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Well my family has been in the small business sector since 1923 so we must be doing something right. You see we have only 4 employees , my dad, my bro, me and my son so everyone who walks in our store it is our goal to make sure they leave with a good experience whether they buy something or not and you know why ? Cuz they are going to most likely come back and they will tell many others about us.. Free advertising . cant beat it. also it is MY SHOP and I take pride in it . .I do not want anyone to leave unhappy NO ONE.. We are open 7 DAYS a week and yes we sure do get tired but that goes with the territory. I agree with LF in one respect about not being able to be with every customer every minute but I make it a habit to greet them whe nthey first get in the door then ask them if we can help, if they say they are looking and I have some paper work to finish I tell them to give me a holler if the ywant to see something .. very simple.. If you guys are having trouble being treated like crap then its simple dont support these guys they dont deserve your business . They eventually go out of business and then it will bring us more customers.
I do have to say that there are quite a few bone heads we have to deal with on your side of the counter too though.. You know the guy who wants to handle everything , knows all the prices that he can get for wholesale, just bought 3 guns at Wally world and has to tell the whole shop about it , his trade in is worth more than I can sell it for , wants his gun fixed the same day, says he can drive 30 miles to walmart to buy his ammo $3.00 a box cheaper, has a choke in his shotgun he doesnt know how to change , doesnt know how to load his muzzleloader because the place he bought it didnt show him, the guy who expects you to leave 3 people at the gun counte rso you can issue him his fishing license. You get my point ?
You have to learn how to be a people person and how to deal with the public. I think many of these shops just hire guys and teach them about the products but these guys are not "people" persons , they dont know how to deal WITH THE CUSTOMER !There are times I come very close to losing it but always find a way to stay calm and be a professional.You see the customers can come in and pretty much act like they want , we dont have that luxury.
Amazing: I read this post yesterday, and refrained from replying to avoid upsetting all the dealers here.
Forty-Two posts later, two have shops they like, LF is the only dealer offended, and the VAST MAJORITY are disillusioned with their local gun shops.
The local gun shop here, should be re-named a private club. They are truly a clique. If you don't shoot big bore rifles, with special loads, they don't want to talk to you. I went in looking for a .22, and the guy tried to sell me a Barrett! No Kidding!
LF, I'm sure you do your best, but the gun shop is EXACTLY where the uneducated should be shopping. The gun shop counter is the perfect place for lessons in safe fire arm handling, cleaning, and anything else your customer needs to know. That is why you can charge a premium over the big box stores. JMHO I pass through Bing town from time to time. I will make it a point to stop, and shop one day.
I've dealt with one shop ever. Been there three times. I disagree with some of their prices but that's my Right. I have purchased a firearm from them, and I would do so again.
In your case DBV, my mentality would require me to say things like:
"Who's your guy at Colt? Can you call him now so I can talk to him?"
"Do you have it in writing that Colt stands behind this gun as if it had 'COLT' on the receiver?"
"So if the Colt line shuts down, there's a ban on buying this gun used, you say? How's that work?"
"Now that the mutual BS is over, can we talk guns?" [;)]
I learned an important rule when buying a car once- and I'm sure you know this one- don't go buying without knowing what's what, so you can BS the salesman right back[:D]
Anyone, know any Good Gun Shops in Houston let me know too. I haven't been up to Jim Pru-its shop yet, but I used to listen to him on the Radio before KLOL turn tejano, and I never really did find his humor that funny, since I get bored of fart jokes pretty quick. There is a shop at HWY 6 and CLay road that I keep meaning to stop in, but they are always closed when I am passing-by.
Avoid the the idiots and stay with your local dealer and be a good customer and your local guy will take care of you. He depends on your individual repeat business unlike the big stores.
quote:Originally posted by gunpaq
Avoid the the idiots and stay with your local dealer and be a good customer and your local guy will take care of you. He depends on your individual repeat business unlike the big stores.
