Welcome to the Colorado AR-15 Shooters Club Discussion Forums.
My dad was at Vance's last week on Cleveland Ave and he said the store was completely cleaned out. All that 'tude isn't making a bit of difference right now.Originally Posted by bogman2121
I try to stay away from gun stores. But when I do stop by, I go in knowing what I'm looking for, be patient and courteous with the staff. I let them know that I know things are crazy right now and do not envy their position. This tends to get me better service and smiles. I've been in customer service and it sucks putting on a smile constantly. Even if I happen to not purchase anything I tell them thank you. But ultimately, a dick is a dick and I won't give them my business.
Disclaimer, did not read all of the past 10 pages so forgive duplicate info.... That said, from working in retail, busy times cause stress and underpaid employees (in all stores) don't get through it well. Take the time to let the staff know you are not a jerk or don't act like one, BS for a second and it rolls well. I have bought several guns from 5280 recently but have avoided staff that thought they were know it all dumb asses and talked to the guys that actually wanted to help and made a point to do so. They have always been good and I have been happy with their service. I agree Green mountain rocks but when you get older semi-retired guys doing a hobby job for crap they like they are freindly as hell! Was at Bass Pro this weekend and 2 guys there didn't know crap about what I was asking about but made the effort to help me get to a guy who set me up right. I asked nicely and wasn't a prick. My buddy was in a shop with me today and being a prick, they treated him like one, I knocked him down by saying "he is high maintenance but will spend a ton of cash if you tolerate him" and he became nice and the guys became friendly (and found more ammo the "didn't have"!).
Bottom line is avoid the a-holes and treat them good and they SHOULD return it. if not walk out while they are trying to sell you something you don't want.
I'm guessing you're right, sneakerd.
Took me a long time to get thru this thread. Guess I'm just thick-skinned, but I've never had a problem at any local gun shops. As for sneakerd, he's just not a very nice guy....joking. But, he has never been unpleasant to me when I go into the FL and has always gone out of his way to help and offer great advice. I have always seen him interact with other customers in the same way.
I've had friendly service from BluCore (although they didn't follow up on a potential special order request once) and the one time I visited MachineGunTours, whoever it was I spoke with, his customer service skills AND knowledge were great.
That being said, this is a topic I often bring up with friends who are new to guns. I feel the need to warn them about the "old school" gun dealers who have the "just buy my gun and get the F out" attitude. I've seen that attitude over the years way too many times and it's a guarantee I won't be a customer there. I'm am a polite person who is both anal-retentive about firearm safety and who knows what it's like to be on the bad end of stupid or angry customers, but as a customer at a gun shop I am NOT there to impress the person behind the counter -- like it or not it's the other way around. I don't need my hand held or to be treated like a special snowflake, but I expect a standard level of customer service, especially when I could be about to spend several hundred hard-earned dollars.
Last edited by mrghost; 01-26-2013 at 01:19.
I think that is the thing with me. When it comes to dropping several hundred dollars on something in your store... a little smile and some fake customer service can go a long way. If you can't muster up a friendly attitude and at least treat me nicer than the guy I just gave $7 to at the Taco Bell drive through window... then you really don't want my business that bad. I think with the state of the industry, especially now, they know if you won't buy it... there will be somebody else along shortly who will. So they don't feel the need to treat the customer with any respect. I won't reward a company for doing that, but they don't care... somebody else will.
I've been on both sides quite a bit. It's a relationship. It's a brief, occasional, surface level relationship. It takes two people for that. I suspect those that take issue with every gun store they go to are taking their shit attitude into all of them and then contemplating, "why is everyone a jerk off but me?"
Tension is very high in the gun community right now. We are under attack, under the microscope, and being weighed and measured by any asshat who tries to go out in infamy. Then to top it off our own Govt attacks us and implies we are too irresponsible or too dangerous to have guns. You don't think both gun buyers and gun sellers nerves aren;t just right there below the skin right now? Jesus, I've been accosted by anti's at the fricken Walmart counter in Parker in the last couple months. How frustrating is it to go to Walmart, not find a single fricken box of ammo, and see even though they don't have any you can only buy three boxes per person per day?
So, gun stores have been feeling the pinch for stock for months. Buyers have been feeling the pinch for months. People can't even go shooting for lack of ammo and guns and mags. There's no relief in sight, and the only thing stores and customers can see is legislation, legislation, shootings, and more legislation.
You all need to put your big boy pants on and get over the frayed nerves from both sides. It's going to get way worse before it gets better.
Mom's comin' 'round to put it back the way it ought to be.
Anyone that thinks war is good is ignorant. Anyone that thinks war isn't needed is stupid.
Agreed. I try to buy small stuff from them, even if it is on the pricey side. But they are an awesome shop...
And it looks like some people on here need to make a quick stop by the newly opened Lock And Loaded Armory, awesome shop as well.
He ignored me... I suppose I won the battle since I was such a douche bag he couldn't take it...
To keep this on topic... To go along with my new religion... I love everyone!!!! Everyone is so nice and kind! No matter where you go people are nice!
im not whining (well maybe a little )
since the shooting at the theater people have gone plum crazy . people used to come up to my tables to ask about history or bring in grandpas stuff to ask question but now its the same crap over and over . do you have any ar this or that , obama did this or that , etc. the part of the job i really enjoyed is almost nonexistent . so after a few hours of people bitching about my lack of tactical items and bugging me for items i have never carried. i get worn out , the nerves are short and some answers are short tempered . the worst part is that its not new random people its the same ones i see every time asking stupid questions . everybody thinks that their point of view or question is so friking important and they all feel the need to ask or express at my table . i try like hell to keep the happy face on (seeing as its my only job) but it gets hard sometimes
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote