If you are in a position to hire employees right away, hire someone who HAS A CLUE!!!!! That is the one personal pet-peeve of mine; people who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground trying to prove to me how smart they are. Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT one of those that think they know everything, but for God's sake, make sure your staff knows the business that you're trying to compete in.
A good example: A gentleman has a very nice black powder single-action replica. He needs some powder so he goes to the "best" (best known) gun shop in town. Employee states (paraphrased but pretty close): "Well gee, we don't have any of that powder, but I have some really good "new" stuff that just came. It'll work just fine in that thing, no problem." Customer purchases this wonderful "new" powder, loads it up, and guess what, one pull of that smooth trigger and BOOM!!!!! His fine replica is now a good, multi-piece, mangled paperweight. The guy is lucky he didn't lose an eye, finger, or worse. That "new" powder was a HOT smokeless powder. I'm not sure, but I think there might be some "legal action" in the works. Big surprise huh?
Just make sure if your employees (or yourself) don't know the answer to a customer's question, they say I DON'T KNOW, rather than try to BS them with how smart they are (or THINK they are). It doesn't take long for ignorance to shine.
I overheard a conversation at that same "gun-store" mentioned above where the "experienced" behind-the-counter guy told a customer that he didn't think you could carry a 1911 cocked with the safety on
!!!!!!!! Well, I mean come on, it's ONLY been done for what, almost a hundred years. So it MUST be impossible, right?????
I wanted SOOO BAD to ask him if he'd ever heard of "cocked and locked". That's the kind of stuff that get's me HOT. Needless to say, my business interests are now served at their competitor.
Just a quick second "note"; while chatting and BS'ing with your new and regular customers IS important, just remember that the new (or old) face looking at the rifle rack or in the handgun case needs attention too. I've walked out of shops more than once because the sales guy was more interested in what his "buddy" did last weekend that showing me a firearm that I had cash to buy. Result? My cash was once again spent with his competition. I have no problem "waiting my turn", but business is business and should take priority over the personal stuff that we ALL, including me
, do on the Company dime.
Just my .02