Buffoonery at Wholesale Sports

[ThemGunsThough]

I actually gave them a try on Black Friday because they had the best deal on my "dream gun". I called Monday, for their Smith & Wesson deal (15% off) and they didn't have what I was looking for in stock. However, to earn my business, what someone did was transfer it from Wholesale Sports in Vancouver over to the one in Clackamas. He said I would have to put half down and that he would call me back with more info. I didn't hear back from them so I had assumed they were not able to successfully transfer the firearm from Vancouver. Late wednesday night, I get a voicemail telling me that my gun is ready for pick up. Stunned, i gave them a call back and said I may not be interested as I assumed it was too late to purchase it since their S&W deal was good only for Monday. The employee told me that they would honor Monday's 15% off deal and that I could pick it up any time within the next week. I got there first thing (6:00am) on Black Friday and was not able to even fill out paperwork until 8am. Come 7:45, I request that I fill out the paper work so I could be on my way out ASAP since I have to catch my ride to work at 9:00am sharp. After waiting until 8:40, I decide to pull out and first thing Saturday (today), I came in and finished the transaction. Their service seems to have improved from the last time I went there and the fact that they saved me nearly $200 on my "dream gun" just absolutely makes me do a 180 in regards to my opinions towards them previously. Essentially, when they have sales on firearms, they're usually some of the better sales and can compensate for top notch customer service.

 

[Grommit327]

I went into the Vancouver store yesterday looling for some reloading items/ammo for a couple new guns I have acquired. Even with customers standing at the gun counter I was served quickly for the pound of powder I needed. However I only picked up 3 of the 9 items I was looking to purchase as you were out of stock on the other items and have been for some time. I realize that ammo/reloading supplies is a small part of your business but think you could capitalize in this area if you could keep items in stock or even expand inventory as you are the only large store around that carries stuff besides Bimart's small selection.

 

[FarmerTed1971]

I went in yesterday to get some Accurate powder for subsonic 300BLK loads and the guy behind the counter had a digit halfway up his left nostril the entire time he was talking to me. Pretty classy!
Nice guy though. LOL

 

[Spitpatch]

As long as he didn't offer his "services" to you, I think you're alright.

I had an uncle that responded to people B.S.ing him, "Quit picking my nose."

 

[Matt Selders]

You can pick your employees, and they can pick their noses, but you can't pick your employees noses. My apologies about that. Pretty gross. We are working on improving the service. Our follow through is very important. Black Friday was possibly the most difficult day to buy a firearm due to the amount of transactions occuring. No way around it on Black Friday. However on transfers and special orders, you can pick them up when it is convenient.

3 out of 10 items is bad, let me know if I can be of any personal assitance to help find those. I am in all day tomorrow. If you have time, give me an idea what it is so I work on it directly or find out when its coming. Always happy to help. Thanks again.
Matt Selders

 

[PrDubi]

I appreciate once again that someone from Wholesale is here. Salem store or one on 82nd, I've always been treated right with no issues. Maybe it is because I don't go on a weekend or crack friday kind of deal. Slow days probably brings out the best out of all of us, customer and CSR.

 

[Key-Hay]

I picked up a pistol scope and rings for my Ruger Charger there a few years back (I think they were still Sportsmans back then) they offered free installation so I took them up on it. I watched as someone literally scratched the heck out of the scope trying to rotate the scope into place on the rings. I told him he was damaging the scope but his response was "That's the only way it will go on and oil would hide the scratches" Got the manager to give me a new scope and I walked out. Installed it myself (Without any scratches).

 

[Matt Selders]

I can't speak to how things were in our location prior to my arrival. I can say that we are very selective on who mounts scopes. I would have replaced the scope and done the work myself. Mounting scopes is not rocket science but it is easy to make a mistake on. My apologies for any past errors. I recently went through three scopes (entry level) with a customer. After none of them would shoot groups, I finally offered a discount on an upgrade. After the upgrade, there were no more issues. I invested a lot of time and took personal responsibility for the rifle and scope not meeting the customers needs, (a return Veteran from the Middle East). I hope his rifle took an elk this year!

Matt Selders

 

[Grommit327]

3 out of 10 items is bad, let me know if I can be of any personal assitance to help find those. I am in all day tomorrow. If you have time, give me an idea what it is so I work on it directly or find out when its coming. Always happy to help. Thanks again.
Matt Selders

Mostly was looking for some .357 and .45 bullet offerings to start working some loads up. Things were pretty slim on choices. Also was trying to find some FMJ .380 bullets (90-100gr .355) and didn't see anything besides the Hornady XTP's. It would be nice if you carried Hornady shellholders as they are proprietary to their equipment with the larger hole size. Wanted to pick up some Win white box .357 ammo for plinking. And a box of 77g sierra MK bullets in .223.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I know I can special order the stuff but when you're working on something and need to run out for components, a local store that carries the stuff would get my business time and again.

 

[Bunny]

I wonder if it was the same guy I dealt with. I was in the 82nd store once and I was trying to compare prices on some disorganized, non-priced ammo. I walked up to an employee, said "excuse me" several times to get his attention, and he continued to do whatever he was doing about three feet in front of me, even making eye contact. A man walks up right as I'm clearly standing there still trying to get some help and the guy working there snaps to attention and starts assisting him in front of me. I was furious. After trying to be patient and standing there for about 30 seconds waiting and watching this I literally said **** this in front of both of them, put down the product, and went straight to customer service. I was shocked at their lack of professionalism and poor customer service. I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience either.

