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Thread: Misinformed Gun Store Employees

  1. #41
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    Gun magazine reviews are the equivalent to 1/2 hour long infomercials. You're basically plunking down 8 bucks for paid advertisement. Pays the rent. I just like to look at the cool pictures. I'm Boba Fett Version 2.0 and I approve this message.

    Sent from my ZTE V768 using Tapatalk 2
    Last edited by Boba Fett v2; 10-09-13 at 09:32.
    "People have always been stupid. The Internet just makes it easier for us to know about them." - donlapalma

  2. #42
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    I love the pics too! Makes you think about some options that you might like to try.

  3. #43
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    I don't know if people realize this or not, but most of the people you come across at a gun store (especially a larger one) make $8-$10 dollars an hour and hate their job. Before their job working the gun counter, they asked folks if they would like fries with that!

    If you want better knowledge, you will typically have to talk with the owner. With that said, MOST gun owners got into the gun business because they were interested in ONE type of shooting sport or hunting. So this means that they might be extremely knowledgeable about upland bird hunting (their passion) and know less than my wife about AR's.

    So new shooters looking for info about DEFENSIVE weapons (AR's, AK's, Handguns, etc) are best served finding a dealer that is into these firearms, attends training and is constantly seeking knowledge about what they do not know.

    I am sure there are a lot of gun stores like the above, but one that comes to mind would be VA ARMS.




    C4

  4. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveL View Post
    This is not something exclusive to the gun industry. Do your homework on TVs for example and then walk into a Best Buy and start asking questions you already know the answers to and see what happens.

    It's been my observation over the years that you'll find three types of people working as salesmen, regardless of what it is they sell:

    1. The rarest is the one who is educated on the products he sells and legitimately knows what he's talking about and wants to do right by his customers. This is the guy who will ask you questions about your intended use for the item and what you're looking to spend, etc. in an effort to match you up with the best product for your needs that your budget will allow. It's not uncommon for this guy to recommend multiple items for you to choose from after talking to you. He might put three pistols on the counter in front of you for example and say "any of these will meet your needs." Even if you end up disagreeing with him, he will still be respectful of you as a customer. Be grateful if you have a place around with salesmen in this category.

    2. The next one is the person who truly doesn't know any better and only knows to repeat what he read in a magazine, recite the spec list to you, or repeat whatever the manufacturer sales rep tells him to say. IMO this guy's heart is in the right place, but he could benefit from doing a bit of homework on his own. No need to be a prick to this guy, but take whatever he tells you with a grain of salt.

    3. Then you have the guy looking to make a sale, regardless of your needs/desires. His goal is simply to move product off of his shelf. This is the guy who'll tell you that "a DPMS is as good as a Colt," or that "a Proscan is as good as a Panasonic," or tell the 90 pound woman "all you have to do is rack this 12 gauge and the bad guy will run away screaming and pissing himself." He'll be offended any time you disagree with anything he has to say and expect you to hang on his every word. This guy is a douche bag. You can not have a rational discussion with him and any disagreement will result in an argument or you being treated like you're beneath him and lucky to simply be in his presence. Avoid this guy like the plague.



    On another note, it's interesting that a previous poster mentioned that magazines used to have useful reviews in them. When I was in my early 20's I had my first crotch rocket. I also had a subscription to Motorcyclist Magazine. In one particular edition the editor told the story of a moral dilemma they faced at the magazine one day. They were provided with a motorcycle for evaluation by an unnamed manufacturer. Said manufacturer bought a considerable amount of ad space in their magazine. They were expected to "evaluate" this motorcycle and write a (glowing) review. The problem was that after the evaluation period they didn't hold a particularly high opinion of this motorcycle. It wasn't bad per se, but you could get something considerably better for the same money. The question they then faced was whether to write an honest review and risk losing all of this manufacturer's advertising dollars, or do they write what they were expected to write in order to keep the money coming in? In the end they chose integrity and wrote an honest review. Sure enough, this manufacturer stopped buying ad space in their magazine. This was when I learned that magazine reviews, no matter the types of items being reviewed, are suspect at best.
    Steve,

    Excellent commentary. You summed up nicely what I've felt for years about the sales industry. Thank you.

