Gun show dealers are so polite!

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next time just say,
"I'm still looking around, but I'll be glad to stop back because this looks like a good deal, thanks."
Then leave.
I work at gun shows, and I know how these people can be.
Just remember, they are always right, and always in charge.
You don't know anything.
Don't worry about showing them up, just joke about it later with your buds.
After all, they have a table full of guns.
 
This is simple really:
I always ask "Can I pick this up?" This usually gets some kind of surprised look from the dealer and a 99.9999% acceptance rate. I have never been asked if I have money to buy a gun. If I am ever asked. My response will be: "Depends on the price you have and how it feels in my hand."
 
I went to the Richmond gun show today. As usual, they were begging me to touch the guns. They know that if I start touching them I'll buy something.

I controlled myself and only came away with a few things: a new burgundy gun belt from Wild Bill's, a jar of pickles (and a hug from the vendor), an ammo can with 500 rounds of .223 from Georgia Arms, and a 1931 box of 28 ga. Remington Shur Shot skeet shells. I'm going to shoot the old paper shells sooner or later.

I touched a Gunsite Colt .45 and it was okay, but didn't speak to me. The guns that were calling today were the old Pythons, SAA's and 1911's. And a
4-bbl. skeet set. There was this one Krieghoff set that was wonderful, so I stayed two steps back from the table. I don't even shoot sheet, but a nice gun is a nice gun.

John
 
why would he waste time with you when you have no intention of buying anything?
 
why would he waste time with you when you have no intention of buying anything?
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It's not time as much as it is collateral damage to his merchandise. Some people aren't careful. Some are just plain fumble-fingered. Some can pick up a gun and you can watch it rust while you light a smoke. Just plain bad form to handle somebody else's property without getting an okay first. It would go a long way toward better relations if everybody would carry a lightly-oiled rag and wipe the gun off when they get through looking.

Invest 50k and work the other side of the table for a year. It'll provide a completely different perspective.
 
walking arsenal

Thank you for stating what should be obvious; treat everyone as though they're a buyer, even if they don't have the money right now, or even if they're only looking. Why? Because some day they are going to buy, and they will probably patronize the sales people who treated them with respect and courtesy. I've worked a number of years in retail, and I've been a car salesman, and a firearms salesman. To me, the only way to treat customers, both immediate and prospective, is to treat them exactly the same way I would want to be treated if I were the customer. Doesn't matter if you're selling from a retail store, or at a gun show; doesn't matter if you're selling a $100 gun, or a $10,000 gun. If you're a sales professional, then it's up to you to make the sale happen, and not to turn customers away because you can't be bothered with them, or you think they can't afford what they're looking at. This is one profession where you really do need to take the high road when dealing with the buying public.
 
A lot of these posts talk about Manners .
It sure seems to me that Manners are getting to be a thing of the past .
When someone is actually polite and has Manners it seems to take
me by surprise these days .

Bill
 
1911Tuner said,"It would go a long way toward better relations if everybody would carry a lightly-oiled rag and wipe the gun off when they get through looking." GOOD idea! I know I would appreciate someone doing that if I were selling at a gun show. I think I'll start doing that. Thanks for the heads-up 1911Tuner!
 
I'm always polite and I always ask before I touch. The people working the table always seem to appriciate it. Say please and thank you. To be honest, I've always been treated nicely at shows and shops. I find it helpful to be nice when trying to haggle over prices.
 
Dealer I picked some ammo up with today had 2-3 nice rifles under glass at around 1500-2000 a piece. The sign by them said "Serious inquires only, please"...a great way to tactfully and polite tell someone they better have the $$$ before handling, rather than an attitude.
 
I haven't bought one yet, but usually at shows if I see something I'm interested in I always make the "research" nature of things known upfront and am exceedingly polite, asking if I can take a look at the weapon and see how it fits my hand, flagging their name and price for future reference.

Over the years, I've noticed as a psych student that if the person initiating contact is polite and shows courtesy, it will usually be returned. Whether real or perceived, discourtesy will usually be likewise returned as well.
 
walking arsenal

I used to work for a shop that made a majority of its money from gun shows.

I didn't mind having people pick up our guns. If they handled them poorly I politely stopped them and corrected them. If they kept at it I steered them away.

...etc, etc...

We had people looking for us at shows all the time, because we were nice.

