By Alex Knapp
You’ve read articles and blog posts about what it’s like to work in a gun store, but you may not have read one about from a woman’s perspective. What is it like working in a gun store as a woman? Don’t get me wrong — I love my job and the people 97% of the time. But the remaining 3% is the part I’m not too fond of. Now some of what I encounter are the same issues the men who work in gun stores have, like customers pulling their loaded firearm from a holster for me to look at their “sweet-ass 1911” just like the one we have on the shelf. Or someone asking for a price on a new gun, then proceeding to tell me that while my price is better than every other shop in town, they’re going to order it from an online store that’s $20 cheaper. . .
As a woman working in the gun industry, you deal with a whole new stream of bull. Some days it can be as small and easy to navigate as a creek. Other days it flows like Niagara Falls. So let’s start with that creek: When you call a gun store and a woman answers the phone, please don’t ask to speak to a man or “one of the guys.” Chances are the woman on the phone knows more about guns than you ever will. If you do want to speak to one of the guys, ask for him by name.
When you go into the store to look around, and the woman behind the counter tells you to let her know if you have questions or want to look at something, don’t ignore her and wait for one of the guys to be available. Again, she works there for a reason and knows her job. She can probably run circles around you knowledge-wise.
Then there’s Niagara Falls. I had an active military customer come in for a transfer for an AR-15 in .22 LR. He had an Illinois drivers license, so we had to check to be sure he could own the gun since we have to comply with the laws in his state of residence. It took longer than expected to find the laws about rifles in Illinois, but he didn’t seem upset about it. Until two hours later.
That’s when the boss told me we got a new review on Google. It was the same guy. He wrote that I was rude, hostile, and overweight. I’m sorry that you feel that way, but I wasn’t rude or hostile, and my weight has nothing to do with my job. I’m sorry you had to wait, but I won’t risk my rights as a citizen or the store’s FFL for a twenty dollar transfer fee.
Again, most People of the Gun are wonderful to deal with. But some of you don’t respect the women or men at your local gun store. We all work hard to do what we can to make you happy, even when you’re upset with us. So please understand when we make small mistakes. We’re only human.
Alex is part of the next generation at Knapp Weaponry. During her formative years, Alex found herself exposed to constant instruction in safety, maintenance and marksmanship. Now she has joined the team at Knapp Weaponry to bring the enjoyment of the shooting sports to her customers. Alex is especially in tune with our female customers and those new to the sport.
I’ve dealt with men and women on the other side of the counter that had that “I know more than you attitude”. Wrong attitude to have! I get that being in a role made up majority of the opposite sex can be difficult, but suck it up and don’t hold a grudge.
“Chances are the woman on the phone knows more about guns than you ever will.”
That’s a pretty smug attitude, so maybe that’s part of your problem?
I have encountered plenty of female employees in gun stores. Generally they are just as knowledgeable as their male peers. But the world of firearms is too vast for anyone to come off as a know-it-all.
Maybe you could field strip and reassemble an AR-15, blindfolded. Good on you. Do you know the difference between a trap gun and a skeet gun? The gun store employees I have encountered each have their specialties, their strengths and weaknesses. But the good ones can still make the sale, with a proper dose of humility and a willingness to admit they don’t know everything.
Yeah, I watched that attitude try to sell a box of modern 9×23 Winchester with a Star model A.
Be nice to the sales person. I have learned to just let them talk. The good ones will start to listen when they realize you know more about a type of firearm that they do, and you can ignore the others. The really good ones will show you other things based on you interests.
A good saleman/woman should do more asking questions and listening than anything else.
“Chances are the woman on the phone knows more about guns than you ever will.”
I was thinking that a pretty bold statement as well. She might know more than I do, but I can say with certainty that there are gun shops near me where the employees, male AND female do not.
I won’t be an ass to anyone; I also wont presume anyone to know anything.
Chances are that ANY gun shop employee who answers the phone knows more than do 75% of CALLERS to that shop. Knows more than “you” in this case is not second personal singular.
The woman behind the counter at the LGS is rare in my neck of the woods,but in my single experience she was more knowledgeable than most of the guys I have seen and she got my business that day
Please feel free to expand how on this is incorrect. As an FFL holder and store owner, if he is from IL, and he doesn’t have an FOID, I cannot sell him a firearm. Seems to me that makes her statement pretty damn true.
