Prarie Arms

[PrairieArms]

Good Day Everyone,

My name is Ryan and together with Dr. Jackson and rest of the Prairie Arms Family, we would like to introduce ourselves to Colorado AR-15 Shooters!

I personally would like to have the opportunity to make things right for everyone here and elsewhere as we look to provide a consistent level of service to fellow enthusiasts. Please let me know if you have time as I would definitely like to hear feedback so we can improve our service and offer our customers what they want.

Finally, I cannot express how much I appreciate the criticsm that has been documented here. I can assure you I will use this to improve our customer experience in the store.

If there is anything of interest, please don't hesitate to email us at ar15forum@prairiearms.com. We will be there to support your needs.

Ryan Seaver
Prairie Arms Manufacturing LLC
3809 Norwood Dr, #1
Littleton, CO 80125
303-346-7135
http://www.prairiearms.com

[Asha'man]

I've stopped into Prairie a couple of times since it's right by a buddy's shop, and since they're close to where I live I thought I'd give them a shot at becoming my "local". I had never had money or was looking for anything specific when I was in before, but had just checked it out. However, one Wednesday night I walked in right before closing time and the place was packed. Hung out for a bit and figured out that everyone was there to go shooting on some private land. Spoke to Ryan (post above mine) and he basically said that if I got some more face time and they got to know me a bit, I could be included on that. Didn't want just every Tom, Dick and Harry knowing about it, which made sense.

So a week or two later I stopped in looking for a scope for my new .308. I finally got the old dude (owner?) to acknowledge my presence, and he did so by poking me in the chest with his truck key and asking me if anyone had had a chance to be rude to me yet. I said, "Um, haha? No, but I'm looking for a scope." He turns around and grabs the 20" AR off the counter with a Leupold VX-L on it and we go outside and look through it. I told him it was a nice piece of glass but I knew what they cost and it was way out of my price range. He kinda shrugged that off and we went back inside, grabbed up a rifle (that one kid's, apparently) from behind the counter and went back outside. I don't remember exactly what it was, but it was like a Schmidt and Bender or something; high dollar glass, to be sure.

We went back inside and again I told him that was way out of what I was looking for. He launched into some spiel about how I shouldn't think of the price, and how lots of people are doing the layaway thing - "Just think, when you're done making payments on it, it's like it's free!" I reiterated once more that I was not looking to spend the cost of a good used car on a scope, but would be more interested in something in the $300-$500 range. Wasn't being a dick about it, but I wanted what I wanted and was giving him another chance to help me out. Apparently this was his cue to not spend any more time on me, as he walked away without a word and went into the back room. I figured maybe he was getting something more in my price range. When he came back out, he gestured to come over, so I did. So did another guy who had come in while we were looking at scopes. We looked at each other and asked which one he was talking to. The old dude pointed at the new guy and said "You", then he looked at me and said "Now I'm being rude to you" and went into his office with the other guy and closed the door. I was left standing there with a WTF look on my face, and no scope options. Did I mention that during the entire exchange, the old guy was about three inches from me and taking up most of my personal space, and he smelled funny to boot? Not a good experience by any stretch of the imagination. I won't be back.

BTW I would much rather drive to Loveland and patronize Jensen. They're not real friendly but they have good prices and a great selection, and have been helpful whenever I've asked for it, which is more than I can say for PA, and they're ten minutes away.

[Bailey Guns]

The only time I could get anyone to talk to me was one day when I stopped in and found an old friend/customer working there part-time. We talked for several minutes...but mostly about Harleys.

Personally, I think they're way overpriced. Then again, it's none of my business how the guy sets his prices. It's up to me, not him, to find a price I'm willing to pay for something I want.

Very interesting story Asha'man.