Not that hard.
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That's the kind of business where I'll spend my money and recommend to my friends. That's the kind of business that weeds out the crankier competition.

And that's the reason you have a positive attitude and disposition.

"Thanks" to all the retailers with YOUR kind of attitude. :)
 
Dealer: "*tells me about its features*"
Me: "Yeah, it's really neat. I've never handled one."
Dealer: "I could set you up if you want."
Me: "Yeah, well, I don't have any money" (This is true.)
Dealer: "Do you have a credit card, then?"
Me: "No." (This is a lie.)
Dealer: "Then don't play with my guns if you don't have money or a credit card."
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First, what was the point of lying?

Second, I don't understand why it's a problem for an owner of a business to minimize his exposure to the risk of damaged merchandise when there is no potential of a sale, at least according to the information that he had.

Last, I agree that he could have had the same results (protecting his stock), or even a possible sale if he had been less confrontational in his language. Gun show guys aren't the nicest people in the world. But then, a lot of that comes from having to deal with some "interesting" characters too.
 
"First, what was the point of lying?

Second, I don't understand why it's a problem for an owner of a business to minimize his exposure to the risk of damaged merchandise when there is no potential of a sale, at least according to the information that he had."

1: Ever been to a car dealer

2. It's a problem for him because by my count he has now just lost 10 (11 including me) customers. If he doesnt want his stuff touched put a sign up it is not the hardest thing to do.
 
1: Ever been to a car dealer
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Yes, we're on our 14th vehicle, thanks for asking. What does that have to do with lying about having a credit card?

I just don't understand how it would have been of benefit to you in the situation you described. I'm not attempting to make a moral judgment. Thanks.
 
2. It's a problem for him because by my count he has now just lost 10 (11 including me) customers. If he doesnt want his stuff touched put a sign up it is not the hardest thing to do.
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I doubt he lost that many paying customers and the guy that does buy the gun will get a gun that hasn't been abused by a bunch of tire kickers:D:D I have little faith that signs do much good after seeing how the public treats a mans property in general.

I still conclude that if you don't want to buy it then keep your hands off the private tables stuff. I doubt that many people will pay attention to this polite way in a gunshow as people have grown more self centered over the years.

Time was when you respected another mans work for his property, that's pretty much gone in the public eye now. Someone somewhere said something about covet, but those words aren't respected much anymore either:banghead::banghead:

jj
 
I would certainly be upset if someone swept me from their way in a condescending matter. I would have left by myself though after the dealer asked me about my current financial situation.

I haven't been to a gun show, and do not think I will. It is hard enough to find a gun dealer who doesn't act like they are doing you a favor by even allowing you to enter his store.

I am lucky enough to have found someone who hands me any gun I even ask a question about, even after I have told him I am just there to waste time while waiting for the rest of my party to finish shopping near by. He answers any questions I have, and acts as if he enjoys my business. As a result I will buy all of my firearms there even if I have to spend more then the guy across the street who looks at me like I am some filthy stuff he just stepped in.

Grumpy people shouldn't be in the business of dealing with the public, since the public can be annoying and will test your patience to the max at some point on almost every day. Do not take out your hatred of the ******* who just dropped your $2,000 1911 out on the next guy who comes along, because he hasn't done anything to you and if you do not treat him with respect, you will guarantee you will not be making a sale to the people you are rude to, and that is the reason you are in the retail business, to make sales. That is not saying you have to stand there and take customer abuse, you can and should refuse service to anyone you see fit, but if you do it in a classy way, you will have a better shot at not pissing of people, and in general that is a good thing for business.


Just my $0.02 on the matter.
 
His stuff, his rules. And I'm willing to bet that if you had asked first, it would never have been a problem.

That said, put up a sign.
 
I wouldn't have expected that from Rabbit Ridge...they've been friendly to me...

The conversation you described sounds something that I've heard from ponytail man and his buddy/sister at Dark Sun (who have lost a sale to me TWICE over their rudeness, and it wasn't even me who set him off. Guess he was having a bad day combined with the fact he's just an *******.) I'm sorry if that last part is not very THR of me but it's the only way I can describe their attitude towards potential buyers.
 
"His stuff, his rules" is countered by "my money, my business" No need to discuss anything about funds until I decide to get serious.Then I'll deal.I figure "gun shows" are kind of like flea markets. people are expected to browse, shop for bargains or look for a particular piece.If a dealer gets snippy, walk on.
 
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