Interesting comment at the local gun store today

[CDR_Glock]

A young lady was saying she was interested in getting a gun, and I gave her my take. I told her get a revolver. It's reliable, requires little maintenance and is small enough for a purse. The shop owner said to be careful since the advice I give, as a customer, could be a liability for him as a shop owner. I was shocked, since I never heard that before.

Is that true? The advice was nothing like "Get a shotgun, you don't need to aim" or "Get a 45 ACP, you'll vaporize the assailant".

(scratching head)...

 

[RaceM]

Everybody's busy playing CYA in our lawsuit crazy country these days. Nothin' wrong with your advice.

 

[fehhkk]

Obviously the gun shop owner wanted to sell her a $1200 1911 and not a $300 revolver

 

[MistWolf]

Just a way of saying "Shaddap, kid!"

 

[MedWheeler]

Any advice he gives is more likely to be a potential liability for him than any you give. Suppose she had called a friend from outside in the parking lot for a recommendation before walking inside, or otherwise had her mind made up, and the shop owner had talked her into something else. Had she then had a mishap with the "something else", she could then argue along the lines of "Well, what I went in there for was xxx, but he told me this was safer!"

 

[bannockburn]

Sounds like a lot of baloney on the part of the owner. More like "I'm the expert here so keep your advice to yourself." Could also be an attempt on the part of the owner to upsell her to something else, while making it sound like he's looking out for her best interests with some made-up legal gibberish.

 

[bikerdoc]

Since I retired I work P/T in a gun store. I woud have said same as you.

The bozo talking liability is Just a jerk looking to sell a high priced gun to make his numbers look good. If my Boss heard that exchange the clerk would have got a butt chewing. Then again he only hires retired military or police guys.

You did good.

 

[Sam1911]

Probably just his standard comment to get folks to not give out advice to his customers in his shop. While I certainly would not argue with what you said, I doubt I'd last very long as a gun shop manager because I doubt I'd have the patience to listen to the constant barrage of silly, dumb, illegal, and just plain wrong 'advice' given out by so many customers, tire-kickers, and guns-shore-stand-around types.

The sign on my door would have to read:

"Welcome to my shop! Come in, make your purchase, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, and go away! ... Y'all come back now, hear?"

I probably wouldn't be in business for long.


(Heck...I listened to a very professional trainer giving a class at our club last week. I had to leave the room because I was having trouble not correcting some of the stupid crap he was saying. Yeah...not gonna make it as a gun shop guy! )

 

[bigfatdave]

1 - your advice was insultingly simplistic
2 - the guy behind the counter picked a very silly excuse to stop you, for whatever reason of his own

 

[Lex Luthier]

If you don't work there, stay out of it. I like to walk around with my mouth shut and just pay attention. You learn real fast who is sharp.

So an uninformed sucker walks into a store......

 

[CDR_Glock]

I've given general advice to people in stores for at least 20 years. It was really strange to hear that comment.

I recall saying that Diamondback was not a good gun and to stay the heck away from it, until she researched the gun for herself (she said, "I like that pink gun"). I said focus on functionality over a style. Semiautomatics require more Maintenance because they have to be taken apart to clean (guide rods, springs, barrel, and slide) versus a revolver with 5-6 holes to curb with a brush.

Lastly, not to focus upon lightweight guns because the recoil is hard to tame for someone who's a novice. As she left I said, take a gun safety class before she decides upon any gun.

When I give advice like that, I just want someone to be informed. I've had some managers ask if I want to work there, and I tell them, No. I prefer being a Physician.

 

[Sam1911]

Yup, all sounds like good advice.

Of course, if you hadn't said anything she might have, maybe, bought a gun from the owner that day. Money today is a lot better than "maybe" money someday.

If I was a shop owner, I'd like to think I'd give much the same kinds of advice you did. But, in MY shop, I'D want to be the one talking up the customers and giving the advice.

 

[Loosedhorse]

The shop owner said to be careful since the advice I give, as a customer, could be a liability for him as a shop owner.

In a way he's right: anyone can sue anybody for anything. He should have warned you about the liability atttached to breathing in his store, too.

Just a way of saying "Shaddap, kid!"

Yeah, but with an "Either I or you will be stupid enough to believe this, so here it goes" twist.

If you like to talk to folks in a gun store (personally, I think customers conversing makes the atmosphere friendlier), seems like it's time to find another gun store.

