Today is a sad day; I walked out of my first gun shop. I have never felt so disrespected or offended in my entire life. The reason for walking out had entirely to do with how the shop owner handled my inquiry. While it would take a full page to list every ignorant thing this guy said, I will cover the gist of what happened.
I walked into the shop and looked around a bit before the owner asked if I was looking for something in particular. I responded by telling him I was looking for a donor long action for my LR savage 338 Edge build. I told him I needed a long action savage if he had any in stock. He then went on a tangent on the wonders of the 338 win mag and finally asked what a 338 edge is. I replied that it’s a 300RUM necked out to 338. He then asked why not just go with the 338 RUM, to which I responded my reasons. Then he went off on another rant on how everyone’s trying to reinvent the wheel with all these new magnum calibers, etc., etc…and that I should just go with the Lapua or a gun already chambered in the RUM. I was getting a little annoyed at this point but I still responded with my reasons of going with the 338 Edge. Again, instead of answering my original question, he then went off on still another rant about the gun having too much recoil. At that point I did divulge that I owned a 7.5lb 450 Nitro express, after shooting that this past summer everything seems mild in comparison. To that he started his bichin’ and moanin’ again and how he doesn’t see the point in shooting anything that big and that he “did not have anything to prove.” I finally left the store when he stated that a 30-06 can kill an elephant if you shoot it behind the ear.

How the hell is this guy still in business?

Doesn't really surprise me. Some of the biggest a-holes I have met in my life have been behind a table at a gun show or the counter of a gun shop.

It has been my observation that just opening a gun shop automatically makes a person an expert on guns, ammo, calibers, and ballistics, and if you don't believe it, just ask them.

Unfortunately this seems to be more and more the norm nowadays. I've had several similar experiences recently. I really love when some gun counter commando starts telling the ins and outs of a dangerous game rifle and what he'd choose if he were ever to get to go to Africa.

Idiots for the most part.

quote:

Idiots for the most part.

Yup. I hate when I ask for a certain item and the moron selling the item asks 'what's it for?'. I NEVER tell them, doesn't matter if it's guns or the guy at the plumbing section of Home Depot. I once went to the hardware store and said 'I need a BX98 belt' and the dude responds by asking what it's for, I just walked out. I just don't have time for stupid anymore.

If Chuck Schumer can spend his life in Congress why can't an idiot own a gun store?

quote:

It has been my observation that just opening a gun shop automatically makes a person an expert on guns, ammo, calibers, and ballistics, and if you don't believe it, just ask them.

We all know the guy....he sure gets around!

I don't know what the problem is. It sounds just like the responses you would get if you posted your inquiry on the AR Forums.

There is a guy or two around here kinda like that but not quite as bad as the OP tells it.

quote:

'I need a BX98 belt' and the dude responds by asking what it's for, I just walked out. I just don't have time for stupid anymore.

I dont mean to be a trouble maker but it sounds like you walked out emptied handed and him still not knowing what you were after.

You might have been better off educating this gent for the better of all customers.
You might have even felt good about teaching him something.. Remember there is no such thing as a dumb question?

Anyways


You come across as a complete ass in my book


Sorry



Cal30

2 things here. [and a question]
what is a bx98 belt? if i took a 98" belt i doubt i'd be goin anywhere let alone a hardware store [well maybe the gym]
and i think sears might be able to order a 98" belt a little easier than a hardware store.

and i'm pretty sure that if you do shoot an elephant behind the ear with a 30-06 it will die.
maybe i'm wrong on this one i don't have any elephants where i live or a 30-06.

so do you all think i should get a 30-06?
i like being prepared.
could i get one set up to shoot an elephant out to 1,000 yds for under $500.00??
where could i get an elephant[i don't have a lot to spend here] i am just gonna shoot it so i should save some money by not feeding it, if i get the 0-6 first.
should i get more than one bullet? i am thinking once i am set up to 1,000 yds then i could shoot the elephant and be prepared for s.h.t.f. too right?
maybe i should buy another bullet for the s.h.t.f. scenario too, or maybe a whole box would be better??
walmart has boxes of 20 does anybody want to go in on an elephant or a box of 06's??

oh before i forget, i might want to start reloading for the 0-6 too.
does anybody have a good 1,000 yd elephant load that's dead on everytime..

