Why are gun shop employees/owners predominately dicks?

[mbills2223]

It isn't that way everywhere and is mostly a reflection of our Hoosier roots. There are not a lot of educated people in the gun business in Indiana. Most are relatively poor and operate poor businesses. In turn, they hire bumpkin employees.

It isn't that way everywhere. Many cities in the U.S. have some very nice gunshops. I was in G.A.T. Guns in the Chicago suburbs recently. Night-and-day difference from any shop here in the Indy area. The Northern burbs of Dallas also has some very good gun retailers. Educated, speak in complete sentences, not financially desperate, appear to have bathed recently......completely different than here.

Wow. I'm sure the LGS owners would be interested in your thoughts. Why not share with them?

 

[danielson]

WTF does education have to do with gun knowledge, and customer service???

 

[bigkahunasix]

It isn't that way everywhere and is mostly a reflection of our Hoosier roots. There are not a lot of educated people in the gun business in Indiana. Most are relatively poor and operate poor businesses. In turn, they hire bumpkin employees.

It isn't that way everywhere. Many cities in the U.S. have some very nice gunshops. I was in G.A.T. Guns in the Chicago suburbs recently. Night-and-day difference from any shop here in the Indy area. The Northern burbs of Dallas also has some very good gun retailers. Educated, speak in complete sentences, not financially desperate, appear to have bathed recently......completely different than here.

So much condescending WTF in this post I just had to quote it.

BK6

 

[eSC]

No, you should have addressed your concerns to either the shops manager or owner..

Oh yes, I should have immediately summoned the owner and told him that this rep thought the Colt I wanted was a piece of ****, and the way I don't draw is dangerous.

Awesome plan.

.. instead of whining on the internet about it where it has no impact on the issue.

I've addressed this already and I do believe it has an impact. There has been at least one LGS employee describe how they approach customers. That would indicate others are listening and by extension, soul searching.

Be you own man and address the issue intelligently and eloquently- Who knows, you might have helped someone else in the future as well as helping yourself.

Again, see above. If this were an isolated incident I would agree. Unfortunately it appears as thought it happens with regular frequency. My version of "being my own man" is to stop the conversation in its tracks. Politely thank them and walk the hell out of their shop, usually for good. It's not my job to "address" anyone that is simply a ass. Incompetent, purposefully misleading/dangerous? Yes. Merely irritating? No.

If you would have been reading you would already have discovered that one of the reasons I created this thread (whine as you call it) was to help.

As a former gunshop owner, I would have offered you a cup of coffee and a seat and addressed your issues concerning any aspect of my shop. And I believe you would get the same treatment from most LGS.

BK6

Yes, as an owner perhaps, but I doubt very seriously that the schmuck that works for them would. Nor would I care to. This isn't Hooterville- And I'm far too busy to have tea-time with every jerk I've come across in my thirty+ years of consumerism, firearm or otherwise.

I'm simply a customer that wants to trade money for goods without having to deal with static, not save everyone from themselves.

.

 

[Dorian Gray]

There is a certain gun shop in Granger I refuse to even deal with. The owner is such a blank, grump, unapproachable person that makes you feel like your wasting HIS time by walking in his shop. I will go out of my way to never deal with him again. I have a few friends/co workers that have walked out of his shop in the middle of a deal because of his rudeness.

Some folks say "oh thats the way he is, you have to know him". Well as a small business owner, no thats not acceptable. If you want my business I believe a little respect should be given. I guarantee if he wasn't in the business of guns he wouldn't have much a business due to his attitude.

Sorry didn't mean to thread jack.

 

[eSC]

There is a certain gun shop in Granger I refuse to even deal with. The owner is such a blank, grump, unapproachable person that makes you feel like your wasting HIS time by walking in his shop. I will go out of my way to never deal with him again. I have a few friends/co workers that have walked out of his shop in the middle of a deal because of his rudeness.

Some folks say "oh thats the way he is, you have to know him". Well as a small business owner, no thats not acceptable. If you want my business I believe a little respect should be given. I guarantee if he wasn't in the business of guns he wouldn't have much a business due to his attitude.

Sorry didn't mean to thread jack.

You didn't thread jack- that's dead on topic.

.