I’m confused. Why do you, sitting in Kansas, selling a long gun in accordance with federal and state laws, care about the legal situation in Illinois, where you aren’t and where the gun might never go?
Now the buyer, he better leave the gun in Kansas until he gets his FOID, but if he’s military, Sillynoise is probably just the state his parents lived in when he entered the military, and it’s possible he’ll never live there again.
Guy buys gun without foid. He kills his wife with it. Feds find where the gun was bought, store loses its license and gets shut down over a 20 dollar transfer fee.
Other chris, Give me the example, When did the ATF start requiring FFLs to follow state laws for other states when dealing with their residents?
Other Chris,
So, if you have to follow all the Illinois laws (like the FOID law) I assume you call the ISP to validate the FOID number (like Illinois FFLs do) or that you honor the Illinois waiting period….
I don’t know all the technical legalities, but it’s common. When I was working in Montana (and many other states over time) I was told that as a California resident they would not sell to me. If they felt frisky they would be willing to ship anything I bought to an ffl in ca, etc… I was told that if I had been a Washington resident they could sell me a long gun and I could walk out with it there, but that changed with that stupid WA state law.
In short the dealer will respect the laws in the state of your residence, unless they are too complicated to bother with, they’d they won’t bother at all.
Unless you shop is in Illinois, Illinois state laws do not apply. A lot of shops like to follow state laws of the person’s home residence, but that is a store policy, not the law.
FYI if you wanted to be really technical the sale may have been illegal under Illinois state law anyway. Last time I checked Illinois had a neighboring state law for out of state purchases.
You guys really don’t know the regulations and laws surrounding being an FFL obviously, and I’m sure you are the ones who would go in there and argue with someone who has been doing the business for decades about ‘their job.’
Living in Illinois I hear all the time what is “illegal” from FFLs that is simply not true to the point that I almost have to laugh. Regarding selling to Illinois residents, I think you will get a 20 different answers from Indiana FFLs who have way more experience than this FFL.
Hannibal,
Sorry… Having lived in Illinois forever and am now AD military stationed else where I am very very very familiar with Illinois gun laws. I was part of the group that helped with CCW in Illinois, followed our NRA ILA guy constantly and even followed the state debates on gun laws as they were passed….
Kansas, Texas, etc does not have to follow all Illinois law. Unless you now assume that the 24 hour waiting period for long guns now apply in Texas since I have an IL drivers license? Do you maintain the 24 hour waiting period or is that one Illinois law too many?
Come on.
You would be in violation of Illinois state law if you did that, however you are not in Illinois jurisdiction!!!
She violated state Illinois state law anyway. I’m assuming she is in Wichita, KS.
An Illinois resident with a valid FOID card who is not otherwise prohibited from obtaining, possessing or using a firearm may purchase a long gun and ammunition for a long gun in Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin or Kentucky. 430 Ill. Comp. Stat. 65/3a(a).
So much for the FFL knowing the law better than us peons
THIS IS WHY THE FED’S DON’T REQUIRE YOU TO FOLLOW OUT OF STATE LAWS!
Sorry, you are mistaken.
Feds allow the sale of a long gun – not a handgun – between residents of different states at any convenient FFL, even in a third state. But 18 USC 922 (b)(3)
“(3) any firearm to any person who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe does not reside in (or if the person is a corporation or other business entity, does not maintain a place of business in) the State in which the licensee’s place of business is located, except that this paragraph (A) shall not apply to the sale or delivery of any rifle or shotgun to a resident of a State other than a State in which the licensee’s place of business is located if the transferee meets in person with the transferor to accomplish the transfer,
and the sale, delivery, and receipt fully comply with the legal conditions of sale in both such States”
Handgun sales must occur at an FFL in the state of residence of the buyer/receiver.