That's one of the reasons I cringe a little bit every time I walk into a gun store, especially the bigger stores (ie: Cabela's). I've lucked out in that I've found two small shops quite near my house that both have staff that don't ask many questions when I come in looking for something. They both usually have odd ball used stuffs in stock and can get me nearly anything new that I want.

What is really a test in patience for me most of the time in gun shops is listening to the garbage that spews out of the employees' mouths to less than educated customers. I don't claim to know anything close to all there is to know about guns, but I really feel quite a few gun purveyors know quite little about guns (again, especially true of the larger stores).

30-06 does,nt seem very practical for elephant, for around 18 bucks you could get a brick of ammo, 22 long rifle. Would,nt be much meat damage to the elephant. All about shot placement.
But a REAL sportsman would go .22 short...

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Sullivan:
Doesn't really surprise me. Some of the biggest a-holes I have met in my life have been behind a table at a gun show or the counter of a gun shop.

It has been my observation that just opening a gun shop automatically makes a person an expert on guns, ammo, calibers, and ballistics, and if you don't believe it, just ask them.

Tell me about it
We had 2 men at the place I live that started a gun shop.
Their experience with shooting and hunting was highly limited.
But at the moment they started the shop, they turned into experts about everything related to guns and hunting.
I wanted to support a local gun shop, but after a few months I got tired of their smoke blowing, bragging, bluffing, lying and bad customer service because of lack of knowledge, so I stopped using them.

Many others experienced the same as me and after few years they had so few customers, so they had to close the shop.

quote:

Originally posted by thecanadian:
Today is a sad day; I walked out of my first gun shop. I have never felt so disrespected or offended in my entire life. The reason for walking out had entirely to do with how the shop owner handled my inquiry. While it would take a full page to list every ignorant thing this guy said, I will cover the gist of what happened.
I walked into the shop and looked around a bit before the owner asked if I was looking for something in particular. I responded by telling him I was looking for a donor long action for my LR savage 338 Edge build. I told him I needed a long action savage if he had any in stock. He then went on a tangent on the wonders of the 338 win mag and finally asked what a 338 edge is. I replied that it’s a 300RUM necked out to 338. He then asked why not just go with the 338 RUM, to which I responded my reasons. Then he went off on another rant on how everyone’s trying to reinvent the wheel with all these new magnum calibers, etc., etc…and that I should just go with the Lapua or a gun already chambered in the RUM. I was getting a little annoyed at this point but I still responded with my reasons of going with the 338 Edge. Again, instead of answering my original question, he then went off on still another rant about the gun having too much recoil. At that point I did divulge that I owned a 7.5lb 450 Nitro express, after shooting that this past summer everything seems mild in comparison. To that he started his bichin’ and moanin’ again and how he doesn’t see the point in shooting anything that big and that he “did not have anything to prove.” I finally left the store when he stated that a 30-06 can kill an elephant if you shoot it behind the ear.

How the hell is this guy still in business?

Sound like some that post here if you mention wildcat caliber!

Dear Canadien:

I had a similar experience x2 here in SE Pennsylvania just recently.

It appears that a number of proprietors don't understand customers. There are two rules when it comes to customers:

1. The customer is always right.
2. When the customer is wrong, see rule number one.

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

Except when a BRILLIANT customer walks up and asks for "300 Mag" ammo.

ME: "Which one?"

BRILLIANT: "Huh, 300 Magnum."

ME: "Which one, there's at least a half dozen I can think of right off the top of my head."

BRILLIANT: "What are you talking about?"

ME: "Lets see, 300 Win mag, 300 H&H, 300 WSM, 300 RUM, 300 RSAUM, 300 Norma..."

BRILLIANT: "Well, if you don't know, is there someone else here that knows about guns that can wait on me?"

