My experience today at the 1500

[MilitaryArms]

I look at it this way. The owner of a local shop of mine that I have done a lot of business with, had a customer wanting a gun priced for him. The customer said I'll buy from Buds because it's $50 cheaper. This is after the shop owner spent time with him. After paying an FFL fee of $20 he saved a whopping $30. I really do not understand the thinking of some people honestly. You have to understand it from a buisness stand point. If you do not like someones price move on and buy elsewhere. Now, if the price difference was larger I could see holding off and waiting.

These people rub me the wrong way. They will lurk for hours in a local store, have the clerks show them weapons and answer their questions only to run to the Internet to save $20 and screw their local shop owner.

I almost always buy locally and yes, I usually pay more by supporting my local shops. But I value their service and support them for supporting me and my local gun community. I go to the net only for things they don't have in stock. Go into Blythe's in Valpo and ask them how many guns the Military Arms guy buys from them... Just don't tell my wife what they tell you.

 

[chasekerion4]

It was you that typed this several pages back:



Now read my comments again. You did make it about price and profits with this statement. You have no idea what his business costs are or if he truly would make any profit at $20 over cost.

Given your tone in this thread, it stands to reason that perhaps you weren't the most pleasant person in your dealings with this dealer and thus contributed to his response. Or perhaps you read more into his response that was actually there.

Either way it's water under the bridge.

The transaction happened exactly as stated in the OP. I never told him how to run his business or price his products. If you re-read it, you will see that he lost a customer based on the stated facts in the OP, which were as follows:

No offense to Fort Liberty trying to make a buck, but this response not only led me to walk down the aisle and buy one WITH a thumb safety from Bob, it compelled me to come here and divulge what I perceived as a crappy way of doing business. Crappy meaning there's a right way and a wrong way to reply to customers.

You also chose to quote a snippet of a post to suit your claim. What you did NOT include in your quote, was that the very next sentence was "It goes back to the way you talk to people." Not to mention that quote you used had 2 back-to-back references about how the issue was with the service.

The thread got drug out to assume the issue was price. Naturally, I was going to respond. Funny thing is if we had this conversation in person, it would take roughly 3-5 minutes to figure out. It's been over 50 hours.

There is no 'stand to reason'. There is only room to assume, which you've done by insinuating I might not have been pleasant to deal with.

Once again, the customer has the cash. The dealer is trying to earn it. Don't ever fool yourself into believing you don't have the ultimate power as a buyer - and the truth is you set the tone by merely being on the other side of the counter. Dealers and business must meet MY expectations, not the other way around, in order to earn my money.

There's nothing more to read into when the first words out of his mouth were "Hell no."

The issue is the service. The issue has ALWAYS been the service. So maybe I can end it all by saying this: He was asking $489. I think that is a good price.

 

[chasekerion4]

These people rub me the wrong way. They will lurk for hours in a local store, have the clerks show them weapons and answer their questions only to run to the Internet to save $20 and screw their local shop owner.

I almost always buy locally and yes, I usually pay more by supporting my local shops. But I value their service and support them for supporting me and my local gun community. I go to the net only for things they don't have in stock. Go into Blythe's in Valpo and ask them how many guns the Military Arms guy buys from them... Just don't tell my wife what they tell you.

This is EXACTLY why businesses fail. They didn't get screwed. It's a cost of doing business. Price shoppers are a part of life. Always have been. For all you know, they've been saving for a year to buy that gun, at a pace of $10 a week, meaning that $20 is a big deal to them. As a business, you are owed nothing by anyone. You've got to earn it. And in this day and age, if you can't earn it via your pricing, you've gotta earn with your service (which you mentioned you value). Just being open for business does not give the business the right to think people should buy from them.

Truth be told, the only thing I owe anyone is to my family. I owe them reponsibility. And here's a perfect example.

Just purchased a $99.99 Under Armour shirt brand new from Ebay for $34.26 including shipping. I found the shirt at Big R in Crawfordsville. Why do I owe them the business? Because they let me walk in and see it? This makes no sense. They were 3 times the cost I ultimately paid.


Do I owe that $70 difference more to the business or my family? I took that $70 bucks and went to dinner with my wife, at a place we get good service at.

 

[ATM]

...Truth be told, the only thing I owe anyone is to my family...

Does that mean you've got that $5 you owe me?







J/K

 

[chasekerion4]

Does that mean you've got that $5 you owe me?







J/K

I stand corrected. I owe my car payment, mortgage, and ATM as well. Hey there stranger!

 

[LLDJR]

I would have paid the $20 and got the pistol I wanted, I can't deal with safeties on striker fired guns. I've tried it and hated it every time. After all, it's only $20 we're talking about here.

I agree, getting what I wanted for an extra $20 would have been what I would have done.

