Gun shop guy...

[orientalexpress]

Over the past few years I've had the opportunity to work in gun shops and I've observed a lot of "gun shop guys". Some these guys are really irritating and some are almost insulting so I guess this post is a bit venting as well as its also a bit tongue and cheek. These guys are usually "regulars" and I'm sure some of you guys might be offended because you are these guys.

Tactical mall ninja guy. This guy always has the best technique for shooting as well as knows all the best gear to use for home or self defense. He walks around looking for conversations to butt into and explain why his technique is the best and why you need to train that way or why you need to change the way you train.

Bargain guy. This guy will drive around all day to save $20. Look I understand that in today's economy everyone is trying to save a buck but it doesn't make sense for someone to drive to greenbrier, then Murfreesboro, then to franklin then back greenbrier just to save $20. I guess I understand that some guys get a high off of saving a few bucks. For me unless you're saving +$100 it's. It worth my time and effort to drive 100 miles.

Along with this guy is I can get it cheaper guy. Yeah we have it for $440 but they're brothers, best friends brother in law can get it for $389 but they don't now when they can get it of if they can ever get it. Maybe they're telling truth maybe they're just BSing to try and get a better deal.

Gun collector guy. This guy is usually an older gentleman, and they want to tell you every gun they've ever owned, how it shot, why they got rid of it (if they did) and why they wished they never got rid of it.

These 2 guys kinda fall under the same category. Bubba/gangbanger guy. These guys make a b-line to the desert eagle or s&w 500 case. I get it, they're a bit of a novelty but working there it's honestly a bit annoying to pull a gun out a hundred times a day when they have no intention of buying it. I used to see it at gun shows all the time. We used to carry a s&w bear survival kit to gun shows with yellow grips and everyone fingered it. Being a hard sell as it is we had to discount it heavily because the grips had turned black from everyone handling it.

Speaking of handling there's Internet handler guy. He wants to come in and handle all the firearms he's planning on ordering online before he does it. This guy is can also be someone that might be buying one from a co worker and just wants to see what they look like. Maybe this is a smart play but as an employee it's really annoying especially when they tell you there intentions up front and you know they don't plan on buying it. It's like your using the shop to test and feel everything and the shop gets nothing from it, but yet to me that the risk of buying on the Internet and the benefit of going to a brick and mortar shop. As a side note I'm generally against more taxes, however I really hope a bill gets passed where if you order something online you have to pay sales tax. That's tons of revenue that the state is missing out on and they have to make up by raising taxes in other areas. Also it's killing brick and mortar shops that have more overhead which are generally mom and pop type shops.

Hunter guy. This guy has a hunting story for everything. About how he crept over the ridge at dawn, and caught an 18 point buck over the corner of his eye and killed it at 1300 yards with a .22.

Then you get tin foil hate guy. Politics is a commonly talked about subject in gun shops. For me it gets old but I guess for customers it's a place to vent with out being persecuted for their political affiliations. Tin foil hat guy is this time 10. He has all these conspiracy theories on why the government is buying tons of ammo, or that the government is causing all these shootings to cause more gun control. I've had guys try and get me to join militias, talk about president assassination, and their grass roots efforts to secede from the union. Maybe somewhere there's some truth to this but generally don't believe it.

I'm sure some of you guys might be offended by this, you might be one of these guys. This is really tongue and cheek but there's a lot of truth to this.

[piercedan]

Personally I enjoy gun collector and the guys with stories. That's part of the fun for me having all of these guns. It's the sense of community. I like to slow down and spend some time listening to others. The old coots are the best.

[TripleDigitRide]

So, working at a gun store is like logging onto TGO?

[R1100R]

I have a ton of stories for the Guy that works in the Gun Shop. LOL

[mikegideon]

So, working at a gun store is like logging onto TGO?

Yep. Next in the series... gun shop guys categorized

[TMF]

I don't think I've ever had a conversation in a gun store unless it was me asking if they had something in stock or if they could order it.

[mikegideon]

I don't think I've ever had a conversation in a gun store unless it was me asking if they had something in stock or if they could order it.

The perfect customer!

[NRA]

Yep. Next in the series... gun shop guys categorized

LOL

[R1100R]

I don't think I've ever had a conversation in a gun store unless it was me asking if they had something in stock or if they could order it.

Awe, come on. You mean to tell me when you ask for some thing and they didn't have it and they try to sell you something else. Or why you don't want that and they have something better. LOL

Edited August 26, 2012 by R1100R

[TripleDigitRide]

Awe, come on. You mean to tell me when you ask for some thing and they didn't have it and they try to sell you something else. Or why you don't want that and they have something better. LOL

And the best one...There's no money to be made in the gun shop business.

[Guest FIST]

I never cared much for the rude counter guy, snotty I'm better than you guy, or the I'm too busy too provide customer service guy.

There are quite a few gun stores I personally refuse to go to because of the ass hats they employ. This may or may not be how others feel, but the stores that treat me well will get the money I intend to spend. The other thing they get is word of mouth, and that's free advertising. Speaking of that where is my cut?

I would look inward, you may find your attitude towards others is partially responsible for the demise of the brick and mortar/mom and pop gun stores. Then again, you could be a really good guy that just made this topic sound elitist.

