Question for you all...

[JB Books]

How would you handle the following situation...

I have been shopping at a particular gun shop/sporting goods store for years. I have spent a small fortune buying ammo and literally dozens of firearms (including big ticket items such as rifles at $5,000 apeice). Additionally, my wife and I have enjoyed a friendly relationship with the owners when we visit the store.

As we all know, ammo has been difficult to get. I happened to call in on a Saturday and was told they had some ammo I was looking for. I spoke with the owner directly. I asked him to hold some back for me, I would be there shortly to get it. When we got down there an hour or so later, I asked him if he had held any back and he just shook his head and said, "You're too late." No apology, no explanation.

He knows I have plenty of money (he could have held 2 boxes or 10 cases and I would have bought all of it), so I don't think he thought he would miss a sale. Again, I have spent A LOT of money with them. (The week before I dropped about $1200 with them on a rifle and ammo).

I am just really puzzled by his action. I thought being a good customer counted for something. I am not going back, and the next day I ordered $4k worth of ammo on line.

Any ideas? What do you all think? Would that not piss off you guys?

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I had a gun store jerk me around a bit, not that long ago. I won't buy anything there anymore. But since it is the only range anywhere near my home, every time I buy something, I make it a point to go there and shoot, showing them the sale they lost. They know it too

 

[Quoheleth]

Hack me off? Yeah. But stuff happens. Talk to 'em. Tell him plainly you are disappointed in the treatment.

Does he have other employees? It could be someone else sold the ammo out from under him and he's being a stand-up man for his employee.

A relationship that's lasted "years" doesn't deserve to be broken by one bad scene. You made your point with the internet purchase. Now give him another chance. He does it again - fine, no more Christmas cards from you.

Q

 

[mnrivrat]

I tend to agree with "But stuff happens. Talk to 'em. "

I would talk to the guy and asked him what happened . Tell it to him straight and give him a chance to reply with something that makes sense.

If then, it was as you feel it was, tell him about the $4,000 you just spent elsewhere, and let him see what happens when he forgets about giving proper service to a loyal customer.

"I asked him to hold some back for me, I would be there shortly to get it."

Out of curiouisity - did he reply to this by saying yes, or OK , or ?

 

[moooose102]

communication. you have to talk to him. if he blows you off again, simply state that if this is the way he treats good customers, you will not be back. it might help to remind him of roughly how much money you have spent with him and how many years you have been his customer. and how much more he will be loosing. i suppose at this point, he may figure that now you have your "colection" all you are is a ammo customer now. big mistake, but you just never know i guess. anyway, you know how people are, they get upset with one thing or another, or something really important may have been going wrong elsewhere in the store that really demanded his attention, and he just couldn't talk right then. if you can, go first thing in the morning, so he does not have such distractions and if he just blows you off again, i guess i would find another place to shop.

 

[DHJenkins]

Extra chances are why customer service is becoming almost non-existent in this country. What's their motivation to provide quality service if they know you'll come back even if they don't? Gun dealers in general seem to be really showing their behinds right now. We need to all remember this when the fervor dies down and they're back to begging for business.

Take your money elsewhere.

 

[raveneap]

You've obviously been happy with the store in the past. I'd give him one chance to explain; if it's not satisfactory, write the store off for future purchases.

 

[Gun Geezer]

I was in retail...

Several rules:
1. Never let a customer leave with his money.
2. Sell extra merchandise (Need a bottle of cleaner today? How about some patches and a brush set for that new caliber?)
3. Loyal customers are the best. Treat them like it.

This owner did good on 1 and 2. Blew it on 3.

Your only mistake might have been specifically telling him to hold x number of boxes and exactly what time you would be there. Of course, he may have had another great customer come in that wanted ammo, too.

Order ammo over the net. It has a backlog, but it gets to house in a couple of weeks. Order all you are going to need for a year, including range time, training, and SHTF. NEVER get into the SHTF stash. Rotate the SHTF forward when the new stuff arrives. And last but not least, if a retailer stickes it to you, shop elsewhere and let the owner know it.

One more thing to consider: mark up on guns is not that great. You buy a $1000 gun and he may make only $50. That's just how it is. So while you may be a big dollar customer, he may make more off the gym socks and sneakers he sells to the loyal high school kid customer as mark up on socks and such is 1000% most times. He may have his big money inventory in guns, but his profit is in the ammo, socks, cammo, etc. That's where his money is.

 

[JohnBT]

"I thought being a good customer counted for something."

Here's my guess: A better $cu$tomer$ got there first.

Everytime I start thinking I'm a good customer I stop and think about the day I met a guy at the gun store. He was buying a Cooper rifle from them. Hey, I have a Cooper too. HA, it was his 17th.

 

[rbernie]

What do you all think? Would that not piss off you guys?

I'm going to suggest that the store owner did what was right, not what was good for business.

Ammo is scarce. Ammo is selling fast. If I owned a store and got in a shipment, I would sell it in small lots (purchase limit) and I would sell it to anyone that walked in the door needin' it.

No favors, no holdbacks, no side deals.

Not now.

A stinkin' good deal on a case, when ammo is plentiful? Sure.

But not when so many folk are simply unable to get their hands on any.

I am not going back, and the next day I ordered $4k worth of ammo on line.

Well, I've been ordering ammo online for years and years now. My UPS driver hates me, but the benefits to me are decreased cost, increased selection, and increased availability.

I would not shun this dealer, were I you. I would ask why he didn't hold any back after you asked him to, and see what he says. I would probably drop a not-so-subtle hint that my feelings were hurt.

If he values your business, he'll respond to that.