 

[saintnick81]

Pretty new to the forum and even newer to handgun ownership. Went into the local shop here in bedford(cosners) looking for a handgun, nothing specific, had a few models I wanted to handle. 3 people working and only one other customer in the store. Saw a couple things that I liked but couldn't even get anyone to acknowledge that I was there. Stood at the case for about 15 minutes, listening to the employees talk about what they were going to have for lunch, and then left. Very bad experience for a noob. Ended up at MC Sports in Bloomington and put a gun on layaway. Andy was extremely helpful, knowledgable, and even more importantly, patient with all my questions, even though he was very busy. Being new to buying guns, only other firearm is an 870, my advice to gun shops would be that with the current political environment there are going to be a lot of people purchasing guns for the first time and an experience like the one I had at cosners was a big turnoff.

 

[eSC]

Pretty new to the forum and even newer to handgun ownership. Went into the local shop here in bedford(cosners) looking for a handgun, nothing specific, had a few models I wanted to handle. 3 people working and only one other customer in the store. Saw a couple things that I liked but couldn't even get anyone to acknowledge that I was there. Stood at the case for about 15 minutes, listening to the employees talk about what they were going to have for lunch, and then left. Very bad experience for a noob. Ended up at MC Sports in Bloomington and put a gun on layaway. Andy was extremely helpful, knowledgable, and even more importantly, patient with all my questions, even though he was very busy. Being new to buying guns, only other firearm is an 870, my advice to gun shops would be that with the current political environment there are going to be a lot of people purchasing guns for the first time and an experience like the one I had at cosners was a big turnoff.

Sorry to hear about that.

By the way, if you are new new, please seek out a qualified instructor that will teach you even what the seasoned don't know.

The joy of handgun ownership is made greater the more safe/comfortable/proficient you are with them.

Enjoy your purchase!

.

 

[richardraw316]

You are absolutely right, and since you asked, it was Pops (also in case you didn't get my earlier hint - hehe)

Just looking around, he asked if he could help me (nice enough), I said;" No thanks, just looking" and then, after some holster banter I asked; "oh, you don't happen to have a Colt Mustang do you?" to which he replyed, 'No, you don't want a Mustang, they misfire all the time, you need to get you one of these' and pulled out a P238 right from his pocket. ($450 P238 v $600 Mustang I might add)

Nothing wrong with a P238 mind you, but I don't want a f'in P238, want a f'in Mustang! I need it for my collection! He didn't even try to figure out why I wanted that particular model, or why a P238 meant nothing to me, just immediately sh*t on it, telling me that the Mustang was inferior yanking the Ruger out of his pocket. And that pissed me off.

So, I politely thanked him, told him I was going to keep looking and walked out, and yeah, I don't think I'll be back. Too many other options.

The real trouble is, this is but one of many experiences as stated in my OP.

.

i was reading the whole thread thinking i had an experiance just like this at pop guns. then i read this post. now i think its the same guy.
i went in looking for a tuarus 24/7. the first thing he said was taurus is junk, you want a glock. Which was amazing cause i thought i wanted a taurus.
in the end, just seems to be this guy who feels the need to push his opinions on people. and of coarse push people out the door.
Shop at Bradis. They truly believe in customer service.
They will take care of you.

 

[mbills2223]

i was reading the whole thread thinking i had an experiance just like this at pop guns. then i read this post. now i think its the same guy.
i went in looking for a tuarus 24/7. the first thing he said was taurus is junk, you want a glock. Which was amazing cause i thought i wanted a taurus.
in the end, just seems to be this guy who feels the need to push his opinions on people. and of coarse push people out the door.
Shop at Bradis. They truly believe in customer service.
They will take care of you.

The thing is, a gun shop employee should be experienced enough to know better. If someone absolutely has a gun in mind, don't try to dissuade them! If a person comes in uncertain, that is an appropriate time to give advice! Many times I will even ask an employees opinion, but I don't expect it to be shoved down my throat. I've never had that problem at ITP.

(Jeesh, I'm turning into an ITP fan boy)

 

[bigkahunasix]

Oh yes, I should have immediately summoned the owner and told him that this rep thought the Colt I wanted was a piece of ****, and the way I don't draw is dangerous.

Awesome plan.



I've addressed this already and I do believe it has an impact. There has been at least one LGS employee describe how they approach customers. That would indicate others are listening and by extension, soul searching.



Again, see above. If this were an isolated incident I would agree. Unfortunately it appears as thought it happens with regular frequency. My version of "being my own man" is to stop the conversation in its tracks. Politely thank them and walk the hell out of their shop, usually for good. It's not my job to "address" anyone that is simply a ass. Incompetent, purposefully misleading/dangerous? Yes. Merely irritating? No.

If you would have been reading you would already have discovered that one of the reasons I created this thread (whine as you call it) was to help.