That will require some recipical action on their part. If they want a customer to return they need to act like that's what they want. Like I say, there's two fairly local ones I won't even go in any more. One I was only in once(2001 or 2002) and the other I haven't been in since 1993.
quote: Their gunsmith was the worst of them all. After he told me to take a Hammer to the front sight of my AR to adjust it
this is a trick i learned from an armorer, i do not use a "hammer", i use a soft mallet and the advice was not all that bad, just the use of a "hammer" [:D]
I'm LEO for the past 26 years. i've got a gun shop in my town that wont even look my direction unless i put on the class "A's", badge, duty belt and all. I was a FFL dealer for some 10 years until i retired my license in '94, so i could pretty much walk into any shop and walk back out with whatever i wanted and get it at dealer price.Even with the impressive credentials i wouldnt shop in the affore mentioned shop. To date, they're barely still in business.Who do these people think they are? Ledgends in their own minds or misguided, misinformed, wannabe weekend warriors?quote:Originally posted by DBV
Don't know how it is in your areas, but as for me, I have had enough of gun shops. From now on, I'll buy from the chain stores any day. Here's why: I generally try to stop anywhere I see a gun shop, just to take a look around, compare prices, and look for good deals or unique items. Without exception, it's ALWAYS the same story.
1. Service: Starts off with a cold greeting, if any, and an attitude that suggests I'm not welcome. Is it a store or a club? As I look around with the staff watching me like a hawk, I get the distinct impression that they can't wait for me to leave. General questions (e.g. where are your holsters?) may or may not even merit a verbal response. Sometimes they answer as if it's the biggest annoyance ever; other times all I might get is a scowl and a look towards the item I've asked about. If they do engage in any discussion, it seems to really piss them off if you know what you're looking for, or actually seem to know something about it.
2. Dishonesty: I understand salesmanship; lying about products, however, is another matter. But the more I visit these shops, the more I realize how much these guys are doing wrong by people, particularly those who want to get into shooting, but are new to it. For example, of the past three shops I've visited, here are some pitches from the staff to the customer:
A. Staff to another customer regarding an over-priced Bersa .380: "That little gun is the best personal defense weapon out there. The Bersa .380 is the official issue pistol of the FBI. Oh, yea, it's powerful enough. The .380 mimics the .357 magnum in ballistics, just with less recoil. One of the best rounds out there; it'll really put 'em down."
B. Staff to customer regarding a used Jennings 9mm for $250: "The Jennings is every bit as good as a Glock. There's been a lot of tests done where the Jennings beat the Glock hands down. It's one of the best values out there. And you won't find 'em in this kind of shape for this good a price anywhere. They're really getting rare, and values are sky-rocketing."
C. Staff to ME regarding an Olympic Arms K-16 AR: "Colt makes this gun......exact same thing as a Colt, just costs less. I've been to the factory and seen them make 'em both on the same assembly line. Colt just uses the Olympic Arms name on some of them for tax purposes. Best part is.....you get a genuine Colt for WAY less. Can't beat that, my friend, no sir. Besides, you better snap this up today. Colt is shutting down production because of Obama. I talked to my guy at Colt just yesterday and he said as of January 20th they won't be making any more AR's EVER. No sir, not ever. If you don't get one by the 20th, there's no chance you ever will."
Note: I just handed him back the AR and told him I wouldn't by a rifle off a liar like him if it was $1, and walked out.
I know some of y'all are shop owners and workers. Please take no offense......these are just my experiences. Unfortunately, I've had a lot of them. Enough to keep me away from small shops. Yea, the kid at Wal-Mart, Bass Pro, or Dicks may be an idiot, but at least I can shop there without being hassled, lied to, or given the cold shoulder.
DBMJR1.....the difference between the shoppers that are totally new to the gun world and these guys is night and day. A person that is obviously out of their element gets all the info I can MAKE them listen to.
BUT...there is a certain amount of liability you really don't want to put upon yourself. I can talk all day about safety and loaded chambers....but I'd really rather the first time gun buyers learn the basics by going to the range or taking a safety course.
I had a 90 yr old man who I just couldn't tell a thing to......he wanted a HUGE automatic.....and I spent SOOOOO much time with him trying to get him to see what I was telling him. He ended up shooting his fridge and later came back to buy what I was TRYING to get him to buy.
I can't see where people think the gun store's service responsibility stops.... Has anyone actually seen these types of transactions take place? Its sometimes like a square peg/round hold thing..... I can't explain it very well, but gun shops have a hard time a LOT of the time.