 

[huff]

Money right now or hold a couple of boxs for a really good customer/what you thought was a friend. Money is GOD or so it seems, look at our current economic stiuation. I would say thanks for the effort and tell him he lost your business.

 

[Ed Ames]

Did he say he would hold some back when you asked???

If not, you've got nothing to talk about. He promised nothing and you have no reason to complain.

If yes... write up a 100% factual account with the name of the store and splash it online for some search engines to pick up. Be upfront about it and include a note that the owner (give his name if you know it) should contact you if he wants to talk about it. He had his chance to do right before he sold the goods... he had his chance to make it right while you were in the store... if he can't handle the basics of retail he should go out of business so someone else can take over your market. Or just take your business elsewhere... but that's not as good.

 

[chuckusaret]

How would you handle the following situation...

I don't support my local gunshops because of the very same problem. First of all most of all their prices are outrageous and most have the attitude of " Where else are you going to get it if not from me" I brought my tactikool shotgun to my local shop to have the barrel ported and after four months the porting had not been done. When I asked for the gun the shop owner got upset and stated this would screw up his schedule. He also wanted to charge me a handling fee, which out of the goodness of his heart he overlooked. I will never cross this stores threshold again. I buy all my guns and supplies at our monthly gunshow or off the net and have all my gun repairs done by the manufacturer.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

mnrivrat: "Out of curiouisity - did he reply to this by saying yes, or OK , or ?"

Herein, I suspect, lies the difference.

I have people all the time introduce themselves to me in public and tell me all about their troubles. They say they want me to be their lawyer, and ask what I can do for them. I explain vaguely what might be possible and what might happen, and that if they hire me I can get the reports and documents and really get into the case, blah blah blah, amd give them one of my cards. The one that says, "Attorney," not the other one. Of course, I never hear from them or see a dime from them, but months later I'll bump into them again and they'll act all upset and angry about how "I didn't do anything," and how now they're screwed. Well, of course I didn't do anything -- I wasn't hired or paid.

Did the shopkeeper agree to hold back a certain number of boxes at a price certain until a certain time? If not, you have no legitimate complaint.

 

[Superlite27]

Sorry, but my take is a little different.

I spend $50,000 a year at X's Gun Emporium. The owner there is my best friend, and my brother seperated at birth. Why, just the other day, I bought $10,000 worth of gun oil and 50 scope rings.....


....and that S.O.B. had the audacity to sell something I wanted to someone else who also used money.

So I bought $20,000 worth of cosmoline from one of his competitors just to teach him a lesson.

That'll show him that I'm King Turnip and all other turnips must wait in line at my convenience. Maybe if he renames his store after my firstborn, I'll spend another dime (that are much better than all other dimes) in his litttle shack of a gun booth.

 

[Ed Ames]

Doesn't matter if he's spent a dime there or not. If he talked to the owner and the owner said the store would hold something, it should've been held. If the owner said "first come first served," then there's nothing to see here.

 

[61chalk]

The owner said he would hold it, an then didn't. That would tick me off to after the drive there. The owner is like some doctors, they love their job an the $$$$, but they don't love their patients. This owner just showed you he only loves your $$$, but has no regard for you or his integrity. I wouldn't spend another dime there an tell him why...then he has the option of trying an making things right, like a really good deal, then you have the option...

 

[kingpin008]

As a few others have pointed out, money talks, bull..well, you get the idea.


Sometimes the average joe with cash-in-hand has to trump the longtime preferred customer who needs some merchandise held until they can get in to pick it up.

Sure, it sucks, but the business owner has to make sure he does for himself first.

 

[armoredman]

I refuse to patronize the only gunshop in this town due to horrible customer service. They don't want me or my money in the store, so I oblige them, order everything online or go to the pawnshopwith the FFL. They appreciate my business, even if they haven't twigged onto the lucrative reloading market yet.
But, I agree, see if this is an isolated incident, communicate with the man. If this is a harbinger of things to come, go elsewhere, but ask first.

 

[HexHead]

He's obviously forgotten the 1st rule of business.... you get 80% of your business from 20% of your customers. I wouldn't ask for an explanation, I'd just tell him I won't be doing business again and why and then see what he says.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

I think it's interesting that although JB has been asked what exactly the dealer said, he hasn't replied. I realize that the interval hasn't been any too long, but still, it's his thread and t'were me, I'd be watchin' it.

900F

 

[DagoRed]

The owner showed his loyalty was to the all mighty dollar, and not to a long time customer that should be valued, appreciated and shown some consideration.

I would flat out tell the guy that he has lost my business and tell him if asked for a referral, I plan on telling others my opinion.

And never go back.

 

[230RN]

But since it is the only range anywhere near my home, every time I buy something, I make it a point to go there and shoot, showing them the sale they lost.

Why?

Vengeance?

"Vengeance is not a suitable motivation for either Dieties or men." --Terry, 230RN, ca 1968

If the truth be told, every once in a while, in rare atavistic moments, I am tempted to copy all my receipts from other gun stores and send them to one shop owner who...

Well, I'm too much of a gentleman to rip off that bandaid.

Suffice it to say that every once in a while I have to remember my own aphorism.

Walk it off.

Terry, 230RN

atavistic

 

[Duke of Doubt]

CB900F: "I think it's interesting that although JB has been asked what exactly the dealer said, he hasn't replied."

Roger that.

He said he asked the dealer to "hold some"; he didn't say the dealer agreed.

 

[heron]

While we're waiting to find out if the dealer actually agreed to hold some ammo for the OP, consider this: it wouldn't have hurt him one bit to do so. He could have held the ammo until closing time waiting for the buyer, and still could have sold it the next day if the buyer didn't show up when he said he would. The only thing he stood to lose was the trust and loyalty of a regular customer. Bad move on his part.