Gun Shop Attitudes and Open Letter to Owners

[Ae1m]

Dear MA Gun Shop Owners,

I know it is a difficult time with extremely high demand and not enough supply to meet that demand. However, you are a small business which we all respect and most of us are hard working, like-minded people and we are also your customers. I believe this is a spike and things will calm down even if some new rules are put in place, most likely making the rest of the US similar to MA with respect to gun shows, background checks, and other laws.

I for one will remember how I am treated in these challenging times and will even put more weight on how I am treated NOW as opposed to when things were easy.

Currently I fell like I being treated poorly almost everwhere I go. I am treated like a nag when I call before driving a long distance for some ammo when I've been a loyal customer although you dont know that when I call.

Places where I've spent thousands ove the years dont seem to value loyalty and the business I've given YOU when things were tight for ME.

Not everywhere, but more often than not.

Just a heads up.

Bob

 

[Independence Arms]

Dear gun shop customers,

This is not an Asian massage parlor. We are not here to hold your hand and tell you how sweet you are. We don't give out happy endings, and will not touch your peepee.
We supply guns, ammo, and accessories. If you don't like the price, or the service, and choose not to buy what we have, move out of the way so the guy behind you can buy it.

Thank you, The Management!

Oh yeah, IBTL

And for the record, I don't work at a gun shop.

 

[noxin]

If you don't like the price, or the service, and choose not to buy what we have, move out of the way so the guy behind you can buy it.

Thank you, The Management!

Oh yeah, IBTL

Just because there's a high demand, doesn't give employees permission to be rude or otherwise mistreat customers. Regardless of the number of people in an establishment. If you don't have the capacity to answer the phone, stop doing it. If you don't have the capacity to service all the customers in your store, either ramp up staffing or institute an ordering system (like FourSeasons).

Any store that says "deal with the attitude or get out" makes that decision easy for me.

 

[SteelShooter]

Dear gun shop customers,

This is not an Asian massage parlor. We are not here to hold your hand and tell you how sweet you are. We don't give out happy endings, and will not touch your peepee.
We supply guns, ammo, and accessories. If you don't like the price, or the service, and choose not to buy what we have, move out of the way so the guy behind you can buy it.

Thank you, The Management!

Oh yeah, IBTL

Wow, did not see that one coming

 

[Independence Arms]

either ramp up staffing or institute an ordering system (like FourSeasons).

Any store that says "deal with the attitude or get out" makes that decision easy for me.

Oh crap, I forgot that FS was the "be all, end all" gun shop.

 

[noxin]

It was an example of something that seems to work, not the holy grail of customer service.

 

[Youradolt]

Why should a gun store waste time on the phone anwsering 20 questions of some stroker when they are busy with paying customers in front if them.

And why should a store hire extra help during this crazed buying, so they have to let them go after no ban happens

And four seasons sucks

 

[ColdDayInHell]

It was an example of something that seems to work, not the holy grail of customer service.

I've been ****ed by that numbering system for a while, but I like FS. I've been to one LGS since this retard era began and it was about 2 weeks ago at Collectors. I bought some .45ACP SD and range ammo. I was treated fairly like always, but I get what the OP is saying. Everyone is tense and it's hard not to be affected by it.

 

[Sherm]

So, if I don't like being bent over I must be looking for a happy ending?

 

[fivepak]

A lot of gun stores do have douches behind the counter. So far Blackwater in Hudson and Shooter's Outpost have great customer service. Those are the places I'll frequent. There are a lot more choices than just a few years ago.

 

[Gillham]

When did gun owners become so thin skinned? So you didn't get great customer service, but someone else did. Maybe it's been a long day, maybe he just dealt with someone who walked all over him because some gun owner felt entitled to someones undivided attention or felt the pricing was ridiculous. They can't please everyone. If they lose a customer, so be it.

 

[JohnMarston]

Dear gun shop customers,

This is not an Asian massage parlor. We are not here to hold your hand and tell you how sweet you are. We don't give out happy endings, and will not touch your peepee.
We supply guns, ammo, and accessories. If you don't like the price, or the service, and choose not to buy what we have, move out of the way so the guy behind you can buy it.

Thank you, The Management!

Oh yeah, IBTL

And for the record, I don't work at a gun shop.

this is a stupid ****ing post. Customer service is the name of the game. ask me, i work in it. you wanna get a poor name for yourself act like this. you are there to provide a SERVICE, and with service comes the need for a neutral attitude. i hope for the life of me you dont treat your customers like this, if i acted like this when some pompous third home owner walks in to buy a whole kitchen and i need to walk around with them and hold their hand to make a sale my store would not be making money. Sometimes its required, not everyone is super savvy about every single thing and in a gun shop prices are typically negotiable.

