DocBoCook
Member
748: You talking about A&P?
So the guy at the gun store thinks I'm an idiot...
- Thread starter mpdan
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cliffy
member
If I worked at a gun store, I'd treat customers with respect.
In 1958, I did just this courtesy thing, while increasingly rare today. Too many idiots are merely CLERKS. "Find what you want? I'll ring it up!" mentality pervades many retail stores today. Finding a knowledgeable salesperson is rare within most businesses today. If I wasn't retired, I'd love selling sporting goods again. I'd actually asked what the customer wanted to use "whatever" for! I'd recommend something suitable for his or her goals. Back then, people actually listened to me and gained by my experience. I cared back then and even now. cliffy
In 1958, I did just this courtesy thing, while increasingly rare today. Too many idiots are merely CLERKS. "Find what you want? I'll ring it up!" mentality pervades many retail stores today. Finding a knowledgeable salesperson is rare within most businesses today. If I wasn't retired, I'd love selling sporting goods again. I'd actually asked what the customer wanted to use "whatever" for! I'd recommend something suitable for his or her goals. Back then, people actually listened to me and gained by my experience. I cared back then and even now. cliffy
I don't think all gun shop employees are idiots, as I noted there doesn't seem to be a single one at my local location. Like most customer service jobs there are idiots on both sides. For every employee that tells people the Mosins shoot 7.62 Russian and in a pinch can also shoot .308 and .30-06, there's a customer that has NO money, never buys so much as a set of earplugs, and wants to argue that no gun is worth more than $100.
I sympathize with the decent gun shop employees after working in a speed shop and dealing with similar types of customers...
I sympathize with the decent gun shop employees after working in a speed shop and dealing with similar types of customers...
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
I've worked in a couple gun shops. One was staffed by bigots. Wasn't there long.
And then there was a brief stint at the aptly named Dick's. I was hired supposedly for my expertise, then jumped on when I used it.
The dept head had sold a nice guy a compound bow with all the bells and whistles,including about 7 sight pins. The guy brought the thing back complaining he couldn't hit jack. He was a novice bow hunter. I retuned the bow, pulled all the pins but one off and got him on at 20 yards. Told him to keep his shots inside that.The guy was happy, but the boss raked me for spending so much time on it instead of stocking shelves.
I also fielded some really dumb questions and dealt with myths.. The one about shotguns never missing "cuz of all them pellets" was about average dumb.
The one about what the best saw to use to saw a Mossberg down at both ends to improve concealment from a thuggy dude nigh got me arrested.
I could tell some stories.....
And then there was a brief stint at the aptly named Dick's. I was hired supposedly for my expertise, then jumped on when I used it.
The dept head had sold a nice guy a compound bow with all the bells and whistles,including about 7 sight pins. The guy brought the thing back complaining he couldn't hit jack. He was a novice bow hunter. I retuned the bow, pulled all the pins but one off and got him on at 20 yards. Told him to keep his shots inside that.The guy was happy, but the boss raked me for spending so much time on it instead of stocking shelves.
I also fielded some really dumb questions and dealt with myths.. The one about shotguns never missing "cuz of all them pellets" was about average dumb.
The one about what the best saw to use to saw a Mossberg down at both ends to improve concealment from a thuggy dude nigh got me arrested.
I could tell some stories.....
Hungry Seagull
member
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Now... that you mention it.... I think wally got out or cut down severely on the gun business. I need to open my eyes and look-see if there are guns in racks.
Ask me again saturday and I will tell you what I find.
Ask me again saturday and I will tell you what I find.
Would y'all believe that the Wal-Mart stores that still sell guns... will STILL sell guns? And ammo prices haven't "jumped" there, contrary to a great many customers' beliefs. There's a reason we don't have anything on the shelves.
We can't get it.
Let me reiterate.
The. Warehouses. Are. Empty.
In their panic, buyers have depleted supplies. As such, we can't get much in stock at a time. And when we do, someone goes and cleans out our shelves. There's no limit on ammo purchases here. Some people are just stupid and paranoid.
