Astounded by the Outpost

[Handsome Rob]

Okay, this is just a whinge & probably an unjustified one at that, but I NEED to vent.

We are hosting a small charity event at our Kennels on Vetran's Day, 'Pets for Vets' offering free dog grooming for all serving & ex-military personnel. There's other stuff going on, but I'm not a paying sponsor & I don't want to offend any sponsors or David by advertising here.

We've been plastering posters all over the place trying to promote the event, all around Manchester, Winchester & Tullahoma so far, but we're going further afield every day. Ever single gun store I've visited has been more than happy to post a flyer for us, in fact several owners have already booked their dog in for the day. All without fail have thanked us for doing something to help & support US Veterans

My Wife was just on her way upto Murfreesboro & decided to drop by The Outpost, to see if they'd take a poster.

She's just called me in disbelief that they flat out refused to even entertain the idea.

Now, I know that a lot of large stores won't allow posters, even for charity events, but I just can't believe a place like The Outpost will not put up a poster for a charity event to help Veterans!!!

I know it's only dog grooming, we're not raising millions for the VA or VFW, but we just really wanted to do something to show our support.

Anyway, like I said, it's probably an unjustified rant. I'm just dumbstruck.

[Steelharp]

Isn't this the Barrett's kinda outlet store?

[Kenstaroni]

If outlet means full retail then yes...lol

Can't say I am surprised...the things I've heard them say about thier customers when they think no one is listening have almost been enough to never make me want to go back. My friend, a 5yr Iraq veteran who was medically discharged went there one day. He picked up a pack of magpul mag pulls. One was missing so he went up front to make sure thier should be 3 in the package, not two. They accused him of stealing and made him empty his pockets. I don't believe he has ever gone back.

I bet I've spent 2-3k there this year, all on accessories and my parents spent about $800 on a carry gun. I haven't bought a single gun there because thier pricing is full msrp and taking $20 is their idea of the deal of the century.

It's their call on the poster, but it would have been a nice gesture.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Kenstaroni

[Steelharp]

That's why I said "kinda"... lol... I was just wondering if that was the Barrett company's place. That's just sad... wrong...

[daddyo]

Aren't they a TGO Contributing Vendor? Maybe someone from the Outpost can address this.

[mikegideon]

I got attitude from them last time I was there. Since then, I have been able to find what I need from other places that appreciate my business.

[Kenstaroni]

Yes, and a lot of their people, like Shelly who is on TGO are great, however the overall attitude is not so great. I've been going there for 4 years and I'm still addressed as "guy", no one except Shelly even knows my name. Places like TCGD and other vendors in Nashville I could call on the phone and they would recognize my voice, even having been in their stores just a handful of times.

[TGO David]

There's no need for this to turn into a pile-up with a bunch of comments being made that are irrelevant to the original post. Supporting vendor or not.

I'd suggest that the OP contact Butch, the manager at The Outpost, and ask again. If they decline, it's not unreasonable to ask for an explanation nor is it unreasonable for them to refuse to give one. How they choose to allow their property to be used is their prerogative, and for some businesses sometimes it simply boils down to maintaining brand identity within the establishment. Not saying this is the case here, but I do know that they work very hard to present a certain caliber of "image" all the way down to their business cards. They may simply not want playbills hanging all over the place.

Just call and ask. It never hurts. The person your wife spoke with may not have been a decision maker and just gave a party line.

Closing thread.