 

[j1]

Seems to me that you did not give up your freedom of speech at the door to the shop. What you say should be thought of first but need not be aligned with what the owner wants to sell. Maybe a short discussion is in order between the shop owner and you. Friendly I hope.

 

[Sam1911]

Seems to me that you did not give up your freedom of speech at the door to the shop.

Actually, that's not really true. He does not have to permit you to say anything on his private property. Your 1st Amendment rights mean the government cannot stifle your right to speak your mind. A business owner or property owner certainly can, on his property. If you stand around his shop speaking your mind he has every right to tell you to leave.

 

[bikerdoc]

I doubt I'd last very long as a gun shop manager because I doubt I'd have the patience to listen to the constant barrage of silly, dumb, illegal, and just plain wrong 'advice' given out by so many customers, tire-kickers, and guns-shore-stand-around types.

We deal with them every day. (sigh) "Usually we say "really" tell me more about your Knowledge/experience with...."
They stammer or say I heard it on the internet, or my friends brother
has an uncle in Toledo that....

Then we lower the boom with real world advice, politely of course.

 

[Stump Water]

Actually, that's not really true. He does not have to permit you to say anything on his private property. Your 1st Amendment rights mean the government cannot stifle your right to speak your mind. A business owner or property owner certainly can, on his property. If you stand around his shop speaking your mind he has every right to tell you to leave.

So many people don't realize this.

And the same applies to internet message boards.

 

[Skribs]

Any advice you give the customer is license for him to just stand around, so why wouldn't he let you talk?

 

[Sam1911]

Why wouldn't he?

Well...maybe because you just encouraged a potential customer to NOT buy a gun today.

Or maybe because the thing you believe and want to share is the opposite of what he believes and wants to share, and perhaps undermines his trustworthiness with his customer.

Or maybe because he really believes he holds some ethical (or even legal) liability for the advice doled out under his roof and doesn't want to have to screen and/or correct your comments.

Or maybe he just wants to be king in his castle and it's all a poor personality issue -- who knows?

Could be a lot of things.

 

[kcshooter]

Lawsuit, no. (Well, I suppose in theory, yes, but good luck.)

But,

If I was a shop owner, I'd like to think I'd give much the same kinds of advice you did. But, in MY shop, I'D want to be the one talking up the customers and giving the advice

Exactly what I was thinking.

so why wouldn't he let you talk?

I've heard WAAAAY more bad advice than good advice given by customers to other customers browsing at a gun shop.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

He said, she said, doesn't hold water in a court of law. Freedom of speech has nothing to do with this at all, the dude just wanted you to mind your own business while he did his job--selling guns.

 

[HOOfan_1]

If the lady went up to CDR_Glock and asked him his advice, then the shop owner has no cause for being angry, unless he is just a jerk. If CDR_Glock interrupted a sale then I could see where the owner would be perturbed. Doesn't mean he is correct about the liability claim.

Dumb and incorrect advice is given on both sides of the counter.

 

[Auf Grosser Fahrt]

You walk into a store and you can't casually talk to someone? Baloney!

That said, I would wait for her to specifically lean over to me, or look at me directly and ask my opinion, before I offered it. Lady did this to me at Cheaper Than Dirt last weekend. Walked up next to me and said, "Sir, what do you think about ... ?" I'd say if the shop owner doesn't like it at that point, he should tell her.

I answered the lady.

 

[Skribs]

Well...maybe because you just encouraged a potential customer to NOT buy a gun today.

Where did it say he encouraged her to wait?

 

[Snag]

It's nice to be helpful, even better when any input you have is appreciated. In a gun store though 99% of the time nobody gives a crap what you have to think. Employees of the place will also get grumpy cause they just want to make a sale. It's all none of my business so I bite my tongue and wait my turn.

I was in one of my local places a couple months ago to pick up a pistol I ordered. A father, his son with new wife in toe, were looking at shotguns for home defense. For whatever reason the store employee was really pushing some used "tactical" 12 gauge units with every possible accessory you can think of attached. Long story short from the conversation none of these people had ever owned a gun, definite gun handling safety concerns from what I seen in the shop lol, and that poor girl looked very intimidated by the shotgun.

Anything I would have said would of probably just irritated everyone. The only fer sure time someone will want your opinion is when they're in to pick up a gun and you casually say "I have one of those". Then they will talk your ear off.