ME: "?"

ME: "Look, if you don't know what you have, can you at least go get it and bring it in? I can look at the chamber stamping and let you know what you need."

BRILLIANT: Leaves store cussing and swearing at the TOP of his lungs that we're all a bunch of idiots, because he's too stupid to know what he has, and to arrogant to admit he doesn't know.

I get sick of the "dumb gunshop" rants. Trust me, with over 20 years off and on, on the back side of the gun counter, the RETARDS on the CUSTOMER side of the counter far, far outnumber the RETARDS on the back side of the counter.

The RETARD that swaggers in saying that his "special" 30-30 loads are 1000 yard elk killers.

The RETARD that wants to buy "The Brown One" when describing the rifle she looked at 2 weeks ago with her husband, left PISSED that we didn't know which one "The Brown One" was, when she came back 2 weeks later.

The RETARD lady that pulled a LOADED Smith J frame from her purse and pointed it AT MY HEAD from 3 feet away and asked me "If we had a holster to fit this gun." And YES, of course, HER FINGER WAS ON THE TRIGGER.

The RETARD that "Had to" have a 45-70 Guide Gun when they first came out, because of some article he read in a magazine. Comes back in the next weekend wanting us to take it back with 3 rounds fired because "It kicks too much".

The RETARD that came into the store to show us the "aftermath" of him shooting his new 12 gauge pump with the pistol grip on it by holding it up to his face to sight down the barrel when he fired it. Looked like he nearly succeeded in knocking his face clean off his head.

The RETARD that came into the store with his teenage son to ask questions about his shotgun loader he inherited from his dad. Trouble was he "Couldn't get all the powder in the shell". Didn't know the load recipe. Turned out he was trying to run the powder in the shot hopper instead of the powder hopper. It seems you "can't" put an ounce of powder in a hull and get a good crimp on the shell. They sure tried though, and must have got close. Showed me his son's bruise on his shoulder, looked like a purple watermelon and his son couldn't raise his arm above his head. Also mentioned in passing that he now has trouble closing the action on Grandad's old Superposed Browning. RETARD REFUSED to buy a shotgun manual. I even offered to buy him one out of my own pocket if he'd take the time to read it.

GENTLEMEN,

These are but a very few "RETARD" stories. I could go on for PAGES worth.

Trust me when I tell you that the idiots on the "customer side" of the counter have us outnumbered.

OK, RANT OFF.

Slowpoke, I think a few of your most brilliant customers have since moved to Alaska and opened their own gunshops.

Slowpoke Slim hit the nail on the head.

I don't work in a gun shop but I get stupid, jackass customers on a regular basis. Worst part is I rarely make any money on idiot customers. I wish I could charge people for being stupid.

One thing I've learned is its OK to occasionally fire a customer.

Just about every gun store owner is a bloviating ignoramus; the problem is, they're still smarter than 95% of their customers.

George

quote:

Originally posted by thecanadian:
Today is a sad day; I walked out of my first gun shop. I have never felt so disrespected or offended in my entire life. The reason for walking out had entirely to do with how the shop owner handled my inquiry. While it would take a full page to list every ignorant thing this guy said, I will cover the gist of what happened.
I walked into the shop and looked around a bit before the owner asked if I was looking for something in particular. I responded by telling him I was looking for a donor long action for my LR savage 338 Edge build. I told him I needed a long action savage if he had any in stock. He then went on a tangent on the wonders of the 338 win mag and finally asked what a 338 edge is. I replied that it’s a 300RUM necked out to 338. He then asked why not just go with the 338 RUM, to which I responded my reasons. Then he went off on another rant on how everyone’s trying to reinvent the wheel with all these new magnum calibers, etc., etc…and that I should just go with the Lapua or a gun already chambered in the RUM. I was getting a little annoyed at this point but I still responded with my reasons of going with the 338 Edge. Again, instead of answering my original question, he then went off on still another rant about the gun having too much recoil. At that point I did divulge that I owned a 7.5lb 450 Nitro express, after shooting that this past summer everything seems mild in comparison. To that he started his bichin’ and moanin’ again and how he doesn’t see the point in shooting anything that big and that he “did not have anything to prove.” I finally left the store when he stated that a 30-06 can kill an elephant if you shoot it behind the ear.

