Guns shops tired of noobs?

[tac]

Sure wisht' I lived in Montana......

 

[Member 52301]

My FFL dealers back east and out here (MT) have always, always been very KIND and good to me. They were VERY nice to me in CO as a tourist too!

I have NO complaints about my regular FFL men shy of the one man in MI (BIG store - grand opening in another state not mine.) who tried to sell me 45acp instead of 45Long Colt ammunition.

As a NEWBIE who came in with my books, brochures and Gun Digest with POST IT notes and MANY QUESTIONS... MY GUN MAN back east was NEVER EVER rude to me. I admitted what I did and did NOT know and so forth.

He was very well known in the shooting sports world and not just up towards Camp Perry. His late Dad and Mom owned a small family store that was famous. His Dad was a military man as my late husband was too.

ALL of my gun men as I call them (LOL) knew what I liked and did not like once they got to know me when it came to GUNS. And some of them set stuff aside for me too. NOT only NIB guns that I was interested in but NOT sure if I wanted them until I HELD THEM in my crippled arm/hand. They called me and said that something came in and if I wanted to see it but I was NOT held to BUY it until I saw it and held it in my hands. So they put it in the back room until I got up there on my regular day to their indoor range. I belonged to a rural club - outdoor range close to my rural home too. Farm/lake country.

Some of them set aside some stuff for other customers who wanted what I or we wanted to sell out here in MT when I stopped shooting handguns too.

GOOD men - all of them.

Old Lady Cate

ADDED more.

 

[nehalemguy]

Is it wrong that every time I read "noobs" my mind rhymes it with "boobs"? Sorry ladies.

-E-

 

[Member 52301]

Is it wrong that every time I read "noobs" my mind rhymes it with "boobs"? Sorry ladies.

-E-

No, it is not wrong. I think that it is funny!

I say Newbie myself.

Cate

 

[bbbass]

Is it wrong that every time I read "noobs" my mind rhymes it with "boobs"? Sorry ladies.

-E-

Might make a good video series:

Noobs With Boobs (like the Girls Gone Wild series)

I can "see" it now!!!

 

[CRBMoA]

Show Us Your Newbies!

 

[Rkangel]

If a gun store is getting tired of noobs, then they have identified themselves as having an affliction known as Stoopid Ownership.

There are a lot of bad businesses out there, just like there are a lot of bad customers. Recognizing them early can save both parties a lot of grief.

 

[bbbass]

Show Us Your Newbies!

Gotta give them beads...

 

[CRBMoA]

Beads are earned. You know this.

 

[bbbass]

There are a lot of bad businesses out there, just like there are a lot of bad customers. Recognizing them early can save both parties a lot of grief.

IMO noobs aren't always bad customers... but when they are, their name usually starts with "Karen".

BTW, I had a lot of people in the radio comms store that didn't know anything about 2-way radio comms. I always made every effort to answer their questions. But the bozz didn't want me to spend more than 10 minutes with somebody that obviously wasn't going to buy anything. Some customers are just there for the chat. The ones that really bugged me were the "professional" types, doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, that after a full explanation of how radio propagation works, wanted to argue with me. Sigh.

 

[bbbass]

Beads are earned. You know this.

And how do I know that???

 

[sobo]

Beads are earned. You know this.

And how do I know that???

You know how you know this...

 

[bbbass]

You know how you know this...

Actually beads are not required elsewhere. A buddy of mine owned a video production facility. When the boat races were held during the summer in Tri-Cities, he would take one of the large cameras to that event.... many gals needed little or no encouragement... beer powered I suppose.

 

[sobo]

Actually beads are not required elsewhere. A buddy of mine owned a video production facility. When the boat races were held during the summer in Tri-Cities, he would take one of the large cameras to that event.... many gals needed little or no encouragement... beer powered I suppose.

Being a long-time resident and having survived my fair share of Boat Race Weekend memory-washes, I can attest to the aforementioned behavior on the part of young, nubile females...

 

[CRBMoA]

Like floating the Deschutes, I would imagine.

 

[sobo]

Like floating the Deschutes, I would imagine.

I sense a new activity I must put on my list of summer distractions...

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Wait until the noobs do their first range trip, that is what scares me.

remember your first range trip?

 

[bbbass]

Being a long-time resident and having survived my fair share of Boat Race Weekend memory-washes, I can attest to the aforementioned behavior on the part of young, nubile females...

Good thing is wasn't old, fat guys... I think there is a law against that tho... discrimination can be a good thing!!!

 

[turbo_vanner]

I'll deal with a gun store clerk any day over a Guitar Center clerk.

But I'm totally that noob at any coffee shop, especially in portland or seattle.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Having worked at a gun counter , I have had many a "noob" question tossed my way.
It can get old , and tiring , but....
It is important to answer the noob questions honestly , along with a understanding
that ignorance. , if left unlearned , can be dangerous.

When behind the gun counter I much preferred the "noob" who asked questions , to the customer who so desperately wanted to show , usually loudly , everyone around , that he "knew" more than me.
Andy

In my experience with small business, the "small" doesn't necessary refer to just the gross income. It quite often refers to what's between the owner's ears.

For instance, the ice cream shop within a couple miles of a large recreational lake with a sign on the door saying "No swimsuits allowed". Or the coffee shop near the high school that plays classical music to drive away high school students.

The sign in the fast food place on a major highway saying "Restrooms for paying customers ONLY". Yes, it might cost a dollar or two extra to maintain that restroom because of people who never would have stopped there before and don't intend to buy anything. And yet, if that same business wants to spend money on radio or print advertising they will spend about $25 per new customer who comes through the doors. And once a person comes through those front doors they are very likely to do so when they want to buy something. It's called "customer familiarity".

I once sat in a meeting of 60 or so local small businesses for 45 minutes discussing whether the business association should buy a $25 ad in someone's travel brochure. I had other things to do so I finally stood up and said that my business would be happy to pay the $25 if we could just move on down the agenda.

When a customer walks through a gun shop's doors they are preparing to spend money, whether it is that day or not. The fact that they have walked through that gun shop's doors means that they are hundreds of times more likely to return when they need something than that they will go somewhere else, UNLESS, they are treated poorly, embarrassed, belittled, or otherwise made to feel unwelcome or unimportant. Smart business owners know these things, and their small businesses generally do not remain small. And then there are the others...