Gun Shop advice wanted

[WildRose]

In my local shop, that would be pure suicide. He wouldn't get off more than 1-2 shots. All of the employees, probably 12-15 at all times, are armed with loaded sidearms. This shop has probably 600-800 customers a day, mostly Interstate traffic, and has never had a problem. They also allow customers to carry loaded firearms as long as they remain holstered.

And this shop also allows customers to handle all the used, and quite a few new, long guns, on racks on the open floor. The pistols and higher priced long guns are behind the counter, but the have lots of employees to help.

Needless to say, with their large amount of business, this shop has tons of inventory and a coffee corner with couches and a big screen TV.

The problem is that it doesn't matter to many of these types whether they succeed and get away or not. Most mass shooters do not survive their attempts, nor do they intend to, they just want to go out blazing.

From an owner's perspective it doesn't much matter either. IF someone is successful in getting their hands on one of the shops firearms and so much as harms another person with it, the shop will be done for due to the almost certain lawsuits to follow for wrongful death, negligence etc.

All it takes is one... .

 

[HARPERC]

Once upon a time I went into a shop intending to buy a .340 Weatherby. Timing was such the Weatherby rep was there. They insisted I wanted the .300 Weatherby in stock.
To date I've never owned a Weatherby, and that shop is long gone.

Let people decide their own budget.

Don't let the fact someone did not buy today, lead you to believe they won't be back.

Your experience is valuable, but don't let it narrow your market to people that think like you.

 

[Nimrodmar10]

The problem is that it doesn't matter to many of these types whether they succeed and get away or not. Most mass shooters do not survive their attempts, nor do they intend to, they just want to go out blazing.

From an owner's perspective it doesn't much matter either. IF someone is successful in getting their hands on one of the shops firearms and so much as harms another person with it, the shop will be done for due to the almost certain lawsuits to follow for wrongful death, negligence etc.

All it takes is one... .

These cowards don't shoot armed people. They go find soft "No Guns Allowed" areas, like schools or movie theaters, where they know nobody is going to be shooting back.

Yes, business owners have to worry about law suits. So does everyone else. But we can't let these nut cases and terrorist make us change or curtail the way we do business or enjoy our sports. If we do, they've won without firing a shot.

 

[Bullet bumper]

The thing I hate in any shop is the sales staff that can't control their own customers .
A good sales person should be able to identify who is next in line to be served .
Asking who is next is a lazy cop out and an invitation for the bully to step in front of someone else .
So train your staff to recognise who has been politely waiting the longest for his turn and move to directly address and serve them , ignore the rude scum that want to jump the cue until it's their turn . I hate lazy sales people who want to stand in one spot and expect all the customers to jostle to get adjacent to them to get their turn because that assists the cue jumpers .
Also train your staff to not spend excessive time with tyre kickers when other customers with money are waiting . The sales staff should just say excuse me sir / madam I will let you think about it , while I serve this other customer , put any gun back that they were looking at .
I know that the USA has way better service in most areas than we do , but gun shops are fairly universally bad in this area .
Don't hire friends and family if you can avoid it . Older experienced people that know their gun stuff are way better than young inexperienced staff .

 

[WildRose]

These cowards don't shoot armed people. They go find soft "No Guns Allowed" areas, like schools or movie theaters, where they know nobody is going to be shooting back.

Yes, business owners have to worry about law suits. So does everyone else. But we can't let these nut cases and terrorist make us change or curtail the way we do business or enjoy our sports. If we do, they've won without firing a shot.

"Suicide by Cop" ring any bells? In most cases you are right, but certainly not all. As violent as the anti gun and anti hunting crowd is becoming I wouldn't put anything past them.

We've already changed a great deal. When I was in HS there wasn't a pickup in the parking lot that didn't have at least one rifle and one shotgun hanging in the back window and most of us had at least one handgun as well.

That's a felony today.

When I was in Jr High no one thought anything of seeing me and two or three other friends riding through town on our bicycles with 22's or shotguns and ammo in hand heading off to the rifle range or to try and scare up a rabbit, duck, or shoot pigeons behind the local grain elevators. Today, the swat team would respond.

When you are in business you do have to protect that business and one lawsuit is all it takes to end that business and leave your children in poverty.

Trust me, being a guide/outfitter off and on for most of thirty years, and my family being gun dealers for over 50, I've been through every imaginable liability scenario in my head and discussed most of them with my attorneys and clients who are attorneys.

If you make a firearm that you personally own, or that your business owns available to others, you share a huge percentage of the liability for anything done with it and in some states you could also face criminal liability.

 

[squirrelduster]

Some great advice here.
Biggest complaint I have heard from customers is acknowledge when someone comes in. "Hi, glad you stopped by. Be right with you after I finish what I'm doing" kind of thing. My wife went into a gun shop to buy me a new Browning Citori sporting clays gun. She walked in and the employees kept talking to each other and never looked at her even when she was standing at the counter. No other customers were in the store.

Bottom line she spent several grand on the shotgun but was p.oed and told all her friends what a horrible place it was.

 

[WildRose]

Some great advice here.
Biggest complaint I have heard from customers is acknowledge when someone comes in. "Hi, glad you stopped by. Be right with you after I finish what I'm doing" kind of thing. My wife went into a gun shop to buy me a new Browning Citori sporting clays gun. She walked in and the employees kept talking to each other and never looked at her even when she was standing at the counter. No other customers were in the store.

Bottom line she spent several grand on the shotgun but was p.oed and told all her friends what a horrible place it was.

Very good point. I've always had the following motto, "If you don't act like you want and appreciate my business I will find someone who does."

You also make another good point. If I were running a gun shop in any medium or large city, I'd have at least one or two women as part of my sales and instructor staff.

Women are often dismissed by men in such situations, and women are flat out more comfortable approaching other women as a result. Of course, the Ladies would have to be just as qualified as anyone else I'd hire.

 

[HARPERC]

Very good point. I've always had the following motto, "If you don't act like you want and appreciate my business I will find someone who does."

You also make another good point. If I were running a gun shop in any medium or large city, I'd have at least one or two women as part of my sales and instructor staff.

Women are often dismissed by men in such situations, and women are flat out more comfortable approaching other women as a result. Of course, the Ladies would have to be just as qualified as anyone else I'd hire.

Worth repeating.