[TMF]

Awe, come on. You mean to tell me when you ask for some thing and they didn't have it and they try to sell you something else. Or why you don't want that and they have something better. LOL

Ha, well I only go into Guns and Leather or Tennessee Gun Country anymore and those guys are usually occupied with customers anyway. I've bought stuff from both with nothing more than normal "hey how's it going" conversation. Every time I go into Tenn Gun Country though they always try to give me a discount by going down the list "are you Military, LE, EMT or FD?" I keep answering "no" to each question until they're finished and give me a puzzled look and say something along the lines of "oh, you just look like you'd be."

I've only had the annoying gun shop clerk at one place in Clarksville and I won't be going back there, ever.

[scoutfsu]

What about the Gun Shop Owner? The one who wants $625 for a Glock 17 or $1750 for a Colt 6920? The guy that will have a PMag marked for $26 and a TAPCO stock for $80? The same guy that will cry about losing money to the internet and how everything should be taxed because he isn't willing to come down to a reasonable price?

[dats82]

These gripes are for retail in general. I used to work in a hardware store, and I quickly figured out that I did not have the right attitude for all that. This is why I try to avoid stores. I know some shops get pissy when you order stuff and have them do a transfer, but I just hate having to go to different stores trying to find what I want at a good price. Therefore, I just order it and save the hassle. It might save me a few bucks, but really, I'm just happy that I did not have to go shopping to find it.

[NRA]

I try to buy local brick n morter but it just seems to be getting harder to do everyday.

[mikegideon]

$26 PMAGS don't make me mad. I won't pay that unless I'm in a bind, but completely understand the high costs of keeping a storefront open. "Gun store attitude" pisses me off. We're pretty blessed in the Nashville area. Plenty of places to go with excellent service.

[scoutfsu]

$26 PMAGS don't make me mad. I won't pay that unless I'm in a bind, but completely understand the high costs of keeping a storefront open. "Gun store attitude" pisses me off. We're pretty blessed in the Nashville area. Plenty of places to go with excellent service.

Its not that they piss me off.....it just makes me shake my head. I'm all for supporting local shops but there has to be some sort of compromise. If I can get them for $14.20 all day long on the internet, then why should I pay $26? They would sell far more, make more money, and keep local people coming back if they had them for say $16-17ish. A quick nickel is better than a slow dime.....especially when you need to keep the lights on.

[TripleDigitRide]

I never understood all the whining about internet competition.

Some of the biggest internet competition comes from companies like Bud's Gun Shop, Kentucky Gun Company, etc. Last I checked, many of them were brick and motor gun shops before they started selling via the internet. Who's fault is it that other shops weren't/aren't smart enough to follow the curve?

In today technological environment, if you're concerned about making money and at least attempting to keep up with competition, you better be utilizing the internet.

Edited August 26, 2012 by TripleDigitRide

[gregintenn]

I guess I'm a hybrid of Bargain Guy and Gun Collector Guy.

[mikegideon]

Its not that they piss me off.....it just makes me shake my head. I'm all for supporting local shops but there has to be some sort of compromise. If I can get them for $14.20 all day long on the internet, then why should I pay $26? They would sell far more, make more money, and keep local people coming back if they had them for say $16-17ish. A quick nickel is better than a slow dime.....especially when you need to keep the lights on.

There's another side. Why should I tie up valuable shelf space to make 2 bucks? There is such a thing as "cost of sale". I don't know enough about that guy's books to challenge him on accessory pricing. I do know that they're not making payroll by selling plastic widgets, even if they're selling hundreds of them.

[runco]

I am for sure the bargain guy. As a former gun shop owner, orientalexpress did hit on the head. I remember these type guys. As a owner, I actually enjoyed the comradre. An empty gun shop, has no personality. My shop was full, sometimes too full with these bar stool nail/keg sitters. Yes, I provided bar stools. These poor old guys legs got tired from standing too long.

Now from a owner's perspective, this was appreciated and encouraged. I guess from the $9 per hour clerk point of view, he has better things to do, like hmmm, stand around, act like he knows more than you do type of attitude. I assume these stereotype people pays his pay check. I guess I am old school in retail, treat everyone like a customer with no complaints. If customer complains, either fix it, or understand the complaint and try to accomodate the best they can. My 2 cents!

[scoutfsu]

Well to tie into that Mike, how long do you think they'd stay in business if they sell nothing because of their high prices? Just how valuable is that shelf space when you're closing up shop?

What they're really making is repeat customers. Guys who come in there to buy one thing and may walk out with 3 things.....guys who will recommend that shop to their friends, neighbors, and coworkers as a good place to go for a fair deal.

I come in for a couple PMags and I see a reasonably priced Glock, I just might be taking home that Glock. And vice versa. I walk in and see a $600+ Glock and $26 mags, chances are I won't be back there and I will tell everyone I know why.

[Guest sL1k]

That deer I shot at 1300 yards with a .22 was a hell of a shot I just wanted to share it with someone.

And a true bargain guy doesn't drive around, he calls/checks the internet inventory of a store if available, gas is too damn high.

[Chucktshoes]

I'm tin foil hat guy. And that is when I am on either side of the counter.

[TMF]

What they're really making is repeat customers. Guys who come in there to buy one thing and may walk out with 3 things.....guys who will recommend that shop to their friends, neighbors, and coworkers as a good place to go for a fair deal.

Yep, that's why I won't go back to one of our local stores anymore; high prices and bad attitude = you don't want my money.