By BATF ruling, active military with PCS orders to a state are residents of that state for gun-buying purposes. Most UN-obviously, that also means that military not PCS’d to what they consider their ‘home’ state are NOT citizens of that state for gun buying purposes, despite such things as maintaining a driver license and car registration or owning property in that state. With adequate documentation, such members could deceive an FFL in that ‘home’ state; I hear it happens fairly frequently, because the BATF ruling simply makes no sense. Yet, there it is …
So your saying that they were good to go with him being military (only local state laws where he is stationed apply) but they could not sell to him at all if he was only a Illinois resident. Lovely, they were only legal becouse of the law they did not know about.
Funny, I live across the river from Illinois, in Kentucky. Every gun store I have ever set foot in requires IL buyers to wait 24 hours before they pick up their long gun. This goes for the local shops and the chains. The local Kentucky Wal Marts suspended all firearms sales to IL residents because they did not want the headache.
Kentucky shops even ask IL residents for their FOID when they buy ammo, at least the ones in my town do. A couple of them do enough IL business that they have relationships with IL FFL holders to ship handguns so the IL buyer can buy one in KY and have it shipped.
Um… Can’t people from foreign countries come to the US and buy guns? From countries where firearm ownership is 100% illegal? I’m pretty sure they can.
Clearly, you’ve overlooked the portion of the 4473 form asking if the transferee is a citizen or permanent legal resident.
Unless they fall under a few very specific categories they can not buy guns.
Unless it’s been changed active duty military are considered a resident of the state in which they are permanently stationed, per ATF handout. Bought guns in every state where I was stationed and still had my WV drivers license.
Maybe the men will take you more seriously (which they should) when you stop whining (which you really, really should).
“So please understand when we make small mistakes. We’re only human.”
How unfortunate that you don’t apply the same rule to your customers. You know — the guys who pay you.
What is it with gun store employees? Especially this pathetic store. They whine more about their customers than a server who is not so good at the job. It’s a pretty low bar to successfully work with the 97% of your customers that are “good”. It’s how you deal with the 3% that are raging a-holes, which separates the pro from the pretender. She is a self-avowed amateur – pros suck it up, make the sale, then laugh about it at a bar with colleagues. You never go into a room of potential customers and tell them ‘how hard my job is dealing with you guys’.
Perhaps she’s the non-humble super-genius, just killing time behind the counter between Prometheus Society or Mega Society meetings. But IMHO most really smart folks always know that there just might be someone who knows more about something than they do, or at least, they may have an insight to be gleaned. Especially in a field as wide and riddled with minutae as firearms.
She should consider a different lime of work. Something where she doesn’t have to deal with the public. Because obviously, she sucks at it. And customers have told her.
Clearly, you are a misogynist for not coddling a female when she complains and not readily accepting any, and all, double standards projected onto males, by said female – for shame.
Not dissimilar from earlier posts from male gun store employees, rather low key to be truthful. I know, haters gonna hate.
Lotta hate in these comments. As somebody who has been on both sides of the counter, I make 90% of my purchases online. If you’re an AR guy and you’re speaking to the employee who shoots trap every weekend, you’re gunna have a bad time.
If you’re the duck hunter talking to the ar15 loving employee you’re gunna have a bad time.
The secret is learning what the customer values in their gun. Sometimes it’s economy. Sometimes pride of ownership is more important than how it swings. People have biases and preferences. I did my best to learn as much variety as possible, but sometimes it’s important to just let the customer talk. I’ve had lots of people sell themselves guns, all I did was smile and nod. Maybe double check my profit margin and save em 20 bucks.
And sometimes, people just don’t like me. It’s only human that something about you will strike a chord in the wrong way. I had a lady tell me to go f*** myself. Selling guns face to face can be very hard. I commend people who continue to work behind the counter. I moved on to greener pastures.
OMG! Somebody told you to go eff yourself?
Did you make it to your safe-space before the aggression and racism overwhelmed you?
Real lady doesn’t use this kind of language.
I have found that the women in gun stores today know less than they think they do. But it’s not a gender thing, today’s men aren’t very knowledgeable either.
I am almost 60 years old and have been around guns literally all of my life. Some of the bullpuckey that comes out of the mouths of these young people is comical. I am glad this generation is embracing the 2nd Ammendment, but lack of knowledge, lack of experience and a condescending attitude are common to both sexes. Newsflash young’uns: There was a whole world of guns around before Glock showed up.
“There was a whole world of guns around before Glock showed up.”
Yup.
