The Customer Is Always Right?

[fjolnirsson]

Freakshow,

You can't post pictures like that, and not give up the story behind them. It's not allowed. Check the forum rules.

 

[Funderb]

The Customer Is Always Right?

this is only the second rule of buisness,

remember the first,

"separate the customer from their money."

 

[misANTHrope]

Some stories aren't one-time things. A recurring thing back when I was in the business was a man asking his wife to drop by and get him some shells for tha deer rifle. Seems lots of these folks don't think that it might be necessary to maybe write down what they want if their wife isn't knowledgeable.

Me: Can I help you?
Her: Yes, I need some bullets for my husband's deer gun.
Me: OK... what caliber is it?
Her: Well, it's brown...
*sigh*

But a personal favorite story was a guy who called one day and was FURIOUS. He'd just picked up a .30-06 Ruger M77, headed out to the range to give it a try, and it wouldn't fire. Said it would just click when he pulled the trigger. Did I mention he was furious? One of these folks who was berating us for selling defective products, the company was crap, we were dishonest... finally he calmed down somewhat and the call ended with him telling me to expect to see him soon.

Not ten minutes later he called back again. This time, the tone of his voice had changed substantially. You see, he found out why his shiny new rifle wasn't firing. Specifically, when he left for the range, he grabbed a box of .30-30 shells from his safe and was loading those into the .30-06 M77.



He was quite apologetic the second time around, and despite his vitriol from the first call, I had to give him credit for being a man about it and calling back to apologize. Lots of folks would have been too ashamed to do such a thing.


There were undoubtedly tons more good stories, but it's been several years since I did this, so the memories are rusty. Maybe I'll remember some more later.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Some of these customers sound like some I had when I worked as a gas station mechanic. Someone above mentioned that he liked helping women because at least they were up front about their ignorance. I used to have guys come in and tell me what they wanted repaired or replaced when the problem was actually something else. And, sometimes, they insisted that we do what they said. One guy refused to pay his bill when the car ran just as badly after we followed his directions to the letter. I tried to tell him that there were other more common things to look at first but he insisted and got a little irritated with me. Anyway, a sparkplug ended up costing him $280 or so. Women are better. They just say something like "It sounds like a bird chirping under the hood when I stop at a light...." No false leads, you know? Male insecurity can be expensive sometimes.

I can see your point. But the other side of the coin is that mechanics are notorious for making up problems and overcharging customers if they think the customer is too ignorant about cars to notice. As a rule, women or more easily fooled by this and men tend to be skeptical. So while you maybe have some guys who are wrong about what needs to get fixed, most of the ones who are adamant about just fixing what they say are just trying not to get swindled by crooked mechanics.

 

[freakshow10mm]

Freakshow,

You can't post pictures like that, and not give up the story behind them. It's not allowed. Check the forum rules.

I did check the rules and didn't see anything relating to the rule you are implying.

 

[Brian Dale]

freakshow10mm, he's kidding about the formal "rules." We're curious to learn how that happened.

 

[Rokyudai]

Somebody forgot to wipe the blood off and it rusted.... looks like a bad webbing mash!

 

[SCKimberFan]

Those pix are a hoax!!! Glocks don't rust!!!! I verified it on snopes.com!!!

 

[Gunnerpalace]

I'm guessing it's that American Ammo he was shooting right?

From what I heard that stuff is garbagio.

 

[CountGlockula]

"Do they allow BB guns at shooting ranges?"

"Can I bring my gang friends to buy/shoot guns?"

"Are those REAL guns?"

 

[sammy]

This was a story from another forum, hallarious

Next up is the tale of Captain Rimfire.

The good captain and his son arrive at the range and are eager to rent a Glock. No problem, I hook em up. I asked if they needed ears, eyes, ammo and the usual stuff. They informed me that they were good to go. After a short time the good captain entered the lobby with a confused look on his face.

He stated that whenever he chambered a round it would slide down the barrel and fall out of the muzzle. I thinking, Say what?
So I walk out to his shooting position and took a look see.

The magazine was stuffed with 22LR. They were hanging out of the fed lips in every direction possible. I unloaded the mag. and 40 something rounds of 22LR came out of that thing.

I'm like, dude this thing is a 40 cal. What are you doing? He got rather irritated and said. Look buddy, you don't know squat. Look at the slide. He pointed to the inscription. See, it says right here, Glock 22.

 

[Brian Dale]

 

[Mainiac]

Got a couple gunshops that we have frequented for a decade or so. Dealer got a phone call about mags.

Customer- I want to buy a magazine for my 9mm.

Dealer- Ok, what pistol?

Customer- I told you 9mm!

Dealer- I understand 9mm but what kind of pistol?

Customer- I TOLD YOU 9mm!!

Dealer- Sir I'm afraid I can't help you if you don't tell me the brand of the pistol. They are many different makes.

Customer- I TOLD YOU 9mm!! YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO SELL ME A MAGAZINE BECAUSE I'M (ethnicity)!!
Dealer- Click!!

Another time young fella came in looking at a Ruger semi auto and started waving it around and pulling the trigger(just like the old guy). In about 5 seconds he had about 15 loaded handguns pointed at him! At this shop most of the customers CCW. You could see him loading his drawers. Turned out he was a really good kid but his only knowledge of firearms came from hollywood. We sat him down and talked for about 20 mins. He turned into a regular. Pointing any gun at anyone anytime is a good way to get shot! IMHO!!

 

[Bubbles]

Sorry, customers are not always right, especially in the gun biz. Example from last week:

Customer calls and says he has a 1919 parts kit and 80% receiver. He wants to know if we can turn it into a semi-auto for him. Not a problem. He brings everything over, and yes, he's got a complete kit and 80% receiver.

We go over pricing, what exactly will have to be done (some of the parts in the kit need refinishing, others look NIB), etc. We explain that as a 07/02 we have to stamp the receiver with our identifying info, and we'll need to run him through NICS when he picks up the finished gun.

This is where things get interesting. The guy absolutely blows up, yelling, cursing, screaming about how all ****ing a**hole gunsmiths are alike, we're ripping him off, there's no ****ing way we're running any kind of a check on him, etc. At this point we attempt to give him back his stuff and tell him to ****.

He refuses to take the unfinished receiver and parts kit, says he's through trying to get the gun made, and he just wants out. So we tell him to wait, type up an abandoned property receipt for the stuff, he signs it, and he's outta there.

Afterward we were thinking it might be some sort of ATF setup, except that wouldn't make sense... and if it were a setup the agent would have taken the stuff with him. Besides, as an 07/02 we can make a full-auto 1919 legally.

 

[230RN]

The magazine was stuffed with 22LR. They were hanging out of the fed lips in every direction possible. I unloaded the mag. and 40 something rounds of 22LR came out of that thing.

I'm like, dude this thing is a 40 cal. What are you doing? He got rather irritated and said. Look buddy, you don't know squat. Look at the slide. He pointed to the inscription. See, it says right here, Glock 22.

Hilarious!

What caliber for Glock 27?

Or my Remington 66?

 

[Seenterman]

Ammo Snob or Idiot Counter Guy

Ok so me and a few friends went shooting yesterday at a local range, and one guy picks up two 20 rounds boxes of ancient 30-06 ammo. It didn't even have a manufactures name on it, IIRC it said something along the lines of Hunters Ammuntion with a pic of an old school cowboy on the front. So along walks some guys with out saying anything to him he just taps my friend on the sholder and says "I'd dont know what your doing but I wouldnt shoot that out of myy gun." with some snobby attitude his nose was practically upturned to the sky and then walks away without saying anything else. So that pissed me off but I choose not to say anything whatever some snob. So I ask my friend where he got the ammo and he's like he bought it here (at the range). About 15 minutes later one of the guys we where with yells to me "Uhh I cant get the bolt open" So I walk over expecting something stupid and I got to open the bolt which is now serioulsy stuck in the up but not rearward position and refused to eject the shell casing. After about 5 minutes of trying no one can get the bolt open so we decied not to try and force it open as no knows why its stuck.
So then when were leaving I see the same guy behind the counter ringing us up! WTH! Apparently that brass has laquering on it or something and can gum up your bolt and get it stuck. Why wouldnt you say that before! Apparently this ammo sucks to shoot and you'd never use it but you'll sell it to your customers and then act like a snob?

 

[nplant]

Not quite a "customer," per se, but I thought it was funny anyway.

I answered the phone at the range a week or two back, and the following conversation ensued (caller was either a teenage boy or a young woman - I couldn't tell).