On edit: i do agree, four seasons is not the most excellent gun shop ever. will say again, a dump in a basement across from the police station...

 

[AngelKing]

Much respect to hs trading and archery and arms both in auburn and both with stand up people.

Dear MA Gun Shop Owners,

I know it is a difficult time with extremely high demand and not enough supply to meet that demand. However, you are a small business which we all respect and most of us are hard working, like-minded people and we are also your customers. I believe this is a spike and things will calm down even if some new rules are put in place, most likely making the rest of the US similar to MA with respect to gun shows, background checks, and other laws.

I for one will remember how I am treated in these challenging times and will even put more weight on how I am treated NOW as opposed to when things were easy.

Currently I fell like I being treated poorly almost everwhere I go. I am treated like a nag when I call before driving a long distance for some ammo when I've been a loyal customer although you dont know that when I call.

Places where I've spent thousands ove the years dont seem to value loyalty and the business I've given YOU when things were tight for ME.

Not everywhere, but more often than not.

Just a heads up.

Bob

 

[drgrant]

News to the OP: Whatever gun shops you're bitching about, they don't care. Best thing to do is just spend your money somewhere else. Or identify a shop that's big enough that has at least a few non jerks on staff.

For a perspective alignment go to the Gun Room then go to pretty much any other shop. You won't complain much anymore...

-Mike

 

[Glou01930]

I love 2 girl massage with happy ending the only problem is they keep getting shut down in my area

 

[RHJJ]

With all the gun shops being busy should they spend 5 or more minutes on the phone with a potential customer or someone in the shop ready to buy? Its business.

 

[Hiltonizer]

wtf is with all these service complaints about gun shops? I had ONE negative experience long ago at fourseasons, with ONE guy, the same guy many others here did and he got canned.

Complainants, do you look in the mirror and ask yourself if you're just an annoying person before you bitch?

 

[Ae1m]

Dear gun shop customers,

This is not an Asian massage parlor. We are not here to hold your hand and tell you how sweet you are. We don't give out happy endings, and will not touch your peepee.
We supply guns, ammo, and accessories. If you don't like the price, or the service, and choose not to buy what we have, move out of the way so the guy behind you can buy it.

Thank you, The Management!

Oh yeah, IBTL

And for the record, I don't work at a gun shop.

It's a good thing you are not a Gun Shop owner nor do I imagine you are any kind of small business owner otherwise you would have died of starvation years ago with an attitude like that. Thanks for such a well thought out constructive reply. This is a comment on the business climate irregardless (I know thats not really a word) of the product.

I have been shooting for about 50 years now for pleasure and on a Navy team and also NRA instuctor who teaches individuals for free and am happy that most people in this great hobby are much more helpful and respectful of their fellow shooters.

Bob

 

[Ae1m]

wtf is with all these service complaints about gun shops? I had ONE negative experience long ago at fourseasons, with ONE guy, the same guy many others here did and he got canned.

Complainants, do you look in the mirror and ask yourself if you're just an annoying person before you bitch?

I am the OP and NEVER mentioned Four Seasons which in my opinion has been tops in this catagory wrt to this topic. I have been treated extremely fairly and with great courtesy by them. I dont know what prompted you to mention 4S.

Bob

 

[drgrant]

wtf is with all these service complaints about gun shops? I had ONE negative experience long ago at fourseasons, with ONE guy, the same guy many others here did and he got canned.

Complainants, do you look in the mirror and ask yourself if you're just an annoying person before you bitch?

I think the problem is that different people have different standards WRT customer service. Some want a gun shop that has a towel attendant in the bathroom, apparently, and the rest of us are fine as long as we get "something" sort of resembling service.

-Mike

 

[Jbones1983]

I work in retail....for now.... And yes there is an issue when it comes to customer service. Now look I understand its a stressful time on both sides, and I'm sure that gun store employees hate having to feild a million questions from some of the mouth breather customers that they get now or any time but when things get back to "normal", people are going to remember "oh this guy was a dick, I'm not going back there"

thats just the nature of the beast

 

[Rick1987]

Why should a gun store waste time on the phone anwsering 20 questions of some stroker when they are busy with paying customers in front if them.

And why should a store hire extra help during this crazed buying, so they have to let them go after no ban happens

And four seasons sucks

Bingo.

I would be pissed off that employees were busy on the phone instead of serving me. The customer who decided to drive my ass to the store instead of sitting home and calling around.

Next people we get pissed off that they wont put stuff aside for you.

