What's with the attitude from gun stores?

[PugnacAutMortem]

Hmmm ... I have the opposite opinion. I've seen far too many salesmen who were just that -- salesmen -- with little knowledge about the products they were actually peddling. I WANT the guys at a gun store or computer store or car dealer to know something about the products they handle. I haven't had any bad experiences with customer service at Whistling Pines or Specialty Sports in Colorado Springs, can't talk to any stores up in the Denver area.

Now I don't think you should take a great salesman with no interest in guns and make him a gun salesman...but give me a good salesman with a passion for (but lack of knowledge of) guns any day over a former mil-vet who knows everything about guns but nothing about how to talk to people [MOD EDIT: ENOUGH WITH THE PERSONAL ATTACKS]. I'll take the good salesman with a lack of knowledge and make him the best gun salesman in the state.

Honestly I think that a lot of shops around here have higher prices because of the state of their customer service. The places with the highest prices usually have the worst customer service. If you have bad customer service, you aren't selling as much product. If you aren't selling as much product, then you need to bump up your margins to cover the difference. Hence the reason I think why the best gun guy I've met in town has the best prices: JJ @ Small Arms Supply. Just my $0.02 on the matter.

[theGinsue]

I agree. Its too bad they closed their doors a few weeks ago.

Say what?

I stopped by there between Christmas & New Years Eve & they were closed but they told me they'd be open after the 1st one they completed their annual inventory.

Son-of-a.....

Bravo Arms would like to extend our most sincere apologies for our recent absence from the community and lack of communication. We have been catching up on yearly inventory, sorting a high number of incoming and outgoing orders, and deciding on what may be best for our business in the future. Due to the extremely high demand for many firearms and accessories and the low availability from the manufacturers, we are having a one weekend liquidation sale on FEBRUARY 9th AND 10th from 8am to 6pm both days. We hope you can make it to this sale as we will have a full assortment of assault rifles, handguns, magazines, ammunition, and accessories. If you are unable to make it for that weekend, we will be continuing gun sales through our website as well as a third party auction website that is TBD (We will post a link for this once we know). PLEASE remember we are requesting ALL SALES BE IN CASH, IN FULL, AND THEY WILL BE FINAL (no returns!). We thank you for your business thus far and look forward to continued business with you. Sorry for the wait!


~Bravo Arms

[PugnacAutMortem]

Have to agree with Aloha. The people we deal with don't want salesman- they want expertise. They understand if you're not an expert about everything in the store, but you need to be an expert with most of it. Most of the behind the counter work is consultation, not sales.

See people make salesman out to be a dirty word. I'm not talking about someone who tries their hardest to sell you the highest margin item they can even if it matches 0% of the customer's criteria. I'm talking about someone who knows how to read people, understand the best way to interact with them and be able to provide them an item that accounts for as much of their criteria as possible. That's what being a salesman means. Not the slimy used car type guy.

As a business you don't want to just get someone's business...you want to keep their business. Just expertise won't get you there. Just competing on price doesn't get you there either. It's the whole package. But hell, what do I know...I only went to school for business management and entrepreneurship.

[Hoser]

Say what?

I stopped by there between Christmas & New Years Eve & they were closed but they told me they'd be open after the 1st one they completed their annual inventory.

Son-of-a.....

Yup. Done. They never reopened. The owner took his toys and closed his sandbox.

[trlcavscout]

Hbar is actually a real nice guy, just don't tell him I said so or he will beat me again. Now Jim on the other hand? I wish I could have seen him in action! Sneakerd is a good guy, I haven't dealt with him professionally and I should not have personally attacked him. We have all met "the man" at gunstores, its best just to avoid them.

Customer service is a crappy job anymore, as a country we are breeding stupidity and helplessness and its only gonna get worse!

[sneakerd]

I didn't say that the word salesman is a dirty word. If you actually read my statement, I said nothing of the kind. See? I totally agree with your later statement, and it didn't take a degree.

[newracer]

I have never received bad customer service from any gun shop, not even Jensen Arms. Maybe you guys that have are just getting back what you give out.

[roberth]

I have never received bad customer service from any gun shop, not even Jensen Arms. Maybe you guys that have are just getting back what you give out.

There is a lot to said for this.

I've been on both sides of the counter, a smile and being polite goes a long ways. Every person is an individual, think of how you'd want to be treated by that individual and proceed accordingly.

[PugnacAutMortem]

I didn't say that the word salesman is a dirty word. If you actually read my statement, I said nothing of the kind. See? I totally agree with your later statement, and it didn't take a degree.

Well if you wanna play that game...I didn't say YOU said that either. I just said people.

[sneakerd]

No you just lead your post with my quote as a header. What's with you man?