Thus ends my brief career in gun sales

[Trebor]

Well, so much for that. For reasons not under my control my short career in firearms sales at a large chain sportings goods store is over.

It was fun. I learned a lot and meet some nice people. Some were fellow employees and some customers. Surprisingly, no real jerks.

There were a few interesting customers though. I had one 19 year old looking at a Rem 700 in .300 Win mag. I asked what kind of hunting he was going to do, thinking it was a little overkill for our local whitetails, and he said he didn't hunt and wanted it for target shooting. OooKay... I suggested that a .308 was a little more practical for that, but he said he "liked big calibers." No problem. He knew what he wanted, so I sold him the gun.

I also learned what I don't know. I know NOTHING about double-barrel sporting shotguns and not nearly as much as I thought I did about sporting shotguns in general. I did a lot of asking the other salespeople and learning from them.

The handgun sales were the most fun. Customers ranged from people who knew exactly what they wanted to guys who wanted to fondle every gun in the case (Hey, I'm like that too, so it was no problem to me...)

Btw, the 4473 is no more fun on the other side of the counter...

 

[Atticus]

"There were a few interesting customers though. I had one 19 year old looking at a Rem 700 in .300 Win mag. I asked what kind of hunting he was going to do, thinking it was a little overkill for our local whitetails, and he said he didn't hunt and wanted it for target shooting. OooKay... I suggested that a .308 was a little more practical for that, but he said he "liked big calibers." No problem. He knew what he wanted, so I sold him the gun. "

Oh man....I hate when people ask me what I NEED something for. There's lions in Ohio dammit .....people are seeing them all the time....which is why I need an African Safari caliber. It's foolish dreams that keep me alive.

 

[SASS#23149]

WHAT!!!! You're suppose to NEED a gun???!
What WILL they think of next that is as crazy an idea?

sorry to hear of the shorness of your 'career'.

 

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

There's lions in Ohio dammit...

And bears are becoming a real problem in PRNJ.

And then the famous tiger lady in the Pine Barrens, whose kitties kept escaping.

Lions.
And tigers.
And bears.
Oh, my!

Lions.
And tigers.
And bears.
Oh, my!

Lions.
And tigers.
And bears.
Oh, my!

Gotta get some sleep...

- pdmoderator

 

[victory]

the only reason you have to question someones need is when they ask you for the best rifle for mowing down postal workers or shooting down apache helicopters.

 

[Tamara]

Thus ends my brief career in gun sales...

Sorry to hear that.

I gotta tell you, after ten years, I still look forward to going to work in the mornings. Yesterday I woke up early so that I'd have time to go to another gun shop before I had to go to work at the gun shop. Last month I was thrilled when my boss told me I wouldn't have to work the gun show on Sunday. So what did I do? Went to the gun show on Sunday and just roamed around.

How many folks can really say that they love their job?

 

[Billy Sparks]

Hey I love my job....4:30 every day when I leave I love it. By the way Tamara, I hate you.

 

[bytor94]

I love my job at the gun store. I have made some really good friends and gotten first shot (pun intentional) at some nice deals from people that want to sell a gun. And yes some of the customers are not quite up to speed when it comes to guns, but if they are amiable to some advice we can usually help them out.

Last week a gentleman came in with his wife for her first time shooting. He was going to start her off with a .44! It took a few minutes but I convinced him that using my Neos would probably be better. She thanked me later for that while Mr. Mongo was washing his hands. {blush} She did try the .44 a couple of times, just wasn't her cup of tea. She does want to try some others later.

 

[BlkHawk73]

There were a few interesting customers though. I had one 19 year old looking at a Rem 700 in .300 Win mag. I asked what kind of hunting he was going to do, thinking it was a little overkill for our local whitetails, and he said he didn't hunt and wanted it for target shooting. OooKay... I suggested that a .308 was a little more practical for that, but he said he "liked big calibers." No problem.

Another that doesn't differenciate between caliber and cartridge. Should've really confused him and told him that both were the same caliber.

 

[FPrice]

As one ends, another begins...

Hmmmmm.

My career in gun sales should be starting in about two months. I retire the end of this month, take about two months off for my wife to have some surgery and recuperate, then help my local dealer move from one storefront to another, then begin working for him in sales and training (basic pistol course to fulfill MA Commonwealth law).

 

[NoBite]

FPrice, here's one guy hoping you will post some of your experiences when you start working behind the counter. I love reading these threads of interesting customer encounters!

 

[Onmilo]

I have been involved in the buisiness, full and part time, for twenty five years and I am still learning new things.
This is an ever changing industry with new trends and new goodies to entice potential buyers.
The customer may not really need it but what the heck, sell it to them anyway.

You didn't mention what caused your decision to leave so early in the game but I hope it wasn't an over enthusiastic general store manager, they know even less than you about the firearms trends.

A suggestion, If somebody wants to buy a weapon in this caliber or that don't suggest something else, just sell them what they want.
They may know exactly what they need or want and if they don't then allow them to experience the learning curve on their own terms.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

 

[ALS]

.300 Win mag. I asked what kind of hunting he was going to do, thinking it was a little overkill for our local whitetails, and he said he didn't hunt and wanted it for target shooting.