How the hell is this guy still in business?

Probably a cheesehead and a Packer fan.
Mad that Favre left...

quote:

Originally posted by We Are Sparta!:

quote:

Originally posted by thecanadian:
Today is a sad day; I walked out of my first gun shop. I have never felt so disrespected or offended in my entire life. The reason for walking out had entirely to do with how the shop owner handled my inquiry. While it would take a full page to list every ignorant thing this guy said, I will cover the gist of what happened.
I walked into the shop and looked around a bit before the owner asked if I was looking for something in particular. I responded by telling him I was looking for a donor long action for my LR savage 338 Edge build. I told him I needed a long action savage if he had any in stock. He then went on a tangent on the wonders of the 338 win mag and finally asked what a 338 edge is. I replied that it’s a 300RUM necked out to 338. He then asked why not just go with the 338 RUM, to which I responded my reasons. Then he went off on another rant on how everyone’s trying to reinvent the wheel with all these new magnum calibers, etc., etc…and that I should just go with the Lapua or a gun already chambered in the RUM. I was getting a little annoyed at this point but I still responded with my reasons of going with the 338 Edge. Again, instead of answering my original question, he then went off on still another rant about the gun having too much recoil. At that point I did divulge that I owned a 7.5lb 450 Nitro express, after shooting that this past summer everything seems mild in comparison. To that he started his bichin’ and moanin’ again and how he doesn’t see the point in shooting anything that big and that he “did not have anything to prove.” I finally left the store when he stated that a 30-06 can kill an elephant if you shoot it behind the ear.

How the hell is this guy still in business?

Probably a cheesehead and a Packer fan.
Mad that Favre left...

Hmm. I have been on both sides of the counter in gun stores. Idiots and blowhards abound. Behind the counter it is about selling stuff.
This frequently involves educating your customer. I know I did not spring from the woom with unlimited knowledge. I'm sure all the time I hung around gunshps as a kid and a young man with a lot of questions and no money made me look like a retard. But I was always treated with respect and patience. I became a very good customer and benefitted greatly. The only customers you fire are the ones who don't pay their bills or are dangerous a second time.

As far as being a customer I can't beleive that anyone here would be put off by someone who is opinionated.

As a customer it's frequently worth educating the counter guy. Getting pissed off and telling someone off can be akward when you need to go back and get some little thing because you are leaving to hunt tomorrow and they are your only source. Frequently you end up with a great relationship with that gun store. It's great to be able to call after hours for help.

With Walmart and Internet sales continuing to dominate the shooting world, cultivating small shops that carry used guns, parts, reloading equipment etc. is something we should all do. They provide value and a place to go and handle the new stuff. Try that at Walmart.

Some people will never change and aren't worth dealing with, that is the exception.If someone disagrees with you, they simply have a different opinion, they are not challenging your manhood. Stop and listen. I was once gifted with the best advice: "You have never learned anything while you are talking"

We seem so willing to be offended and nurse our wounds publicly and anonymously on the net. Not so much a "sad day" but a day to vent about how much smarter I am than some ax@ hole that is ignorant and offended me over a disagreement about proper calibers and recoil.


Matt Organ
Carlton, WA

Yes but like Duane Wiebe says, if the guy wants a blue suit sell him a blue suit. And don't tell him blue makes his ass look fat; just make your money and let him go home happy.

Cal 30 1906: You and I must be reading a totaly different post, as I can't see where The Canadian, by his post is any sort of "ass". Further, I can't believe anyone else didn't come to his defense. All most of us have to do is walk in a gunshop, and the look on whoever's face: what the hell are you doing here, or you must be a dumb sob, or you wouldn't be in my shop. It's fact, and it's been that way for the 45 plus years I have been going into gun shops. Of course I am assuming here, that most of us on this forum have enough experience to make a legitimate comment on this forum in the 1st place.