More experienced gun buyers are sometimes just as hard. "What can you get me a good 308 for?" I call around and get prices on a few GOOD 308s.....starting in the $1200 range and going up. Two weeks later this nim-rod shows up to get a copy of my license because HE IS SNOTTINGLY PROUD TO SAY....he has found a Cetme on line for $800.....(now he has the attitude that either I was trying to stiff him ORRRR that he should be a gun dealer himself because he KNOWS how to find a deal.) Guaranteed that I will see him in two months or sooner because his turd-gun that he paid double what its worth won't work.
Nobody can explain what a gun dealer should be like. Its lucky we have any at all with how hard it is to do.
quote:Originally posted by USN_Airdale
quote: Their gunsmith was the worst of them all. After he told me to take a Hammer to the front sight of my AR to adjust it
this is a trick i learned from an armorer, i do not use a "hammer", i use a soft mallet and the advice was not all that bad, just the use of a "hammer" [:D]
Actually the Barrel needed to be reindexed. Sent the upper back to Bushmaster and they fixed it. Tried to show the Gunsmith that the gas tube for some reason was bent, that how far the barrel was out. Bushmaster had to replace the gas tube.
quote:Originally posted by Locust Fork
DBMJR1.....the difference between the shoppers that are totally new to the gun world and these guys is night and day. A person that is obviously out of their element gets all the info I can MAKE them listen to.
BUT...there is a certain amount of liability you really don't want to put upon yourself. I can talk all day about safety and loaded chambers....but I'd really rather the first time gun buyers learn the basics by going to the range or taking a safety course.
I had a 90 yr old man who I just couldn't tell a thing to......he wanted a HUGE automatic.....and I spent SOOOOO much time with him trying to get him to see what I was telling him. He ended up shooting his fridge and later came back to buy what I was TRYING to get him to buy.
I can't see where people think the gun store's service responsibility stops.... Has anyone actually seen these types of transactions take place? Its sometimes like a square peg/round hold thing..... I can't explain it very well, but gun shops have a hard time a LOT of the time.
More experienced gun buyers are sometimes just as hard. "What can you get me a good 308 for?" I call around and get prices on a few GOOD 308s.....starting in the $1200 range and going up. Two weeks later this nim-rod shows up to get a copy of my license because HE IS SNOTTINGLY PROUD TO SAY....he has found a Cetme on line for $800.....(now he has the attitude that either I was trying to stiff him ORRRR that he should be a gun dealer himself because he KNOWS how to find a deal.) Guaranteed that I will see him in two months or sooner because his turd-gun that he paid double what its worth won't work.
Nobody can explain what a gun dealer should be like. Its lucky we have any at all with how hard it is to do.
You fail to see, apparently, that gun shops are like car lots.
"window" shoppers expect to be greeted and treated "nice" like a customer with cash in hand ready to buy. People ( gun shop owner included) are experts in the mind of people who belive them to BE experts. Gun shop owners are usually not trusted any more than car salesmen. The exist to sell a product and make a buck. Generally they don't care MUCH after the sale, as they blame everything execpt themselves for selling a lemon.
MAYBE you don't fit that description, and maybe you do, I don't know. Point being, your not the ONLY shop to buy from, and neither is anyone else. Better to be the best you can be, and keep sales going, or look for a new line of work.
some of the dealers around here act like you being in their store is a privilege. I had a dealer at one shop here tell me he wasnt quiting his card game they were playing to get up and get ma a sight elevator for a .22 rifle that only cost 1.25..Needless to say this shop went out of busineess in less than 3 months..
Last time I was in Jacksonville NC I visited every gunshop in the area. Really wish I would have had some more cash when I was there.
Every shop I stopped at they talked your head off, good folks.
Thats kind of why I don't like the ones in my area now. I've seen what a good shop is like.
I do have a good gunsmith in the area. Need to take one of my rifles to him and have some work done. He is one of the good ones does not try to rip folk off. He was recomended to me by others who just love the work he has done.
There is a shop here alot like the ones mentioned here. I avoid shopping there as much as I can. They are always packed twenty customers deep with three salespeople on the weekends. No room to move around in the store. I had to buy a Springfield XD45 subcompact there just a couple weeks ago and the chick behind the counter was saying how good the night sites are( only one in stock) And how if you wanted to put night sites on a standard model you would have to send it to the factory to get it done. What a load of crap. I told her to quit losing the sale by lying and just get the damn paperwork.
