How would you improve Cabela's stores if they were to listen?

[chariot13]

How would you improve Cabela's stores if they were to listen?

I'd improve Cabela's by giving my honest opinion on each item they carry. *All items tested or *thought about* are subject to a return policy that requires an item of equal or greater value returned to me.* Thank You

 

[billt]

I hope you're successful in your career, there is no future for you in customer service.

If I've been overcharged, purchase something that is broken, or else is packaged incomplete in some way, I expect "customer service" to rectify the situation. I don't expect to be educated about a $1,500.00 rifle by a $10.00 an hour employee.

 

[Jammer Six]

Ah, good. If you buy $1,500 rifles, you don't do customer service. I am reassured.

 

[Matt Selders]

jdub75,

I agree with you on selection and service there. Most often, our customers relate good service stories about them to us. I do visit them on a regular basis for proffesional reasons. It is a relatively good experience. I was dismayed to hear about our lack of customer service in Wholesale Sports. (Please PM me if there is anything in particular I can be of service).

Matt Selders

 

[dakaham]

At this very moment I am standing in Springfield cabelas waiting to get my rifle. I have been here waiting going on 1hr. It took me all of 5the minutes to pick out the nagant I wanted and the rest of the time has been spent waiting....waiting....waiting! They need more help in gun department. Not like they aren't selling guns! I have watched about 20the go out so far. So please cabelas hire more WELL trained staff I love ur gun dept please!!!!!

 

[billt]

At this very moment I am standing in Springfield cabelas waiting to get my rifle. I have been here waiting going on 1hr. It took me all of 5the minutes to pick out the nagant I wanted and the rest of the time has been spent waiting....waiting....waiting! They need more help in gun department. Not like they aren't selling guns! I have watched about 20the go out so far. So please cabelas hire more WELL trained staff I love ur gun dept please!!!!!

Here at the Glendale, Arizona store, buying a firearm at Cabela's is a new experience. You no longer fill out the 4473 long hand. After you select your weapon, and make the decision to purchase, you are then directed to a set of computer terminals at the end of the gun counter. The place looks like a bank. You sit at the terminal and click on "start". It prompts you to answer all of the questions on the 4473. You type in all of the same information, and click "YES" or "NO" on all of the usual stuff.

It then prints out the 4473 and puts all of the information you typed where it's supposed to go. This happens out of sight, behind the counter. You still have to sign and date the form long hand, and Cabela's has to enter all of the firearm information long hand as well. Serial number, make, model, caliber, etc. After that they turn you over to the cashier and you then pay for everything, then they hand you the gun. They no longer walk you out to the front door. However I think they may if you also buy ammo for the gun at the same time.

The guy told me Cabela's was having a 2 fold problem. People weren't filling out the 4473's very legibility, and were screwing up many of them before they got it right. He told me before they started this he had a woman come in and buy a Ruger LCP and she went through 9 forms before she finally got the thing correct! The ATF doesn't like abbreviations, or running the information out of the box assigned to it on the form. Typical bureaucratic crap. So this way everything gets filled out correctly.

The problem is they don't have it organized very well yet. They had 6 or 8 employees all bumping into one another while just as many customers were all standing around waiting. They need to do it like the DMV with numbered lines, and move everyone along. It took me over 45 minutes to get out of there after I said, "I'll take it", and they really weren't all that busy at the time.

 

[Redneck_Riot]

In this day and age I personally expect more for my dollar, My experience at cabelas is that this store has a great selection of guns, a great selction of gun related merchandise, and a rediculous pricing schedule. Seriously all the guns I have seen are at least 20-30% higher than just about any other gun store I can think of. I for one will not pay a premium on the guns I buy and then have to wait in a absurdly long and frustrating line just to pay that premium lol. I think the issue is that enough nuckle heads are ignorant enough to overpay so they do not care to lower their prices, and what is the incentive to higher more employees when people seem to gladly wait in line to purchase every day. I like the gun library and stop in often to ogle the nice peices but truly am frustrated with the gun library salesman at the lacey store, he could not have less knowledge imo and seems not to bright when it comes to customer service skills either. My 2 cents I will not buy my guns from Cabelas til they come back down to earth with pricing and the long line issues.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Sales women would all have to dress like Daisy Duke, be stunningly beautiful, and carry your ammo (not help carry, carry) for you to the counter.

