Not to doubt the truth of the kid, but there are twin supercharger cars you know. Unless you are implying his technical skills are not up to par to installing one himself, or he's poor, or his car engine is not suitable for one, then probably yes.
The Customer Is Always Right?
- Thread starter George Hill
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Not to doubt the truth of the kid, but there are twin supercharger cars you know. Unless you are implying his technical skills are not up to par to installing one himself, or he's poor, or his car engine is not suitable for one, then probably yes.
You do know there are quite a few countries whose citizens don't need a visa to enter the USA? Passport sure, but no visa required.
These are the countries:
Andorra Iceland Norway
Australia Ireland Portugal
Austria Italy San Marino
Belgium Japan Singapore
Brunei Liechtenstein Slovenia
Denmark Luxembourg Spain
Finland Monaco Sweden
France the Netherlands Switzerland
Germany New Zealand United Kingdom
Wes Janson
Member
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- 1,962
OK, one more.
It's late evening, almost closing time, and the last shooters are coming off of the range. An older gentleman comes up to the range station, Ruger P90 in hand, and complains that of jamming issues. Says he had two or three bad jams out of three magazines, and he's somewhat disappointed by it. So he hands me the pistol, and then one of the "bad" rounds. As I type this, I have it here in front of me: a piece of brass marked F C 9MM LUGER, with an off-center primer strike, and a ripped case measuring approximately .45" in diameter at the neck. After explaining to the gentleman that not only was he using the wrong ammunition, he was using the WRONG ammunition, I inspected the chamber, which looked completely normal save for being a bit dirtier than usual. According to the shooter, all three magazines had been loaded with 9mm...and he claimed that it had only "jammed" a couple of times (by which he meant that the case expanded to fit the chamber, causing it to become stuck). The luck of fools and all that...
It's late evening, almost closing time, and the last shooters are coming off of the range. An older gentleman comes up to the range station, Ruger P90 in hand, and complains that of jamming issues. Says he had two or three bad jams out of three magazines, and he's somewhat disappointed by it. So he hands me the pistol, and then one of the "bad" rounds. As I type this, I have it here in front of me: a piece of brass marked F C 9MM LUGER, with an off-center primer strike, and a ripped case measuring approximately .45" in diameter at the neck. After explaining to the gentleman that not only was he using the wrong ammunition, he was using the WRONG ammunition, I inspected the chamber, which looked completely normal save for being a bit dirtier than usual. According to the shooter, all three magazines had been loaded with 9mm...and he claimed that it had only "jammed" a couple of times (by which he meant that the case expanded to fit the chamber, causing it to become stuck). The luck of fools and all that...
Bart Noir
Member
Wes, did you ask about the accuracy of that "downloaded .45"?
Bart Noir
Bart Noir
Working Man
Member
Arfin, I love that joke.
I got one more......
Kid walks into the store looking for a Winchester Defender, states "I, uummm I
know its a good bird gun". Clerk ... without missing a beat .... Do you see the
"defend" in defender?
iiibdsiil
Member
Oh there ARE, but I don't know anyone that makes a kit for one, that kinda stuff is usually one off. This is the same kid that knows a guy that has an Corvette LS7 in a 1996 Impala SS. Then I brought him to my shop, where my buddy's GTO LS2 is in his 1996 Impala SS, and he goes "Oh snap! This is the guy I was talking about!" He's one of them. You know, you tell him you've got a 10 mm Glock, and his buddy's dad's cousin has a 12 mm, because the 10 mm is a joke.
Big Boomer
Member
Don't laugh I actually had this happen to me once. I was out rabbit hunting was running after a rabbit had a only winchester 30-30 lever and brought it up to shoot (it was running and rounded a tree then stopped) and just as I pulled the trigger while running mind you I tripped. The shot went about 2 feet high from what I could tell from the dust and the rabbit sprung up in the air about 5 feet and died right there (I think I surprised him by coming round the other side of the tree). I was about 10 feet or so from it maybe a bit more but around there. Figured the muzzle blast scared it to death, didn't have a hole in it, no blood, nothing.
George Hill
Member
Had one guy today. Scrawny looking white guy that looked like, well, like he was not a man of means.
