Why My Work Colleagues Don't Buy Guns

[Newton]

That's a good point about the white shirt.

What I'm used to seeing is a red check Canadian loggers shirt with 2 of the buttons bearing 500 pounds of pressure as the gut tries to make its escape.

The beard is ok as long as I can't identify more than 2 previous meals the owner has consumed



Newton

 

[Tom Servo]

I'm torn on this. On one hand, shops where everybody shows up in Sunday clothes make me think of the big retail chains, where nobody has a clue. The gun business is one of those where you need someone who loves guns and KNOWS them, not somebody who took a two-hour class and is just there for a paycheck. It goes with the territory that some of those folks in the first category are going to be the Grizzly Adams type. Oh well. I'd rather get good advice from them than bad advice from Brad in the Hunting Accessories section.

The most important thing is that they're friendly, knowledgable and approachable. That's what the guys at my gunshop are like. Sure, it could look nicer, but I'm not going to Macy's. I expect the smell of Hoppe's in the air and the sound of gunshots out back

On the other hand, there's such a thing as good business. If they're elitist jerks, I'm out of there in a heartbeat. There's one such place near me, where I've overheard exactly the things you mention. They have no patience for the inexperienced, and they think their opinions have the authority of holy writ.

Newbies tend to ask redundant and uninformed questions. That's not a reason for sighing and eye-rolling, it's an opportunity for education. I can see where people could get turned off by that.

So yeah, a few gun retailers could learn a few things from other retailers, but I don't expect them to turn into car dealerships, either.

Big dittos on the subject of female employees, though. That's a perspective that's sorely missing from every place I know, and I can see where women could feel intimidated by entering into what they percieve to be an all-male atmospehere.

 

[cstreu1026]

Well I myself am very new to guns. I grew up in a non-gun owning family where they were seen as pointless weapons though I always had an interest. Well now that I am married and out on my own I decided to look into owning a gun. It helped that I went out with some friends who were gun owners to a range to try it out before putting down my hard earned cash on a piece of steel. I was very vervous and intimidated when I first went in to a gun shop because I really didn't know a whole lot. I am use to being the knowledgeable on and for once I was at least partially in the dark. I haven't found any place that I totally hate going to because the staff at the few shops I have visited are relavtively friendly and most are willing to answer my questions. My only real complaint was that the first thing th3e first person I talked to tried to do was sell me on a compact of subcompact glock that just didn't fit my had. I knew I didn't like it as soon as I picked it up but he continied to assure me that it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Fortunately he got busy with someone else and I got to talk to someone who was much more willing to show me all the options. I as a consumer greatly appreciate those members of the sales staff that offer their opinion and their knowlede with out pushing and more importantly with out bashing the competition.

Not long ago I found what very well could be the most perfect store I have been to yet. The staff is dressed professionally while not being over-dressed and intimidating. They are willing to help and are not pushy. I had 4 people talking to me about my options when I was there a couple of weeks ago to look into purchasing my first 1911. I spent more htan 2 hours int he store looking over my options and they never seemed tired of seeing my face. I haven't bought one yet but I am 99% sure it will come from there since they were so willing to help a new gun owner. Now if only they had an indoor range.

I know going in I had a lot of preconcieved notions about gun owners and gun stores. Thankfully most of them have been proven to be false.

 

[entropy]

Having been on both sides of the gun counter, and now stuck in the basement fixing them, I've seen just about every type mentioned so far. (I'm the guy with the plaid flannel shirt with the buttons straining under @500# pressure! Goatee, no food in it,[I just looked to make sure!] , and I do know what a soul patch is; just the part of the beard immediately under the lip. )
When I am called up to answer a question the counter guys can't, how I'm dressed isn't usually the issue. Knowlwdge is. Some people think I know a few things about guns, I guess. I have known shop people who think they know it all, but I know I don't. I am constantly learning in this field, and often it is from customers. I listen to what they are saying, restate it as a question, and recommend based on my own experiences, experiences of those whose knowledge I trust, and products I know will be right for them for what they want. Everybody working in a gunshop has their own preferences, and some only sell those. I work to find the best product, whether it be a gun, reloading equipment, ammo, or whatever, for that customer's needs.

PS- I'll take a clone of Tamara for our shop,please ; Knows her guns, tanks, etc. All that and looks, too...

