Shouldn't a gun store clerk have some gun knowledge?

that's sad yet funny

I guess it depends on the store. I haven't seen an inexperienced counter person since the late 1970s when my dad and I were in the Kmart sporting goods department. The girl behind the counter insisted that the brick of .22 shells was a box, and so they were what we were buying for $0.88 a piece. Instead of buying 2 boxes, we bought all 6 of them they had.

Knife stores, on the other hand, are a completely different story. Until recently I've seen lots and lots of morons in knife stores. I had resigned myself to the fact that I was going to know more about knives than pretty much anyone working at a knife store. I was very pleasantly surprised when I found Northern Knives in downtown Anchorage. They have a good selection of production knives and know about them, but more impressively they had a good selection of custom knives as well.

I built my own house a few years back. After dealing with Lowes and Home Depot I came to the conclusion that the chief qualification for employment in these places was the willingness to work cheap. Those willing to work for a buck over minimum wage got the job. Wallmart's sporting goods department is no different. These people have no knoledge and their pay is concomitent to their abilities, low.

Clerks with a brain left once they perfected the barcode scanner. Some of the grocery stores I have been in apparently don't even require English.

I guess it depends on what the person behind the counter thinks about his job. Is it just a job, or a career? I have more knowledge than half the gun dealers I have come across.

And its too bad you didn't come to the Lowe's in Northport, AL. We are in the top ten in customer service and knowledge for our region. There are a few who are there just for a paycheck, but most of us have made a good career out of it and have a vast knowledge of our stock.

But I think folks selling firearms should know everything from safety on down to function of all types of firearms. Its funny, I have sold guns for the stores I have been in to other customers. I should get paid, or at least a discount on my gun purchase.

I would have "totaly" asked for a job!!!

Working in retail, you are making at or near minimum wage and most of the time, it's kids working part-time to pay for schooling in something they actually care about. I think it's like expecting the Mcdonalds guy to be able to tell you the details of preservation and transport techniques for beef patties.

I was at a high end jewelry store which sells Rolexes. A moron clerk told a customer that the watch was self-winding (which is true) adding that it meant that the owner had to wind it himself. No, that is a manual wind watch. The customer walked out. I met him in the parking lot and answered his questions.

If you're selling watches that are over $5k you ought to know this stuff.

I was in a Dick's Sporting Good last year and asked the gun counter guru if I could see every .243 they had, he asked who makes it. Confused me for a minute and it confused him when I said 'about everybody makes it', then he says 'so about every manufacturer makes a model 243?'

I laughed so hard I almost pissed myself, then he said (and this is when I really lost it), 'I guess that must be a rimfire then as all of our 700's are centerfires.' After that one I said , 'Yup sure is, do you got any?'

en

And its too bad you didn't come to the Lowe's in Northport, AL. We are in the top ten in customer service and knowledge for our region. There are a few who are there just for a paycheck, but most of us have made a good career out of it and have a vast knowledge of our stock.

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Not where I live. I bought a very expensive air conditioner in Lowes from a salesman who did not know what BTU stood for.
I have seen the same cluelessness at Dicks and WallMarts sporting goods department. Low paid stock boys who not only can't tell you about the products they sell, but don't know where they are. Sure there are some exceptions but by and large, these places have low prices but you are on your own when it comes to finding what you need.

Shouldn't a clerk have some knowledge?

Fixed that for ya!
Throughout the entire retail industry you have people who couldn't buy a clue if they had a million dollars, it happens everywhere; although it's funnier when dealing with computers/ electronics. Another thing I find funny is the whole False Authority Syndrome: It's kinda like that whole " I have no idea what's going on, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night".

Oh, you mean like a gun store near where I live who sold me a .30 Luger as a 9mm Luger?
Or how I was looking for a box of .45 Schofield and he said there is no such thing? Guns are supposed to be his main thing, too!

My guy rocks the counter. Find one that does or expect the worst.

You should have heard some of the gun show commando's today, some of the crap I heard at those table will really make you bust a gut.