I notice several people here said that "once they got to know me" everything was OK. Well that's just bad business. I shouldn't have to be known just to be recieved in a friendly, helpful manner.
Several times I have tried to order guns. The dealer said he couldn't get them. I called a distributor who said he had them, told the dealer and he said, "I don't order from them." I finally found a guy with an FFL who would order anything from any place that he could get it, for $25 over cost. After I did business with him 6 or 7 times, he quit charging me and let me order whatever I wanted at cost. I've never needed a dealer since. I've never been to a dealer who could do any warranty work or take care of a problem other than by sending it back, and I can do that myself.
No mystery here at all.
In 1968, to survive in an intensively competitive business, service, friendliness, and professionalism were required.
1968 created a system of government run businesses ..operating under federal law.
The requirements were lax enough so that there was still competition out there ..but one could watch the steady decrease in civility at the gun shops.
During the last ten years, due to LOTS of pressure from the dealer organizations, among other things, the number of FFLs dropped from 300 thousand to 70 or so thousand.
Those surviving know full well that if you want a new weapon, you WILL deal with them.
Right out the door goes any semblance of civility from government protected businesses ..no difference then down at the local Tag Agency or any other government office.
The entire FFL structure is nothing except private business gathering lists for government...doing a job denied government by the Constitution.
I just read the whole thread and was trying to think of or remember ever going into a bad gunshop.
I have found that if you go in there with a freindly demeaner and don't lurk in a corner like a shifty presence nervously glancing at the counter person expecting them to massage you along with a purchase, all of the ones I go into are good.
I think communication is a two way street and I even find it entertaining to hear the kids working the counter at Sportsmans Wharehouse run out of information after 30 seconds and then start making it up on the fly.
I seriously can't remember a bad experience in any gun shop and I have been in several across the western states.
I guess I wonder about your treatment at PSS. You were a real buyer not just a talker .As I see it, any owner has to deal with window shoppers (I'll be polite here)! I have not been accepted from some of the folks that hang around PSS but my purchases have led Bob to treat me as a real buyer and not a want-to-be.
B.T.W., I have been to your dealer a couple of years ago - that has now closed, after your suggestion when we met a couple miles north of town.
quote:Originally posted by bobski
let me guess...you have a bad date with girl and all girls are freaks?[:I]
why not just tell us WHICH gun shop gave you a bad date, and dont include ALL gun shops as your topic. [8]
Well, how about this. I'll leave it at ALL of them, and let you know specifics if I ever find a shop where the owner and/or workers don't have their heads up their a$$es.
You cant tell a real buyer from a window shopper! Ive left many shops with a pocket full of cash cause jerks behind counter couldn't even say hello.
Was in a shop last week looking for a lower and goof tells me thats not a good way to go and I should buy a complete rifle. Whos $$$ is it anyway? I told him I alredy have a box AR, whats wrong with building my own? Then headed for the door.
I've been in a couple that had quite nice people working there, people interested in making a sale but not twisting your arm. I've been in quite a few where it almost seemed that they were annoyed that I was there.
On occasion I have gotten the "I know more than you about guns" attitude. Once the guy behind the counter started talking to me about a .45 ACP revolver, and how his buddy was a lawman down in Texas and how he'd killed five men with it. I listened politely for a bit, then started to mosey over to the door, and he followed right along. I listened some more, and then slid out the door. He followed right along, still talking about wound channels, tissue destruction, etc. I then started walking to my car. Yes, he followed me right to my car.
The majority of times I've been in gun stores, I've been disappointed / annoyed by the service. I often wonder how good business has to be that a business owner can be rude to customers. Really odd.
Comments
I do have to say that there are quite a few bone heads we have to deal with on your side of the counter too though.. You know the guy who wants to handle everything , knows all the prices that he can get for wholesale, just bought 3 guns at Wally world and has to tell the whole shop about it , his trade in is worth more than I can sell it for , wants his gun fixed the same day, says he can drive 30 miles to walmart to buy his ammo $3.00 a box cheaper, has a choke in his shotgun he doesnt know how to change , doesnt know how to load his muzzleloader because the place he bought it didnt show him, the guy who expects you to leave 3 people at the gun counte rso you can issue him his fishing license. You get my point ?
