There must be a good reason for this....

I went by Widner's today at 3:17 pm. The sign says they are open until 5, but the door is locked. I noticed a side door open, and a lady standing in the door talking to a guy in a wheelchair. I walked up and asked if they were closed, and she said they had to close at 3. The guy in the wheelchair was POed. He had called on Wedneday to make sure Widner's would be open, and had driven up from Murfreesboro (about 5 hours) today, only to miss them by around 15 minutes when they were supposed to be open.

I'll be in Johnson City again next week, so it's no big deal that I missed them. But this guy drove 10 hours round trip, gets there when they are supposed to be open, and misses them by 15 minutes. IMHO Widner's owes this guy. I hope they know who it was and can make it up to him.

How do you know she didn't wait on him after you departed the scene?

He was leaving as I was. Highly agitated.

I hope she did, but he was there before I was and she could have taken him on inside before I got there.

I'm not posting this to slam Widner's. I hope they see this, know who the guy was, and can make it right with him.

It would seem to me to make more sense to contact them directly to find out the facts behind the early closing instead of just bitching about it on here.

"she said they had to close at 3."

Maybe the manager/owner had a heart attack or a death in the family? Stuff happens.

UPDATE

I went by Wideners Monday. The guy working the counter said that the reason they closed early that day was that the two guys that normally work the counter were "up in the mountains hunting", and he had a second job that he had to go to at 3 pm. No medical or family emergency.

I saw this, I didn't hear it from someone else. I didn't slam Widener's, I simply stated what I saw. I also saw a guy (in a wheelchair) leave Widener's without the stuff he came to buy during posted business hours because the business closed early. He was leaving the same time as I was. The guy told me that he had called less than 48 hours before to make sure Widener's would be open, drove 5 hours to get some supplies, then drove 5 hours home without the stuff he came to buy.

Widener's is THE game in this area. I will continue to buy from them because I can't afford not to. I don't know how the guy wound up in a wheelchair. I don't know if he was a PITA when he called. I do know that he was PI$$ED when he left, and I think this stinks.

What about the lady standing in the doorway? I wonder what her excuse was for not waiting on the wheelchair guy?

I truly believe that lots and lots of businesses screw customers and potential customers cause there's always another just around the corner. They can afford to not give a damn. It's a shame. I've suffered through the local 'don't give two shits' attitude with plenty of businesses. Now I take most of my business online. I still get treated like crap (sometimes) but at least I don't waste 10 hours of wear and tear on my vehicle, plus all that gasoline.

What was the name of that comic strip? "There oughta be a law?"

Back in January I called Widners to see if I was still on their Mailing List. Sure enough they had the correct address. I mentioned to the lady I spoke to that I'd like to get a Flier and she said it should not be too long.

Then about September it dawned on me I still didn't have a recent Widners' Flier. When I called this time a fellow told me they were trying to just use the Internet instead of sending out Fliers. Told him I understood and that was it.

The only problem is, I guess I'm old enough that I still like to flip through a Flier rather than 3-6 levels of screens to check each item I'm interested in. I never had ANY problem at all with Widners and recommended them to many people for purchasing their 0.0001" capable Micrometers at a very good price.

As a result of "No Fliers", I've been using other suppliers simply because they fit my needs better than sorting through all the screens and forgetting what I saw.

One of the suppliers I use is Natchez and apparently I've been spending more with them than I realized. Last month I got a FREE copy of Guns & Ammo as a gift of Natchez. Same for this month. I did read through them and even found an interesting article or two, which really surprised me.

Anyway, I'd say the wheelchair bound guy really got treated poorly. But, there are plenty of places that will gladly accept his business. He might even get a FREE magazine to boot.

quote:

Originally posted by onefunzr2:
What about the lady standing in the doorway? I wonder what her excuse was for not waiting on the wheelchair guy?

I truly believe that lots and lots of businesses screw customers and potential customers cause there's always another just around the corner. They can afford to not give a damn. It's a shame. I've suffered through the local 'don't give two shits' attitude with plenty of businesses. Now I take most of my business online. I still get treated like crap (sometimes) but at least I don't waste 10 hours of wear and tear on my vehicle, plus all that gasoline.