Jerry

By definition, 1/2 of everyone you will ever meet is dumber than average.

Encountering an idiot should not surprise you.

Most can drive a car. Most can procreate.

Some work at gun shops, some shop there.

-nosualc

It is a sad day when gun shop guys cannot empathise with a genuine concern from a fellow member on AR and start ranting about how dumb customers are!

Maners and coutsey are fundamental to business. I would have thought that they are fundamental to forum members as well.

By definition a shop counter guy meets hundreds of customers a day. So he WILL meet a lot more idiots than a customer would on the other side of the counter!

When someone takes up a job, it is a moral responsibility to commit to the values and principle of that job - show respect to your customers - yes even to idiots. A customer has no such obligation except a self imposed code of human decency.

If you do not like dealing with customers you should probably change professions.

Finally - stupid customers will still go shopping and spend money but stupid shop salesmen will soon be without a job or go bust in business.

The employees and owners at the gunshop I do business with are very knowledgeable, cheerful and helpful..
They are handloaders, hunters and fisherman themselves..
They also do a land office business..

I have had two unpleasant experiences with gun store employees over the years.

I give them about two minutes, then I ask to see the manager or owner. Then the three of us have a discussion about the difference between overhead (said sales clerk) and profit (said customer) and how one is necessary for the others' continued existence.

One of these days I expect to run into a store and find that person waiting on me is the jackass that owns or manages the store. I had that several years ago when I bought my Dodge Cummins Turbo. I went eleven miles down the road, bought it just the way I wanted it from a competitor, and then drove back over to his place to show him my new $47,000 truck.

One of life's great joys...

Rich

Post Script: one dipstick customer is one sale lost. One dipstick clerk can equal several sales lost every day he works.

quote:

Probably a cheesehead and a Packer fan.
Mad that Favre left...

Hey cheesehead yeppers, Farve WGARA. Have yet to surpass the gent in Cabela's explaining to his buddy that wanted to learn reloadibg because of the expense of 44mag roounds.to attempt to quote "Hell ya don't need 1 of them d**m books just fill er to the top and seat the bullet,powder in hand was Bullseye.Tried to explaine that ANY reloading manual was cheaper insurance than what they wanted to try but the book was too costly. Left for I got into trouble with my mouth

Saw the OP was referencing Eau Claire,very seldom get there which is Ok by me. But do managed to spend a lot of time in an "Old fashioned hardware store in Black River Falls great shop,great people.Also a small shop just outside of Mauston,same thing great to do business with both places.Can't wait for the shop to open in West Salem just know that I'll have to visit

A lot has changed with gun shops over the years around here. 25-30 or so years ago I would go to East Park Hardware on Saturday's and buy bullets or powder, sometimes a gun or I would bring one in for consignment. There was always a fresh pot of coffee and the owners loved to talk guns and politics. They were very knowledgeable on both subjects and spent a lot of time with me when I was learning the ins and outs of reloading. I was a loyal customer because they were friendly and helpful.

These days it's completely different. The big box stores hire people that just aren't knowledgeable and a lot of the small stores in my area cater to mall ninjas which I guess is where the money is these days.

Another thing I pick up on when I'm gun shopping these days is confrontational attitudes of customers and salesman. It just seems like everybody feels the need to be "right" about everything these days. There are always disagreements about brands and calibers but people use to smile when they made their points. Not so much anymore. To an extent you see it here too a lot more than you use to.

I guess that's why old folks called it the good ol days

Terry

The last firearm I bought was a shotgun, and what a task that turned out to be. I when to one shop, and the first thing out of the guys mouth was if I intended to shoot people, big on home defense. I said no I want to shoot geese ducks turkeys and maybe some pheasants. I then walk out, never will I ever step into that store and by anything. I found another place told the owner I am looking for a shotgun, he asked upland game or waterfowl or combination of both. I told him I wanted to be able to shoot the odd turkey and pheasant, along with ducks and geese. He when in back brought out a box and said this is what you want. He was right that Vinci fit the bill and then some. He asked why I didn't buy from the other place and I told him, he told me that he gets a lot of referrals from that guy. I sold a hundred extra guns since that guy started working there. But that is a big store and he is having a hard time competing because they can buy in much larger Orders.