Me: Thanks for calling (range name). How can I help you?
Caller: (speaking fast) Hi, what kind of gun would be best for killing people?
M: Excuse me, I didn't understand your question.
C: (still fast) I said, what kind of gun is best at killing people?
M: You want a gun to kill people with?
C: (slowly now) No! I said "animals!" What do you think I am, crazy?
M: Oh, sorry, you want to know about hunting. Well, we offer hunter's education classes here. Come on down and we'll sign you up for one.
C: Oh, hunter's education classes, huh? Well, uh, how much do those cost, anyway?
M: Let's see... twenty-five dollars. Just come on down and we'll enroll you.
C: Twenty-five bucks?! That's cheap! Well, uh, can you sell me a gun?
M: Sure. What kind of gun are you looking for?
C: What's the most expensive gun you could sell me?
M: Well, I guess it'd be about a thousand, plus a scope and ammunition and accessories, maybe double that.
C: A thousand dollars? Jeeez! That's expensive! What do you think I am, made of money?
M: Well, if you'd come on down, we could discuss it further.
C: (not distinguishable, followed by giggling laughter). <hangs up>
M: I win.

 

[Tom Servo]

The magazine was stuffed with 22LR. They were hanging out of the fed lips in every direction possible. I unloaded the mag. and 40 something rounds of 22LR came out of that thing.

I had a guy come in on a busy Saturday once. He bought a box of Speer .45 bullets--not cartridges, just the bullets. I figured he was taking them home to reload.

Two hours later, he comes in and goes on to the range to shoot. He comes out and informs me that his gun isn't firing. He's pulling the trigger, but nothing's happening.

I asked him if the primers were dimpled at all, and he didn't know what I meant. I went back on the range to check his pistol, and loaded into his magazine were the same bullets he'd purchased earlier, sans casing, powder or primer. Just the bullets.

I explained that loaded ammo was a product of several components, not just the bullets, and he remarked, "oh, so that's why they were cheaper!"

 

[mavracer]

this happend at a gunshop owned by a good friend of mine.
cust: got any information on a Star Firestar?
dealer: yes, he has one (points to me)
dealer: (to me) do you have it with you?
me: yes, I'm carrying it.
(I pull it out clear it and hand it to my friend, who checks it again and hands it to cust,and I give him my impressions while he looks at it)
cust: (as he hands it back to dealer) Why is he carrying a gun in your store?
dealer (without hesitation and a strait face):he's a part time undercover agent for the DEA.
cust: oh ok.
I still laugh every time I think of it.

 

[GearHead_1]

I can see your point. But the other side of the coin is that mechanics are notorious for making up problems and overcharging customers if they think the customer is too ignorant about cars to notice. As a rule, women or more easily fooled by this and men tend to be skeptical. So while you maybe have some guys who are wrong about what needs to get fixed, most of the ones who are adamant about just fixing what they say are just trying not to get swindled by crooked mechanics.

Wow, talk about stereotyping. If that is really how you feel about your mechanic you obviously have the wrong one. Since you know this you deserve exactly what you get.

 

[33-805]

I worked quite a bit in gunshops in the 70s and 80s. I will always remember the older gentleman who came in and wanted to buy one of "dem youzeeeyez in turty turty fur deer". I am not mocking him. That's just the way he talked. After I figured out what he meant a few minutes into the conversation, I explained patiently that the UZI only came (at that time) in 9mm and that it might not work as well for deer as he thought. I steered him toward a nice Winchester 94 and he left happy. Would've been easy to bag on him, but I needed the sale. That's what I remember the most through a LOT of these types of stories I have, is the need to educate rather than ridicule or be confrontative. I needed the money so I had to work with them. Still smiled a lot and chuckled to myself at times too.

I also remember the time that an obviously gay couple came into the shop. The other guys I worked with just laughed and walked away from them. Being more secure in my masculinity than my colleagues, I asked these guys if I could help them. Ended up selling them an 870 police model and two pistols with case, holsters, ammo etc. They were sober, polite and listened to my answers to their questions. They even thanked me for my time. Didn’t get that much behind that counter. When I got my money for the sale, I refrained from asking my colleagues if they could tell which part of my check came from the “gay guys” they laughed at me for working with. Instead, I bought my co-workers all a cold one and then ended up selling a lot of mdse to all the other customers that those two gentlemen sent to me.

Just to show both sides of the counter...

 

[GlowinPontiac]

Not a gun store but if you ever worked any store this guy is hilarious. http://www.actsofgord.com/

funny but completely fake. no way that guy walked up and repeatedly punched a small child in front of his mother and didn't get arrested or shot.