Tragically, most new shooters know jack-all about that world. Far too many have bought into the marketing for crap guns, “perfection” and other such twaddle.
Nowadays, when I’m out in social situations, I usually don’t tell people I’m a gunsmith – because I don’t want to talk guns with people. The reason why is that there is so much SHOT-Show-sponsored ignorance and marketing propaganda afoot, trying to dispel the flood of BS as one man would be akin to boiling the oceans with a Bic lighter. If someone actually knows something about guns, and we’re talking about things other than the mundane Glock/AR-15/Cheez-Whiz crap that is stock and trade of gun sales today, OK, I’ll chat with them about guns.
But talk about Glocks & AR-15’s (other than making AR’s very accurate, which is a rare individual indeed willing to pursue that end)? I’d rather rub a fresh cow pat into my hair.
The result is that when some youngsters ask if I work on Glock pistols, I now often respond with “No, I don’t. There’s no need for me to work on Glocks. They’re ‘perfection’ – just ask Glock.”
The dumbfounded look on the face of my interlocutor is often priceless.
I’d rather rub a fresh cow pat into my hair.
If it works better than Rogaine, I’m willing to give it a try.
Amen, one of my biggest issues with TTAG truth be told is all the new shooters that got into guns around the year 2008 and then suddenly became experts on all things gun. Mean time they own one glock, a mossburg shotgun maybe a AR and have shot them total around 5 times.
I am all for people exercising their second amendment rights but for Pete’s sake, do some reading people.
Having been in quasi military and military environments for 30 years I do not assume the person behind the counter with the XX chromosomes doesn’t know anything. In the last office I worked in we used to shoot sporting clays about once a month. Top shot was always between this one guy and. The woman MA, that’s military assistant to a senior for those who don’t know, and then there is my wife who doesn’t know much technical stuff but sure can shoot.
Besides there are few things hotter then a woman with a firearm.
“Besides there are few things hotter then a woman with a firearm.”
Especially if she like you.
If she doesn’t, not so much…
And if she’s my ex, run. Run!
I brought my wife to the range, 1st time she’d shot in 30 years. Let her put a few clipazines through my Ruger MKII, then gave her my Hi Point 995TS. She put 10 rounds on 2″ MOA at 25 yards with iron sights. Said she found shooting both cathartic and exciting.
Many or most of the Russian snipers in the Battle of Leningrad were women. Don’t ever think chicks can’t shoot.
I had to laugh when I came to the complaint about the clerk being overweight. I mean, did they make you carry her or something? I wonder if he ever complained about some OFWG at another gun store not being pretty enough?
I’m sorry that you feel that way, but I wasn’t rude or hostile
Obviously not what one customer thought.
My biggest frustration at certain gun stores is that they act like they’re doing a you a favor by waiting on you. I was at Gander Mountain a couple months ago. I’ve bought three guns there in the past. They always take way too long to run an FFL compared to the little local place that does transfers for me. Totally understaffed 30-40 yards of gun counter. Only one customer there besides me, getting his FFL run. They haven’t called a ticket in ten minutes. Only employee who comes near won’t make eye contact as he goes about his very important business. Finally, I just decide I don’t need that noise. Nowadays buying on Impact Guns is far less hassle and time wasted.
“Only employee who comes near won’t make eye contact as he goes about his very important business.”
I don’t like to get ignored, especially if I’m standing there ready to give the store money . . . When I’ve got a I’m-going-to-pretend-your-not-standing-there store employee I’ll give ’em a little time to finish what they’re doing. But, when my patience runs out, I announce in a very loud voice “EXCUSE ME, I’M NOT INVISIBLE. I’M HERE TO SPEND MONEY IN YOUR STORE! DO YOU WANT MY MONEY OR NOT?!!”. This tactic has proven to be an unusually palliative remedy for inattentive or disinterested counter-folk.
I wonder how they would react if you yelled out “I am prepared to give you 500 dollars for that Glock!”
Maybe “Oh yeah, we’re a business, I guess I should sell that guy something.”
This leads to the natural question, though: if they are ignoring them and you have to “pressure” them to spend your money there, why not take your business elsewhere?
Where’s the incentive for them to change?
