MisterMike
Member
It doesn't happen all that often, but last night I was in the company of three other gun aficianados and the subject of our local gun shop came up. I've always thought the owners were total jerks, but there aren't a lot of other shops within a reasonable distance.
What surprised me is that the three other gents had arrived at exactly the same conclusion I had: they only buy what they absolutely have to at this shop. All of us prefer to purchase on the web, even if it means a bit of personal inconvenience.
Here's a little of what I've seen--from the moment you enter the store, you're "tailed" by an employee (and I speak as a known customer who's shopped, bought, and shot there on a number of occasions). If you ask to see a gun, the first question, before they make a move toward the case, is generally, "Are you going to buy it?" There's generally a snarly attitude when you ask a question about a product . . . sort of a "Jeez, what a dumb***" kind of response. I've seen the owner berate his salespeople in front of customers. Moreoever, their prices are higher than just about any other source I've seen. Generally, they're just a bunch of jerks.
How common is this in the gun business?
What surprised me is that the three other gents had arrived at exactly the same conclusion I had: they only buy what they absolutely have to at this shop. All of us prefer to purchase on the web, even if it means a bit of personal inconvenience.
Here's a little of what I've seen--from the moment you enter the store, you're "tailed" by an employee (and I speak as a known customer who's shopped, bought, and shot there on a number of occasions). If you ask to see a gun, the first question, before they make a move toward the case, is generally, "Are you going to buy it?" There's generally a snarly attitude when you ask a question about a product . . . sort of a "Jeez, what a dumb***" kind of response. I've seen the owner berate his salespeople in front of customers. Moreoever, their prices are higher than just about any other source I've seen. Generally, they're just a bunch of jerks.
How common is this in the gun business?