You have to learn how to be a people person and how to deal with the public. I think many of these shops just hire guys and teach them about the products but these guys are not "people" persons , they dont know how to deal WITH THE CUSTOMER !There are times I come very close to losing it but always find a way to stay calm and be a professional.You see the customers can come in and pretty much act like they want , we dont have that luxury.
Forty-Two posts later, two have shops they like, LF is the only dealer offended, and the VAST MAJORITY are disillusioned with their local gun shops.
The local gun shop here, should be re-named a private club. They are truly a clique. If you don't shoot big bore rifles, with special loads, they don't want to talk to you. I went in looking for a .22, and the guy tried to sell me a Barrett! No Kidding!
LF, I'm sure you do your best, but the gun shop is EXACTLY where the uneducated should be shopping. The gun shop counter is the perfect place for lessons in safe fire arm handling, cleaning, and anything else your customer needs to know. That is why you can charge a premium over the big box stores. JMHO I pass through Bing town from time to time. I will make it a point to stop, and shop one day.
I hear Spreewerk went out of business in 1945
Seems to me I can still buy their pistols [:D]
I've dealt with one shop ever. Been there three times. I disagree with some of their prices but that's my Right. I have purchased a firearm from them, and I would do so again.
In your case DBV, my mentality would require me to say things like:
"Who's your guy at Colt? Can you call him now so I can talk to him?"
"Do you have it in writing that Colt stands behind this gun as if it had 'COLT' on the receiver?"
"So if the Colt line shuts down, there's a ban on buying this gun used, you say? How's that work?"
"Now that the mutual BS is over, can we talk guns?" [;)]
I learned an important rule when buying a car once- and I'm sure you know this one- don't go buying without knowing what's what, so you can BS the salesman right back[:D]
Avoid the the idiots and stay with your local dealer and be a good customer and your local guy will take care of you. He depends on your individual repeat business unlike the big stores.
That will require some recipical action on their part. If they want a customer to return they need to act like that's what they want. Like I say, there's two fairly local ones I won't even go in any more. One I was only in once(2001 or 2002) and the other I haven't been in since 1993.
this is a trick i learned from an armorer, i do not use a "hammer", i use a soft mallet and the advice was not all that bad, just the use of a "hammer" [:D]
Don't know how it is in your areas, but as for me, I have had enough of gun shops. From now on, I'll buy from the chain stores any day. Here's why: I generally try to stop anywhere I see a gun shop, just to take a look around, compare prices, and look for good deals or unique items. Without exception, it's ALWAYS the same story.
1. Service: Starts off with a cold greeting, if any, and an attitude that suggests I'm not welcome. Is it a store or a club? As I look around with the staff watching me like a hawk, I get the distinct impression that they can't wait for me to leave. General questions (e.g. where are your holsters?) may or may not even merit a verbal response. Sometimes they answer as if it's the biggest annoyance ever; other times all I might get is a scowl and a look towards the item I've asked about. If they do engage in any discussion, it seems to really piss them off if you know what you're looking for, or actually seem to know something about it.
2. Dishonesty: I understand salesmanship; lying about products, however, is another matter. But the more I visit these shops, the more I realize how much these guys are doing wrong by people, particularly those who want to get into shooting, but are new to it. For example, of the past three shops I've visited, here are some pitches from the staff to the customer:
A. Staff to another customer regarding an over-priced Bersa .380: "That little gun is the best personal defense weapon out there. The Bersa .380 is the official issue pistol of the FBI. Oh, yea, it's powerful enough. The .380 mimics the .357 magnum in ballistics, just with less recoil. One of the best rounds out there; it'll really put 'em down."
B. Staff to customer regarding a used Jennings 9mm for $250: "The Jennings is every bit as good as a Glock. There's been a lot of tests done where the Jennings beat the Glock hands down. It's one of the best values out there. And you won't find 'em in this kind of shape for this good a price anywhere. They're really getting rare, and values are sky-rocketing."