"Yeah, Man, I love thems Desert Eagles. I got one in .44 and one in .50... it's cool cause, like, I flew to Cali and walked into this gun place and saw this sick .44 and I hads to have it. Then I flew to New York, you know, other side of the planet. I goes into this gun place up in theres, and they have this sick looking fiddy and I looked at it... same serial number but the last digit was one off. So I had to buy it. So I got these two guns now, just one numbers off. Yeah, man... that's what I'z talkin about."
Evidently he is a fan of Magnum Research.
So when I said that, he said "Magnum What? Who's that?"
Yeah, big fan. Uh huh. And he couldn't explain how he purchased the hand guns out of his home state... I didn't type out the bit where he mentioned shooting the first one after he got it before he took it to New York, on the flight to get the other. Not many guys can go to two states and just pick up handguns. This guy, he just rolls like that... I guess.
Sheesh.
"Yeah, Man, I love thems Desert Eagles. I got one in .44 and one in .50... it's cool cause, like, I flew to Cali and walked into this gun place and saw this sick .44 and I hads to have it. Then I flew to New York, you know, other side of the planet. I goes into this gun place up in theres, and they have this sick looking fiddy and I looked at it... same serial number but the last digit was one off. So I had to buy it. So I got these two guns now, just one numbers off. Yeah, man... that's what I'z talkin about."
Evidently he is a fan of Magnum Research.
So when I said that, he said "Magnum What? Who's that?"
Yeah, big fan. Uh huh. And he couldn't explain how he purchased the hand guns out of his home state... I didn't type out the bit where he mentioned shooting the first one after he got it before he took it to New York, on the flight to get the other. Not many guys can go to two states and just pick up handguns. This guy, he just rolls like that... I guess.
Sheesh.
George Hill
Member
I'd have banned him from the store, right then and there... after snatching the gun from his hand. That is just so freaking UN-COOL.
Wes Janson
Member
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- 1,962
Since accuracy is always contingent on the least-consistent variable in the entire shooting equation, I suspect there was no danger of his noticing any problems in his patterns.
That does remind me though of an incident not too long after, wherein a young woman and her family came in to shoot, and tried out a 1911. Things were going fairly well until she decided to attempt headshots at 20 yards, and managed to put a 230-grainer through the target pulley cable.
Werewolf, Just to be clear - at no time did I ever infer that anytime anyone is covered by some dummy in a gunshop, anyone should run over and disarm them. What I said was if I were the clerk - and the old guy was sticking a gun in my face -I would feel threatened enough to act. I cannot imagine that it is OK with the owners of the shop that their customers stick guns in the face (or chest or genitals or anything else) of their staff.
So you can continue to think I don't know much, but at least I know enough that the laws of each state apply and they are all different. I also know that in Texas, I would be within my rights to defend myself from a perceived threat: http://www.lectlaw.com/def/b012.htm
Everyone that only reads short posts, stop here!
Colin... thank you very much for all the additional information that was not in your first post on the matter. It does clarify things a lot when all the details are known, don't you think?
Clarifying those details I certainly cannot defend what the car salesman did. I clearly understand now that he was not trying to offer you something better for the same price. Unfortunately it is guys like that that give all car salesmen a bad rap.
Seriously? Nearly 80% of the cars I sell are by appointment only. I don't want to be that guy Colin complained about (who I now understand much more clearly) nor do I wish to waste my time educating every tire kicker that doesn't have anything better to do on our busiest day of the week, month, etc.
What most consumers completely disregard is that car salesmen - the honest professional ones & the 'other ones' alike that we are all associated with, do not get paid unless they sell a car. 5 people in one day who have no intention to buy anything only ensure one thing. That I won't get paid for working 13 hours today.
With the information available today on the internet, I find it exceedingly ironic that so many people that ALL say they don't trust car salesmen come to the car lot to ask them questions about cars instead of educating themselves elsewhere and then coming in for a test drive.
