Why not to give bad clerks a second chance.

FlyinBryan · Jun 18, 2008

it was inappropriate for you to field strip the gun. i would have responded in a similar fashion.

i do not work at a gun store and never have. i have never worked in sales for any product.

now i have something else to think about everytime i purchase a new firearm however, "who has taken this apart before?"

if it was, did they know what they were doing?

"i hope so" is the most positive answer i can think of right now to that question.

1911Tuner · Jun 18, 2008

It's called "doing business".

No. "Doing business" is showing a potential customer a gun, answering his questions, and haggling on the price...and that's where it ends.

There's a little thing known as "Respecting other folks' property" that most people have a grasp on.

Doing business doesn't include an on-the-spot teardown without asking for permission first.

230RN said:

I really just wanted to show off my "expertise",

That's usually the real reason that most of'em want to do it, and when they scratch a new gun...none that I've had experience with are willing to buy the gun after they damage it. Then, the guy who does want to buy it notices the damage...and asks for 50 or 75 bucks off the cost...and there goes the dealer's profit.

Wanna show off? Fine. BYOG or buy the one you insist on disassembling.

longdayjake · Jun 19, 2008

I went into a shop a while ago looking to buy a used glock for my wife.

1911Tuner,
Okay, first of all I just wanted to clarify that this was a used Glock. Second of all it was not like this was the first time I had entered the store. I mentioned that I live only one block from this store, so I had been in there numerous times. I had transfered Ar15 lowers to them before as well as bought hundreds of dollars worth of reloading supplies from them. I know he had to have recognized that I was at the very least a repeat customer. Though I must admit that he had no way of knowing that I am in law enforcement.

Now, is there anyone that has been on the "other side of the counter" that would claim that they don't buy used guns for much much less than what they sell them for. Especially a glock since they flood the market. Would anyone here think that a used glock of any kind not require a take down? And does anyone think that a dealer would lower the price on a used gun if another customer just happened to scratch it? The answer is no. I have yet to meet a gun salesman that would haggle over a scratch on a used gun.

Also, I don't have a gun store, but obviously my job requires me to deal with a lot of dumb and down right disgusting individuals. These people don't give me money or buy things from me yet I treat them better than some would say I should. Why? Because I consider myself a professional and I am here to serve rather than to be served. If you are in business only to make money then your customers will pick up on that because your attitude and body language will tell them that you care nothing for them but just want their money. All I ask is the benefit of the doubt. If you think that rudly lecturing me about taking the slide off of a used glock is more beneficial than saying something like, "good to see someone that actually knows how to correctly field strip a glock, but could you ask next time before you take anything else down?" It sounds to me like you have what we call "us Vs. them" syndrome. After a while cops get the idea that everyone is a thug or criminal and starts to treat everyone as though they were. I imagine the same thing can happen to clerks that deal with stupid people a lot. It may be tempting to treat someone as though they are stupid, but in the end who really ends up looking like the stupid person? The one that takes his money elsewhere or the one that loses business because they had to make a point?

TexasSkyhawk · Jun 19, 2008

No. "Doing business" is showing a potential customer a gun, answering his questions, and haggling on the price...and that's where it ends.

There's a little thing known as "Respecting other folks' property" that most people have a grasp on.

Doing business doesn't include an on-the-spot teardown without asking for permission first.

Will all due and sincere respect to your position. . .

My wife and I have two big Browning safes full of guns, plus a smaller safe in our airplane hangar with guns in it.

We have bought dozens upon dozens of guns of all makes, models and calibers.

The vast majority have been through private individuals--helluva lot easier to do business with them. Your story and a few others remind me of similarly bad experiences I've had in gun stores going all the way back to my service and law enforcement days.

Yet at the range and gun store we all pitched in and helped run for one of our sister agency's agent, we sold guns out the wazoo because we insisted on having the polar opposite attitude of the gun stores we'd been to in our careers. And seeing as how we were all feds, we'd all been stationed and scattered about the country--yet, we could all tell the same stories about gun stores that were simply an insulting pain in the butt experience to deal with.

I'll happily admit there is a line when it comes to customers handling guns. But we came up with a novel approach when we handed a gun to a potential customer--

"Let me know if you'd like to dry fire it--we've got some snap caps we'll put in. And if you want to field strip it, let me know and I'll show you how."

Holy cow we sold a lot of guns. Every cop in town ordered their personal firearms from us, and as you know, new and novice owners go where the cops go.

The owner of this place was an old-time FBI RAC who'd done a number of years with HRT, at Quantico as an instructor, etc etc. His mantra was, "Don't ever berate the customer; educate the customer."

Worked pretty well.

