Really good visit to a seemingly really good gun shop

Of late, some of the gun shops in the area have taken on a sort of hard edge... an attitude that we the customers need them more than they the dealers need us. Customer service has sort of disappeared, replaced with a, "Oh yeah, you want what? We'll see," kind of attitude. Recently I've been looking at a particular pistol for self-defense, a Sig P238, (mini 1911) and have been having trouble finding examples with ambidextrous safeties. You see, I'm a lefty. The other day on a whim I called a local shop I'd never visited and discovered they had several P238s with ambi safeties. The sales people seemed both friendly and knowledgeable, were very willing to special order, and seemed eager to please.

So, my wife and I trooped down to the shop the next day. At one point in the past she had fallen in love with a used Colt Mustang Pocket Light in a shop and it got away before I got my hands on it. Ever since it came out I've wanted her to try the new version from Sig. Interestingly enough, this three-floor store had a separate, large Sig Sauer Department that they say is the largest on the East Coast of the U.S. They have an on-site range where they offer concealed-carry lessons. With the purchase of a pistol at their shop you also receive ten days at their range, expandable to an unlimited year's subscription for $25.

The manager remembered my call from the night before and showed me the pistols I was interested in. In fact he allowed me to try out all the triggers of all the ten P238s he had on display. Meanwhile he immediately latched onto my wife and made her feel comfortable. He encouraged her to try out the pistol and showed its features to her. He's also an instructor so he showed her some techniques for handling the weapon. He spent about an hour with us talking about the weapons and helping u make a choice.

Towards the end of our discussion I mentioned that I was interested in this pistol because I had heard that it felt comfortable to shoot. I knew that would mean I could spend plenty of time on the range with it and stay comfortable. He said, "Hold on a second," went over to the store's range and grabbed their range P238 pistol. He ushered us into the gunsmith's shop and the private gunsmith's range where he loaded up their range pistol and let us try it out.

I was utterly amazed. I'd never encountered that sort of helpful customer service before in a gun store. I would have purchased a pistol on the spot but a) they didn't have my first choice version in stock and b) I didn't like the trigger of the second choice when compared to the ten other examples they had in stock. So now we are looking at ordering my first choice or second choice to get a better trigger.

Well, anyway, I thought you'd like to know that good gun shops do exist and good customer service can still be had.

Bob

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Originally Posted by Bob Womack

good gun shops do exist and good customer service can still be had.

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Thanks Bob for sharing the experience. Hopefully by posting an experience like this you have helped solidify the principles that create a wholesome, sustainable, profitable business. Your experience is exactly the opposite of another post a month ago: Interesting Gun Shop experience

To that thread,, I commented that I triage my business world into three camps:
1) the Adversarial capitalists who are more interested in aggrandizing their wealth at my expense; use win-lose bargaining every time; squeeze their vendors, see their customers as people that can be tricked into buying an illusion, and are ethically untrustworthy.
2) the Transactional capitalists for whom everything is a "deal;" their objective is to buy low and sell high; they operate within the law but care little about long-term business relationships, and maximize their fast sale, never really listening to what the customer needs or wants.
3) the Collaborative capitalists that believe in old-fashioned values of trust, honor, fairness, and finding ways to create value long-term; every interaction is aimed at a "win-win" for both parties. These are highly ethical and go out of their way to make sure the customer is taken care of, even if this means sending the customer to another honorable competitor.

While many lament the rarity of the trustworthy, long-term business relationships, there is a great deal of economic data that proves these types of businesses are healthy, innovative, and will produce competitive advantage year after year, when well run.

Just yesterday I also had a positive experience buying a new washer & dryer. After finding the product I wanted at Home Depot at a 25% discount off retail and checking pricing on the internet, I dropped into a locally owned appliance store that had the same product, but for retail price. The owner was present behind the counter; he was helping an elderly WWII vet, patiently assisting the feeble old man get a new stove. When he finished with the old man, the owner noticed my U.S. Navy hat and asked if I served. I affirmed. The owner then said he had just donated a flight to Washington for WWII vets, then proudly showed me the picture of the vet confined in his wheel-chair while attending a reunion. The owner thanked me for my service in Vietnam. I was grateful, stating I had not had such a favorable reception when I returned from the Pacific.

I told him what I wanted, and what the big box store was offering in terms of price, delivery, and removal of my old equipment. He immediately said he would match the big guys on everything. I bought a service contract, knowing that these stores often make more $ on the service contracts than the equipment. Why? Because the man was fair, caring, & gave some of his profits to old vets. I walked out of the store having spent over $1600. Turns out he also lives a 1/4 mile from my house -- so I've kept my money in the neighborhood.

That's business the old fashioned way -- and it works. I don't have second thoughts (buyer's remorse) and I'm sure he doesn't either.

There are many ways to be in business and make sure customers are satisfied when they leave. Few people know that a satisfied customer tells 4 people about their experience, but 20 people know about it when the customer leaves dissatisfied.

As a satisfied customers, Bob and I now have informed many about it.

You're SO right Bob...

When I first got into collecting old guns several years ago I encountered many sellers who asked for INSANE prices.

I joined our local Antique gun club and I found more 'sane' people who offered help.... They knew the approximate value of what they had for sale, and I bought most of the collection I had by this means.