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Just throwing this out for general discussion, I like to check out different firearms stores throughout the NW and I have noticed that fairly often I see a stand offish & not so friendly attitude from employees & owners I am just not to sure why this is, it seems like stores and our industry would have a much better result with a friendlier approach.
I have heard of & witnessed potential new customers just walk out because they feel intimidated, as a dealer myself I think it would help our case and our industry to make the customer feel comfortable and give as much guidance as possible especially if they are new to firearms.
 
Just throwing this out for general discussion, I like to check out different firearms stores throughout the NW and I have noticed that fairly often I see a stand offish & not so friendly attitude from employees & owners I am just not to sure why this is, it seems like stores and our industry would have a much better result with a friendlier approach.
I have heard of & witnessed potential new customers just walk out because they feel intimidated, as a dealer myself I think it would help our case and our industry to make the customer feel comfortable and give as much guidance as possible especially if they are new to firearms.
I have noticed this as well.
 
The Gun Room in Portland. Legendary customer service.:eek::eek:
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I've seen this before also, that said I walk out and take my wallet with me. IMO this is 100% the fault of the store owner as it seems they allow it to continue. My LGS is friendly and knowledgeable so they'll keep getting my money, I'll even over pay a little to get that type of service, it's worth it to me.
 
I actually like the people at Coastal Farm and Ranch, always friendly people. Prices may not be perfect but usually great service.
Now whats odd is elsewhere in that store the service in Roseburg is not very good. I have had issues for years with the rest of that store. But the gun counter is pretty good ever since they got rid of a Cabelas reject that once worked there and is now I think at some pawn shop. Anyhoo.

I noticed about 50/50 on guns stores. Great or crappy. None in the middle.
 
In my many travels, I'd say 9 out of 10 gun shops I've visited was some flavor of awful. Terrible attitudes, treating the female members of my family like crap, incompetent gunsmithing, being "treated" to political blather, conspiracy BS, or outright racism, etc. Years ago I gave up, did my own homework, and just transferred purchases through the least obnoxious kitchen table FFL available. Now I am a licensed dealer, so it is even less of a concern.

So, indeed, I've seen the behavior, and worse, that the original poster mentioned. I don't know why this retail niche seems to feature such idiocy, but it does.
 
So have I, there is a LGS not 5 minutes from my house, have done business with the younger employees who really care about their job performance but the owner is a d!ck and an done buying there.
Yes I have confronted him and he is still a d!ck.
 
Maybe 10 years ago I walked into a gun shop and the owner was playing with a coach gun, and he pointed it at me and then went into some silly Old West persona. I think he thought he was being funny.

A lot of small businesses are run by people who have a lot of technical knowledge, but no people skills and zero business acumen. This is a fantastic recipe for working 60 hours a week and never getting ahead.
 
Well guys for me it is not completely about a sale although that is nice, but education, training and making the customer feel like a part of the 2nd amendment community will do us all good in the long run....
I kind of view this as a fight to preserve our 2nd amendment rights that are slowly being taken away!
and yes I fully understand " Shall Not Be Infringed":)
 
As with numerous folks, I've been into many stores. A lot of the time it is hard to even be acknowledged when i am standing 10' from the employee, in front of something I'd like to look at. I've turned and walked out of too many to remember because of that. Then, if they do acknowledge you, it's as if you are burdening them by being there, and their attitude starts. HUGE turn off! I've even said "if it is too much trouble for you to do your job, maybe you should get a different job." And I've just turned and left the store.

I've also been in a store and watched people walk up and ask the same question(s) over and over, just rephrasing it. The employee was answering the questions, but clearly agitated. The the customer putting down the firearm and walking away. I can imagine that this gets REAL old for the employees, and makes them take on an "attitude" of sorts.

I've also been standing next to someone (a "customer") asking specific questions, about a specific firearm, that the employee couldn't answer. One of "those" customers that thinks they have to belittle and make themselves "superior" to the employee. I've even interjected a few times asking the "customer" questions in the same manner, and putting them on the spot - like they did to the employee. They didn't like it, put down the firearm and left.