Yes, as an owner perhaps, but I doubt very seriously that the schmuck that works for them would. Nor would I care to. This isn't Hooterville- And I'm far too busy to have tea-time with every jerk I've come across in my thirty+ years of consumerism, firearm or otherwise.

I'm simply a customer that wants to trade money for goods without having to deal with static, not save everyone from themselves.

.

Another example of self-important pomposity from the younger generation.

Forget building a working relationship with a vendor, forget the "golden rule", forget about engaging face-to-face with a human being in a position to help you achieve your goals (in this case acquiring a specific item).

Hell, some of my best customers started out as yahoo's I detested. But through dialog and education I got them to help achieve my goals (sales) while helping them achieve theirs (purchases)....and along the way I gained several lifelong friends and business contacts.

(But that must be inconsequential because it was before the internet, when you HAD to interact with humans.)

BK6

 

[eSC]

the first thing he said was taurus is junk, you want a glock. Which was amazing cause i thought i wanted a taurus.

I lol'ed

And yes, I agree about Bradis, for the most part, they have been a pleasant place to shop for me.

.

 

[mbills2223]

Another example of self-important pomposity from the younger generation.


BK6

Easy with those generalizations!!!

 

[bigkahunasix]

Easy with those generalizations!!!

Unfortunately, the truth is often a bitter medicine to swallow.

BK6

 

[danielson]

Then you got the problem of some shops, where theres one ******* (who wont get fired cuz hes the guy who owns the place, or his son, or similar) and the rest of them are great.. I just think, rarely in life, can you accurately judge ANYTHING in one experience. Of course, alot of ppl choose to do that, and thats fine, its their lives.. But too many times, Ive heard "well, I went to lowes or walmart or kroger, and I asked for such n such, and the guy was rude as hell, I will never go back there.. How do you know the guy wasnt having the worst day in his life? Maybe his car was stolen that morning, or someone died.. This is where human interaction is key.. If you dont communicate, your mind fills in the questions with its own answers.

 

[mbills2223]

Unfortunately, the truth is often a bitter medicine to swallow.

BK6

I'm going to school, and subsequently work part time, in a field where 95% of the time I'm dealing with older generations. I could easily make the same assumption about Baby Boomers from my experience, but I know better.

 

[bigkahunasix]

Then you got the problem of some shops, where theres one ******* (who wont get fired cuz hes the guy who owns the place, or his son, or similar) and the rest of them are great.. I just think, rarely in life, can you accurately judge ANYTHING in one experience. Of course, alot of ppl choose to do that, and thats fine, its their lives.. But too many times, Ive heard "well, I went to lowes or walmart or kroger, and I asked for such n such, and the guy was rude as hell, I will never go back there.. How do you know the guy wasnt having the worst day in his life? Maybe his car was stolen that morning, or someone died.. This is where human interaction is key.. If you dont communicate, your mind fills in the questions with its own answers.

Best post in the entire screwed up thread. Bravo sir, you get it.

BK6

 

[eSC]

Another example of self-important pomposity from the younger generation.

Forget building a working relationship with a vendor, forget the "golden rule", forget about engaging face-to-face with a human being in a position to help you achieve your goals (in this case acquiring a specific item).

Hell, some of my best customers started out as yahoo's I detested. But through dialog and education I got them to help achieve my goals (sales) while helping them achieve theirs (purchases)....and along the way I gained several lifelong friends and business contacts.

(But that must be inconsequential because it was before the internet, when you HAD to interact with humans.)

BK6

Who are you calling young? I'm a half century old. I remember three channels and less than 75% b/w television saturation. Perhaps not as seasoned as you but damn close I'd wager- and a fellow vet as well.

And pomposity? Please.. Pop into a thread and defend the indefensible, telling the OP that they're whining and need to be "their own man", and you didn't expect to get a lash or two?

Buck up soldier. Age and the Internet have nothing to do with this.

.

 

[bigkahunasix]

I'm going to school, and subsequently work part time, in a field where 95% of the time I'm dealing with older generations. I could easily make the same assumption about Baby Boomers from my experience, but I know better.

As I have tried to point out in my posts, DIALOG is the key to a successful interaction with any other human.

Old and young are equally receptive to reasoned dialog and intelligent thought.

BK6

 

[eSC]

Best post in the entire screwed up thread. Bravo sir, you get it.

BK6

Ironically, you don't get it.

Have you missed all of the others that have had similar experiences? How is that even possible? It's got to be 10:1. Are we starting to learn why you no longer have a gun store?

Good lord.
.