Usually I believe in supporting the local small owner over the soul-less corporation every time.
However, I did visit a small owner recently and had a bad experience there. I'm new to the area and new to shooting as well, so I felt a little intimidated going in there in the first place, but I needed to buy a safe and was looking to buy my first rifle too, and had a ton of questions to ask first.
When I walked through the doors I saw that it was all the local guys in there hanging around jawing with each other and the store owner. Everyone stopped talking and stared at me. I felt thoroughly awkward as I wandered around looking at safes, ammo and stuff with these guys eyeballing me the whole time. The shop-keep never said a word to me.
Finally I went up to the counter and asked a couple of newbie questions and asked to see a .22 bolt action rifle, which he handed to me. Some of the guys nudged each other when I asked him to show me where the safety was and how to work the action.
Finally I thanked him and left. As I walked out the door I heard them burst out laughing.
On the way home I stopped at Dick's Sporting Goods. There was an older gentleman behind the counter who was just awesome. He answered all my stupid questions in a way that didn't make me feel like a total loser and showed me practically every rifle on the racks. I think he was more excited about my desire to buy my first rifle than I was!
Then he opened every safe and gave me a run-down on the pros and cons of each. He spent over an hour with me doing this.
I forked over several hundred dollars and bought a safe from him before I left the store that night.
I know usually it's the other way around when it comes to gun stores, but this time the Big Guy won out over the little store hands down, primarily due to this salesman who truly understood customer service and the need to expand the average person's interest in firearms.
Sorry for rambling, but that whole experience has been bothering me for a while now and had to get it off my chest.
