Why are gun shop employees/owners predominately dicks?

[danielson]

Too many people with an overactive sense of entitlement these days..

 

[88E30M50]

Every gun shop I've been to has had dud employees. But, every shop I've been to has also had great employees as well. One gun shop has high prices, but the employees will call me when they get something they know I'm looking for. They have also lent me reloading equipment and books from their personal collection. Yet, there are a couple of guys that work there that just don't seem to want my business.

One shop I frequent has fantastic customer service and is highly regarded by most of the folks on this forum, yet even they have a couple of young guys that can be more interested in talking guns among themselves than with a customer.

In one shop I frequent 2/3 of the guys are worthless, but the others make up for it. I've gotten some good deals at that shop, but if you get the wrong guy, you would hate the place. I've even had good conversations with some of the guys behind the counter at Gander Mtn.

My point is that every shop has guys that are not the best around. Sometimes they are just having a bad day and other times it's a permanent condition. A single bad experience will not put me off totally, but a string of them will. There are shops that I will not go to though because of universally bad reviews. Don's tops that list. I really should go there just to appreciate the other shops that much more. I'd never drop a dime in there, but it could be entertaining to see.

 

[SERparacord]

I've found most bad employees are relatives of the owner. No one else would hire them, he had to.

 

[TopDog]

I have said it before and I will say it again. We are lucky here in Indiana to have a large number of really good gun shops. Try living in some places where gun shops could give a crap less if you are not a native. From the comments I think some of us have become spoiled. Grow a thicker skin for crying out loud. People are always going to be people. People are going to have a bad day, people are going to make mistakes. A little give and take goes a long way.

Right now during what I can only describe as a trying time for all and any that are gun enthusiasts either as customers or sellers we should be giving each other at least some consideration.

Learn to get along. The internet has turned some into whining whelps. If you have a problem, confront it, don't walk away and then whine to a group of faceless made up names on the internet.

 

[Hookeye]

How dare you come on this forum and make sense!

 

[Cemetery-man]

Every gun shop I've been to has had dud employees. But, every shop I've been to has also had great employees as well.

This. ^^^^^

Right now during what I can only describe as a trying time for all and any that are gun enthusiasts either as customers or sellers we should be giving each other at least some consideration.

And this ^^^^^

 

[KellyinAvon]

I don't have much of an issue with the LGS I frequent. "Crusty" might be used to describe some of them, but if you know guns I'll look past that.

 

[churchmouse]

Looking through this thread I see a lot of "Us" have become spoiled. It is easy to get on line and find a low dollar deal for about anything and just wait for it to land on your porch. I really prefer to look at what I am buying if possible. Guns especially. I have not and will never buy one without touching it. For this reason I think some folks want the LGS to show a bit of appreciation for the business they bring.
That said, when I am ready to break out several hundred from my budget for a gun (sometimes more) it makes sense that customer service is part of that package.
I look past some of the issues mentioned (crusty etc.) and focus on why I am in the store. 2 of my favored LGS are full of conversation and friendship. 1 not so much as they are always slammed. The last one is mainly just for a purchase as they are slammed as well. Never has been a store you can strike up a conversation in. Look at each place for what it is and use it as such. I have made many friends and had good experiences for the most part in the LGS frequent.
These places are under the gun (pun intended) right now and over whelmed with newbies and idiots looking for things that are not available right now.

 

[EvilElmo]

I must be pretty fortunate. I've only been to one gun shop where the employees were jerks. Fortunately I have a number of them to choose from so I just go elsewhere now.

 

[drillsgt]

I've found most bad employees are relatives of the owner. No one else would hire them, he had to.

There's some truth to this statement, some of the worst small businesses I have dealt with have been because of the owners kids who work there. The parent built it up and the kids went to work there with a sense of entitlement and just brought the business down. One exception I have seen so far is Highsmith's in Greenfield.

 

[wally05]

I used to be a manager in a major retail chain until I went back to LE. I've said it on here before, but there is real no excuse for ahole shop owners/employees. It's not "being spoiled", it's proper customer service. We have a ton of great shops here in Indiana, though. I find it a rare occurrence that i have bad experience here. Pittsburgh was another story.

 

[Steelman]

I think there are two classes of gun shop employees:

1. Rambo's younger brother

2. People who realize that they are dealing with firearms and a public with an unknown level of training. They have to keep you from accidentally shooting holes in the store, it's patrons or it's employees.

Weapons must be safety checked. Muzzles have to be pointed in a safe direction. Fingers off of triggers.

I've never worked in a gun shop, but I can imagine the frustration.

 

[Dirtebiker]

Oh forgive me for having been raised to expect courteous service.

Is it that awful to point out the lack thereof on a board of like-minded consumers/retailers in hopes that it may open some eyes?

Or should I just shut the hell up and not let them know that they are walking away from sales?

