I went in to the Bakersfield, California store today at approximately 8:15pm. I typically buy all my sporting needs from Dicks due to decent prices and customer service (depending on who you deal with). I can say that today, I DID NOT feel welcome...Not from the associate that attended me at first at least. Customer service and a positive attitude from the so called "manager" (I believe her name is Yesenia) was non existent.
The purpose of tonight's visit was to purchase a few boxes of 12 Gauge shotgun shells for me to use tomorrow (Saturday) at a sporting clays range with some of my friends. I noticed that there was a Dick's associate assisting an older couple with fishing supplies. I figured he would come over to assist me since I was standing there for a few minutes waiting to be helped. When no one came to help, I pushed the help button for assistance. The associate came and ask what I needed. I told him I was trying to buy 12 Gauge shotgun shells.
The associate then proceeded to tell me that they do not sell ammunition after 7:00pm per company policy. I find this information to be very different from MANY previous experiences I've had where I have been attended for this same thing well after 7:00pm (because my wife works next door and she's out at 8:30, so I go and shop at dicks before she's out). I asked to speak to the manager to get accurate information. When the manager arrived (Yesenia), she told me that she stops selling after 8:00pm. Her reasoning for an 8:00pm cutoff was that she needed to be on the floor because they were "busy".
I would like to mention that the store was 30 min from closing, there was at least 6 employees that I counted who seemed more than capable of handling their jobs for about 10 minutes while she assisted me with the background check and sale. The store had approximately 13-18 people (not busy).You see the inconsistency here? What's company policy? Who is lying out of their ass? I'm not typically one to bring up race or some sort of discrimination, but in this case I had this very strong feeling of being denied service for ammunition based on my my appearance (Mexican, t-shirt, shorts, tattoos....oh and being brown). That is the body language that was given by the first associate that assisted me and the manager just needed to "back up" her employee.
This isn't the first time I have felt some sort of discrimination against myself or other people based on looks (race, color, attire). It may be that I didn't fit the stereotypical 2nd amendment goer? I will note that there is a really awesome African American manager that works there in the afternoons or maybe nights that seems to treat people all the same and doesn't make me feel like I'm being profiled from the moment I step into the store. After the experience I had today, I decided to read some reviews...and it seems like this is a typical "Modus Operandi" for this Dicks store in Bakersfield. You can almost say that most Dicks employees are just that....Dicks! Based on this, it may be a typical thing across the whole company.
I expected better! I was truly disappointed in you guys today. read more