An inattentive salesperson tells me one of two things: not properly incentivize or not a good salesperson.
Some times, it’s both. If good money is to be made, a quality salesperson will recognize it and make time without prompting.
Just wondering why would anyone buy anything from gander mountain when you have a local gun store? I owned a shop for years and once gander mtn. opened less than 20 miles from me and people found P.S.A., classic firearms and a few other online gunshops adding 10-20 dollars to wholesale or in some cases selling at or under wholesale to the public it was game over for me. One of the worst things is the fact that gander everyday price on things is generally horrible, the employees know very little generally and the ammo is outrageous. It seems that most people will spend 50+dollars or more extra to not wait two to three days to order it from the L.G.S. It got to the point where out of principle I had a list of companies that my transfer fee for anything from them was $75. If you bought a used gun in a online auction I would do it for $25. But these places are killing the little guy and in the end I called it quits. The worst part is running into those guys who never did anything but transfers who cry about how sad they are I closed. I tell them straight that may if they had bought a gun or two off me instead of from (insert corporate online retailer here) maybe I’d still be open. Don’t get me wrong, I sold plenty of guns and had some great customers, but I watched the market turn on the people and they don’t know it yet. Sad.
Gander Mountain never put anyone out of business. They’re priced too high to do that.
Internet based retailers have, I’m sure, sucked the profits from a lot of brick & mortar stores, in many specialties.
Still, many local gun stores are doing well.
It depends a lot on the store and its location. Also a lot of it is how comfortable people are in the store. What is really important is having a range and the ability to rent guns. That range is what drives traffic. Gander Mountain does well because of the traffic from their other goods. I will almost never go to a LGS unless they have a range. I have bought firearms at my LSG as well as on line.
The place that does transfers for me doesn’t sell guns at their storefront — they’re actually a sports embroidery store (local H.S. team jerseys and stuff) and only do transfers there. I think the owner runs booths at gun shows, but I never go to gun shows so I don’t see him there.
If he took time to call her fat, I don’t necessarily believe the rest of his rant.
Outside of the military, I’ve worked customer technical support in a couple capacities. One thing I noticed is some men seem to think that the woman on the other side of the tech support phone isn’t capable of troubleshooting the issue, because she’s a woman. It’s happened a handful of times, but that’s enough. It’s kind of funny when it’s a woman who designed the particular aspect the customer is complaining about, and the root of the issue is between the user’s chair and keyboard.
Which also leads to another problem; customers who think “the customer is always right” is a law of nature. No. Most of the time, customers are absolute morons that you have to humor.
I’m thankful I’ve never had a problem at my LGS. Of course, being a 5-star NSSF facility, they kind of set a lofty bar.
I don’t hate women behind a gun counter but please realize when you bring up Illinois you lose any credibility with me. Like the idiots on Gunbroker who won’t ship guns to Cook co,IL-they’re too stupid(or lazy) to lookup what’s “allowed”. The majority of guns I’ve bought were out of state too. I certainly don’t think of myself as an expert on guns(unlike lots of other subjects) but most of the mopes behind the counter know jack-squat. Lots of former cops-with an attitude to match…
I deal with it all the time. I really hate the ones who tell you it is the law. I also understand the ones who tell you it is just their policy and they don’t want to deal with it. What is and is not allowed in Cook County vs Chicago vs local home rule city vs the rest of the state can be a fun discussion.
So how close to Indiana(or Wisconsin) are you Binder? Lots of Indiana shops are willing to screw/ignore Illinois laws(and Cook co). As well as Will county sellers. Heck I sent a guy I KNEW had no FOID to a shop. I told him they won’t ask for ID on ammo…no he’s no criminal. I’m also wondering if I can establish ID/residence in Indiana with a PO box(lol).
Indiana and Wisconsin sellers are not “screwing” Illinois laws, There are no Indiana, Wisconson or federal laws requiring FOID verification for ammo. For long guns they should check FOID. As John S pointed out ATF requires a FFL to verify that you are in compliance with “receiving” state law. I am fully in compliance with all laws local, state and federal when it comes to firearms (I have a FOID as well as a CCL) so usually have no issues with online ammo purchases. Have had issues with online magazines. but their is almost always a vendor who know about state preemption on hand guns. I am not in Chicago proper so I have not dealt with ammo purchases in the city. Long guns can get a little weird with vendors due to the insanity of the Cook County Assault weapons law and I understand why some online gun stores don’t want to deal with it. I still a little pissed when one shop (who will not be named) told be that a 5 shot 18 inch pump shotgun was illegal in Cook County. Not even a pistol grip on it! Also hate that the stupid Cook County firearm tax has pushed my FFL out of Cook.
