Quick and amusing Walmart story

jorg,
i didn't read your post clearly enough. apoligies.
liz

OOO buck is .36 cal, roughly 9mm...

the walmarts in my area do not sell guns any more and ammo selection has droped down to common stuff like 124 gr pmm 230 gr 45 and just bird shot. So after seeing fishing poles in the gune display I had to ask what was up. Dude behind the counter said 3 stored got busted for ffl violations so the company just pulled the guns out of the area. As far as ammo they are eliminating the inventory from the "inner city stores". What happened to fire the responsible party and keep selling guns?

I bought a fair amount of brass Blazer .45acp when it was still $10.98/50 earlier this year at WalMart. I would not consider any of the employees I dealt with as being very knowledgeable of firearms and ammo, but I am happy overall with the business transactions. I just told them what I want; where on the shelf it was; and they gave it to me. One employee especially was very helpful. When I told her that I had been having a hard time finding much Blazer .45acp at the local WalMarts, she offered to order as much additional ammo to set aside just for me as I wanted. When my 2k arrived, she called me.

I personally do not care that the employees are not gun-wise. They do not need to be to meet my requirements. They just need to be polite; willing to retrieve the boxes of ammo I point at; be able to bring in additional quantities to satisfy my demand; and display a general willingness to help me if possible. I think some of you guys/gals expect too much.

It's not even region-specific, it's just who's behind the counter. One local Wal-Mart has random people stuck in there. It's hit or miss if I can even find them, never mind them knowing what the different calibers are.

On the other hand, the other Wal-Mart just down the road has a guy at the gun counter who knows what he's talking about. Talk about pro-gun. After 3-4 consecutive visits, he invited me and my friends to come shooting with him, and he'd drag out the Barret

"I want those winchester white box 9mm 100 round packs down there."

"Ok, how many?"

"All of 'em."

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NOW I understand why I got the funny look from the walmart clerk when I only took 2 of the 3 available boxes of 147g JHP's recently. He was probably expecting me to take the lot at the price they had - like most other customers would do.
Now why did I leave that 1 lonely box on the shelf????
Will have to go back and buy some more.

BTW - this guy is a sight to see. middle-aged guy, wears a raven black Elvis style wig with Sideburns down to his wazooo

I get a kick out of wal-mart threads . When I shopped there once upon a time I would get some of the best associates to speak to . Had a fellow gun clubber working there at the gun counter not to long ago and he actually knew a bit about firearms . I stopped in just for s**ts and giggles to see him but apparently he doesn't work there any more . So I said what the heck and asked the guy that WAS there if he could order the cricket in pink for me ( for my daughter) and without even looking in the catalog , said no .

I know he COULD order it since the other guy had looked it up for me and told me no problem the next time he saw me . Apparently , for this guy , if it ain't on the shelf , then you can't get it . This is one of the reasons I don't shop there .

Btw , I guess I'm a hypocrite since I get a paycheck from wally world ( no not the retail div) but i spend my money at the local gun store , where they actually carry the ammo I need . Lol , just try and get Tok ammo etc at MY local wal-mart .

No Joke:

Stopped at a local Walmart to pick up some ammo, was going to my wife's Grandmother's for a reunion. It's rural so the menfolk usually shoot while there.
Clerk asks me what I want, I reply "gimme 3 boxes of winchester 100 pack of 9mm, 3 boxes of Remington 7 Mauser, 2 boxes of Federal .308 and 2 boxes of Remington .38 Special."

Clerk says, "Wow! Going hunting?"

I tell her, "Nah, family reunion."

The look on her face was priceless.

jaholder, I can imagine that look. LOL

The local wally world has taken out guns. In the Saratoga Springs area where my son purchased his hunting license there is a big yellow sign that says no, 9mm, 38 special, 357, 44 Mag or 45 ammo can be purchased without a permit (pistol). I asked him what if someone has a .44 Mag rifle, he said that someone had asked the same question and there working on it!!!
Deer season was closing in three days!!!

"Ya know, I'd love to get me one of those police-riot-shotguns, something like a forty caliber. POW POW POW! Heh. But my wife won't let me have one."

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Before y'all get to laughing too hard, here is the pump RIFLE the guy was probably talking about...

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_7600.asp

Or this one-

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_7615.asp

A number of LE agencies are looking at these in .223 to replace AR-15's/M016's as "less threatening"

Or Not

Every time I go into a store with a decent gun counter, I ask them if they have any Rem 7600 series -- particularly the 7615.

I ALWAYS get a blank look.

Nope, they don't stock them.

If our friend had been talking about that series, it surely would not have been because he actually saw one anywhere.

I'm guessing that is not the case.

I wish I had some funny Walmart stories. Unfortunately, I've never even seen a Walmart that sold guns or ammo. I live in MA though, it's expected.

Dope

stevereno1 said:

I am a wal-mart manager, and I can tell you that most of our associates that are qualified to talk guns with the customers, are too hard of workers, and too important to the rest of the business for me to stick them behind a counter all day chatting up customers.

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It sure isn't Sam Walton's company any more ... (sigh)

Efficiency > customer service.

Though, it's arguable that the bottom line (price) is the best form of customer service. I'm sure it's what keeps people coming back. And doing what stevereno1 said speaks to the bottom line.

Isn't that the new Taurus Judge modified?

My brother still tells this story

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Don't be so modest! You're still telling too!

Finally about one month ago I went to my local Walmart and the guy behind the counter actually knew about guns! It was great. We talked for 20 minutes about ammo. Ahhhh.