I guess I am really lucky in that my local big box (gander) IS like an old fashioned small gunshop. The vast majority of the guys behind the counter have been there for many years, and really know their stuff. They also hunt and shoot a lot. I can go in there and blow a few hours just BS'ing with several of them, and when I do buy stuff they always treat me well. It is the smaller, privately owned shops in Denver that are the joke. Had one guy, a gunsmith at that mind you, that opened next to my old business. So, when it opened I checked it out a few times. I brought in a pre-64 mag action to get a quote on some work, figured support the local guy kind of thing. He said the metal looked a bit rough, and he'd like to test it..sure, no prob. He then asked, since in his mind it wasn't "strong enough" for a magnum...what I had in mind. When I said I was thinking about a 257 Wby or something like that he laughed and said no kid, I meant like a 223 or 257 Roberts....I asked him how he planned on going about changing a .532 bolt face down to .473 or even smaller...he said that is why he makes the big bucks building guns and I just pay him. I asked if he had sources for other bolts and he gave me a look like why the hell would I need to change the bolts? Something tells me his idea involved some JB Weld and a file....Of course, then he said he'd rather not work on rifles, he is a S&W and 1911 guy. About the only thing I'd trust that guy to do is change the grip panels on a 1911 and even then...I'd want to watch lol

quote:

Originally posted by nosualc:
By definition, 1/2 of everyone you will ever meet is dumber than average.

-nosualc

No, by definition half the people are dumber than the Median.

That elephant's gonna die whether you shoot it with the 30-06 or not.



What the hell do you need the rifle for anyway..?



;-)

I thought when the economy got bad customer service would get better. Guess I was wrong.

FWIF,,in my life ive never run into a truck salesman that actually owned or worked (plowed) with something that they,re trying to sell,,,i use that as a benchmark for anytime im buying something ,,if the seller has something i need and the price is right i buy it ,,knowing that i dont have to invite him over my house for dinner,,use this approach ,you,ll feel better...paul

The difference is that a gun shop employee sees 10,000 customers and 500 morons so he has 500 "dumb customer" stories to tell.

The same shop with an assclown behind the counter has 10,000 customers who all have a "dumb gunstore employee" story to tell.

Carnyman hit the nail on the head!! I say over and over, and have been for a couple of years, with the economy as bad as it is, with unemployment so high, you're telling me the people with jobs are the best you can get?! There is no excuse for rude, incompetent, slow employees. Employers have a huge pool to choose from, keep changing till you get a good one.

It sounds like the shop owner was not interested in selling. He should have been doing everything he could to help find what the guy wanted. If I didn't have a donor rifle on my shelves I'd offer him the best deal I could on a savage that would work (he was right that there isn't any real good reason to go to the 338 edge over the 338 rum, but as a sales person he shouldn't have said that. you can hear that all day on AR )

Although their not perfect, and their gunsmithing skill set has been depleted (as gun trends changed they let go of gunsmiths and have mostly sales guys now, one gunsmith on staff. the two owners can smith but are elderly now and seldom get in there) my local gunshop has always been good. first thing they stand behind their stuff, I had a rifle chambered there YEARS ago, brought it in this year because it wouldn't chamber some factory ammo I'd been given (old 264). They took the neck out to max spec for me, no charge, they remembered working on it even though it was so long ago. They are nice guys, reloaders, hunters, wildcatters. I used to spend hours there hanging out talking to them. A good shop is all the difference in the world.

Red
PS I love the stories, they crack me up. we should have a sticky somewhere with funny gun idiot stories.

I have run into some fatheaded gun shop owners, myself. None of them are still in business . . .


On the other hand, the cretins I encounter just about every time I go to the range are downright frightening!