Why not refuse to sell to Cook Co? Why endorse/support/participate in their insane BS?
When forced to transit Illinois, I drive on I-74 thru Southern Ill (the normal world) rather than I-80 thru the cesspool/hive. And I will not spend one cent while in Ill/support that demtard gov’t. Vote with your feet.
And why don’t we screw IOWA? I live in Cook. All azzwholes(like you) need to do is be up on laws…I can have damn near anything where I live.
“I live in Cook…I can have damn near anything where I live.”
Those two statements seem incompatible, unless you define “damn near anything” as a very narrow subset of firearms. A quick scan of the Cook County AWB looks pretty comprehensive. Heck, they even call out the Hi-Point carbine as an “assault weapon” by name.
If you mean that your town has home rule preemption, and specifically has nullified the county’s AWB, that’s still a pretty good argument for non-Cook-County FFLs to find it easier to just refuse business to anyone in Cook, since it’s not worth their time to keep track of the ordinances of every municipality in the county.
Amusingly, at least in the copy at Municode, they also banned the “Baretta [sic] CX4 Storm”. I wonder if a legal challenge would stand since they misspelled “Beretta”?
Stinkeye-I think(?) you may have gotten a clue. My town “allows” all so-called”assault weapons”(YOUR term). AR and AK-30 round mags too. I don’t care if I get an SBR or machine gun. Yeah-hi cap mags too. A silencer sounds ok but I can live without one. Many don’t get that a lot changed after CCpassed(by court order). Highland Park not withstanding. Check all you want online-it doesn’t make it true. I HAVE seen updated lists(occasionally). And plenty of Indiana sellers are eager for my money…
Stinkeye-I think(?) you may have gotten a clue. My town “allows” all so-called” assault weapons(YOUR term). AR and AK-30 round mags too. I don’t care if I get an SBR or machine gun. Yeah-hi cap mags too. A silencer sounds ok but I can live without one. Many don’t get that a lot changed after CCpassed(by court order). Highland Park not withstanding. Check all you want online-it doesn’t make it true. And plenty of Indiana sellers are eager for my money…
Funny enough I live in Wichita and these articles from Knapp Weaponry make them out to seem like smug, arrogant pricks. Never been there yet, don’t intend to go there now.
I have purchased from a couple LGS, for me, your #1 killer is pricing. I know what I want, I know what it costs online, if you’re not competitive, I’m not coming in.
I like to think of such price differentials as “investment” in my own, local community.
Do commerce with a neighbor, and the money stays in your locality. If you are also a small business owner (or work for a local business), that money comes back around to you.
Spend at non-local places and the money leaves your community…at least some of it.
There is more to “value” than the price tag. There’s more to life than saving a few percent on the purchase price. I realize there has been a tremendous amount of cultural engineering done to convince entire generations that saving “dollars” is somehow beneficial, but it has to be remembered that dollar value is both fluid and fiat.
The value of “place in community” however intangible is much greater long term.
{There JR goes again, swimming against the tide….}
I believe it is in my own best interest to shop locally, and I am willing to pay 3-4 percent higher. You’re not swimming against as strong a tide as you think.
Gun shops and gun sales personnel run hot and cold.
Fudd gun shops are worthless as they are more concerned about their coon dog than making a sale.
Department stores are fairly clueless, but some good buys can be had depending on the chain.
Some stores are sort of brusque, but they want to move iron at a reasonable cost.
Seems like from what I’m reading that gun store owners, workers, and FFLs hate their jobs? By the way, you’re not hiding it real well at the stores I go to and it is costing sales.
Lots of ways to make a living, if you don’t like what you do it’s still pretty much a free country.