Others are greedy, reselling the ammo at gun shows and their own shops at a significantly higher price (Example: $8.97 Remington UMC .223 FMJ being resold at about $15 a box)
And some are just afraid they won't be able to go get ammo whenever they want it (as they rightly should be able to) and as such they buy all they can.
Regarding guns, every slack-jawed yokel thinks "I need a Mini-14 and I'm gonna get me some of those banana clips and make it an AR, and I'll be able to take on anyone." Or even more commonly, "I need a black shotgun/rifle."
Or: "This rifle comes with a scope. I'll put a bipod on it. It's now a sniper rifle. I'm a sniper now."
Seems like I'm making broad generalizations here but that's how it goes.
Regarding some of the guns we carry, they just sell too quickly. The aforementioned, Mini-14, for example, is so highly-sought after that we seldom keep one in stock for more than three hours. The Mossberg Maverick, being a dirt-cheap (and black!) shotgun, is about as popular.
We can't get it.
Let me reiterate.
The. Warehouses. Are. Empty.
In their panic, buyers have depleted supplies. As such, we can't get much in stock at a time. And when we do, someone goes and cleans out our shelves. There's no limit on ammo purchases here. Some people are just stupid and paranoid.
Others are greedy, reselling the ammo at gun shows and their own shops at a significantly higher price (Example: $8.97 Remington UMC .223 FMJ being resold at about $15 a box)
And some are just afraid they won't be able to go get ammo whenever they want it (as they rightly should be able to) and as such they buy all they can.
Regarding guns, every slack-jawed yokel thinks "I need a Mini-14 and I'm gonna get me some of those banana clips and make it an AR, and I'll be able to take on anyone." Or even more commonly, "I need a black shotgun/rifle."
Or: "This rifle comes with a scope. I'll put a bipod on it. It's now a sniper rifle. I'm a sniper now."
Seems like I'm making broad generalizations here but that's how it goes.
Regarding some of the guns we carry, they just sell too quickly. The aforementioned, Mini-14, for example, is so highly-sought after that we seldom keep one in stock for more than three hours. The Mossberg Maverick, being a dirt-cheap (and black!) shotgun, is about as popular.
CoRoMo
Member
That's because you are standing on this side of his counter.
highorder
Member
The people that print the tags are the counter girls doing admin work before sale sets... The gun counter guys (formerly me) get handed the stack to place on merchandise. It you get a noobie in your dept, he will likely hang the tags while the wiser guys handle customers...
Thats how tags get made wrong and make it to the shelf.
earlthegoat2
Member
I love how I cant even get a job at these places.
highorder
Member
Do you want a job for $7.00 /hr?
I would do it as a retired person for fun, (and many do) but I need to earn thru this decade to enjoy the next...
I would do it as a retired person for fun, (and many do) but I need to earn thru this decade to enjoy the next...
chuckusaret
member
I bought ammo (9MM and 40 cal WWB) at two different Wal Marts yesterday and today for $26 bucks and change per hundred rounds. Shelves were full. My local store allows most ammo buyers to go behind the counter and point out the ammo they want. No mistakes that way.
Mr. Bojangles
Member
I am fortunate enough to have an excellent "mom and pop" gun store close to where I live. Their prices are good and they are friendly and respond kindly to my very ameteur questions. They are not experts on everything related to firearms, but to their credit they aren't afraid to say "I don't know." Those three words are seldom heard in a gun shop. Despite objections from my bank account, I keep going back.
AllAmerican
Member
Ive got one walmart in my area where the 2 folks who generally work the ammo counter know guns and have guns and carry guns.
I have no problem doing business with them.
Sorry, most of the guys round here who are gun dealers either dont sell ammo (pawnshops) or they charge way more than walmart.
I do have one local guy who has decent prices on ammo but his guns are a little high.
He knows what he is doing too. Ive bought a few guns at WalMart and I buy ammo there. I buy from other sources too.
I have no problem doing business with them.
Sorry, most of the guys round here who are gun dealers either dont sell ammo (pawnshops) or they charge way more than walmart.
I do have one local guy who has decent prices on ammo but his guns are a little high.
He knows what he is doing too. Ive bought a few guns at WalMart and I buy ammo there. I buy from other sources too.
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