Most shoppers (not buyers) come in extremely defensive because they don't trust car salesmen, when in reality they don't trust the process and feel undergunned and intimidated. We have to get past that and try to build trust with every single one, whether they are serious about buying or whether they even CAN by. Proably 30-35% of shoppers cannot buy because of credit issues. Honestly. And we cannot know that until we go through the whole process. BUT.... THEY already know they have credit problems... they sure don't ever volunteer that information up front!
An awful lot of people don't like to negotiate. They just hate the whole car buying scene. I can't blame them if they don't like it, but they do have options. If someone walks up and tells me 'I want to buy a car and I hate to haggle. If you don't insult my intelligence and give me a good price I will buy from you today' I will first find exactly the right vehicle (meaning the one they want with all the right options and no more) and will sit down and I will usually give them a good, fair offer right away. About 75% of the time I do that, they will try to get a liiiiittle bit more of a discount, i.e. they start negotiating. Haggling is such an unpleasant term to most Americans.
Conversely the guy who walks up and says 'give me your bottom dollar price right now or I'm leaving' I will work... hard. What other business in the WORLD starts negotiating by giving their lowest offer? Not one. These same people will then complain about that 'a**hole car salesman' trying to sell me a car for MSRP or playing games. MSRP by definition IS the price of the car. I cannot count the number of people that want to just walk away when they ask 'what is the price of this truck' and I point to the sticker. That doesn't mean they can't get it for cheaper, but that doesn't mean I am throwing the baby out with the bath water either.
And that is why I make appointments with customers. Because my time is just as valuable as theirs and I honor them to much to waste theirs, even if they don't show me the same common courtesy. By the time they come in, I have talked to them on the phone or even only by email and they know that I will be honest, up front and treat them with respect. Those customers who make appointments are typically better educated about what they want and the entire process is much less stressful.
Seriously
So you can continue to think I don't know much, but at least I know enough that the laws of each state apply and they are all different. I also know that in Texas, I would be within my rights to defend myself from a perceived threat: http://www.lectlaw.com/def/b012.htm
Everyone that only reads short posts, stop here!
Colin... thank you very much for all the additional information that was not in your first post on the matter. It does clarify things a lot when all the details are known, don't you think?
Clarifying those details I certainly cannot defend what the car salesman did. I clearly understand now that he was not trying to offer you something better for the same price. Unfortunately it is guys like that that give all car salesmen a bad rap. iiibdsiil said:
Seriously? Nearly 80% of the cars I sell are by appointment only. I don't want to be that guy Colin complained about (who I now understand much more clearly) nor do I wish to waste my time educating every tire kicker that doesn't have anything better to do on our busiest day of the week, month, etc.
What most consumers completely disregard is that car salesmen - the honest professional ones & the 'other ones' alike that we are all associated with, do not get paid unless they sell a car. 5 people in one day who have no intention to buy anything only ensure one thing. That I won't get paid for working 13 hours today.
With the information available today on the internet, I find it exceedingly ironic that so many people that ALL say they don't trust car salesmen come to the car lot to ask them questions about cars instead of educating themselves elsewhere and then coming in for a test drive.
Most shoppers (not buyers) come in extremely defensive because they don't trust car salesmen, when in reality they don't trust the process and feel undergunned and intimidated. We have to get past that and try to build trust with every single one, whether they are serious about buying or whether they even CAN by. Proably 30-35% of shoppers cannot buy because of credit issues. Honestly. And we cannot know that until we go through the whole process. BUT.... THEY already know they have credit problems... they sure don't ever volunteer that information up front!
An awful lot of people don't like to negotiate. They just hate the whole car buying scene. I can't blame them if they don't like it, but they do have options. If someone walks up and tells me 'I want to buy a car and I hate to haggle. If you don't insult my intelligence and give me a good price I will buy from you today' I will first find exactly the right vehicle (meaning the one they want with all the right options and no more) and will sit down and I will usually give them a good, fair offer right away. About 75% of the time I do that, they will try to get a liiiiittle bit more of a discount, i.e. they start negotiating. Haggling is such an unpleasant term to most Americans.
