Lovely treatment at Wal*Mart tonight

[1911 guy]

I used to buy ammo at Wal-Mart.

I used to buy WWB at wallyworld when it was less than $20 per 100. Now they sell only Blaser and I can get it just about as cheap at a local gunshop if I but it by the case. Frankly, I hated going to WM because the service sucked and employees were surly. Now the savings no longer justifies, to me at least, putting up with it.

Many dealers will give you a 5% - 10% break when buying a case or more. Just buy more less often. Instead of 100 a week, I now buy a case every couple months.

 

[stubob2517]

I had the same thing happen in my local Walmart last night as well and I'm a middle aged (OK slightly over middle aged) white guy. Guy walked off when he saw me at the counter so I had to chase him down. Then he didn't know where the ammo was on the shelves so I had to tell him.

I bought two bricks of .22 and two boxes of .17 and he asked the rifle or pistol question; I responded shotgun and he said OK. Just kinda makes you wonder...

 

[rocinante]

The biggest problem with the local wal mart is getting waited on and finding someone with a key to the ammo locker. I have never been carded but last time I went the employee insisted that he hold the ammo in his hands until he rung it up and put it in a bag.

At Dick I bought my son a rubber band gun. When he rang it up the teenage clerk made a commit like next thing you know he will be into bb guns. Not snide just making conversation. My boy informed him all about his nerf, air gun and bb gun arsenal, the sks that semi officially his and the other guns he has shot.


I have only been into guns a little over a year and I will admit at first I felt self conscious about buying ammo almost like I am going something grey but I got over that.

How come when you buy 5 gallons of gasoline in a carry container for your lawnmower they don't make the assumption you are an arsonist getting ready to burn a church?

 

[ptmmatssc]

When an employer pays peanuts, what kind of service can one expect?

So why take the job if the pay sucks . Oh yeah , that's right . You decided college wasn't for you and trade school was for "slower" individuals.

Of course some people are just not meant for higher learning etc , but it doesn't excuse them from performing their jobs to the best of their ability . If the only job you can get is being a ditch digger , then be the best darned ditch digger you can be .

I'm no wally world fan , but don't blame a company for the individuals attitude . If the clerk/salesperson is rude etc , bring it up to their manager . Believe me , they DO get straightened out . And if not , they get released .

 

[crankshop1000]

All the more reason to buy online.Ammoman will sell me all I want and give me free shipping to boot. Sportsman's guide is another option.

 

[Klusterbuck]

Last time I bought some .22's a walmart, I was asked "handgun or rifle?", I chuckled and said something to the effect of I didn't understand the reasoning behind the question. I was then informed, "It's a federal law that I ask you that.", to which I replied "No it isn't, maybe store policy, but not federal law." She asked again, I answered, "two handguns and a rifle, put down whatever makes you feel good." Payed for my ammo, turned around to walk away, and hear the next guy in line ask "Can I get a box of .22's?"

 

[jackstinson]

Seems every WalMart is different. Store policies vary.
One near me has it's ammo in locked cabinet behind the counter, under the gun display cases. But at least the guys who are usually manning the counter are gun owners and shooters. So getting it is no hassle. I stop in there on my way home from work or on my way to the range if I need some ammo right then, or if it's on sale.
Another Walmart near me has no guns for sale, but all the ammo on open shelves out in the aisle. You just browse through it and take whatever to the front checkouts. One day I was getting some boxes and noticed a few .22LR rounds laying out on the shelf. I took them to the sporting goods counter, flagged down the employee who was trying to make a hasty retreat when he saw me, handed him the loose cartridges, and explained they were just laying out on the shelf. He shrugged and told me "that happens all the time".
Dick's is funny.....they lock up the .22's but all the shotgun ammo is stacked out on floor aisle shelves? And I have NEVER had a Dick's employee ask me if I needed help, they usually head for the back room as soon as you enter the sporting goods department.
I buy most of my ammo online. Large selection, point-click-pay, no hassle, it's delivered to my front door, and usually within two days of ordering. Also usually for less $$ than Walmart. Although I buy a lot of 9mm from Vance's and catch .22LR bricks when they have sales on them.
Jack

 

[Deanimator]

They claimed that it would be "easier on the shoulder." Well, yes, it is easier on the shoulder, since you CAN'T SHOOT 20 GAUGE THROUGH A 12 GAUGE, so you just get to go home the second you get to the range!

