Twin Cities Carry Forum Archive
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Attitudes of Gun Shops in Cities?
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Author:  ttousi [ Mon Mar 13, 2006 9:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bad experience in Robbinsdale too!
TDman wrote:
Apparently being rude and ignorant must be a part of the training over at that shop in Robbinsdale (trying not to say the name but I bet you know who I'm talking about). A couple months ago I stopped in to see what they had in stock. I knew the minute I walked into the store that something felt strange. There were three gentlemen in the store talking to the sales person working. All of a sudden when I walked they stopped talking and it got ackwordly quiet...literally silent. I smiled and said hello to each and every person around the counter. The response I got was "Do you plan on buying anything"? Taken back I say to the clerk "If the mood strikes me". The three gentlemen chuckled at my reply. I walked around the store about 20 minutes, the whole time being watched every step of the way. At this point I thought maybe engaging the clerk in conversation would lighten the mood a bit. I asked him if they had a H&K USP 40 in stainless? His response was "Do you see one in the case". I laughed and replied "Obviously, I see with your attitude, you guys aren't in the business of selling guns". He and his buddy had another laugh. At this point, It was time to go! As I headed towards the door one of the gentleman standing around asked me if I knew how much the H&K's cost. I replied to him "yes, I do". Laughing he said "maybe YOU may want to look something cheaper, that why you can just throw it in the Mississippi after the crime". Being calm as usual, I smiled at the gentlemen and said "I think I will spend $800.00 at another gun shop that values their customers and making money" As I was walking out the door the clerk yelled out something to the manner of don't forget you need a permit to buy a gun...that means you can't have a criminal record. Again, they shared a laugh! Needless to say I was not very happy with my experience. However, this doesn't surprise me! I was marked the moment I walked in the door. I simply jumped on gunbroker.com and got my USP 40c for $200.00 less then I could have gotten from this shop any way. I will never again step foot in that shop again. But hey knowledge is power![/i]


How did they know you were ex-military?? :wink: :wink: :P

Seriously though......good for you. Not only did you leave but you let them know you would do business elsewhere. Plenty of places would be happy to do business with you without any hassle/rude comments.
Author:  TDman [ Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:26 pm ]
Post subject:  No sweat!
That was just one experience out of many. Overall I have been treated with nothing but good to great customer service elsewhere. Kudos to Gun Stop, Striechers, Sportsmans Warehouse, Gander Mountain, and J&S. I recieved nothing but excellent treatment from those guys. This is actually a good thing as I need some place to buy from to support my four guns a year habit$$$...lol! The good thing about my experience in Robbinsdale is now I know how they operate. I really want to give them the benefit of a doubt and hopefully the guy working that day isn't a reflection on how they do business. However, they will never see any of my hard earned $$$$. That's the great thing about being a consumer...you can decide where and to who you give your business!
Author:  Pinnacle [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:51 am ]
Post subject: 
I think that in the rush to sell someone anything - a lot of BS gets passed.

People in sales need to know and understand that it is OK to say "I do not know that..... but I can find out for sure..."
Author:  squib_joe [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: No sweat!
TDman wrote:
The good thing about my experience in Robbinsdale is now I know how they operate. I really want to give them the benefit of a doubt and hopefully the guy working that day isn't a reflection on how they do business.


If a salesman at either Bill's location made comments even remotely as rude as you claim, they would be fired.
Author:  lastgunshop [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: No sweat!
squib_joe wrote:
TDman wrote:
The good thing about my experience in Robbinsdale is now I know how they operate. I really want to give them the benefit of a doubt and hopefully the guy working that day isn't a reflection on how they do business.


If a salesman at either Bill's location made comments even remotely as rude as you claim, they would be fired.
They might want to ask to talk to the Mgr. In my case at my shop I'm the Mgr. :lol:
Author:  squib_joe [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: No sweat!
lastgunshop wrote:
squib_joe wrote:
TDman wrote:
The good thing about my experience in Robbinsdale is now I know how they operate. I really want to give them the benefit of a doubt and hopefully the guy working that day isn't a reflection on how they do business.