 

[M67]

I have never been to a Cabela's store, but i do purchase items from them online, to get items i can not find locally, or somewhere else. Cabela's does have a large selection of items i use, and can not find elsewhere.

I just ordered over $400.00 worth of supplies, that could have been shipped in 2 medium priority mail flat rate boxes, for about $28.00. The cheapest shipping charge quoted at checkout was for over $70.00, to ship priority mail, would have been quite a bit more.

My complaint is, i have already made a purchase, and i get hammered again for shipping.

If i could find the items i wanted locally, i would never buy from them again, because of there shipping cost.

M67

 

[CZ Fan]

Went to the newish Springfield store recently. The place was simply awful. Its a complete visual bombardment brimming to overfilled with merchandise and useless BS. Simply browsing for a gun was an awkward experience. With a gaggle of mouth breathers and newly minted Cabela's commandos taking up space at the counter it was really difficult to even browse the selection. What I encountered there for both firearms and ammunition was overpriced to say the least.

Things I would improve
Get rid of about 10-15% of the on shelf product
Decrease prices by 5-10%
Taking a number to put your hands on a gun? Are you serious?
I was in the store for about an hour and I saw the same people waiting for their background check to go through. Last time I bought a pistol from a local store I was in and out in 30 minutes.
Fudge shop. This country already has a problem with walking coronaries waddling around. You don't need to exacerbate the problem by feeding them fudge.


Thing to keep or leave alone
Nice selection of cute sales and counter girls.

 

[mkwerx]

I have never been to a Cabela's store, but i do purchase items from them online, to get items i can not find locally, or somewhere else. Cabela's does have a large selection of items i use, and can not find elsewhere.

I just ordered over $400.00 worth of supplies, that could have been shipped in 2 medium priority mail flat rate boxes, for about $28.00. The cheapest shipping charge quoted at checkout was for over $70.00, to ship priority mail, would have been quite a bit more.

My complaint is, i have already made a purchase, and i get hammered again for shipping.

If i could find the items i wanted locally, i would never buy from them again, because of there shipping cost.

M67

This is why I tend to watch and wait for the cheap shipping offers they run - usually every other month or so. They've been running $0.01 shipping this month. Two months ago they were doing free shipping on orders over $100.

 

[Jammer Six]

Made in China BS . \

I prefer handguns made overseas. Same quality, no entitlement surcharge.

It's bad manners to bring politics into a non-political discussion.

 

[billt]

Its a complete visual bombardment brimming to overfilled with merchandise and useless Made in China BS.

What does Cabela's have more of than anyone else that is, "Made in China"?

 

[CZ Fan]

It's bad manners to bring politics into a non-political discussion.

You are right. Edited

What does Cabela's have more of than anyone else that is, "Made in China"?

Edited my post, so as not to derail thread.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I live in Lacey and have never stepped foot in there

 

[M67]

This is why I tend to watch and wait for the cheap shipping offers they run - usually every other month or so. They've been running $0.01 shipping this month. Two months ago they were doing free shipping on orders over $100.

If you notice the "fine print" in those $.01 cent shipping adds from cabela's, it does not cover heavy items... My last shipment was over 75lbs..

The items i purchased came in 2 boxes, the same size boxes as the USPS medium flat rate boxes. That is why i say since they offer priority mail, why not use the USPS boxes,(which they could get for free) at USPS rates?

M67

 

[Aero Denezol]

One good thing Cabela's could do is update their website. The SKS shows on their website for $279. I just called the store and they are $420 something. Glad I didn't drive down there.

 

[rdb241]

get rid of ALL the eye candy and drop there prices to realistic numbers...............

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Why would someone buy a Mosin Nagant at Cabelas when Big 5 has regular shipments of them coming in and regular sale prices?

 

[pietro beretta]

Sell all the stuffed animals, get rid of the fish tank and close down the stores that don't perform -- pass on the savings.

I have only been to the Cabelas in post falls, I go their when I visit the mother in law. I have only been in their three times, all three times it was never busy with any lines, maybe I just have been lucky?