Oh boy! Here comes the five mile .30-06 shot in a fist sized group shooters

this is the exact reason i refuse to buy from gander mountain or cabelas or any other gun store than my favorite local one. the people at gander mountain might as well not speak english because it is pointless trying to communicate with them because of their lack of gun knowledge

I can understand someone working at a Wal-Mart or Lowes not knowing certain areas of the business, but this is a dedicated gun store. I don't expect him to have intimate knowledge of all guns, but come on. He should at least know what a 1911 mag looks like.

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Well, there's still a lot of different kinds of guns. I'd be willing to bet there's an awful lot of people on THR right now who might know a lot about 1911's or revolvers, but have no idea when it comes to benchrest rifles. Or vice versa, shotgun guys who wouldn't have the first clue about a modern poly pistol.

When I was a teenager, I worked the counter at an auto-parts store and couldn't tell any of the different kinds of hoses apart, different sorts of solenoids, which motor mounts would help with wheel hop, etc. Chances are, if you get a guy working there with lots of years of experience, he'll be a bit more knowledgeable. But most everyone working retail is kids making minimum wage.
And like with most things, you get what you pay for!
Would you rather do your homework at home, or pay another 20% markup to hire people with the knowledge to tell you for you? I'm fine with doing my own research.

I've had great luck at Sportsman's Warehouse here in Oregon. The people manning the gun counter in Salem have been really good every time I've been in there.

But for the last 2 months they have been out of nearly everything however that's not their fault.

Clerks with a brain left once they perfected the barcode scanner. Some of the grocery stores I have been in apparently don't even require English.

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I don't think there's ever been a truer statement spoken here at THR.

And its too bad you didn't come to the Lowe's in Northport, AL. We are in the top ten in customer service and knowledge for our region. There are a few who are there just for a paycheck, but most of us have made a good career out of it and have a vast knowledge of our stock.

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Is that when compared to other Lowes? Or is that compared to all store carrying a similar product?

I may be wrong, or that store is an exception to the rule. But I'm in the remodeling business, and been in most Lowes and H.D.s in the Atlanta area, and they are all the same. They can"t even compete with customer service compared to the local "Ace" Hardware stores or local lumber yards. You may pay 1-5% more for a tool, but to me it's worth the service. Now when it comes to lumber, I've never seen Lowes or H.D. come within 5% of the local guy's price, and that's a delivered (for more than a few studs) price.

Guns are the same way. The local guy, whose life depends on service (not volume) will always be more than helpful when buying a product. Some it may work just the opposite for as well. If you go to them asking a bunch of questions, then go elsewhere to buy the same gun that he had, it may only take a few times before he starts ignoring you. In this situation, who could blame them. I know I can't.

Wyman

I would rather deal with A novice gun shop clerk that is trying to be helpful than the all to common know it all who insists that I know nothing.
One even told me they did not carry reloading supplys because Reloaders were cheap bastards who would not spend money!

When I was a teenager, I worked the counter at an auto-parts store and couldn't tell any of the different kinds of hoses apart, different sorts of solenoids, which motor mounts would help with wheel hop, etc. Chances are, if you get a guy working there with lots of years of experience, he'll be a bit more knowledgeable. But most everyone working retail is kids making minimum wage.

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The problem is that so many of these companies advertise as having a knowledgeable & helpful staff.

I was in home depot the other day and asked the guy attending the hardware dept. if they had any long grade 8 bolts in 3/8" course thread. He looked at me as though I were speaking Chinese, then proceeded to reach toward a bin of zinc plated carriage bolts. I just said nevermind and left.

The shop I visit when I'm over employs people who are knowledgeable aboyt firearms. .
That doesn't however mean they all know everything but if you ask something & they DON'T know the answer, then they don't try to bull**** their way through.
What they do is try & find the answer.

To me, that is the way it should be.

Finding a gun shop that is selling Triple-K 1911 mags would be reason enough for me to find another gun shop!

If there are worse mags on the planet, I haven't seen them yet!

rc