That is all I have done with my Blaser LRS2 in .300 Win Mag. All I shoot is 190 grain Sierra Match Kings out to 1000 yards with it. I will admit it is kind of brutal on the shoulder after 100 or so rounds.

 

[jdkelly]

I think that is a very good question...

Trebor,

I noticed that you didn't ask the young man "Why he needed" the .300 Win Mag, but rather what he was going to hunt with it.

I think that is a very good question to ask in order to understand your customers needs. Understanding your customer allows you to pass on what useful information you may have (if any), and could save your customer money.

Sorry to hear about your job, good luck!


Respectfully,

jdkelly

 

[Trebor]

JDkelley,

Good catch! I'd never ask a customer why they "need" a certain gun, but we were trained to ask questions about their use of the gun. That way we could reccomend other alternatives, if needed, and see if there were any other accessories or gear they might be interested in to go with the gun. If nothing else it's fun to talk with customers about their upcoming hunting trip or whatever.

Actually, the customer service and sales training was rather good. Much, much better than my last retail job, years and years ago. No high pressure sales, just try to find out what the customer wants or needs for his or activity and then show them the appopriate options. The store believes in building lifelong customers, not squeezing the most out of every single sale.

There were two "sales" I was particularlly proud of, and I didn't actually sell anything in either case.

The first was a guy who had just arranged to tag along on his buddy's deer hunting day. This would be his first time. He and his bud came in a couple days before the season started to get some last minute items.

At one point the guy turned to me and said "I'll need a rifle right? Can you sell me a deer rifle?" Now, we had HUNDREDS of "deer rifles" in every make and caliber. I'm sure we could have found something he liked.

Instead I just said "It's your first time. The hunt is a couple days away. I don't know that you'd even be able to sight in a new rifle by then. You should ask your buddy if he'll loan you a rifle. Then come back after the hunt and start shopping for a rifle for next year. You'll have a much better idea of what you want then."

His buddy agreed that was a good idea and said they'd figure out what rifle to loan him that night.

The other "non-sale" was to a woman who was going to buy the Berretta Tomcat .32 that her husband reccomended for CCW. She wasn't really enthusiased, but was willing to go along. I made sure she tried out every aspect of the gun and we quickly found out she couldn't manage the DA trigger pull. That scratched that gun off the list. We spent some time going over alternatives and she finally decided to borrow a gun for the CCW class first and then buy a gun later. I think she's better off for that.

As to why I left? It was a seasonal gig and personal circumstances beyond my control unfortunately required that they take me off the schedule before the season ended. It wasn't really my choice, or theirs, just the way things worked out. Bummer.

 

[Matt G]

I gotta tell you, after ten years, I still look forward to going to work in the mornings. Yesterday I woke up early so that I'd have time to go to another gun shop before I had to go to work at the gun shop. Last month I was thrilled when my boss told me I wouldn't have to work the gun show on Sunday. So what did I do? Went to the gun show on Sunday and just roamed around.

How many folks can really say that they love their job?

]

Billy Sparks said:
Hey I love my job....4:30 every day when I leave I love it. By the way Tamara, I hate you.

Heh. The person to really feel envy for is Tamara's customers. Tamara is a contentious, opinionated, often-cranky person to know, and I'm tickled to call her my friend. But I'd be more tickled to call her my friend who was my local gun salesperson. When was the last time you ran across a counterperson at a gun shop that knew as much about and was still as genuinely thrilled about the esoterica of firearms as our own Tamara?


Trebor, I'm sorry you're out of the game.

 

[jojo]

I'm glad for you Tamara.

I used to love my job, I really did. I looked forward to every new challenge, and nearly everyday had at least one. But alas, major corporations and their politics/games/general BS, have a way of taking it all away from you. Kind of like they see how much you like your job, and it becomes their mission to break you.........Well, now I look to Jan 2009 so I beat feet out the gate to never return

jojo

 

[carpettbaggerr]

By the way Tamara, I hate you.

Strange, I think I'm falling in love.

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

Yeah, I have this recurring dream that I finally get to meet Tamara and she shows me all around the gunshop and then invites me to view her personal collection that seems endless.

 

[Win75]

I have been working in a gun shop for about 2 1/2 years since my retirement from Missouri Department of Corrections.

There are too many stories for this space and hard to remember them all but here are a few.

Two young Marine Recruiters came in last year just after dark on the day before deer season opener. They want the most accurate rifle on the rack. I tried explaining the different type of ammo/bullet effects on accuracy and other variables. No, they wanted one that was powerful and ready to go. "They are sighted in at the factory, aren't they?" No, was my reply. "Well, they put the sights on at the factory so they should be sighted in", was their reply. This went on for a while when they finally said they wanted the Remington 700 BDL in 300 Win. Mag. I did bore sight the gun but I fully believe they did not sight it in before going hunting the next morning.

Then there is the "give me some 32 caliber ammo". What kind of gun do you have, revolver or semi auto. "Just give me some 32 ammo, it's all the same". I just told this guy I was out!!

And one of the best is the SOUND SHOT stories that I hear between customers. I used to be somewhat leary in the woods during deer season, but I am becoming paranoid.

David.