I gotta say after my last gun shop visit, I won't be missing the "conversation" should I finally take my business to the internet, where no one cares why I want a certain firearm.
Flipping through a CZ catalog at my local dealer, from whom I have bought at least four firearms, and who knows me going on eight years now, I point out the CZ SP-01, but not the "tactical" with the decocking lever and the factory night sights, nor the polymer framed Phantom. Alas, he has both of the ones I don't want right there in his case at MSRP according to the catalog.
"This one right here has decocking and night sights, the other a low maintenance polymer frame. You can't beat that."
"I don't want a CZ-75 style pistol that I cannot use cocked & locked. I can decock it with the trigger should I care to. I also prefer yellow/green Trijicon night sights with the date code on the side of the rear sight so I know how old they are. The polymer one is totally right handed and I am left handed, which is why I am interested in the one you do not have in your shop."
"Why would you want a cocked and locked firearm? That's an outdated concept these days. Most folks would just be mashing the trigger, forgetting that the safety has to be snapped off. I did that once when a guy tried to rob the store. Lucky for me he ran away before I figured out why I wasn't shooting at him."
"Yep. Lucky you. Even if I wanted this SP-01, the price is rather high." Again it is there at MSRP, $764.00. In my past purchases we have never been within 15% of MSRP.
"CZ barely raised their retail prices for 2010, but they raised their wholesale prices to the distributors and I get charged more for them. Lessee, the one you want would be $703.00." (MSRP=$703.00)
(I can get this pistol online for $609 shipped and a $20.00 transfer through my gun smith. No sales tax in Oregon).
I won't begrudge the man $74.00 dollars for keeping the lights on and having on hand two similar pistols I could grip for fit, but cripes, how much customer service skill is required to keep your mouth shut about WHY someone might want something?
The customer is always right, everywhere except at the local gun shop. I'll help keep his lights on if he'll learn to keep his tactical opinions to himself.
I have to give him some credit though, this time he finally decided not to try and push an XD on me.