    Quote Originally Posted by NYH1 View Post
    Yeah, buy a lot of times, they don't even know "what is in the truck"!!

    I was at my LGS earlier this year and had a Magpul "foliage green" carbine length MOE hand guard in my hand (out of the box). Holding it up so he could clearly see it, I asked one of the guys behind the counter if they had anymore "foliage green" ACS stock's in stock either behind the counter or in the back (to go with the hand guard and pistol grip? He looked me in the eyes and said Magpul doesn't make "foliage green" parts, they make a similar color, it's called "OD green". I really didn't know what to say. I just handed him the box and pointed to the label that said "foliage green".

    As others have said, this is FAR from a "gun store issue". It's a "store issue" in and of itself. People need jobs and gun shops need people to work behind the counter. They can't afford to pay LAV, we all wish they could.

    NYH1.
    I had the exact situation with a lgs employee and a well informed customer informing me of the lack of foliage green magpul items while I was holding one!

  5. #45
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    Misinformed Gun Store Employees

    Isn't that ALL Gun Store Employees?

    When I stop at the LGS to kill time or maybe buy some cheap ammo that they MIGHT have on hand, I only listen for humor. 95% plus of what I hear from the employees and customers is utter bullshit when it comes to firearms, accessories, and optics.

  6. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by RHINOWSO View Post
    Misinformed Gun Store Employees

    Isn't that ALL Gun Store Employees?

    When I stop at the LGS to kill time or maybe buy some cheap ammo that they MIGHT have on hand, I only listen for humor. 95% plus of what I hear from the employees and customers is utter bullshit when it comes to firearms, accessories, and optics.
    I am a gun store employee.



    C4

  7. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by C4IGrant View Post
    I am a gun store employee.



    C4
    If it makes you feel any better, I think you fall into category 1 as I laid it out in my earlier post in this thread.

    It's safe to say Robb Jensen is there as well.
    Steve

  8. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveL View Post
    If it makes you feel any better, I think you fall into category 1 as I laid it out in my earlier post in this thread.

    It's safe to say Robb Jensen is there as well.
    We appreciate that and do try to always ask questions before recommending a firearm.


    C4

  9. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by RHINOWSO View Post
    Misinformed Gun Store Employees

    Isn't that ALL Gun Store Employees?

    When I stop at the LGS to kill time or maybe buy some cheap ammo that they MIGHT have on hand, I only listen for humor. 95% plus of what I hear from the employees and customers is utter bullshit when it comes to firearms, accessories, and optics.
    We must be lucky here in Vegas. We have quite a few stores with some very knowledgable people. Can't always guarantee good prices but then that's why we have the internet and folks like Grant

  10. #50
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    I know this thread is about the evils that gun store employees do (all true by the way), but let me rant a moment about customers.

    Calling, e-mailing or walking into a gun shop in an attempt to impress the owners and staff with your knowledge on the products they stock makes you a blow hard. Don't do it.

    When you order something via a website, make SURE to read all the fine print on shipping times, restocking fees, etc, etc. BEFORE you place your order. This way, when you are return something or ask to cancel an order, you won't be shocked at what you hear (and in turn get butthurt and call and complain).

    Carefully think out your order BEFORE you place it. Trying to add something to an online order is difficult for the dealer and generally causes your entire order to get screwed up.

    If you find a rare or hard to get item at a store, don't get pissed if the dealer doesn't want to give you a discount on the item. Be thankful that they have it at all!

    If you are getting a great deal on a product or firearm (and you know it), don't ask for further discounts. This makes you cheap and wastes the dealers time.

    Understand that shipping and insurance is expensive! No, you cannot ship a 28lbs box of ammo for $10 dollars from the East coast to the West Coast.

    Dealers are running their business for PROFIT (bad word I know). Time is money so don't expect them to disassemble your gun and ship it to three different states for free!

    Be loyal to a dealer (whether online or brick and mortar) that has taken the time to answer your questions and or provide assistance in some way. Again, time is money so don't waste someones time and then buy from another dealer that is $10 dollars cheaper.



    C4

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