Gun Counter Gestapo (Wholesale Sports Customer Service)

[bikejunkie]

I have a question- if you have been treated poorly or received what you judge to be terrible customer service from them in the past, why would you even shop there in the first place? I mean why would you go in there to be treated poorly again since they have a history of doing that? I don't understand. It doesn't take much for me to decide to take my money elsewhere. I mean if you have been treated poorly in the past at ANY retailer, and you choose to still go in there and then surprise surprise you get treated poorly again...that's kinda on you isn't it? I mean you knew the result to expect then get pissed when it happens? That doesn't compute with me. If the problem "has existed for years and they make no effort to fix the problem employees" and you choose to continue to shop there- that's on you in my opinion.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

I have a question- if you have been treated poorly or received what you judge to be terrible customer service from them in the past, why would you even shop there in the first place? I mean why would you go in there to be treated poorly again since they have a history of doing that? I don't understand. It doesn't take much for me to decide to take my money elsewhere. I mean if you have been treated poorly in the past at ANY retailer, and you choose to still go in there and then surprise surprise you get treated poorly again...that's kinda on you isn't it? I mean you knew the result to expect then get pissed when it happens? That doesn't compute with me. If the problem "has existed for years and they make no effort to fix the problem employees" and you choose to continue to shop there- that's on you in my opinion.

Because I believe in second chances and management of the store had been on this site before apologizing for behavior and claiming they were solving the issues. I guess it was my fault for thinking they were sincere.

Like I said, I had issue with Brightwater at one time too. Brightwater did not just come online and make false apologies. They identified the issue within their store and set about correcting it.

 

[SonicBlue03]

Because I believe in second chances and management of the store had been on this site before apologizing for behavior and claiming they were solving the issues. I guess it was my fault for thinking they were sincere.

Like I said, I had issue with Brightwater at one time too. Brightwater did not just come online and make false apologies. They identified the issue within their store and set about correcting it.

This. If everyone was a "one and done" shopper, there'd be a lot of businesses - especially sole proprietorships - that would be out of business. When you shop somewhere that gives a good service, you go back to support that business. If you have a bad experience, you provide that feedback and give them a chance to choose to improve their level of service (or not.) If they continue to ignore customer feedback, then you know it's probably not a shop that aligns with your personal values from a customer perspective.

 

[Ironbar]

Ugh. Now I remember why I put PP on my ignore list. I should have left him there, but the thread about Wholesale Sports interested me.

Fortunately for me, I had exactly the opposite experience at the Clackamas store. Several months ago I was looking for a Ruger Mark III Hunter. NW Armory had one on sale, but none in stock. Nobody I called had one except WS. They matched the sale price from NWA, and were very courteous about it as well. I've always been treated very well by them, and have no problem shopping there again in the future.

And now that this thread has run its course, I can put PP back on the ignore list.

 

[greydog111]

Ugh. Now I remember why I put PP on my ignore list. I should have left him there, but the thread about Wholesale Sports interested me.

Fortunately for me, I had exactly the opposite experience at the Clackamas store. Several months ago I was looking for a Ruger Mark III Hunter. NW Armory had one on sale, but none in stock. Nobody I called had one except WS. They matched the sale price from NWA, and were very courteous about it as well. I've always been treated very well by them, and have no problem shopping there again in the future.

And now that this thread has run its course, I can put PP back on the ignore list.

Narcicism is very sad. Self effacism is more sad. Subjecting yourself to internet criticism on a public forum is the net sum of these character flaws. I prefir to not share my flaws with the general public and would just have not returned to W.S. I've been to both stores in question and another in Tigard. Have been treated both very well and poorly at each one. Folks are folks. Get over yourselves and have a better day tomorrow!

 

[clearconscience]

I think it's great that the WS manager came on here an offered his apology. It means a lot knowing he's on here trying to get feedback and offer an explanation.