 

[KG1]

Personally I would'nt have bought from either one of them....I don't really care for M&Ps. Or maybe I would've compromised my position if they sweet talked me, then I would've bought one from both even though I did'nt really want to.

 

[LLDJR]

I have been self employed since 1988, commission only, no draw,, and "if" i only had one of something and I had the chance to sell it at ZERO dollar increase, i.e. just move product, or actually sell the item for a profit, i.e. keep the lights on and the doors open, then it would be an easy decision.

I would be tactful but choose to stay the course, and maintain my price.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

This is EXACTLY why businesses fail. They didn't get screwed. It's a cost of doing business. Price shoppers are a part of life. Always have been. For all you know, they've been saving for a year to buy that gun, at a pace of $10 a week, meaning that $20 is a big deal to them. As a business, you are owed nothing by anyone. You've got to earn it. And in this day and age, if you can't earn it via your pricing, you've gotta earn with your service (which you mentioned you value). Just being open for business does not give the business the right to think people should buy from them.

Truth be told, the only thing I owe anyone is to my family. I owe them reponsibility. And here's a perfect example.

Just purchased a $99.99 Under Armour shirt brand new from Ebay for $34.26 including shipping. I found the shirt at Big R in Crawfordsville. Why do I owe them the business? Because they let me walk in and see it? This makes no sense. They were 3 times the cost I ultimately paid.


Do I owe that $70 difference more to the business or my family? I took that $70 bucks and went to dinner with my wife, at a place we get good service at.

So, if shop A can not get a gun for the same price as shop B. He should lower his price and loose what little money he makes to make a customer happy? Like I said, if you do not like the price so be it. However, do not take up someones time then buy somwhere else to save $30. I'll call around when I'm looking for a gun, and I will go with the lower price. However, if shop A is $20 cheaper but is a 30 minute drive, then I will go to shop B and buy. If shop A is $100 cheaper then I would make the 30 minute drive. I for one will support the small buisness owner above all at all possible.

 

[ludlow]

I can understand some of the frustration felt by the OP but as others have mentioned perhaps the person working the booth was having a bad day. I have visited FL and found them to be very friendly the let me look at several guns, talked about motorcycles and overall had a good experience. I try to buy from different shops to "spread the love" as it were. Sometimes a I pay a little more sometimes a little less. I try to ask if there are discounts for "cash" sometimes there are sometimes not.

I have been in shops where one time I get great service the next, not so great.

 

[bobzilla]

So, if shop A can not get a gun for the same price as shop B. He should lower his price and loose what little money he makes to make a customer happy? Like I said, if you do not like the price so be it. However, do not take up someones time then buy somwhere else to save $30. I'll call around when I'm looking for a gun, and I will go with the lower price. However, if shop A is $20 cheaper but is a 30 minute drive, then I will go to shop B and buy. If shop A is $100 cheaper then I would make the 30 minute drive. I for one will support the small buisness owner above all at all possible.

i'M LOVING THESE....Absolutely loving it.

A.) he still supported a small local business owner. He bought from Bob at PSS, not Wal-Mart.
B.) He offered his business to another small local business owner who decided to be rude.
C.) It's $20. If I can save $20 on a purchase, I will save $20 on a purchase. He did not have to drive 30 miles. He walked to a different booth at the gun show. So those comparisons are invalid.
D.) He didn't "waste their time" by asking if they'd match prices. It MIGHT have taken 20 seconds of their precious time.

Look, I've been in retail most of my working career (16 years of retail out of 21 years of working) and I know that this is NOT how a customer should be treated. Even if he was rude, that is not how you gain, retain and satidfy customers. Ever.

Kudos to FL's owner to step up and apologize for the employee's actions. We all have bad days, but we have to realize when we make mistakes or you'll be out of business fast.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

i'M LOVING THESE....Absolutely loving it.

A.) he still supported a small local business owner. He bought from Bob at PSS, not Wal-Mart.
B.) He offered his business to another small local business owner who decided to be rude.
C.) It's $20. If I can save $20 on a purchase, I will save $20 on a purchase. He did not have to drive 30 miles. He walked to a different booth at the gun show. So those comparisons are invalid.
D.) He didn't "waste their time" by asking if they'd match prices. It MIGHT have taken 20 seconds of their precious time.

Look, I've been in retail most of my working career (16 years of retail out of 21 years of working) and I know that this is NOT how a customer should be treated. Even if he was rude, that is not how you gain, retain and satidfy customers. Ever.

Kudos to FL's owner to step up and apologize for the employee's actions. We all have bad days, but we have to realize when we make mistakes or you'll be out of business fast.

I see people at the gun show all of the time trying to get people to come down on price. If I was in that position I would probably get snappy as well. It's like trying to sell a gun on here and getting nothing but crazy low ball offers, it gets anoying. If you are really worried about $20, maybe you should switch to air soft?