 

[danbh]

Well if your going to buy a gun at Bernie's Sports north of Atlanta, chances are that you are going to be waited on by a nice little woman who knows more about guns than most of the people posting here.

Oh and by the way she is more intimidating than the other employees, all 100 pounds of her. By the way she's Bernie's daughter....

 

[Don Gwinn]

If I worked in a gun shop, I do believe I'd buy 6 or 7 THR polo shirts in dark colors and wear those. A polo is casual enough to satisfy me most of the time, but professional enough to satisfy most others.

But I wouldn't shave my oat. Not sure what that has to do with anything.

 

[Coltdriver]

Newton I can totally understand your experience.

Gunshops frequently have some of the biggest horses patoots on the planet behind the counter.

A salesmans job is to lead the customer to a conclusion, not to try and impress everyone around him or to put big words and asinine assumptions between themselves and the customer in order to preserve a small or inadequate salesmans ego.

And I absolutely agree that having a knowledgable woman behind the counter would be a plus.

The last thing I am interested in when I go to a gun store is the frequently loudly spoken political or current events opinion of the idiot behind the counter. The best ones get the guns out that I want to see and keep their mouths shut.

When I go look at guns and run into one of these idiots I dismiss them and don't talk to them. I do have to thank these same people for turning me to the web to purchase my guns. I do go look at what I want in the gun store then I go buy on the web. Nowadays I go to gun shows to look and do my shopping on line.

You might try the look at it here, buy it on the web approach with your friends. Offer plenty of disclaimers and apologies in advance and let them get a giggle out of the experience instead of taking it too seriously.

 

[GEM]

Sometimes when I travel, I go to a local gun store. My favorite was in Florida. In front there was a pseudotraffic sign that said "Perverts Parking Only". Inside the store dude was an old geezer wearing loose fitting baggy shorts, sitting on a directors chair that exposed his package -

Some of the industry magazines discuss this issue repeatedly. However, I find gun jerks in WalMart or Academy also. I now am assertive and knowledgeable enough, and cranky - so that I engage the beast in verbal battle and usually win.

But you know, small speciality shops have a high risk of such folks. Try to go to coin store sometime - same weird dudes.

So find a nice store and shop there.

 

[mfree]

I'd love to sell guns. I'd even wear a shirt and tie (since I used to anyways, in my previous sales experience).

Unfortunately 1) I can't afford to exclusively, and 2) the "extra time" i have in my day is when most places are closed. Damn these 50 hour weeks

As much gun info I chew down on boards like this and my own odd internet searches... I could be useful

Maybe when I retire I'll have my own store. Whoops, there's me making plans 40 years in advance again

 

[spacemanspiff]

[snicker] you all suckers with your fancy button downs and ties and polo shirts!

up here everything is so casual customers get confused for gunshop employees. and if you're the kind of customer that knows everyone at the gunshop anyways, they will expect you to help the customer out! usually its the menial stuff, like getting them a cup of coffee or showing them where the bathroom is.

thats all well and good, but when you start getting ordered to deliver paperwork or stack boxes or go pick up some shipping labels, you can resign yourself to being the 'gunshop gopher'.

which reminds me, i still havent seen the new and improved wild west guns.

 

[Bandit01]

What gives?

Dang, although I didn't finish reading all of the responses, this poor guy got chewed out. I do understand his humor in this and I will admit, now that I've gotten on the "inside" with the staff at my local range/supply store, I've noticed a certain arrogance towards new/inexperienced buyers. Actually, I get a kick out of it.

 

[jamz]

I think that the more comfortable and exposed we are to guns, the happier we are in the out-of-the-way, funky dingy shop that you just KNOW has a real diamond buried in there that with a little cleaning will be the best $99.00 gun you ever bought.

Speaking as someone who only recently became comfy around guns, I think my lucky stars that my local gunshop, Four Seasons Firearms was patient, helpful, and no BS right from the start.

I remember last year telling a guy at a counter that I wanted to buy "a gun". Had done a little reasearch, knew the differences in calibers and such, but was still pretty much a n00b at doing it all myself. Helpful courteous people can go a long long way getting a new person into RKBA and gun ownership in general. Since then, I've gotten all my guns and a safe from the same shop.

All gun shops would do well to remember that.

-James