Conversely the guy who walks up and says 'give me your bottom dollar price right now or I'm leaving' I will work... hard. What other business in the WORLD starts negotiating by giving their lowest offer? Not one. These same people will then complain about that 'a**hole car salesman' trying to sell me a car for MSRP or playing games. MSRP by definition IS the price of the car. I cannot count the number of people that want to just walk away when they ask 'what is the price of this truck' and I point to the sticker. That doesn't mean they can't get it for cheaper, but that doesn't mean I am throwing the baby out with the bath water either.
And that is why I make appointments with customers. Because my time is just as valuable as theirs and I honor them to much to waste theirs, even if they don't show me the same common courtesy. By the time they come in, I have talked to them on the phone or even only by email and they know that I will be honest, up front and treat them with respect. Those customers who make appointments are typically better educated about what they want and the entire process is much less stressful.
Seriously
Last edited:
VirgilCaine
Member
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2005
- Messages
- 617
Thanks for the insight, Markbo.
mike6161
Member
this one of the funniest threads iv read
Gunnerpalace
Member
Question: if all these people are getting on your nerves why don't you just quit the buisiness?
Oh yeah, when do us customers get a turn?
Oh yeah, when do us customers get a turn?
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Start a thread. I've got a few stories from the other side of the counter.
Wes Janson
Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2006
- Messages
- 1,962
I just had a customer the other day get downright confrontational because I didn't believe him that .357 SIG ammunition is loaded with a 5mm projectile. I said something to the effect that I wasn't going to argue, and then he looked at me like I was an idiot and walked away.
Man, this is seriously one of the best threads in a long time. Would it be possible to go in and edit out all of the bull crap and arguing and stuff that isn't a funny story about a dumb customer?
I worked several years retail and work as a computer technician, so I have TONS of great stories, I just can't seem to think of any of them right now, and it's driving me crazy.
I have to admit I was one of those smart ass counter guys, although never at a gun store. I did get a kick out of making fun of dumb people with out them even knowing it. I got called on it a few times, but most of the time it went right over their heads.
Working retail definitely makes you cynical towards humanity, and because of that I always make sure to preface my idiocy with " I am new to this, so please tell me if I'm wrong" and I always tip %20 at restaurants, unless the service sucks, then maybe 10-15. Some good ones off the top of my head:
Customer: "Do y'all fix watch batteries around here?"
Option 1: "We don't ALL fix them. I do, but he doesn't"
Option 2: "No, I'm sorry, we only fix watches and replace batteries. Maybe you should send the battery back to the manufacturer."
Older lady comes into our cutlery store with the wall behind me covered in magnets with kitchen knives:
"Do you sell kitchen knives here?"
"No ma'am. You're thinking of Victoria's secret, about 4 stores down."
Older Woman waiting for watch to be fixed:
"All of these knives are so scary, You could kill someone with that."
Raises keychain rack over my head:
"Technically ma'am, I could kill someone with this display, but you didn't seem too afraid of it til now."
If I think of more I will post them. Oh, and the "sword guy" from earlier was TOTALLY in my store all the time. I LOVED that one.
Don't get me wrong, I was a good salesman, and I did my best to find out what someone wanted and steer them in the right direction. I looked at my job not so much as making the owner money, but being there to help the customers with whatever I could. And that wass the best way to get repeat business. If a guy comes in and says that he can get a Benchmade $10 cheaper at XXXX.com, I will gladly point out that technically, he can get it $30 cheaper at YYYY.com. The owner never really appreciated it, but it worked more often than not, that they would feel comfortable with my honesty and buy it there anyway. I was never "rude", I was just a smartass, and smart people with personalities would get the joke, and others just glazed over or got huffy.
One good point that I think has not been mentioned enough, is that most gun store people are "gun people" first and salesmen second. They don't go into the business to bring the best product available, they just figure it's better than selling used cars. I can tell that my local gun counter people are no the best salespeople out there, but I shut my trap, when my friend bought his Glock yesterday, and the owner of the store said "Hush it, I'll talk him outta that Desert Eagle".
I worked several years retail and work as a computer technician, so I have TONS of great stories, I just can't seem to think of any of them right now, and it's driving me crazy.
I have to admit I was one of those smart ass counter guys, although never at a gun store. I did get a kick out of making fun of dumb people with out them even knowing it. I got called on it a few times, but most of the time it went right over their heads.
