Ok, it's my time to rant. Why do almost all gun shops give horrible customer service? My experience…read moretoday, has been repeated in multiple gun shops I have visited, I am ignored.
Walked into THE BUNKER this morning, I was the only customer and I could tell that the clerk was on the phone with a vendor, and they were definitely discussing business. I expected her to at least recognize that I was a customer with a handful of money to give her, a nod of the head, a wave would have been nice. Or what if she told vendor, "Hey, I'll call you back in a few minutes, I have a customer here"? I walked around the shop four or five times, she knew I was there but I was ignored, so I left.
This is a rule and not the exception when I enter a gun shop. Sometimes the clerk is talking to a friend or some old man, swapping hunting stories, there is no product on the table and as far as I can see, the customer is not purchasing anything, but I am ignored.
I work retail, let me give you a few lessons on how to treat a customer.
1. Greet every customer within 30 seconds of coming in. When I am with a customer, wrapping up a deal at the counter and a new customer walks in, I say, "Welcome, glad your here, we are closing up this deal and I'll be with you in a few minutes"
2. Or how about this, you are showing a customer product when a new customer comes in, say to you existing customer, "Hey a new customer has just come in, let me greet him and show him where to go and I'll be back with you in a new minutes.
3. If some old guy comes in with no intention of buying, but just comes in to swap stories. say to him, "Hey, I would like to hear the end of your story, but first, let me help the customer who just came in."
If I treated my customers like I am treated in most gun shops, I would be fired. Hey gun shop owners, I want to do business with you. I will ben pay a premium to help support your business. I do not want to shop at the big national retailers or on line. But if this crap continues, I will take my money elsewhere.