I go in there regularly, However, their prices are always high. I think stores need to get with the times. In the day of internet prices you can't be selling products for high prices. I was looking for a handgun there and it was almost $150 more than a local smaller store.
I bought my last handgun from brightwater, they had a way better price and when i had the Ws gun guy look a gun up for special order he never called me.

I dont care about some persons customer service as much as i do about price. But i would spend a little more for someone that went above and beyond for me

 

[slingshot1943]

I have a question- if you have been treated poorly or received what you judge to be terrible customer service from them in the past, why would you even shop there in the first place? I mean why would you go in there to be treated poorly again since they have a history of doing that? I don't understand. It doesn't take much for me to decide to take my money elsewhere. I mean if you have been treated poorly in the past at ANY retailer, and you choose to still go in there and then surprise surprise you get treated poorly again...that's kinda on you isn't it? I mean you knew the result to expect then get pissed when it happens? That doesn't compute with me. If the problem "has existed for years and they make no effort to fix the problem employees" and you choose to continue to shop there- that's on you in my opinion.

When you keep doing the same thing and expect different results...................

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

Narcicism is very sad. Self effacism is more sad. Subjecting yourself to internet criticism on a public forum is the net sum of these character flaws. I prefir to not share my flaws with the general public and would just have not returned to W.S. I've been to both stores in question and another in Tigard. Have been treated both very well and poorly at each one. Folks are folks. Get over yourselves and have a better day tomorrow!

Get that psychology degree of the back of a cereal box? I got mine from Marshall University.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

I think it's great that the WS manager came on here an offered his apology. It means a lot knowing he's on here trying to get feedback and offer an explanation.

I go in there regularly, However, their prices are always high. I think stores need to get with the times. In the day of internet prices you can't be selling products for high prices. I was looking for a handgun there and it was almost $150 more than a local smaller store.
I bought my last handgun from brightwater, they had a way better price and when i had the Ws gun guy look a gun up for special order he never called me.

I dont care about some persons customer service as much as i do about price. But i would spend a little more for someone that went above and beyond for me

You can't blame local management for the pricing though. That is something they have no say in at all. I do agree they are pricey though.

 

[johnny on the spot]

why aren't you letting this go PP? attack, counter attack, defense, offense.you have a point, well taken. and a psychology degree should have tought you to back out of a conversation, if you want to call it that, and let the points, opinions, be taken. be the better of the two,or more, and go on, you made your point.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

why aren't you letting this go PP? attack, counter attack, defense, offense.you have a point, well taken. and a psychology degree should have tought you to back out of a conversation, if you want to call it that, and let the points, opinions, be taken. be the better of the two,or more, and go on, you made your point.

Nice retelling of how things have gone. I posted my story and then moved on. It wasn't until the puppet accounts started showing up that I got involved in it and took it further. At that point the thread had a couple hundred views and a handful of comments. Something that could have just been a review of the event has now turned into a multi-page thread with thousands of views because some people decided to make it personal. Talk about being your own worst enemy.

One positive thing that has come from this thread. I think I have more than double the number of likes I have received.

 

[johnny on the spot]

time to move on to Bigger and Better things

 

[Keane]

time to move on to Bigger and Better things

There have been more posts in this thread saying, "Why not just keep it to yourself!" than PP made in the first place. More people telling him to shut up than he's actually made, they are the reason this is an 8 page thread.

PP did a service to those of us here to let us know he was treated poorly by a store. This thread has given me (a person who was on the fence about going anyway) a reason to stay away. For that, I am thankful.

 

[orygun]

PP did a service to those of us here to let us know he was treated poorly by a store. This thread has given me (a person who was on the fence about going anyway) a reason to stay away. For that, I am thankful.