As someone else pointed out, you may not be able to shoot 20ga. in a 12ga. but you sure can get a 20ga. in the barrel followed by a 12ga. and kill yourself.

 

[takhtakaal]

I just spoke with the manager on duty this morning. The big cheese wasn't there.

He apologized for what he himself called "nastiness" on the part of "Joe." Amazingly, this assistant manager, or whatever his title is, told me that Wal*Mart policy is to ask for identification if they think that the purchaser is buying the ammunition for a pistol.

It isn't like they're recording details, although I've heard that in some states (was it MA?) they actually have the nerve to run the license or firearms owner's ID card through some sort of a strip reader to capture details. So, why the need to see ID? Age I can buy, but like I said, I don't even look 40 on a good day any more.

Anyway, I told the guy on duty that, if I were in a two-store town, I'd be shopping at the competition forever and a day, no matter what their prices were like, solely on principle. Unfortunately, despite his promise to have a heart-to-heart with ol' "Joe," it didn't really seem to sink in with him.

 

[jl1966]

I think the service you recieve at Wal- Mart all depends on which one you go to, and the individual waiting on you. I buy a lot of assorted things including firearms and ammo fro my local WM and have never had a problem. That being said, customer service is going to the dogs at all levels of business these days.

 

[BozemanMT]

Why do you people continue to go to China mart?
for any reason?
I get treated like that, i don't go back.
Simple Econ 101

ugh.

Oh, and good on ya for going to see the manager. That's the only way to get stuff like this resolved. And when he blows you off, keep going up the chain. district manager, etc.

 

[RKBABob]

Why do you people continue to go to China mart?
for any reason?
I get treated like that, i don't go back.
Simple Econ 101

+1,000,000, Bozeman!

Why not spend 2 whole dollars more at your local gun shop, and invest in your own community?

Go where your business is wanted and appreciated...

.

 

[krahling]

With respect to shopping at local gun stores that appreciate their customers: I'm certain I've seen almost as many threads complaining about the local gun store as I have complaining about the local WalMart. Customer service seems to be an alien concept everywhere.

 

[MiddleAgedKen]

I've never been mistreated at Wally World, but I realized a while back that I was spending 15-20 minutes every time I went there, cooling my heels at the counter while blue vests scuttled by studiously avoiding eye contact, all to save $3 on a box of ammo. My time's worth more than I was saviing in money.

 

[Deanimator]

I've never been mistreated at Wally World, but I realized a while back that I was spending 15-20 minutes every time I went there, cooling my heels at the counter while blue vests scuttled by studiously avoiding eye contact, all to save $3 on a box of ammo. My time's worth more than I was saviing in money.

I've spent an hour there and not gotten ANY ammunition. Of course I've had even worse treatment at Dick's Sporting Goods where the guy playing with fishing reels SEES me standing at the guns and ammo counter. Lately, Walmart has been much better, and they've seemed to actually put MORE effort into their ammo sales, changing to a large free standing locked cabinet where customers can actually walk right up to it and see what's available. They keep a decent stock of everything from .22lr to .44 Magnum.

 

[Dravur]

Weird,

I have bought a ton of ammo from both Wal-marts here and have had nothing but good experiences. THe people may not be the most knowledgable about guns and ammo, but I wasn't expecting to get in a discussion with them on the properties of Unique powder. I just want the ammo. I go in, tell them what I want, they get it, I pay and walk out with a couple heavy bags.

No pain at all. Oh, and as to going to the local store? Longmont only has a Pawn Shop that sells guns. and I wouldn't buy anything in there if my life depended on it. Every gun in there was apparently Patton's personal weapon or once owned by the Kaiser hisself. Even the used first gen Glock that is priced higher than a new Glock.... cuz it's first Gen, ya know, so that makes it collectible.

Everytime I went in there, my eyes would bug out so bad at the prices that people started calling me Marty Feldman... <rimshot>

So, I think I shall run over to Wally World today at lunch, pick up a humpload of ammo and have a pleasant experience doing it. I need alot more .22 to fee my new GSG-5.

 

[Harley Quinn]

I am not mid-eastern or look anything, other than what I am a "white anglo-saxon"...I have been treated the same way ask for ID all the various questions etc. might be your own feeling's that are showing and not the employee

Attitude is carried on shoulders and can be seen a long way away. At a local gunshop the ones with the attitude don't shoot much anymore and many of them feel because they have a ccw means they can walk into the range loaded and carrying...NOT several are on the list of never allowed to shoot in the location because of a bad attitude toward the employees because they are not getting paid much to stand there and get abused by others who have bad attitudes. See it daily makes me want to

I actually feel sorry for the employee and the idea that the customer is always right...NOT IMHO...