 

[Hiltonizer]

I am the OP and NEVER mentioned Four Seasons which in my opinion has been tops in this catagory wrt to this topic. I have been treated extremely fairly and with great courtesy by them. I dont know what prompted you to mention 4S.

Bob

Not accusing you of mentioning Four Seasons, I brought that up as my only example of what I felt was complaint worthy service at a gun shop i've ever witnessed.

The Northshore Firearms thread really grinds my gears, going to that place was the only good thing about living in MA. They weren't just good for a gun shop, but good in general... now a bunch of new posters are piling on them out of nowhere.

I think there are just a lot of new gun owners, particularly from MA, that haven't had enough exposure to real people. They wouldn't complain about a half-wit teenager or someone that doesn't speak English, but a down to business shop keep doesn't powder their ass and its a problem? There's not a lot of brick and mortar single point businesses left, particularly closer to the city, and people just don't remember how that works. The same people complaining about gun shops probably don't take their car to a local mechanic in town, but to a shiny dealership.

 

[Independence Arms]

It's a good thing you are not a Gun Shop owner nor do I imagine you are any kind of small business owner otherwise you would have died of starvation years ago with an attitude like that. Thanks for such a well thought out constructive reply. This is a comment on the business climate irregardless (I know thats not really a word) of the product.

I have been shooting for about 50 years now for pleasure and on a Navy team and also NRA instuctor who teaches individuals for free and am happy that most people in this great hobby are much more helpful and respectful of their fellow shooters.

Bob

I'm actually a small business owner X2.
My point is, you have no idea what kind of dumbassery these guys have to deal with on an hourly basis.
They tend to get testy, we all know this, but, guns sell themselves. If jerk customer doesn't buy it, nice guy 2nd in line will.

 

[Youradolt]

I worked part time at a high traffic gun store. there have been many times i have picked up the phone and the person wants to know every gun we had and how much. Then you have the people whom come in and have no intention of buying (you can profile after some time) and want to look at everygun while real customers are waiting to buy.

 

[ColdDayInHell]

Not accusing you of mentioning Four Seasons, I brought that up as my only example of what I felt was complaint worthy service at a gun shop i've ever witnessed.

The Northshore Firearms thread really grinds my gears, going to that place was the only good thing about living in MA. They weren't just good for a gun shop, but good in general... now a bunch of new posters are piling on them out of nowhere.

I think there are just a lot of new gun owners, particularly from MA, that haven't had enough exposure to real people. They wouldn't complain about a half-wit teenager or someone that doesn't speak English, but a down to business shop keep doesn't powder their ass and its a problem? There's not a lot of brick and mortar single point businesses left, particularly closer to the city, and people just don't remember how that works. The same people complaining about gun shops probably don't take their car to a local mechanic in town, but to a shiny dealership.

So true. NSF is a good group of guys and I've bought guns from them before. Good analogy with the local mechanic, spot on. Everyone needs to be spoonfed right now, WTF. If a shop doesn't answer the phone who ****ing cares. FS put on their site, please call before you make the drive here. So do people think they will still have AR's or 556 left when they get there? Unbelievable, people are retarded.

 

[headednorth]

Much respect to hs trading and archery and arms both in auburn and both with stand up people.

The first shop I ever set foot in was HS. I had heard all the horror stories about gun shop service and the guys there were great. It was a good first experience.

 

[Garys]

American car dealers (and manufacturers) used to have this attitude. How did that work out for them. While MA does what it can to discourage new shops from opening, they are still opening. Other states don't have the hoop jumping contest, so even more stores are opening. Eventually supply will catch up with demand and the shops that treated customers poorly will pay the price while the stores that treated customers well will reap the rewards.

There is no reason why gun shops should not be subject to the laws of supply and demand and customer service.

Dear gun shop customers,

This is not an Asian massage parlor. We are not here to hold your hand and tell you how sweet you are. We don't give out happy endings, and will not touch your peepee.
We supply guns, ammo, and accessories. If you don't like the price, or the service, and choose not to buy what we have, move out of the way so the guy behind you can buy it.

Thank you, The Management!

Oh yeah, IBTL

And for the record, I don't work at a gun shop.

 

[xero2099]

With all the gun shops being busy should they spend 5 or more minutes on the phone with a potential customer or someone in the shop ready to buy? Its business.

where I work there are only 5 of us sometimes we get swamped and no one can answer the phone because we take the customers who are in the shop first then answer phone we always ask them to call back in a few minutes besides I would rather spend a few minutes with someone face to face then spend 5-10 minutes on the phone and they don't buy anything

 

[KH56010]

I shop at First Defense... So I can't relate to any of these arguements. Dennis will earn your money for years to come.