[PrairieArms]

I've stopped into Prairie a couple of times since it's right by a buddy's shop, and since they're close to where I live I thought I'd give them a shot at becoming my "local". I had never had money or was looking for anything specific when I was in before, but had just checked it out. However, one Wednesday night I walked in right before closing time and the place was packed. Hung out for a bit and figured out that everyone was there to go shooting on some private land. Spoke to Ryan (post above mine) and he basically said that if I got some more face time and they got to know me a bit, I could be included on that. Didn't want just every Tom, Dick and Harry knowing about it, which made sense.

So a week or two later I stopped in looking for a scope for my new .308. I finally got the old dude (owner?) to acknowledge my presence, and he did so by poking me in the chest with his truck key and asking me if anyone had had a chance to be rude to me yet. I said, "Um, haha? No, but I'm looking for a scope." He turns around and grabs the 20" AR off the counter with a Leupold VX-L on it and we go outside and look through it. I told him it was a nice piece of glass but I knew what they cost and it was way out of my price range. He kinda shrugged that off and we went back inside, grabbed up a rifle (that one kid's, apparently) from behind the counter and went back outside. I don't remember exactly what it was, but it was like a Schmidt and Bender or something; high dollar glass, to be sure.

We went back inside and again I told him that was way out of what I was looking for. He launched into some spiel about how I shouldn't think of the price, and how lots of people are doing the layaway thing - "Just think, when you're done making payments on it, it's like it's free!" I reiterated once more that I was not looking to spend the cost of a good used car on a scope, but would be more interested in something in the $300-$500 range. Wasn't being a dick about it, but I wanted what I wanted and was giving him another chance to help me out. Apparently this was his cue to not spend any more time on me, as he walked away without a word and went into the back room. I figured maybe he was getting something more in my price range. When he came back out, he gestured to come over, so I did. So did another guy who had come in while we were looking at scopes. We looked at each other and asked which one he was talking to. The old dude pointed at the new guy and said "You", then he looked at me and said "Now I'm being rude to you" and went into his office with the other guy and closed the door. I was left standing there with a WTF look on my face, and no scope options. Did I mention that during the entire exchange, the old guy was about three inches from me and taking up most of my personal space, and he smelled funny to boot? Not a good experience by any stretch of the imagination. I won't be back.

BTW I would much rather drive to Loveland and patronize Jensen. They're not real friendly but they have good prices and a great selection, and have been helpful whenever I've asked for it, which is more than I can say for PA, and they're ten minutes away.

Brian,

We at Prairie Arms apologize for the customer service you received at the shop. It is certainly not our intent to be rude. Sometimes Dr. Jackson's sense of humor can be taken wrong by some. We addressed this at the shop and he certainly would appreciate an opportunity to apologize in person.

To address your shopping experience...

Our store offers quality scopes for shooters that have a purpose. In your experience, I am not sure if you provided your purpose. I state this because we sell optics a certain way so that every customer is provided with a scope for their use and budget and not just budget. Ultimately, we want our customers to have a proper scope for one time installation for fit and use. We also like to only carry items we use ourselves. Certainly we have optics that you were looking for $300-500 and there are quality scopes in that range. Dr. Jackson is one heck of a prairie dog shooter at long distances and typically asks customers to look in to those long range varmint scopes. Those are not cheap. Please note that when you buy a scope at Prairie Arms, we install (level/cant/boresight) the product.

On behalf of Prairie Arms, we apologize for your experience and have taken note of our use of humor. We recognize that this instance, it was in poor taste.

Please feel free to email me or respond on this thread. We hope there is an opportunity to work through this.

-Prairie Arms


P.S. Our new website will be coming in October. Please note we will be adjusting our pricing of products and offering internet sales in the near future.

[Tristan]

Wow. Nice comeback, P.A.!
You scored +2 in my book for that one.

[ronaldrwl]

Hmm, the silly customer didn't know what he wanted.
Sounded like excuses for lack of customer service.