I can imagine getting customer after customer coming in and complaining to them about everything.... prices, selection, the weather, home-life, blah, blah, blah.... I'd get tired of it too, and would probably have an "attitude" right from the get-go too.

Having been in them with the "good customers" and the "bad customers", I don't know how long i could stay sane and employed in one. :confused:

Keep up the good attitudes! Keep the employees attitudes good too. BBQ's for the employees, a small gift card every once in a while, a "good job" every so often goes a long way keeping the employee attitudes good and positive.

Those are the stores that i ALWAYS return to and spend my $$$ at. ;)
 
Maybe 10 years ago I walked into a gun shop and the owner was playing with a coach gun, and he pointed it at me and then went into some silly Old West persona. I think he thought he was being funny.

A lot of small businesses are run by people who have a lot of technical knowledge, but no people skills and zero business acumen. This is a fantastic recipe for working 60 hours a week and never getting ahead.
I've had a guy do similar for me, but for the sake of "training" at the counter... probably wanted to get his point across in a serious way, well... let's just say he could have done it in a way that was less "menacing"...

I've even seen LGS raise prices on me at the register after throwing away tags. I'm just glad I've met Jeremy @LuckySG and found another small shop out of everyone's way. I only wish I had the money to spend on more guns.
 
When I first started I learned quickly that finding a local kitchen counter FFL was the way to go.

Yes, I occasionally have purchased firearms from big box shops, but I rarely step foot into small brick and mortars simply because they are never the greatest.

The kitchen counter FFLs of this world are the future of the industry. No huge overhead costs that require outrageous markups or fees, no finicky attitudes to avoid tire kickers, just simple transfers and cool conversations with your neighborhood kitchen counter FFL.

Flame me all you want for not supporting the dying brick and mortars.
 
I guess I'm lucky cuz I've pretty much had zero issues in any store I've been in.

Granted, I do my homework so I don't really have much in the way of questions so it's mostly friendly banter.

Having said that, I'll continue to use @LuckySG for everything I can as I buy things because he does go the extra mile and that's from personal experience as well as numerous friends interactions with him.
 
As with numerous folks, I've been into many stores. A lot of the time it is hard to even be acknowledged when i am standing 10' from the employee, in front of something I'd like to look at. I've turned and walked out of too many to remember because of that. Then, if they do acknowledge you, it's as if you are burdening them by being there, and their attitude starts. HUGE turn off! I've even said "if it is too much trouble for you to do your job, maybe you should get a different job." And I've just turned and left the store.

I've also been in a store and watched people walk up and ask the same question(s) over and over, just rephrasing it. The employee was answering the questions, but clearly agitated. The the customer putting down the firearm and walking away. I can imagine that this gets REAL old for the employees, and makes them take on an "attitude" of sorts.

I've also been standing next to someone (a "customer") asking specific questions, about a specific firearm, that the employee couldn't answer. One of "those" customers that thinks they have to belittle and make themselves "superior" to the employee. I've even interjected a few times asking the "customer" questions in the same manner, and putting them on the spot - like they did to the employee. They didn't like it, put down the firearm and left.

I can imagine getting customer after customer coming in and complaining to them about everything.... prices, selection, the weather, home-life, blah, blah, blah.... I'd get tired of it too, and would probably have an "attitude" right from the get-go too.

Having been in them with the "good customers" and the "bad customers", I don't know how long i could stay sane and employed in one. :confused:

Keep up the good attitudes! Keep the employees attitudes good too. BBQ's for the employees, a small gift card every once in a while, a "good job" every so often goes a long way keeping the employee attitudes good and positive.

Those are the stores that i ALWAYS return to and spend my $$$ at. ;)
Yeah unfortunately bad customers do exist as well:rolleyes:
 
Pawn shops aren't too bad however, I tend to hit those up when they advertise guns on banners or whatnot. Usually a different type of employee working these types of stores. They usually don't give two turds if you want to buy a gun or not as they are usually too busy dealing with druggies trying to pawn stolen goods.
 

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