Gun snobbery...

[chuckusaret]

In a short time the gun stores will be begging. If Obamanation has his way they will be out of business or when the manufacturers catch up their preceived backlog. I believe the big gun rush is over based on the sales at the past gun show I attended. Sales were way down. The people that wanted guns have bought their guns and the gun sales will return to the pre- Obamanation days. I don't need anymore guns, I am prepared to face Obamanations "Strong Civilian Force".

 

[Moccw]

My Local gunshop in my small town in marshall MO is a good shop, very friendly people, but some of the shops in KC (Arms Mart) Especially are a bunch of *******s. Its like its a problem or a hassle for them to pick up the phone, or answer a easy question. Its so easy to be friendly, and with that you get return customers. People Being rude to me or others in front of me doesnt make me return anywhere.... Especially when good amounts of money are being spent with them.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

John-Melb: "By the time I was finished, he had dollar signs in his eyes and there was a pile of stuff about a foot high on his counter. I then reminded him of his public library coment and said that I don't buy from rude people, and left the store."

Now that's just childish.

If I want to be stroked, I head over to the pool hall and buy drinks for the girls at the bar. It feels a lot nicer than getting stroked by some gun store shmoe.

 

[kwelz]

Interestingly enough I have a store in my area with what I can only refer to as "reverse" Gun Snobbery. He carries mainly low end firearms with a smattering of good ones like XDs, etc. But most of what he carries ranges from junk to budget makes of firearms. There is nothing wrong with this of course but asking about something better will often get you some dirty looks and snide comments.

 

[3pairs12]

My favorite little gun shop has mutipleeople behind the counter. Always the same ones. There is one up tight fellow that half the time doesn't know what he is talking about. So if I really need help I wait until the others aren't busy.

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

Duke, I think the keywords are at the bottom of "John-Melb's" post.

Governor and Bloke.........and Melb ?????

I'm betting he's an Aussie fromdownunda. They do thing a little differently in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

[stevereno1]

Every business person has to deal with CUSTOMERS who are not as knowlegable as themselves. This is NO excuse for making anyone feel uncomfortable in their business. Go find a shop that is run by professional, cusomer oriented people. Examples like this are why so many potential cash-customers choose to go to gander mountan, bass pro, and academy, rather than deal with some smart a-- at a localally owned gun shop.

 

[jhco]

same here one local shop is very snobby, I dont understand why some one who im am willing to give lots of money to would treat me like crap, thats why I dont shop there any more

 

[pmeisel]

If I want to be stroked, I head over to the pool hall and buy drinks for the girls at the bar. It feels a lot nicer than getting stroked by some gun store shmoe.

Sounds like a strategy to me.

 

[shortside]

Wow, I now realize that I am even luckier than I thought!

I have several "good" shops near me, and one "GREAT" shop that I frequent often as possible. I just feel better being around the guys that run the place.

They treat all fo their customers well, and love what they do. Needless to say, I am a regular.

How lucky I am to live in Mon-"by-God"-tana!

Shortside

 

[jakemccoy]

First gun shop I ever visited lost a lot of business because their sole salesman was an ass.

 

[jzzr83]

One place close to me (2 miles) the owner is a jerk and not helpful. He was very rude the first, second and last time I was in. The second place is 12 miles away. They were very standoffish at first but they have been getting more friendly so I have bought some accessories there. The only place I have bought a firearm from is a guy that has his FFL and I drive 25 miles to his house because he is very nice and does not mind answering any of my newbie questions.

 

[datruth]

my spill, a little long

Im active duty military and have picked up a weekend job to help supplement my very expensive habit, I'm a 26 year old, African American male, which I see very few minorities of In shooting sports, and less as gun store employees, and I have enjoy the shooting sports for as long as i can remember, I'm also the armorer for my unit, another way for me to expand my knowledge. I have worked at two different gun stores, one with more selection geared toward the hunter, and another geared more toward Ar/ black rifle crowd. I have dealt with a wide assortment of people in previous sales jobs before the military and during my time on active duty, black,white,Asian,Hispanic etc, those who swear by wheel guns, customers how shoot nothing but 1911's, the glock crowd,etc. I have always lived my life by simply treating others and customers alike, as I would want to be treated. I treat every customer the same way regardless of looks or preference in firearms . If I person hates polymer framed firearms, I carry a glock, Im not going to shut down on them, they are talking guns I would I have no reservations about showing a 2k dollars mark 23 HK to a Guy or Gal dressed in tee shirt and jeans with holes in them , I would feel just as comfortable showing a 300 dollar ruger p89 to a gentleman dressed in a business suit. I love firearms, and I like talking to people about them regardless if they are an avid collector or buying their first firearm, or not buying anything but a box of 22lr. Give everybody a fair shake whether they are getting a acog for Noveske/Magpul MPL Light recce or looking for a BSA scope for their ruger 10/22, I don't work of commission, but I guarantee I try my best to make sure everybody that leaves the store is helped in the best way possible. I would want to feel that why when I leave a store, its only fair, right? I feel the best weapon is the one you are most safe with . It always boils down to preference, Im not a expert by any stretch of the imagination, I just try to give you options and help in anyway I can, that's all, sorry for rambling i have not typed this much since college.