C. Staff to ME regarding an Olympic Arms K-16 AR: "Colt makes this gun......exact same thing as a Colt, just costs less. I've been to the factory and seen them make 'em both on the same assembly line. Colt just uses the Olympic Arms name on some of them for tax purposes. Best part is.....you get a genuine Colt for WAY less. Can't beat that, my friend, no sir. Besides, you better snap this up today. Colt is shutting down production because of Obama. I talked to my guy at Colt just yesterday and he said as of January 20th they won't be making any more AR's EVER. No sir, not ever. If you don't get one by the 20th, there's no chance you ever will."
Note: I just handed him back the AR and told him I wouldn't by a rifle off a liar like him if it was $1, and walked out.
I know some of y'all are shop owners and workers. Please take no offense......these are just my experiences. Unfortunately, I've had a lot of them. Enough to keep me away from small shops. Yea, the kid at Wal-Mart, Bass Pro, or Dicks may be an idiot, but at least I can shop there without being hassled, lied to, or given the cold shoulder.
BUT...there is a certain amount of liability you really don't want to put upon yourself. I can talk all day about safety and loaded chambers....but I'd really rather the first time gun buyers learn the basics by going to the range or taking a safety course.
I had a 90 yr old man who I just couldn't tell a thing to......he wanted a HUGE automatic.....and I spent SOOOOO much time with him trying to get him to see what I was telling him. He ended up shooting his fridge and later came back to buy what I was TRYING to get him to buy.
I can't see where people think the gun store's service responsibility stops.... Has anyone actually seen these types of transactions take place? Its sometimes like a square peg/round hold thing..... I can't explain it very well, but gun shops have a hard time a LOT of the time.
More experienced gun buyers are sometimes just as hard. "What can you get me a good 308 for?" I call around and get prices on a few GOOD 308s.....starting in the $1200 range and going up. Two weeks later this nim-rod shows up to get a copy of my license because HE IS SNOTTINGLY PROUD TO SAY....he has found a Cetme on line for $800.....(now he has the attitude that either I was trying to stiff him ORRRR that he should be a gun dealer himself because he KNOWS how to find a deal.) Guaranteed that I will see him in two months or sooner because his turd-gun that he paid double what its worth won't work.
Nobody can explain what a gun dealer should be like. Its lucky we have any at all with how hard it is to do.
quote: Their gunsmith was the worst of them all. After he told me to take a Hammer to the front sight of my AR to adjust it
this is a trick i learned from an armorer, i do not use a "hammer", i use a soft mallet and the advice was not all that bad, just the use of a "hammer" [:D]
Actually the Barrel needed to be reindexed. Sent the upper back to Bushmaster and they fixed it. Tried to show the Gunsmith that the gas tube for some reason was bent, that how far the barrel was out. Bushmaster had to replace the gas tube.
Also Bushmaster fixed this no charge.
DBMJR1.....the difference between the shoppers that are totally new to the gun world and these guys is night and day. A person that is obviously out of their element gets all the info I can MAKE them listen to.
BUT...there is a certain amount of liability you really don't want to put upon yourself. I can talk all day about safety and loaded chambers....but I'd really rather the first time gun buyers learn the basics by going to the range or taking a safety course.
I had a 90 yr old man who I just couldn't tell a thing to......he wanted a HUGE automatic.....and I spent SOOOOO much time with him trying to get him to see what I was telling him. He ended up shooting his fridge and later came back to buy what I was TRYING to get him to buy.
I can't see where people think the gun store's service responsibility stops.... Has anyone actually seen these types of transactions take place? Its sometimes like a square peg/round hold thing..... I can't explain it very well, but gun shops have a hard time a LOT of the time.
More experienced gun buyers are sometimes just as hard. "What can you get me a good 308 for?" I call around and get prices on a few GOOD 308s.....starting in the $1200 range and going up. Two weeks later this nim-rod shows up to get a copy of my license because HE IS SNOTTINGLY PROUD TO SAY....he has found a Cetme on line for $800.....(now he has the attitude that either I was trying to stiff him ORRRR that he should be a gun dealer himself because he KNOWS how to find a deal.) Guaranteed that I will see him in two months or sooner because his turd-gun that he paid double what its worth won't work.
Nobody can explain what a gun dealer should be like. Its lucky we have any at all with how hard it is to do.