 

[Key-Hay]

I can't speak to how things were in our location prior to my arrival. I can say that we are very selective on who mounts scopes. I would have replaced the scope and done the work myself. Mounting scopes is not rocket science but it is easy to make a mistake on. My apologies for any past errors. I recently went through three scopes (entry level) with a customer. After none of them would shoot groups, I finally offered a discount on an upgrade. After the upgrade, there were no more issues. I invested a lot of time and took personal responsibility for the rifle and scope not meeting the customers needs, (a return Veteran from the Middle East). I hope his rifle took an elk this year!

Matt Selders

My experience was with the 82nd Street Store in Portland. I was really looking forward to them building a store in Beaverton though.

 

[Matt Selders]

I went down to the reloading section and made sure that first, everything we have is out on the shelf. Now I have a few requests put in for reloading supplies specifically bulk bullets. Alos noted that the cleaning supplies were low, hopefully we can get an order in soon for that as well.

I can't stress enough how sorry I am to hear stories like those. If I can help come to a resolution, please let me know how I can help.

Matt Selders

 

[Grommit327]

I went down to the reloading section and made sure that first, everything we have is out on the shelf. Now I have a few requests put in for reloading supplies specifically bulk bullets. Alos noted that the cleaning supplies were low, hopefully we can get an order in soon for that as well.

I can't stress enough how sorry I am to hear stories like those. If I can help come to a resolution, please let me know how I can help.

Matt Selders

Thank you for at least making an effort and taking a look at things. I have my own ideas on how I would stock certain stuff but then again I'm not a store manager and definitely don't see all of the angles. One other thing I was going to mention that always seems rediculous to me...your powder prices are fairly inline with the market within a couple bucks +/- but then your standard primers are $40/k when I can go to a couple other places and pay $30-32. That's one of the highest prices I have seen since 2008. I'm sure you don't have much control over pricing and it has to do with your distributors but still.

 

[North Bender]

This is a very encouraging thread. The forum has served a great service to everyone and Matt has responded very positively.

I had my one problem at the counter at Federal Way some years ago - maybe 4 years - and never went back. I would ask the guy a question about an air rifle, he would briefly answer, then walk off. I call him back, he can't answer the 2nd question, and walks off. Hey! I'm trying to buy this rifle! Why walk off? I stood there looking at him and he never came back so I left.

I'm on a cross-state shopping trip with a friend next week. I'll stop back in.

Thanks to you both.

 

[Key-Hay]

Thanks Matt. Nice to see not all have succumb to the "Big Box" mentality.

 

[Diatom]

Thanks for posting, Mr. Selders.
I find your interaction here on this forum, combined with the willingness to accept constructive criticism, to be commendable.

 

[ThemGunsThough]

Thanks for posting, Mr. Selders.
I find your interaction here on this forum, combined with the willingness to accept constructive criticism, to be commendable.

Highly agree +1 for Matt

 

[Mookie]

Gun owners are horrible to please, probably one of the hardest groups to make happy. They usually know more than the people behind the counter, and get mad when a 22 YO doesn't know the ballistic coefficient of a 44-40, they are not waited on instantly, and don't know the exact questions to ask while at the same time knowing exactly what the customer wants before he has even spoken.

People behind the counter are always 12 years old, don't know how to wipe their butts, think COD is a manual on firearms training, hate old people, young people, white people, minorities, women, men, can't count to eleventeen, and has hair that is to long and/or short.

I once heard a guy yell at a kid for handing him his "bullets" because the were not "bullets" but cartridges (federal gamepoint).

Here is what I want out of a clerk/salesman in a store. Politeness. I don't give a crap if he knows the difference between a 30-30 and a 308 as long as he can give me the box I want. If I have deeper questions about specifics I can go online or go to a small gun shop where the experience is decades long, but I won't put up with their BS either.
You give me a person who knows his limitations but is willing to learn I will be a customer. Lets just hope he is smart enough to ignore some of the idiotic things a gun owner can spew, one customer swore up and down that Leupold VX's were made in Pakistan using subpar glass and that a Simmons Whitetail was a better scope, while the counter guy was arguing that they were made in the Philippines. Neither believed what the MADE IN.... said on the side of the scope.

 

[kummje]

Most of the guys who work at theses places don't hunt or fish or have a clue what they are talking about. They are mostly just guys that needed a job. I would rather spend more money and support a local gun shop where it's about customer service. Long live the little man

 

[Kevatc]

Most of the guys who work at theses places don't hunt or fish or have a clue what they are talking about. They are mostly just guys that needed a job. I would rather spend more money and support a local gun shop where it's about customer service. Long live the little man

I've tried to spend my gun dollars at two places in Roseburg and two in Eugene. I get tired of the arrogant attitude behind the counter. I don't want questions like "what are you going to do with that?" and "you really want ...?" I just want to scream YES!!!! AND I'M HERE TO BUY (insert item here). I'M NOT HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR OPINION ALONG WITH IT. Anymore I just use local gun shops to get my hands on things (providing they have them) then buy and transfer through a FFL holder.