If a salesman at either Bill's location made comments even remotely as rude as you claim, they would be fired.
They might want to ask to talk to the Mgr. In my case at my shop I'm the Mgr. :lol:


Yep. If anything like that happened, it would have been a good time to ask for the manager or owner.

And if you have a problem with Mark, direct your complaints to the nearest bird :P
Author:  Andrew Rothman [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: No sweat!
squib_joe wrote:
TDman wrote:
The good thing about my experience in Robbinsdale is now I know how they operate. I really want to give them the benefit of a doubt and hopefully the guy working that day isn't a reflection on how they do business.


If a salesman at either Bill's location made comments even remotely as rude as you claim, they would be fired.


That may very well be true, were he to be overheard by a manager. My perception is that jerks like that tend to know when the boss is within earshot.
Author:  joelr [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: No sweat!
squib_joe wrote:
TDman wrote:
The good thing about my experience in Robbinsdale is now I know how they operate. I really want to give them the benefit of a doubt and hopefully the guy working that day isn't a reflection on how they do business.


If a salesman at either Bill's location made comments even remotely as rude as you claim, they would be fired.

I'd hope so, but I'm not at all sure. I had an experience at Bill's involving not only rudeness (although there was a lot of that) but an outright disregard for safety, some years ago -- details on request; short form is that another patron checked to see that his firearm was unloaded while pointing it at the guy in the next lane (me) -- and that the range officer/employee behaved, to say the least, very unprofessionally and rudely.

The most recent time I was at Bill's -- several months ago -- that employee was still there.

That said, on the rare occasions that I've been at Bill's since the incident, I've found the staff to be polite. And that said, I've -- quite politely -- declined "help" from that particular employee.
Author:  joelr [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:36 pm ]
Post subject: 
As an aside, check out today's Wall Street Journal. One story -- I don't have it handy -- points out, yet again, to studies that show that a customer who has had a problem that has been handled to his/her satisfaction is a more loyal customer, statistically, than one who has never had a problem.

Store owners, including gun shops, might want to think of a complaint as an opportunity, rather than a problem.
Author:  alyoop [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 1:43 pm ]
Post subject: 
Setting aside the fact that any clerk at any gunshop on any given day can be a jerk, I like Gander Mountain. A case in point, this weekend I decided to divorce my Ruger Super Redhawk in 454 Casull to marry something new and exciting that I could carry. So off I go to the nearest outlet --J+S--, which is where I bought it new several years ago. While waiting for help I see a HK compact .40 and a Springfield XD45 that looked real sexy. I handled the HK --nice-- and while checking out the XD the owner came over, tilted the Ruger in the case with one finger to determine I think, if it was 454 or 480, and pronounced, "$340.00". That would never do so I thanked the guy helping me and headed off to Gander. When I placed the big Ruger on the case, several junior clerks came over to admire it. Finally the dealmaker guy came over, checked it out carefully, got out the old calculator and after apologizing for the 30% margine they have to maintain, offered me $433. I instantly knew the XD45 behind the glass at my knees was mine. We chatted up a storm for the next 20 minutes as the stacks of paperwork were completed and now I feel like this guy is my best friend! He did get a little firm though when I tried to make off with 1 lousy box of .45 ammo. I was going to buy the 250 pak for $54, wasn't I? Of course I was, what the hell was I thinking. So I walk out on a cloud, XD45 and 250 round pak under my arm.
Author:  simian12 [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:56 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hmmm... Seems like there is a pattern here. If you want to be treated rudely you can go to J & S or Hope Whats-his-name is working at Bills in Robbinsdale. I took my conceal cerry calss at Bills and I know exactly who people are talking about. Asking this guy any question he made you feel like it was a stupid question. Yeah, and if the owner or manager of Bills doesn't now which person it is, and this guy has been there awhile, then they deserve him, and I'll keep going elsewhere for my stuff.
My 2 Cents
Author:  alyoop [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 4:50 pm ]
Post subject: 
To be a small business, make a living, and grow the business, I imagine you quickly learn who butters your bread and naturally tend to cater to that clientle with due diligence and probably make many great friends/customers in the process. I just remembered that I also once got a good deal on a CZ52 and case of ammo at J+S. Maybe one day I'll make enough money to buy enough guns to be a preferred customer at J+S and other gun shops too. I wasn't really wining....I was very happy with gun I bought from Gander last weekend.
Author:  TDman [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Looking back
Looking back, I wish I had of called the owner to notify him of my experience in his shop. At that point I wanted nothing to do with that place. I've told a couple friends I shoot with and a few collegues about my experience at Bills. There reactions were mixed. A shooting buddy defended them by pointing out their location (close to n minneapolis) and the type of unsavory people that go in to look at guns and never buy. I completely understand and respect his point of view! However, don't use the fact that they a couple miles from North Minneapolis to be rude to a potential buyer...law abiding citizen (me).
Author:  mobocracy [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
I don't think any single gun store has a lock on bad behavior, I think they all can deliver it when they want to. I think the "gun world" generally (for lack of a better word for it) is overflowing with macho/tacitcal jackasses long on attitude and bullshit and short on intelligence and social grace. No other line of business would stay open if they treated customers as badly as they all seem to.