You fail to see, apparently, that gun shops are like car lots.
"window" shoppers expect to be greeted and treated "nice" like a customer with cash in hand ready to buy. People ( gun shop owner included) are experts in the mind of people who belive them to BE experts. Gun shop owners are usually not trusted any more than car salesmen. The exist to sell a product and make a buck. Generally they don't care MUCH after the sale, as they blame everything execpt themselves for selling a lemon.
MAYBE you don't fit that description, and maybe you do, I don't know. Point being, your not the ONLY shop to buy from, and neither is anyone else. Better to be the best you can be, and keep sales going, or look for a new line of work.
Every shop I stopped at they talked your head off, good folks.
Thats kind of why I don't like the ones in my area now. I've seen what a good shop is like.
I do have a good gunsmith in the area. Need to take one of my rifles to him and have some work done. He is one of the good ones does not try to rip folk off. He was recomended to me by others who just love the work he has done.
Several times I have tried to order guns. The dealer said he couldn't get them. I called a distributor who said he had them, told the dealer and he said, "I don't order from them." I finally found a guy with an FFL who would order anything from any place that he could get it, for $25 over cost. After I did business with him 6 or 7 times, he quit charging me and let me order whatever I wanted at cost. I've never needed a dealer since. I've never been to a dealer who could do any warranty work or take care of a problem other than by sending it back, and I can do that myself.
In 1968, to survive in an intensively competitive business, service, friendliness, and professionalism were required.
1968 created a system of government run businesses ..operating under federal law.
The requirements were lax enough so that there was still competition out there ..but one could watch the steady decrease in civility at the gun shops.
During the last ten years, due to LOTS of pressure from the dealer organizations, among other things, the number of FFLs dropped from 300 thousand to 70 or so thousand.
Those surviving know full well that if you want a new weapon, you WILL deal with them.
Right out the door goes any semblance of civility from government protected businesses ..no difference then down at the local Tag Agency or any other government office.
The entire FFL structure is nothing except private business gathering lists for government...doing a job denied government by the Constitution.
I have found that if you go in there with a freindly demeaner and don't lurk in a corner like a shifty presence nervously glancing at the counter person expecting them to massage you along with a purchase, all of the ones I go into are good.
I think communication is a two way street and I even find it entertaining to hear the kids working the counter at Sportsmans Wharehouse run out of information after 30 seconds and then start making it up on the fly.
I seriously can't remember a bad experience in any gun shop and I have been in several across the western states.
Its a gun shop, not a beauty salon.
why not just tell us WHICH gun shop gave you a bad date, and dont include ALL gun shops as your topic. [8]
Former Member U.S. Navy Shooting Team
Former NSSA All American
Navy Distinguished Pistol Shot
MO, CT, VA.
I guess I wonder about your treatment at PSS. You were a real buyer not just a talker .As I see it, any owner has to deal with window shoppers (I'll be polite here)! I have not been accepted from some of the folks that hang around PSS but my purchases have led Bob to treat me as a real buyer and not a want-to-be.
B.T.W., I have been to your dealer a couple of years ago - that has now closed, after your suggestion when we met a couple miles north of town.
let me guess...you have a bad date with girl and all girls are freaks?[:I]
why not just tell us WHICH gun shop gave you a bad date, and dont include ALL gun shops as your topic. [8]
Well, how about this. I'll leave it at ALL of them, and let you know specifics if I ever find a shop where the owner and/or workers don't have their heads up their a$$es.
Was in a shop last week looking for a lower and goof tells me thats not a good way to go and I should buy a complete rifle. Whos $$$ is it anyway? I told him I alredy have a box AR, whats wrong with building my own? Then headed for the door.
On occasion I have gotten the "I know more than you about guns" attitude. Once the guy behind the counter started talking to me about a .45 ACP revolver, and how his buddy was a lawman down in Texas and how he'd killed five men with it. I listened politely for a bit, then started to mosey over to the door, and he followed right along. I listened some more, and then slid out the door. He followed right along, still talking about wound channels, tissue destruction, etc. I then started walking to my car. Yes, he followed me right to my car.
The majority of times I've been in gun stores, I've been disappointed / annoyed by the service. I often wonder how good business has to be that a business owner can be rude to customers. Really odd.