Jeff

preachertim · Jun 19, 2008

I agree with you longdayjake and I feel the same way. I am not rich but i would rather spend a little more money in a place where i am talked to and not at. I hope he does nt work off comission.

ctdonath · Jun 19, 2008

I'm increasingly abiding by the phrase "no harm, no foul" in interpersonal relations. I may not like what someone does, but so long as it works out OK there isn't much point in wasting breath on it. Maybe it's a Golden Rule thing, as I don't like people getting on my case about how I do something as I usually manage to do it different than they would - and get tired of getting beat up for the difference, not the result.

1911Tuner · Jun 20, 2008

" And if you want to field strip it, let me know and I'll show you how."

A good policy and one that works well if you have the time and/or the manpower to pull it off. We'd offer to do that, too...when we had time.
Some small shops often have only one or two people behind the counter...and sometimes the hired help doesn't know how to field-strip every model that's in the display case.

TexasSkyhawk · Jun 20, 2008

A good policy and one that works well if you have the time and/or the manpower to pull it off. We'd offer to do that, too...when we had time.

Have some signs made up--you can do them yourself at Kinkos for a few bucks each, and they'll look nice and professional.

That's what we did.

Tuner, believe me--I understand your frustration in dealing with the general public. But in today's business climate, especially with the brick & mortar stores, reputation is everything.

Jeff

ConfuseUs · Jun 20, 2008

In the first case the clerk was wrong to forbid stripping a used firearm for examination prior to purchase. The way he handled it was unprofessional and poor customer relations. The clerk should offer assistance if the customer starts to strip a gun instead of comparing the customer to a rude houseguest who disassembles appliances for the hell of it. It is a place of business stocked with guns that will be sold, not the clerk's home and the clerk's guns. The rules are different and the clerk should know that and act accordingly.

I have no idea why some of the other posters think that the customer shall not be allowed to examine used guns prior to purchase. It is the same as buying a used car: nobody seriously considers buying a used car without popping the hood and checking things like fluid levels, fluid condition, taking a look at the tire tread, or checking the undercarriage. No serious buyer of a used gun would consider buying it if he/she didn't check the condition of the bore, examine the moving parts for excessive wear, or check parts prone to breakage. It's not unreasonable even to check a new gun out for defects either, especially if the customer is not familiar with that company's products.

In the second case, the clerk may have been joking about not cooling the outdoors, but that strikes me as the kind of joke one makes with familiars rather than strangers. It may be OK with customers the clerk knows well but definitely not OK with better than 90% of people entering the shop. The OP implies that he didn't know the clerk well so that was clearly inappropriate. That merits a complaint to the owner since he may not have a clue about it. OTOH, many gun shop owners aren't interested in the finer points of customer service. I think a lot of gun shops would see their revenues increase dramatically if they made a basic investment in customer service and sales training for their employees.

SCKimberFan · Jun 20, 2008

If I read the OP correctly, this is about the clerk being rude, not once, but twice to the same customer. He then relates that his buddies know the clerk he was talking about because of his actions. It really wasn't about field stripping the used gun, or holding the door open. I would have probably done the same - turned and walked out. I would take the time however to let the owner know of BOTH situations. The fact that his buddies knew the clerk he was talking about indicates the clerk is just a jerk more often than not. I think it behooves us to let the owners of businesses know about their employees.

CountGlockula · Jun 20, 2008

Different strokes for different folks.

Can we clone every gun employee to be the most professional, knowledgeable, hospitable and pleasant human beings on earth? No, but we wish we can to make the world a better place for gunners.

I've learned to accept people for who they are. You and I may be different. I'm more the "forgive and forget" type. Usually when I forgive, I actually end up being a better person...and majority of the time, the forgiven gets to see the true self and change for the better. It's all about positive confrontations. People, especially gunners have a dry sense of humor and say things out of emotions; they don't consider the outcome until they've realized what they said.

I've been behind the counter. I've had my taste of thugs, rookies, know it alls, plain Johns and psychos. I treat everyone equal and make sure that what I say doesn't offend. If I do, then I apologize.

Give those guys a second, third, fourth, etc. chance. They're human just like you and me.

Hoppy590 · Jun 20, 2008

iv worked in customer service before. and you have to have atleast 1 of 2 things

Competence
people skills

the two must sum up to a normal person. you can be dumb as crap but aslong as you dont try to argue me, smile, nod and say " yes sir" "no sir" "i dont know but i can find out" your fine

you can be jeffrey dahmer, but if you can field strip anything i hand you while blind folded while reciting the difference in AK models by country... alphabetically. your fine

the worst is one of 3 guys at a local shop who has no personality, and tells you "they dont make those" despite the owner showing you the item in the catalog and saying "come back tomorrow and we can order it!"

Why not to give bad clerks a second chance.

FlyinBryan

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1911Tuner

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longdayjake

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TexasSkyhawk

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preachertim

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ctdonath

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1911Tuner

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TexasSkyhawk

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ConfuseUs

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SCKimberFan

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CountGlockula

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Hoppy590

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