Are all gun shop employees D bags?

[Goosebrown]

2014 when all the cameras are in phones on selfie sticks. Orwell couldn't have predicted a society where we surveil ourselves, record it, post it for everyone to see, boast about it and then have hurt feelings when enough people don't look at them....

 

[Ura-Ki]

So, you want GunRoom stories? In my youth, very first time I ever set foot in the place I walked in a green lad of 20 with a paycheck burning a hole in my pocket, and looking for a good long gun in .375 H/H! Without blinking, Waren simply asked me why I wanted such a big rifle, When I told him I was going on m first trip to Africa, he simply pointed out several slightly dusty, but otherwise good clean rifles! I walked out $1400 dollars lighter and had a stellar 1963 Belgian F/N Browning with era correct and installed tip off mounted Zeiss 2X12 glass that was checked for alignment and bore sighted for 50 yards! also was given 5 boxes of ammo to seal the deal! Still have that F/N Browning, and its worth far more in actual cash then I payed Waren all those years ago! I purchased several very high end long guns because he could get them when no other shop any where could! I bought a Rem Custom shop mod 40X in 30/06 for my all season hunting rifle! No one, and I mean NO ONE in the north west could get there hands on one! It cost about what a SAKO would have cost, and shoots one hole wonders! Point is, Waren is a business owner, and has very high over head, renting that space from George Morlan Plumbing! He is not a bad guy to deal with, just keep your head about you! Yes, I have been pissed off at him, More then once, and yes, I have witnessed new customers walk out for any number of reasons! He has been in business for a very long time, so he must be doing just fine! Yes, its fun to walk in and see what kind of hate and discord I can stir up! It gives me great pleasure to see him all wound up and red faced on an anti Glock rant, I know, I flaunt mine every time I walk in, just ask him if he wants to see a real handgun! By the way, He also scored a !00 year anniversary matched set of 5 Colt m1911 national match pistols for me, one for each branch of our service, and the last four in the serial number on each is the date the service was founded! Cost me a ton, but worth every cent! Next time you are shopping your local gunshop, ask for something like that! YES, Waren is an A55 hole, but a good one! Make him a friend, and he would give you the shirt off his back, the keys to his truck, and a date with his baby girl!

 

[SmitKoWitz]

More often than not, the people I've dealt with at LGS's, Chain Stores and GS's are reasonable and understanding. Doesn't matter what age, gender or race, there are some people who just don't do well at customer service and some that think they are the gift to the firearms world. The ones that turn me off, are those who scoff at a brand you mention, for whatever personal issues they have with the manufacturer or their products. In 6+ years of shopping here in the PacNW, going to 40+ different stores and 100's of visits, I'd say there were maybe a dozen experiences that went sour. Most recently a week ago when the counter guy scoffed at the brand I mentioned; likely because of some prejudice he harbors. Sure there are some less than reasonably knowledgeable people behind the counter at times, but we were all beginners once upon a time. If they're there a year later and still know very little, then maybe they just don't care and should look for new employment. I like listening to conversations at stores and sometimes will interject if I hear things that are not true or if I have an opposing opinion about something a customer asked the counter person. Too bad if they don't like it, it's still a Free country

 

[Mikej]

So, you want GunRoom stories? In my youth, very first time I ever set foot in the place I walked in a green lad of 20 with a paycheck burning a hole in my pocket, and looking for a good long gun in .375 H/H! Without blinking, Waren simply asked me why I wanted such a big rifle, When I told him I was going on m first trip to Africa, he simply pointed out several slightly dusty, but otherwise good clean rifles! I walked out $1400 dollars lighter and had a stellar 1963 Belgian F/N Browning with era correct and installed tip off mounted Zeiss 2X12 glass that was checked for alignment and bore sighted for 50 yards! also was given 5 boxes of ammo to seal the deal! Still have that F/N Browning, and its worth far more in actual cash then I payed Waren all those years ago! I purchased several very high end long guns because he could get them when no other shop any where could! I bought a Rem Custom shop mod 40X in 30/06 for my all season hunting rifle! No one, and I mean NO ONE in the north west could get there hands on one! It cost about what a SAKO would have cost, and shoots one hole wonders! Point is, Waren is a business owner, and has very high over head, renting that space from George Morlan Plumbing! He is not a bad guy to deal with, just keep your head about you! Yes, I have been pissed off at him, More then once, and yes, I have witnessed new customers walk out for any number of reasons! He has been in business for a very long time, so he must be doing just fine! Yes, its fun to walk in and see what kind of hate and discord I can stir up! It gives me great pleasure to see him all wound up and red faced on an anti Glock rant, I know, I flaunt mine every time I walk in, just ask him if he wants to see a real handgun! By the way, He also scored a !00 year anniversary matched set of 5 Colt m1911 national match pistols for me, one for each branch of our service, and the last four in the serial number on each is the date the service was founded! Cost me a ton, but worth every cent! Next time you are shopping your local gunshop, ask for something like that! YES, Waren is an A55 hole, but a good one! Make him a friend, and he would give you the shirt off his back, the keys to his truck, and a date with his baby girl!