My list of places in no special order:

Gunstop -- hard to beat prices. No real opinion on expertise, but I'm sure they have it. Seems a little "clubby" -- despite buying 5 new handguns there in the past 18 months, I don't feel like a member of the club yet. John Walton on the reloading side is a nice guy, but still not a club member, despite buying 10 lbs of powder, 5000+ primers, 500+ empty cases, a Dillon press and several cases of bullets. Will keep shopping there, though, for both items, primarily because they are deeply competitive on price. I guess I don't expect to be offered a cocktail, but you'd think someone spending over $5000 in an 18 month period would be a person you'd like to be on a first name basis with.

Gander Lakeville -- Broad selection, very pleasant surroundings, the employees seem real nice. Bought some ammo there, a ton of cleaning supplies and a safe, but no guns (price being the only reason). Gander's merchandising/stocking is kind of "off" -- they seem to be constantly out of stock of about 20% of their SKUs.

Bills -- Never bought a gun or even planned to there, but they were real nice about installing a set of night sights on my Glock on a "while you wait" basis. It'd been a year or so since I'd been there last, and they seem to keep a pleasant shopping environment -- clean, orderly, etc. I thought their prices were kind of steep, but I also wasn't taking a survey, either.

Hart Bros (Albert Lea)-- Wish this place was closer. Nice people, huge selection, extremely well organized and good prices. I went down there for a very specific gun so I didn't get much advice, but I overhead Milan Hart talking to another customer and he was pretty impressive. Nice searchable web inventory of guns.

Burnsville Pistol -- Roger is a great guy and it's a good place to shoot. Although I wish they would REALLY crack down on people handling guns behind the line. I gently correct most people by pointing out the signs, but last week there were two *cops* loading mags on the table with their guns on the table. Sue did yell at some idiots shooting the floor, though.

Midway USA -- OK, they don't sell guns and they aren't local, but I've had nothing but good experience with them. Pricing is OK, shipping and handling is a little high. Last week I found I made a mistake on an order the previous evening and they easily corrected it over the phone and I got the stuff two days later.
Author:  squib_joe [ Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking back
TDman wrote:
However, don't use the fact that they a couple miles from North Minneapolis to be rude to a potential buyer...law abiding citizen (me).


I never would. People from North Minneapolis, rich and poor, are some of our best customers and we value their business.

We have relatively few people who act "unsavory" inside the shop, and I'm more than willing to talk about guns to both buyers and browsers of all backgrounds. It's part of what makes the job interesting.
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