes. Place was clean and the range looked great.

Just the transfers, man they've got to speed that up. I've done a transfer with them before (back when they were temporarily in the office building next door) and it was over in five minutes. I've also done transfers elsewhere in town and it was same day the package arrived, five minutes with the 4473 and cash in the drawer and out I go.
-Mark

I get your frustration. I guess they just don't see the urgency to have a second dedicated person in order to get transfers out in 24 hours. I make no judgement on that, just speculating

 

[ed308]

I would've pulled out my cell and called. Maybe they verbally gave him the reason for the delay or maybe they didn't. But if a customer walks in and they're not busy like he said plus the 1 guy who does the transfers is there, then whats the big deal making a customer happy? If he needs to wait due to law that's a different matter. I doubt OP will do business with them again. I wouldn't.

And BTW, if your paying $35 for a transfer, find another place. I get mine in Plano for $10 with my CHL.

And their website doesn't mention you need to call before you visit.

 

[Exile Machine]

I would've pulled out my cell and called. Maybe they verbally gave him the reason for the delay or maybe they didn't. But if a customer walks in and they're not busy like he said plus the 1 guy who does the transfers is there, then whats the big deal making a customer happy? If he needs to wait due to law that's a different matter. I doubt OP will do business with them again. I wouldn't.

And BTW, if you paying $35 for a transfer, find another place. I get mine in Plano for $10 since I have my CHL.

$10 transfer, that's great. Should have shopped around. Live and learn. But I'd done business with these guys before and they were GTG. Yeah after I pick this one up I doubt I'll be back. You have a customer in the store and you're not busy, you don't send him away.

Years ago I used to work in product marketing and field sales for a big electronic/communications test equipment manufacturer. We used to joke that every company has a "Department of Order Prevention." Big or small, every company has one. Their job is to prevent the customer from making a purchase. I think I just found that department at DFW Gun Range.

-Mark

 

[txinvestigator]

What time of day were you there?

 

[Exile Machine]

What time of day were you there?

"Went in today at 1PM, a little over 24hrs after they received it"

 

[txinvestigator]

"Went in today at 1PM, a little over 24hrs after they received it"

I am going to invite the owner to this thread.

 

[phillmckraken]

There's a high concentration of individual FFLs here in DFW all wanting your business and charging reasonable rates with same day turnaround. Use gunbrokers FFL finder.

 

[Mreed911]

For $35 they should include a box of ammo and 30 min range time. That's a ripoff, comparatively.

For $35, I'd expect damn near instant turnaround. Multiples of competitive price should be reflected in something better, service wise.

 

[A.Texas.Yankee]

DFW has one employee assigned to transfers. Transfers take more than just entering a serial number in a computer. Records have to be meticulous; therefore, they have one person so it keeps things straight. They also receive a HUGE number of transfers.

Just out of curiosity, did you check with them before you had it shipped?

This 100%

The concept is simple (record manufacturer/importer, record shipper, record shipper FFL/address, record serial #, record caliber, record weapon type, and record date). Record keeping can EASILY get messed up, quick, whether you use electronic bound book (rare except for larger operations) or hand written (most common). Generally, most employees are not involved in receiving or disposing of firearms. Would you stake your license and business on a young 20 something or general employee?

$35 is a little high, but not outrageous. There is a lot of competition out there, though.

I guess I never understood the "drop what you're doing and help me" concept. Granted, customer service is extremely important, but there is often a reason for things. Not saying this is what you were expecting, but many do.

Sent from some where out there.

 

[Mreed911]

Especially when you're interrupting their TV and conversation time...

 

[txinvestigator]

Especially when you're interrupting their TV and conversation time...

The guys to whom you refer were not trained or permitted to intervene in the handling of transfers.

 

[Mreed911]

The guys to whom you refer were not trained or permitted to intervene in the handling of transfers.

Which seems to be causing customer expectation mismatches.

 

[txinvestigator]

Which seems to be causing customer expectation mismatches.

With that, I agree. A manager friend of mine, in reference to HIS range employees, says "if you have time to lean you have time to clean." I agree with him. There is always something that needs doing.

 

[equin]

I've only done two FFL transfers in the DFW area. Both have been with local gun shops that offer firearms for sale. Each took almost a week to complete after receiving the firearm. I did try looking for an individual FFL (one without a local, brick and mortar gun shop), but of the few I found, only one responded to my calls and he was going on vacation around the time the firearm would've been shipped to him. I understand there is supposedly lots of competition, but despite that it was still frustrating for me to find an FFL with a reasonable price. The two FFL gun shops I did business with took what I consider a frustratingly slow amount of time for the transfer to be ready. But I admit I don't know all that's involved with respect to the paperwork and record-keeping requirements that most probably contribute to the delay.

 

[Exile Machine]

As a businessman myself, allow me to present the situation any business owner dreams about:

1) Customer in the store
2) With wallet out
3) Standing at the register in full view of the merchandise.

Let's say I'm the FFL. A transfer gives me the dream situation items 1, 2, and 3. Sure the customer's ostensibly there just for the transfer but the opportunity to make an additional sale is excellent. We know he's a proven gun buyer. It's even better than that though. He's already committed to making a purchase with us! He can't leave. We have his gun in the back room! He absolutely can not get out of the store without paying us! Now he may need ammo, or a holster, or mags, or range time, or... He may even have his eye on another firearm in the display case right there under his sweaty hands. Not saying to employ high pressure sales tactics but this is a golden opportunity to at least suggest an additional sale. Ever hear the phrase "you want fries with that?"

Of course transfers have to be meticulous. Any business recordkeeping has to be that way. Ever been audited by the IRS? That's why we business owners hire bookkeepers and accountants. These guys are not brain surgeons, but they are professionals who are capable of extreme attention to detail. Such people are available for hire in the DFW area, they're not rare by any stretch. The level of detail in a transfer is simply not great enough to justify days of delay. Even at its most careful execution, it's measured in minutes.

So lets revisit our businessman's dream above. Two ways to go from there:

4A) Suggest cross sale & close

or

4B) Send the customer away empty handed until such time as it's more convenient for us.

Which one, 4A or 4B is going to be better for the FFL? You do whatever you have to do, you hire whoever you have to hire, train whoever you have to train, to get to step 4A and you never ever do step 4B. FFLs need to start seeing transfers as what they are: Marketing & sales opportunities. At the very least, if the FFL can process the transfer quickly and the customer doesn't buy anything else, he's at least been in the store and seen how clean, well run, and fully stocked it is. He'll be back. Do step 4B and he'll be back, once, to complete the transfer, then you'll never see him or his wallet again. If you're lucky he won't post about it on the net.

-Mark