I don't agree with your point of view here.
First off, you aren't likely to visit the same store that PP did, so you will deal with different sales people.
Next, you are not him. Maybe things that really bother him won't faze you at all, or maybe you won't strike the sales person the same way he does/did.
I'll assume that you don't even know PP and you are then taking a complete stranger's word as gospel.
I'd suggest that you take his insight and tuck it in the back of your mind. Then go visit one of the stores near you and check it out for your self. (The one by Washington Square is probably the closest)
Yes, he did "give a service" to let us know what happened to him, but that's likely just one salesperson being a dillweed. Since the company offered to give him a gift certificate, I'd assume that the company does value it's customers.
I've been to the SE Portland store several times and have fondled guns there on numerous occasions. Every time I had good service with no BS. I went to the Tigard store once just to look around and had more than one salesperson ask if I needed help.
I'm not bashing PP or pushing Wholesale Sports. I just think that everyone should check things out for themselves. Heck, I know one guy that just LOVES the Gun Room! (I think he's nuts)

 

[ZigZagZeke]

There have been more posts in this thread saying, "Why not just keep it to yourself!" than PP made in the first place. More people telling him to shut up than he's actually made, they are the reason this is an 8 page thread.

PP did a service to those of us here to let us know he was treated poorly by a store. This thread has given me (a person who was on the fence about going anyway) a reason to stay away. For that, I am thankful.

There's a certain kind of person out there that I've never been able to understand. Maybe somebody can explain it to me. Any time someone complains about bad treatment in a store, a bad call by an umpire, an unfair traffic ticket, etc. there seems to be a contingent of people who want you to keep your mouth shut and your head down and just keep going. I can't figure out whether someone's complaint makes them feel bad about their own apathy and inaction, or unwillingness to speak up, or whether they somehow think the speaker is violating some unwritten rule, or whether they think he's just being a sissy and a weakling for complaining. Or maybe there's some other mechanism going on?

Frankly, it takes more guts to complain publicly about something that's not right or unfair than it does to sit quietly in the shadows and nurse one's resentment. I think when you get bad customer service, particularly when there's a bad attitude accompanying it, you have a duty to make that known. I just don't understand those who think you should keep your mouth shut about it.

 

[Bunny]

I think when you get bad customer service, particularly when there's a bad attitude accompanying it, you have a duty to make that known.

Yeah...... But maybe he could do that without being a drama-queen and whining about it for a change? People like and appreciate feedback, but most people don't want to watch a grown man throw a public temper-tantrum or read an 8+ page b*tchhfest defending it...... Especially after he's received a gracious public apology. If he thinks he's really being of service acting like that......:nuts: There's already enough junk on the forum without threads like this.

 

[Cuthbert Allgood]

is it the store on 112th ave/gher? if so, i live within 5 minutes of it. the only thing i buy from that store is sabot slugs. they have a good selection of them. i checked out some of the pistols they have, and i was very turned off by their price. they sell firearms at MSRP. forget that noise! i'll stick to woodland guns & ammo.

 

[bikejunkie]

I myself am far more likely to give a smaller, local business another chance after a poor customer service issue than a big box type store. I don't have a stake in this either way. I don't think PP's video was "overly whiney" or anything, nor do I feel the business handled things poorly- the manager tried to appease him in a few different ways, of which PP declined. To sum up: He's bent and there isn't anything they can do to make that change so everyone can just move on. As someone that works in customer service- if there isn't a reasonable accommodation to satisfy a customer then how much more time an energy should you as a manager or company make to try and satisfy a customer that doesn't want to be satisfied? This horse is dead and thoroughly beaten. I'm done anyway

 

[Greenbug]

Get that psychology degree of the back of a cereal box? I got mine from Marshall University.

EGO much!

 

[Greenbug]

You can't blame local management for the pricing though. That is something they have no say in at all. I do agree they are pricey though.

Why bother with what you percieve as the place to get the worst service and the highest prices? You should relax and take solice in the fact that you have agajillion posts and are liked by more people than before you started this thread. Give your computer a big hug and shop on-line. Leave the gun store visits to people mature enough to deal with the challenging situations that are beyond your comprehension.