 

[LLDJR]

I see people at the gun show all of the time trying to get people to come down on price. If I was in that position I would probably get snappy as well. It's like trying to sell a gun on here and getting nothing but crazy low ball offers, it gets anoying. If you are really worried about $20, maybe you should switch to air soft?

Touché

 

[Haikufunk]

My issue was simply with the response. The response is what lost a customer; not the price.

Good, polite customer service is all but dead to a lot of companies at a time when competition is more fierce than ever before.

Op, so you are saying if he had responded kindly you would have gladly paid the extra $20 to get what you wanted? Or, would you have still walked because in the end it was not about customer service but price(evidenced by your buying a gun that was not quite what you wanted)?

Also, I guess you have never gotten short with a customer because it had been "that kind of day?" Certainly you can sympathize with this gun dealer.

 

[bobzilla]

Sympathize? Sure.... but you still ****ed up. Period. End of Story. You treat a customer like crap because you're having a bad day, you bette rexpect to lose that customer.

And really... "Over $20 you may want to consider airsoft"? REally? You're going to automatically go with the insults? Not cool. Not everyone has **** you money and has to save, plan and bargain shop to enjoy their hobby. Get over it.

 

[pinshooter45]

Look here's the bottom line. I as a consumer am entitled to get the lowest price on anything I buy, if I can negotiate it. A business is entitled to make as much money as they can on any item they sell if they can get it. Competition and market forces dictate prices. Example a local gun shop is selling Mosins for $110.00 another has Mosins selling for between $129.00-$149.00. You are perfectly entitled to got to the second shop and negotiate the price for the Mosins. If they are unwilling or unable to meet the competitions price, you are free to go to the other shop and buy at $110.00 or buy the other shops Mosins, If you feel the gun is worth the extra $. that's the free market system. Same thing at the 1500 go on down the line and look for the next dealer that has what you want and negotiate with them. No one is forcing anyone to buy or sell at any price. Used Items are the same thing. Something is only worth what some one else is willing to pay for it. If I list a gun that I think is worth $500.00 and and the best offer I get is $400.00 I'm not insulted I just hang on to the gun, or sell for that best offer. It's my decision. Some people have very inflated ideas on what their stuff is worth and some don't. The last time I went looking for a used car on the private market you would not believe the rust buckets I saw that people were wanting $2000.00 & $3000.00 for. So I kept looking until I found what I wanted at a price I was willing to pay, that's the way it works in the USA!

 

[youngda9]

You simply can't afford to lose customers in this day and age...

Seems you found a salesman who disagrees with you.

You both apprently rubbed each other the wrong way...don't be so (*) about it, live and learn. You both stood your ground over a few dollars difference. You ended up getting something that wasn't what you wanted because of it. I'm not sure if you can chalk that up as a win.

I bet you'd rather have what you want, $40 less in your pocket, and not have wasted all this time typing and mulling it over since the show. All that time and energy wasted alone has got to be worth more than $40. If you'd put that time and effort into your business you probably could have made more than that several times over by now.

 

[Bersalover]

If he acts this way when you havent given him money yet how will he act after?

 

[bobzilla]

Look here's the bottom line. I as a consumer am entitled to get the lowest price on anything I buy, if I can negotiate it. A business is entitled to make as much money as they can on any item they sell if they can get it. Competition and market forces dictate prices. Example a local gun shop is selling Mosins for $110.00 another has Mosins selling for between $129.00-$149.00. You are perfectly entitled to got to the second shop and negotiate the price for the Mosins. If they are unwilling or unable to meet the competitions price, you are free to go to the other shop and buy at $110.00 or buy the other shops Mosins, If you feel the gun is worth the extra $. that's the free market system. Same thing at the 1500 go on down the line and look for the next dealer that has what you want and negotiate with them. No one is forcing anyone to buy or sell at any price. Used Items are the same thing. Something is only worth what some one else is willing to pay for it. If I list a gun that I think is worth $500.00 and and the best offer I get is $400.00 I'm not insulted I just hang on to the gun, or sell for that best offer. It's my decision. Some people have very inflated ideas on what their stuff is worth and some don't. The last time I went looking for a used car on the private market you would not believe the rust buckets I saw that people were wanting $2000.00 & $3000.00 for. So I kept looking until I found what I wanted at a price I was willing to pay, that's the way it works in the USA!

Y'all do realize it wasn't about the money, right? it was about the way the seller acted and his rudeness.

Y'all are focused on the fact that he was asking about $20 and completely ignored the fact that he felt he was treated poorly. I imagine they could have offered an extra $10 off and he would have still bought somewhere else because of the attitude.

 

[youngda9]

For some people "hell no" is no different than "no".