Working retail definitely makes you cynical towards humanity, and because of that I always make sure to preface my idiocy with " I am new to this, so please tell me if I'm wrong" and I always tip %20 at restaurants, unless the service sucks, then maybe 10-15. Some good ones off the top of my head:
Customer: "Do y'all fix watch batteries around here?"
Option 1: "We don't ALL fix them. I do, but he doesn't"
Option 2: "No, I'm sorry, we only fix watches and replace batteries. Maybe you should send the battery back to the manufacturer."
Older lady comes into our cutlery store with the wall behind me covered in magnets with kitchen knives:
"Do you sell kitchen knives here?"
"No ma'am. You're thinking of Victoria's secret, about 4 stores down."
Older Woman waiting for watch to be fixed:
"All of these knives are so scary, You could kill someone with that."
Raises keychain rack over my head:
"Technically ma'am, I could kill someone with this display, but you didn't seem too afraid of it til now."
If I think of more I will post them. Oh, and the "sword guy" from earlier was TOTALLY in my store all the time. I LOVED that one.
Don't get me wrong, I was a good salesman, and I did my best to find out what someone wanted and steer them in the right direction. I looked at my job not so much as making the owner money, but being there to help the customers with whatever I could. And that wass the best way to get repeat business. If a guy comes in and says that he can get a Benchmade $10 cheaper at XXXX.com, I will gladly point out that technically, he can get it $30 cheaper at YYYY.com. The owner never really appreciated it, but it worked more often than not, that they would feel comfortable with my honesty and buy it there anyway. I was never "rude", I was just a smartass, and smart people with personalities would get the joke, and others just glazed over or got huffy.
One good point that I think has not been mentioned enough, is that most gun store people are "gun people" first and salesmen second. They don't go into the business to bring the best product available, they just figure it's better than selling used cars. I can tell that my local gun counter people are no the best salespeople out there, but I shut my trap, when my friend bought his Glock yesterday, and the owner of the store said "Hush it, I'll talk him outta that Desert Eagle".
Claude Clay
Member
keeleon
possible the old lady & the kitchen knife ment 'here' as in 'where we are standing' ?
we all use the same letters to make words & phrases that dont always be heard the same by everyone. just wondering
possible the old lady & the kitchen knife ment 'here' as in 'where we are standing' ?
we all use the same letters to make words & phrases that dont always be heard the same by everyone. just wondering
boomer1911a1
Member
Hear, hear!
+1 on Keeleon's editing request. The vitriol detracts from an otherwise outstanding thread.
+1 on Keeleon's editing request. The vitriol detracts from an otherwise outstanding thread.
foob said:
Yeah, I know... but you see, I'm paid to enforce the store's rules, not to point out how visas are issued. Also, I've been told that the range has a letter on file from the DHS that says pretty much exactly what we tell our potential customers - US issued identification or US validation of identification in order to rent. I understand that some other ranges chose not to follow the direction, and that's their prerogative.
I knew what she was getting at, she had formulated the question before she came in and it meant the same thing as "I am looking to purchase kitchen knives". The same thing with the "ya'll", I know I was being an ass about someone's normal speech patterns, but it's too damn funny to take stuff like that literally. And all of those have happened multiple times.
I also liked telling the (what we called them, maybe a little different from their definition here) "Mall Ninjas", that they could have the crappy 10 lb Conan sword if they could hold it at arm's length for 10 minutes. One guy got past 1 minute.
Also, one time, when the owner was working, we got the guy that came in and asked him for a discount because he was friend's with the owner. The owner then introduced himself, and the guy just walked out.
Rey B
Member
Not a gun store but if you ever worked any store this guy is hilarious. http://www.actsofgord.com/
I'm not a gun dealer but I do work in retail. I have quite possibly the lowest amount of faith in the human race known to mankind and believe me, it's been earned. The customer is NOT always right. The customer just thinks they are. If any company tells you that "the customer is always right" tell them to wash their noses, they have something brown on the tip.
White Horseradish
Member
Were you naked? Most gun shop employees don't exactly look like Michelangelo's David, but that is a bit extreme...Working Man said:
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