 

[wrc376]

great guys at my shop- good merchandise at negotiable prices

 

[elkyote]

I smell some Jim Pruett's hate LOL... I have never been impressed by their customer service "Skills."

 

[2ndAmFan]

There used to be a gun shop in a town near me that stocked a lot of hard to get items, from guns to ammo. The owner didn't know much about guns, though a couple of his clerks did, and he was a rude, arrogant guy who would ignore a potential paying customer while he yakked with some buddy of his. I know because it happened to me both times I was in there. He went out of business, in spite of an excellent selection of guns and ammo, and good prices. You don't suppose he lost too much business by being a jerk, do you? He lost mine.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I love my gun shop. Bills gun shop and range in the twin cities. There is one guy there that I will not deal with though. Every one else is friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. They have just about anything you could want in stock(most of the time) and if they don't, then they'll have it next week. Any time I see the owner there, we talk, I make a point of this. He has even begun stocking certain items at my request, one day we were talking about drum mags for the AK variants, he said hang on a minute, went to his office briefly, returned and told me which ones he could get and asked what I wanted. Then he went back to the office and ordered a bunch of them. The following week, I bought 2 and left the others for the rest of you They are nice Romanian ones too, no spring winding, push the lever down, feed a round, push feed, push.......BTW, yesterday we talked about the EBRs and selling them to you guys. He will not sell to other dealers/ffl holders, but if anyone needs something they can't get, call them and arrange a purchase/transfer.http://billsgs.com/

 

[jakemccoy]

The Last Gun Shop, Napa, California

I do NOT recommend "The Last Gun Shop" in Napa, California. The salesman was a jerk, to put it mildly. Back in April 2007, the salesman quoted me $550 over the phone for a new Wingmaster (NOT an Express). I drove 40 miles to the store. I got into the shop, and the price was $699 for the Wingmaster, and it was a special order. The salesman got mad at me for arguing with him about the problem, like the problem was my fault. The owner came by and was not empathetic to me. So, I drove the 40 miles back home, pissed the whole time.

Instead of getting a customer into the store to buy stuff, the store lost thousands of dollars of business all because of poor customer service. I plan on writing the owner and showing him the thousands of dollars of receipts that could have been his. I was a newbie at the time, but I wasn't poor...their bad.

 

[pmeisel]

Recently moved to a new area, so I had to learn new gun shops.

One, kind of unfriendly. Already went out of business.

A couple more seemed to be more interested in their own conversations than talking to customers. Just don't go those places very often anymore.

Two others -- pleasant and helpful if you want help, friendly if you just want to look. They get first shot at my business and I make some small purchases there even if I could get it cheaper online.

 

[230RN]

I'm tempted to photocopy all my receipts from other gun stores to this one guy who insisted on "educating" me on open carry versus concealed carry.

Long story.

But every once in a while I look at my box of gun receipts, and boy, am I tempted to take them down to the copy shop.

But, I'm neither that vindictive, nor am I a teacher.

Let the Cosmos teach him.

Terry, 230RN

 

[Duke of Doubt]

datruth: "Im active duty military and have picked up a weekend job to help supplement my very expensive habit, I'm a 26 year old, African American male, which I see very few minorities of In shooting sports, and less as gun store employees, and I have enjoy the shooting sports for as long as i can remember, I'm also the armorer for my unit, another way for me to expand my knowledge. ... I feel the best weapon is the one you are most safe with . It always boils down to preference, Im not a expert by any stretch of the imagination, I just try to give you options and help in anyway I can, that's all, sorry for rambling i have not typed this much since college."

Good on you! My ex-in-laws were mostly blacker than midnight in Persia (mixed Creek/black/white), and they all loved guns. I can't even begin to describe how many gun sales I've seen lost by gun stores when they just plain couldn't communicate with their black customers. I'm about as politically correct as Attila the Hun, but ignorance is ignorance, and business is business. So many of these "tacticool" types flee from the approach of any black male as if some leprous Crip were chasing him through Mogadishu. Shame on them. I'm guessing your store will see an uptick in sales.

 

[earlthegoat2]

If they have the gun you want and the deal to boot who cares.

Grow some thick skin and suck it up and buy from there anyway. These days if they have what I want I just get and run and to hell with the people behind the counter.

 

[modwerdna]

go in the un-polite shop with a friend(don't let on you know each other go in seperate) and start looking at a shotgun news together making a lot of comments about ordering guns and supplies from different vendors listed and then the online ones as well. Take out a pen and write down numbers from said shotgun news or "wow have you heard of this website" they are selling x for y and have tons of them" make sure your conversation is plenty loud enough for owner to overhear, and ignore the owner or give him a dumb look, and then walk out with a " boy I can't wait to get to a phone to call that one" --a taste of their own medicine I say.

dealt with them before, they are just morons who forgot who pays their bills.

 

[adorable_harree]

You just basically described how it feels like to walk in the majority of gunshops here in the Philippines.

 

[RSABear]

Felt like that many times in my life - the attitude of please don't do me a favor to be my customer, I have lots I can milk for money every day, also makes my blood boil.

Remeber this - He WILL close shop, maybe not now but it is comming.

I have a quote from a local motivational speaker called Peter Cheales (actually the title of a book he wrote): "I WAS YOUR CUSTOMER"

I just love that one.