[Huskquatch]

I above a lot of people can appreciate a good sense of humor, mine is completely uncensored most of the time which has worked out pretty well for me. That being said, there is a time and a place for it and sometimes you have to turn it down or turn it off. I have owned and operated a business for 15 years and have a large number of very loyal customers that I see almost on a daily basis. Nowadays, I really tear into a few of them and they come right back guns blazing and we have a great time. It didn't start out that way, it was only after I showed them that I would fill their needs to the best of my ability and go above and beyond for them to ensure that I had a strong client base. I also have a lot of one time and inconsistent customers but they get the same treatment from me as far as service goes, in my experience it has worked flawlessly. That is how you get priceless positive word of mouth advertising and not flame threads of forums with issues that are pretty easy to iron out.

Blaming these things on the customer not understanding humor is in my opinion a huge copout. It is the business' job to entice the customer and make them want to spend money in the store. It is never and never will be the customer begging for attention while they are ignored, put down or handed a sub standard product while paying a premium for it. I can't believe what I read about the customer not conveying to the owner what product he needed and that being his fault. It is the owner or employees responsibility to qualify his needs and fill those to the best of their ability. Im not saying you can't try to talk them into a better product that maybe more than they need, if they are willing to pay it and it will serve them even better than it is a win win. If they don't go for it however, that is not a que to ignore them and be rude and move on to the next guy who may want to spend more. The only biproduct of that behavior is people spending thousands of dollars somewhere else instead of with you. I really hope these comments are looked at as a learning oppurtunity and things do improve, I don't with ill on any business especially a gun store in this day and age. Thanks to anyone listening and God Bless!

[jc121]

I got a good chance to meet Ryan this last weekend as between PA and ourselfs we took up a 12 table setup at tanners.

Everything I saw over the weekend in my opinion is that they know their firearms and were very friendly to everyone I saw.

I look foward to having them close to us in the future and plan on stopping in to say hi when I get up that way.

It was nice to have met you Ryan

Jon

[UberTong]

Blaming these things on the customer not understanding humor is in my opinion a huge copout. It is the business' job to entice the customer and make them want to spend money in the store. It is never and never will be the customer begging for attention while they are ignored, put down or handed a sub standard product while paying a premium for it. I can't believe what I read about the customer not conveying to the owner what product he needed and that being his fault. It is the owner or employees responsibility to qualify his needs and fill those to the best of their ability. Im not saying you can't try to talk them into a better product that maybe more than they need, if they are willing to pay it and it will serve them even better than it is a win win. If they don't go for it however, that is not a que to ignore them and be rude and move on to the next guy who may want to spend more. The only biproduct of that behavior is people spending thousands of dollars somewhere else instead of with you. I really hope these comments are looked at as a learning oppurtunity and things do improve, I don't with ill on any business especially a gun store in this day and age. Thanks to anyone listening and God Bless!

I couldn't agree with this more, I have been in sales my entire life. It's definitely not the customers fault, sales 101. Stop talking, listen, address the need and find the solution.

On a side note about Prarie Arms, I live just a few miles away. I moved back from Arizona last year where I belonged to the Scottsdale Gun Club. Snobby? A little bit, but shit they took care of you too. When I moved back I said, sweet a local gun shop right near my house to call my own. I have had very poor service there as well. From almost being tazed by an old man, who I had to have choice words with to the common theme in this thread of 'I must look poor so nobody is talking to me' syndrome at Prairie Arms.

My final straw with Prairie Arms was when I called in the other day to order 2 new Stag Arms model 3 AR-15 rifles. One for me and one for my brother, for his birthday...ya I know I'm cool. I asked a simple question, if the model 3 is the new one from Stag with the Diamond Versa Rail handguard, actually talked to two people who had no clue...guy and a gal. Also told me it would be no problem to order them online, so I tried only to find they were out of stock and had no clue when they would get anything from Stag back in. So, my business is forced to go elsewhere. It's a commodity guys, you can buy an AR15 anywhere...so I don't know why you WOULDN'T pride yourself on great service, it's the only thing that can set you apart in the marketplace.