 

[moga]

..so I asked him to ring me two boxes.

At this point I was rather astounded. He looks at me with unhidden disgust and says "I wanna see some ID."

So, I showed "Joe" my CCW, and I think "Joe" is still cleaning out his underwear.

Same scenario, same place, same proof of "ID." My Joe's worried reply was "umm, you don't have that thing on you now, do you" after I produced identification, to which I replied "wouldn't you like to know" as I got my change and promptly left Joe gaping at the counter.

For 40S&W Blazer Brass at $9.98 a box, I can deal with their idiocy.

 

[JohnBT]

I hate Wal-Mart, so I seldom go there. When I do go to pick up some things for my parents I'm usually sorry I did because of the lousy service and attitudes.

So I think I'll tell my two good stories.

Once, years ago, I went to one here in Richmond and the sporting goods manager went into the storeroom and found the last Rem 1100 they had on clearance.

Last year I stopped at the one in Waynesboro on my way to Harrisonburg and had a double armload of stuff for my parents when I wandered over to look at ammo. Not only was the clerk pleasant, but after I picked out a dozen or so boxes of .223, 9mm and 28 ga. she walked about halfway across the store to get me a pushcart. I could have easily carried all the junk, but she insisted.

John

 

[BozemanMT]

Dravur, I live in Longmont and your excuses don't ring true. Within 20 minutes there are 3 excellent stores for guns and ammo. (and grandpa's guns isn't one of them)

Gunsport in boulder has very fair prices on guns and will get anything you want.
Jensen's in Loveland is world class with EBR's, guns and ammo. They have internet good pricing on both guns and ammo.
Sportsman warehouse in Loveland kicks the snot out of China Mart for ammo especially.

Once again, I realize some people are in a place where they have no place to go and apparantly don't have that new fangled invention called the internet so they can't buy ammo online. (guns, you're screwed on I agree), but for most people there are better options.

 

[Rick O'Shea]

Maybe it's because I'm in a military town in the south, but I've had good experiences to go along with what are usually the best prices in town. (I do also buy from the internet and my local gunshops).

There's always a couple of guys behind the counter, and after they've seen you a couple of times, it goes from, "Can I help you sir?", to "Whatcha need, buddy?".

When the prices started changing, they let me know that two boxes of Blazer Brass would be cheaper than WWB, and shot better.

All relative, I guess...

 

[stevelyn]

I don't even shop for ammo at Wally World anymore since I can go across the street to Sportman's Warehouse, go down the ammo aisle and grab my own stuff and by-pass the sales monkeys altogether until checkout.

 

[Hokkmike]

You can't expect $35.00 an hour service from $6.35 an hour part time employees selling mostly Chinese junk.

 

[Clipper]

You guys are just too conditioned to be too civilized... When the salesperson is obviously jerking off and avoiding me, I'll simply ask if they're planning to wait on me today, in a loud enough voice to carry much farther than the distance to him or her so that suddenly we're the center of attention. The boss doesn't want other customers to know you're dissatisfied, otherwise they might become emboldened enough to voice their dissatisfaction, and if that starts to spread, they might actually have to start pretending to give a rip about customer service, which would entail a little effort...

And remember, if you still get no resolution to your complaint, there's always a Mr. Bigger. I find the Director of Public Relations at any corporate headquarters usually doesn't appreciate being called by dissatisfied customers because a store manager can't take the initiative and resolve a simple employee attitude problem...That's how managers become stock boys...

That being said, my local Wal-Mart sporting goods guy is actually helpful, knowledgable, and is a hunter & shooter himself. My ammo and accessory buying experiences are always enjoyable. I just wish this particular store carried a wider variety of ammo, as they don't carry .300 Savage or .35 Remington.

 

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

my wife

picked me up some powder for muzzleloading season

and they wanted to know if she was planning on "blowing something up"

:banghead:

st

ps - there was an old woman in there the other night, I've been seeing her since I was in, at least early high school, buying .22 bricks. I remember the first time I bought some .308 I was so excited. I said "Gosh I haven't seen you in awhile. I remember buying ammo here in high school from you." She said, "Don't tell anybody". I told her "that was back when things were a little different than they are today." She just nodded and hobbled on her cane on home saying she was really tired and just came back to see some friends.

America may be losing her best generation.

Pass it on to the younguns!

st