I decided to let off steam here. I have been a Firearms Dealer for 4 years now after 37 years as a teacher.

I always knew some people could be difficult but...

10% of the people who decide to contact me are a potential friend
60% really decent and honest
20% are OK but
5% are one off customers
and the last
5% what rock did they crawl out from under? Will know more about everything that I ever did but don't know what a choke is. Lie about everything, but particularly about their hunting/ shooting experiences. Will regard you are trying to rip them off when looking at making $50 on a $1000 gun. Will loudly abuse you in the local boozer when you are not there --- until they are told to shut up or someone decks them Think they can get a known s/s English gun for under $800-00

Then when pressed, have only shot a .22 when a kid, never been hunting, their Dad or uncle once owned a single barrel Baikal, a mate hunts "something" occasionally, they want a good Beretta or Miroku for under $800 ...

And after ages on the phone in reply to a question about their name and contact details name, in a heavy accent, "just call me AKA"....


I have to get more used to telling the s... h..... to F... O...!!!

After selling so many guns, I really should be reading people more accurately and weeding out the losers

So what makes you think that customers should be any different than students?
10% want to learn in spite of the teacher and really can know more
60% want to learn and will learn if presented with the material in a proper way
20% are difficult but not trouble makers and can be reached with effort
5% are just warming the seat and there is little you can do to help them but they really aren't too much trouble
5% are real assholes weather smart or stupid, they are vile, thoughtless, greedy and jerks.

So what is your problem, you've had by your own admission, 37 years experience.......Are you a slow learner.

When I was associated with a retail SCUBA shop, I had pretty much the same experience as a dive instructor but I was able to tell them that "diving wasn't for them and that I didn't feel that I could teach them, So, off you go!

You cannot expect people to have the same appreciation for things that you have.

LOL

Welcome to the world of the lowest common denominator where you can spend 2 hours and
make $50.

Great return on investment.

Suggest find something a
bit more productive to do.

.

quote:

Lie about everything, but particularly about their hunting/ shooting experiences.
Then when pressed, have only shot a .22 when a kid, never been hunting, their Dad or uncle once owned a single barrel Baikal, a mate hunts "something" occasionally, they want a good Beretta or Miroku for under $800 ...
(

That seems to fit fairly accurately with plenty of forum dwellers too,here and elsewhere.

Welcome to the world of retail!
Pay rent and wages to supply experienced knowledgeable advice after which gun bought off cheapest available in country.
Then buy scope off Ebay and expect you to fix the problem of correct mounts and expect the scope fitted for nothing as it "only takes 5 minutes"!
Or expect warranty for a rifle bought elsewhere!

As a retirement hobby, its becoming a full time job.
I just need to keep a record of the antics of people and my final career move will be writing a book about it

"The Confessions of an Ex Gun dealer" by Ludwig Sawicki is a must read for all potential gun dealers. Its from the US but so accurate.

quote:

Originally posted by gryphon1:


That seems to fit fairly accurately with plenty of forum dwellers too,here and elsewhere.

Here?? Who are the accredited keybpoard hunters on this forum?? Name names I say!!

They are the ones quietly blushing ,the same ones that waste blokes time like the one`s Ross has outlined so well.You know thousands of posts with nary a rabbit to show.
An astute sort of expert guide such as you Matty know full well where they frequent and lurk especially over your side of the net world.
I was gonna name a couple but it is Xmas time or thereabouts and I`m religious!

It works both ways. Try to be a extremist/bigbore fanatic with plenty of dollars to spend and always going through the same arguments with the dumb kid or even worse the old ex roo shooter/former reservist/salvation army trombone playing salt of the earth you beaut aussie battler, behind the counter.Trying to impress upon that 'stalwart of knowledge' that the CZ550/m17/Brno 602 can handle a 505/577/600 cal cartridge, that a NEF can handle hotter than normal 12ga loads, that the merkel does come in 500Nitro and no the 500nitro has not been banned- all I need you to do is order me the fucking thing with the big press I need and call woodleigh while your at it

lastly everyone gets the last laugh on the customer anyway-with the fact our dollar is beating the US yet the rush for distribs/gun businesses to pass any of that saving onto their valued customers is hardly overwhelming...