Poor reputations like those of used car salesmen and lawyers are earned. Are you saying we should all help our merchants fall into the same category with "well mannered" silence?

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Personally, I have no problem with anyone coming on here and discussing a bad (or good) experience. But if your goal is to "open some eyes" (depending on whose), wouldn't it be better to address the shop and/or the employee rather than, or in addition to this thread?

 

[LarryC]

I have one last comment - probably 50 to 75% of all people that visit a GS are like me - looking at the merchandise, prices to see if there is something we can't live without or just price comparing with other GS's and internet businesses to see what is the best deal. If I want to be interrupted I will ask for help as soon as I see a salesclerk free. If you want to ask questions or to buy something and don't ASK for service - in my opinion you are as much as fault as the salesperson. He has probably watched you for 10 minutes or so and saw you look at 30 -50 firearms - from Shotguns to Military to Handguns and figures you are browsing. If you want help ASK! If I want information on a certain type of firearm I ask, then compare what I am told with what I already know! As I have been collecting and studying firearms for well over 20 years - I usually have a decent knowledge of 90% of all arm in GS's. If the guy doesn't know what he is talking about - I gently correct him and ask if someone else in the shop knows more about the weapon. As I have said before, I can't remember the last time I have left a gunshop upset. If or when this ever happens, the owner and every clerk in the store WILL KNOW IT and have a chance to correct the situation before I leave!

 

[cbseniour]

They are the way they are mostly because of the people they deal with every day.

 

[wally05]

They are the way they are mostly because of the people they deal with every day.

If that was the case, then I'd be a giant ahole as i dealt with some real winners over my time as a manager. But, my wife and friends think I'm a nice guy. Maybe they are biased?

 

[leakywaders]

then they need to get out of retail!

 

[BRILEY]

I hear all the time about bad experiences people have at local gun shops.. the "salespeople" tend to be rude, condescending know-it-alls. Not all of course, but a great deal of them to be sure. I normally blow it off, well, until today...

It happened yet again, to me.

If I had a f'in dollar for every time I asked about a specific (firearm, holster,ammo, etc), even if it's on their shelf, and was met immediately with: "Oh no, you don't want that, that's a big, heaping POS. What you want is (insert whatever the hell I pull out of my f'in bin, pocket or holster)", I'd have all of those items that I should or should not have considered!

It's not even a premature up-sell, sometimes the "gold" they present is even less expensive that what I'm looking at. It seems seems to me that more often than not, their personal preference supersedes whatever it is that I am looking at/for.

As an enthusiast/collector for often longer than they've been alive, it gets irritating- who in the F is someone, who wants my cash, to immediately tell me that an item, that might be perfect for my collection/use, is not what I want?

It's not their job to assume what I want, it's their job to find out what I want! Amirite?

I wish these were isolated incidences, but it happens all over in Indy and I'm no stranger to retail sales. The only LGS (outside of a big box) that I felt someone wasn't trying to talk me "into" or "out of" a firearm was that wonderful little place in Paoli near our cabin (the name escapes me at the moment).

</rant>

Sorry, don't mean to dump- but am I alone here in this frustration? Anyone else tired of being treated like an idiot rather than a customer?

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Don't let these guys tell you or pretend that this doesn't happen at almost EVERY GS in the Indy area, trust me, I've been to most and in all but a select few I experienced the exact same thing!

I have a close friend that lives here in Indy, he's been in to firearms for 40+ years, some years back I asked him this exact question, he said "I know exactly what you mean, that's why there are only a select few GS's I deal with"....

I've found for the most part he was spot-on, for instance I live just down the street from a pretty large GS, yet I refuse to do business with these people, instead I travel the 50 minute round-trip to do business with a company that has consistently treated me with kindness, respect and patients (aka Customer Service), and this is the company that will consistently get my money!

I don't understand why most GS seem to think that the Customer Service rule doesn't apply to them??

 

[BRILEY]

They are the way they are mostly because of the people they deal with every day.

I'm sorry that's NO EXCUSE! I am a small business owner, and deal with customers several times a day, every day, the majority of which are complete and absolute aholes or morons but you know what; I without hesitation treat each and everyone of them with respect, kindness and patients!

I know it's frustrating to deal with people that ask "stupid questions", take up a significant amount of your time or are simply "window shopping" however that doesn't mean that these people don't work hard for the money they are considering spending with me, and just because they aren't buying something at that exact moment, doesn't mean they won't in the future.

I will say this, if I (as a potential buyer) am shopping around on prices, and am treated like some of these GS guy treat people, I'll without a doubt take my business elsewhere, and make sure that every person willing to listen hears about my bad experience, sorry for the rant, just my

 

[danielson]

Its all about the different kind of people. Ive noticed alot of the old school gun shop guys are very closed minded and set in their ways, not at all forgiving.. That translates into bad customer service, if you dont learn to bend it alittle when your on the floor.