What was the name of that comic strip? "There oughta be a law?"

now, i think i am one of the worst typomen on this forum, but i THINK you meant wideners?

I wouldn't have driven 5 hours to "beat shipping" unless i was pissing the day away

I also have been disappointed to find their retail store closed during normally open hours, when the deer season was open.

As for the lady in the doorway, she would work for the phone/Net ordering side, which is separate from the retail store.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
now, i think i am one of the worst typomen on this forum, but i THINK you meant wideners?..

It has been so long since I had a Flier, that some of the letters are fading from "Winers". Yes, I did mean it the way Jeff spelled it(if that is right )

Thanks Jeff.

quote:

What was the name of that comic strip? "There oughta be a law?"

There already is a law...as a matter of fact, way too many laws!

just buy your stuff from midway instead, its always cheaper for anyways

In the "good old days" when they might only have lost a couple of sales by shutting down early they might have cared less but in todays cyberspace, one has to wonder how much will they lose? If they knew the two guys were gonna be off hunting, they could have arranged some sort of coverage for a couple of days.

Stillbeeman, if the retail store shuts down they don't lose that much. The big cyberbusiness is still going. Like I said about the lady in the doorway. The two businesses are in the same building, but separate.

Yeeeees, but how many cyberspace customers will be turned off by reading something like that??
Seems, as a last resort, the lady in the door could have written up the sales as a call in and had the guy go get a cup of coffee whilst she walked it thru.

What a bunch of wimps.

She should have banned the guy from the store for complaining, like reloading forums do.

quote:

Originally posted by tnekkcc:
What a bunch of wimps.

She should have banned the guy from the store for complaining, like reloading forums do.

Hey tnekkcc, You get a plate full of BAD turkey?

How `bout just shoot the tires out on the wheelchair?!!!???!?!

I read your complaint, understand the circumstances, and sympathize with the outcome. A store keeper's hours should be just that.

I have purchased from Widener's on about 8-10 occasions. The last purchase was a group order of powder with a couple of friends (about $500 worth). We were delayed about three weeks on the order due to the 8# Varget not being in stock. We were told that Hodgdon ships every Tuesday, but apparently this wasn't the case. Regardless, the price was lower than any of the other suppliers offered and it wasn't the end of the world for us.

With that said, I've always wanted to stop by their shop on the way home from Florida, but couldn't justify driving and hour and a half out of my way (each way).

In this situation, I cannot understand why anyone would drive 9-10 hours and spend $60+ dollars in gas to pick-up supplies; other than wanting to take a field trip. Mind you, for whatever his reasons were, this doesn't excuse Widener's for closing two hours early and they should owe him something.

I have never received a monthly flyer from Widener's and probably never will (besides, I already have too much junk mail coming through). I am more than happy looking for the best deals online and paying the shipping/hazmat than wasting my time on the road.

Hell, when Cabela's in Nebraska was "the" store, I had 4 hunting buddies that were hunting to the west of Denver, drive all the way up there (they started out in Tenn) to see it. I don't know what Widener's store is like but you must admit, cyberspace cannot match wondering thru a Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop in person. And too, sometimes I don't know what it is that I "need" until I see it.

quote:

Originally posted by stillbeeman:
Hell, when Cabela's in Nebraska was "the" store, I had 4 hunting buddies that were hunting to the west of Denver, drive all the way up there (they started out in Tenn) to see it. I don't know what Widener's store is like but you must admit, cyberspace cannot match wondering thru a Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop in person. And too, sometimes I don't know what it is that I "need" until I see it.

Which one in Nebraska would that be?

I've been to two of the three (I've missed getting to the Kearny store twice)

THE attraction to Cabela's for me is the bargain cave.

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The one over at Sydney (spl). It was an obligatory stop for us every time we went to WY.
We would turn right shortly after crossing from Kan into Col and follow a two lane north (avoiding California East, aka Denver) until we hit the big road and turn west again. There would be trucks and such from all over in the parking lot.