Big5 asking questions...
zurcher_c
Member Posts: 9 ✭
I was at a local Big5 and here's what happened. I sent this exact form to Big5 corporate also. What do you all think?
3 December 2022
I was in the Puyallup, WA store when a customer was looking at a firearm and the employee asked twice if he was just starting or adding to his collection of firearms. The first attempt of the question went unanswered by the customer but the second time the employee asked and used a tone to where it seemed the employee needed the answer, set the customer into a defensive demeanor.
After the customer left the next customer jokingly asked "Another fun day at the office?", the employee answered with "No, not if your doing your job right". So this is where my concern is. Here are a few questions I have:
* Are employees trained to ask how many guns a customer may or may not have?
* If the customer says "I have 20 guns" does that change the completion of the sale?
* If the customer says "I have no guns" does that change the the completion of the sale?
* Does Big5 as a whole find the question asked by the employee acceptable?
I am fully aware of the physical signs that would stop a firearm purchase such as intoxication (drugs and alcohol) and mental state but what does the question "Are you adding to your collection" achieve? It's a very invasive question and on top of that responsible gun owners are constantly being pressed and controlled by the anti-gun establishment. I've been all across the country to many small and large gun counters and never once have I ever heard that question asked. I would like to hear from you soon as this information will be forwarded to GOA, FPC and NRA to comb over the legalities. Thanks for your time and Merry Christmas.
Comments
I would look at them and say " its none of your business"........
The customer did and he was heated. A few colorful words and out he went.
Side Note: the employee had blue hair and most likely was apart of the liberal snowflake alphabet crowd. But that's an assumption..
I call Big5 The "anti gun" gun store. I haven't bothered to enter a Big5 since they refused to sell my brother, who was visiting from Arizona, a 22 rifle. This was 10-12 years ago.
I hope you don't take offense to this but I doubt you will hear back from Big5. I used to receive letters from folks during my working years that would say... I heard one of your employees/officers said this to ....... I would check with the named person and discuss the issue with them, but never sent any reply. IF a person contacted me and claimed they had been wronged/offended by one of my employees/Officers, I would invite them to put it in writing and then look into it.
I believe Big5 will see this as an attempt to get them to say something not in their best interest. I may be wrong, so if you do receive a reply, I would be interested in hearing about it ......
AND my answer would have been it is none of your business............
That's a great perspective and most likely will be the outcome. I did call the store to talk to the manager and asked if that was required to ask, which she beat around the bush and never answered. I tried 3 different ways for an answer. "If there's a reason to ask then what's the answer that would terminate the sale?"
Most likely I would have said not really.
I’m not familiar with Big5 nor have I ever heard of it. But I find it hard to believe they’re anti gun if their trying to sell guns in their store. I wasn’t there and never heard the question asked to the customer, is it possible that maybe you miss understood the sales man’s intent, maybe he was trying to break the ice in order to make a sale. Just because someone has blue hair doesn’t make them anti gun.
Hey, if you're not under oath,just lie.
Having worked the gun counter in the past, I wonder if the salesperson suspected that this was an attempted straw purchase? Without knowing what occurred before you heard him ask that question, it is possible something made him suspicious. If so then he may have been trying to do the right thing. I'm glad I am retired and don't have to worry about that stuff anymore. Bob
Seems innocent enough to me. Sales is a system of learning for both the buyer and the seller. You would not steer a 17 year old to a F-1 car to learn to drive nor would you sell a 460WM to a customer looking to hunt deer. The first rule is do not judge the potential buyer, do what you can to help and asking questions is the first step in helping.
The counter guy did not ask specific numbers questions; he asked a question that would enable him to better serve the customer. If it was a first time buyer the approach is different than someone who knows the port pressure requirements of the M1 Garand. If you guys are worried about people knowing you have other guns then you are most assuredly on the wrong forum!
If someone is a first time buyer they may be timid and afraid to look ignorant. Good counter people put them at ease and help them learn. A seasoned shooter with several gun safes full of firearms may be seeing something he did not know he might need or want. He too needs the help but in a different approach.
The counter guy asked a simple question all common courtesy would be is a simple answer. If you sold cars are you going to try and sell a standard cab pickup truck to a guy with six kids that needs triple row seating for the brood?
+1,,,,,,,
I agree completely......there is a gun store/range I frequented for a number of years. I purchased firearms and lots of accessories and ammo there. The owner for whatever reason decided some of the best customers, mainly a bunch of old farts like me were spending too much time around the shop and using the range. I used to bring in cookies and doughnuts from time to time and buy pizzas for everyone's lunch. I never came in the door without buying something before I left.
At most I spent an hour and a half there once a week and most of it was on the range which I have a paid membership for.... Once I got talked to by the manager (and a dozen other guys) I told the manager I would never buy another firearm there. He understood and said he completely understands my anger.
Now I still go there often, use the range, say hi to the counter guys, show them the new items I purchased elsewhere and leave. The owner asked the manager once why I have not been spending much money there lately......He told him you ticked him off....
as a side note to Bruces post, no the blue hair doesn't make them a liberal on its own, but it doesn't make them a gun person either. I was in the local Dunhams one day and a young fellow who was behind the counter with a green streak finally came down after about 5 minutes on his phone, I asked if they had any 28 gauges in stock. he looked at me funny turned looked at a few shotguns and turned and said he was pretty sure they didn't make a 28 gauge. I just told him maybe he needed to get off his phone and study up on a few shotguns if he was gonna be selling them.............
I have always considered odd-colored hair to be a litmus test for nutso. It goes right along with neck tattoos and pierced parts.
Having said that, the question asked may have been phrased badly, but may have been an attempt to be helpful or to start the best level of discussion. There's a huge difference between selling to a novice versus an experienced shooter.
And having said THAT, I do consider "Cinco Grande" to be a third-rate sporting goods store - at best. All their stock is cheap and of dubious quality. It's basically a shoe store, if you peruse their printed ads. I would not think any of their clerks knowledgeable about much of anything other than how to work the register. If that.
I would have simply asked him why he was asking the question. If I thought his answer reasonable, I would have politely declined to answer and taken my business elsewhere if it killed the sale.
If the answer was unreasonable, I would have asked to talk to his boss for further clarification.
Brad Steele