Well, Warren musta' changed since you were a young lad of 20. I had several rifles my dad had from when he owned a gun shop with his brother after he got out of the navy in 1947. I was looking to possibly sell an 1866 Yellow Boy dated 1871, a mod '86 Winchester in 40-82, a Belgian 1871 Mauser, 189o Remington rolling block carbine. You get the idea. He wasn't interested in even speaking to me.

 

[31Kwiredog]

I know what Battery is talking about. Not everyone's a firearms guru some times its first time buyers looking to take up the sport and the last thing they need is a fanboy/fan girl treating them like there a bother.

 

[MountainBear]

People do not come into my shop to be forced into buying something they don't want. Nor do they come in to be belittled or talked down to. But they do come into my shop for my opinion. For that matter, I would argue, it is my informed opinion. By simple math, I know a lot about guns. It is what I do for eight to twelve hours a day, five days a week at my shop, and I am probably thinking about guns a good amount of the time I'm not at my shop. If I want to know about engineering, I go ask the engineer. The guy who spends his life doing it. Same thing with guns. Ask the gun shop owner. I don't have the luxury of being a fan-boy. I could have a shelf full of nothing but HiPoints, but I would soon find myself out of business. I have to buy what will sell, and what sells is variety.

I fully expect my customers to do research. Everyone should. But just like there are probably a bunch of fan-boy d-bags behind the counters at some shops, there are an equal number of idiots with YouTube channels. Nothing should be taken at face-value. Fact check everyone.

Like I've said, one of my biggest pet peeves is the customer who comes in and asks a question simply so he can hear himself answer it. Just to hear how smart he is. Bad enough when they're actually right, damn near unbearable when they are bloviating and are wrong.

As my customer (or anyone else for that matter), you are completely justified in disagreeing with my opinion. I am completely justified in disagreeing with yours. As long as we treat each other in a respectful manner, then everything will be good. As long as that rule stands, its actually a pretty good life standing behind the counter of a gun shop five days a week. I could talk guns all day long. I may not agree with everything you say, but its still guns. That's a good day.

 

[Raidingtime]

All of your problems will be solved if you go into the Gun Room in Portland, OR. Ask to see their line of Glocks.

hahaha I'm laughing so hard at how many people knew exactly what you were talking about. I have no idea how that store is in business

 

[Who The F R U]

I started off at Gun Runners in AK in 1999.
We would move around 4-5k guns a year.
We sold $89 Jennings to $35,000 H+H Safari rifles
If you wanted a gun we had it or would get it. No matter what it was.
The guy's that look down there nose at a customer over what he want's is an A-hole.
Money is Money and they all go bang.
These guys need to remember it's not what you like it's what the customer likes PERIOD

 

[MountainBear]

I started off at Gun Runners in AK in 1999.
We would move around 4-5k guns a year.
We sold $89 Jennings to $35,000 H+H Safari rifles
If you wanted a gun we had it or would get it. No matter what it was.
The guy's that look down there nose at a customer over what he want's is an A-hole.
Money is Money and they all go bang.
These guys need to remember it's not what you like it's what the customer likes PERIOD

But that isn't necessarily the case. They don't all go bang. I have sold five hi-point pistols out of my shop. Three came back into the shop and had to be sent back to the factory. One had to be sent back a few times before I just decided to open it up and fix the issue myself. If someone wants to special order a gun, I will order them whatever they want, but I will not knowingly stock junk in my shop. If they like, I will offer my experiences and opinions, if not, power to them.

It takes time when they come back in because they don't work. It takes time to figure out what went wrong, it takes time to contact the manufacturer, it takes time to box up the gun and get it to the post office for shipping. Then it takes time to contact the customer and have them come get their gun. I stand behind what I sell, so I will do all that for a customer, I will do it with a smile, but I won't set myself up to have to do it regularly.