Customer service, price, selection...pick two. I don't get all the Wal Mart hate threads...their business model is based on low prices first and selection. They cannot afford to hire and train excellent and knowledgeable customer service oriented employees and keep those prices. Like the price, put up with the downsides of that business model.

Want good service and knowledge, find a good gun store. They can offer great service and knowledge (the fact that most do not simply shows they do not understand where their niche is). The gun store can't compete on price though.

The manager's comments make perfect sense for that business. If he was a gunstore manager, the need for employees would be so much lower they could have both, but not good prices.

I have a lot of gun knowledge and customer service skills...won't find me behind any box store counter...might talk me into a management position though. How many THR-ers would work a Wal Mart counter for $8/hour? If you wouldn't...why do you expect to find someone like you behind the counter? I also don't shop at Wal Mart because I aim for a better level of service than they offer even if I pay a little more. I don't hold it against them, just my choice as a consumer not to put price above all else.

I'm happy with my Wal-mart experiences

My experience here in Colorado Springs is different. I usually find the people behind the gun counter to be fairly knowledgeable about ammo. The store closest to my house has a retired police officer who loves to talk guns and is supportive of concealed carry.

Of course, a woman at a different store told me they couldn't keep .223 in stock because the US military needed it for their AK-47s.

Of course, a woman at a different store told me they couldn't keep .223 in stock because the US military needed it for their AK-47s

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US military seems to need everything. LOL

I am a wal-mart manager, and I can tell you that most of our associates that are qualified to talk guns with the customers, are too hard of workers, and too important to the rest of the business for me to stick them behind a counter all day chatting up customers. that's what part-time workers are for.

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Sorry, but I have to ask as this comment is sticking with me for some reason. It's almost as if it were a bad thing to have a qualified person working a department they're knowledgable about. What else are they doing then?

I was in the local Wal-Mart yesterday. Either workers were stocking shelves, tending counters, or tending registers. A few were standing around acting as managers. What is more important to the business than having a knowledgable person in a department to respond to customer needs? That reponse/comment above sounds like if you have someone who knows crafts and fabrics then the last place you'd put them is in the fabric department. If someone knows about cars then you wouldn't put them in the automotive area where some customer might actually have a legitimate automotive related question.

I guess I just don't understand. Maybe I need to go work there, starting on a part-time basis, so I can get a better handle on this.

And now I'm wondering about the butchers in the meat department of the Super Wal-Marts, are they really butchers, or are the butchers too important to the business and are off doing something else for the store?????

And I won't comment about the bicycle section in the store. Nope, not gonna.

Had an "educational" opportunity myself this week. Went in and picked up two of the UMC 9mm bulk packs. Middle aged guy behind the counter was someone I'd never seen before (holiday help I'm assuming). So I asked for the two boxes and once he got them out of the case he paused and said to me "ummm, I'm not sure I can sell you 500 rounds of ammunition all at once".

I wasn't about to get into an argument with him, I simply said "if you think that's true then please call a manager". He did and the manager (someone I've gotten to know fairly well) comes quickly and then greets me with a big smile, asks about the wife, etc. and then asks what the problem is.

So I tell him and he gives the new guy "a look" and rings up the purchase.

As I'm walking away I can hear him having a discussion with the increasingly agitated "new guy" and the "new guy" (about 45 years old) is actually -whining like a little kid- "but why does he need so much ammunition, that's just wrong".

Last thing I hear was the manager saying "listen John, go back to the breakroom and take five, I'll be back in a minute to discuss this with you in private".

I've lived in my new location for several months now and this is the FIRST time I've run into this sort of behavior at all. Somehow I think "new guy" is going to be working another department or gone the next time I go in.

ZeSpectre said:

As I'm walking away I can hear him having a discussion with the increasingly agitated "new guy" and the "new guy" (about 45 years old) is actually -whining like a little kid- "but why does he need so much ammunition, that's just wrong".

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Oh, brother. Definitely more training needed with that one.

Perhaps he will get moved to the front registers, and make cutesy remarks about your buying gun magazines.

The last couple of times I have bought ammo at walley world the ladies working the front register knew exactly what to enter when the ammo for handgun questions came up. They were pretty knowledgeable about firearms in talking with them.

However, while shopping with my wife a year or two ago a ditzy young teenager was working the register when we checked out and I had a brick of .22lr and of course the register beeped and she asked "what are these for?" I said with a straight face, oh I use these to kill cows with, they are cow killing bullets. I get this blank question mark look and my wife starts to turn away trying not to laugh and not believing I said what I had said. After about 5 seconds of her blinking like a frog in a hail storm I finally said yes, handgun dear. And all the springs in her head magically went back into scan and bag mode...

sarge83, I got a similar response. I went in to buy a brick of .22WMR, said it was for a rifle (bolt-action) and the guy said "What, are you some kinda sniper? Whatcha need magnums for?"
I looked him straight in the eye and said "Nah, the .22's not very good for long-range work, I use the .30-06 for that."
Which, oddly enough, is sorta true. I enjoy practicing with my .30-06 at long ranges. Way I see it, at medium range I'll be able to bring down a deer, or whatever else looks yummy (and in season).

ArfinGreebly said:

Every time I go into a store with a decent gun counter, I ask them if they have any Rem 7600 series -- particularly the 7615.

I ALWAYS get a blank look.

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Store in Great Falls, MT I went to with my uncle about 2 weeks before I was at your house had one in stock.

It was an awesome store. It was like someone had taken a plumbing store, gun store, farm equipment store, and a super wal-mart and stirred well. Quite possibly the best store I've ever been in. If they added a Frye's and a Marshall's Industrial Hardware, I'd probably move in.