As to be a woman in a gun store, I can’t speak to directly and please don’t think I’m picking on you. Last transfer at a gun store I was waited on by a female and she seemed friendly, competent, but not very knowledgeable about the 3 guns I was purchasing. She didn’t know the Glock 19 was made in Austria, not Georgia. She was unable to place the barrel on a hinge action double barrel. And she seemed totally lost on the manufacturer of my CAI all USA parts AK even after I told her it was not imported, that CAI was the manufacturer. That’s a wide range of popular guns not to know much about.
I question the assertion that sales people of either gender always know more than the customer. How does that square with the novice female customers who are encouraged to buy a tiny gun they can’t shoot well instead of the medium size gun in a medium caliber that they need? At a gun show, I observed a salesman push a Ruger LC9s on a left-handed female novice who wanted a handgun for home defense. His colleague brushed me off when I suggested to him, out of the customer’s ear shot, that there were guns with ambidextrous controls which would better suit her.
There are salespeople in every industry that do that. I hate it. The business I’m in has limited market and we rely on long term relationships. The attitude of “This is what I think is best for you, so that’s all I’ll sell” may get you a sale but you’ll lose the customer.
Of course, it may be “This is the only thing I know, so that’s what I’m selling.”
So the take-away here is that women who work in gun stores are just like the men who work in gun stores.
Which is to say that both genders apparently really like to whine about how hard their job is and how shitty their customers are…
Wtf is it with these “oh, woe is me” articles from these frigging retail clerks these days. We get it, it sucks to work retail. Time to move on to another job if we’re really getting you that down on life.
Couldn’t have said it better. This is barely worthy of posting to be honest, since most of these complaints exist in every customer service environment ever. It’s not even interesting from a female perspective, let alone a male one.
I am surprised at how many people, whether working at a gun shop or other retail establishment, don’t get customer service. If I run into bad service, it s the last time I visit them.
“…they’re going to order it from an online store that’s $20 cheaper. . .”
And they won’t get raped by state tax. Sorry, that’s not inconsequential no matter how much you try to dismiss it.
In Washington you still get raped by the sales tax on firearms purchased through an online dealer, the FFL that it is shipped to is required to collect the sales tax prior to you picking up your weapon.
And they’ll pay shipping, and they’ll pay a transfer fee, and in most states you are legally required to pay tax directly to your state revenue department on out-of-state purchases.
There are a number of venues that don’t charge shipping or very low shipping. If you can’t find them you aren’t trying. Bud’s Guns for example. About my only cost will be paying the FFL to fondle my purchase and I still won’t be paying $60-70 in taxes.
Don’t get me wrong– If you’re even close i’ll buy it locally, but money is money. Just $20 isn’t enough to drive me to an online dealer. But like the actual author of this story, I suspect it’s more than just just $20.
I compare this employee to the cop in the post this week where he viewed each contact as ” a potential ambush”. Just like him, she is obviously not a people person and should consider another line of work that does not involve public contact with people. I assume she is reading all these comments.
My first pistol was sold to me by a woman. She did a great job and answered all the questions I had.
The easy way to avoid all this is to get a state ID for the state you are stationed in. It costs 10-20 dollars. Then just bring in your orders and your new state ID. Put your residence as your post (because it is) and buy according to the state laws you live in.
This is good to do especially if you are from an anti state because seeing that blue state drivers license spooks dealers and they get all kinds of crazy with trying to look up laws and regulations. I was from faillinois and bought all my stuff this way when I was stationed elsewhere.
I’ve heard more retarded things come out of the mouths of gun store employees than I can count. The last one that caught my ear as I was browsing was an employee telling a customer why the Army issued the M9 instead of the Glock. Apparently the longer barrel in the Beretta gives the bullet 30% more velocity than the Glock, giving it massive killing power. You can’t make this stuff up if you try.
I propose an open thread where everyone can post the dumbest thing they have ever been told by a gun store employee.
I overheard a LGS employee telling a patron that, though open carry is legal statewide, if they get a CPL, they are, thereafter, only allowed to carry concealed, never open, and that it was a felony if their concealed carry gun even so much as prints.
I will never buy from that LGS.
Well well well……I see most of these posts are from men. I can only assume that because a woman wrote the truth about gun buyers and women working in gun shops, it has bruised your egos and insulted your manhood. And the size of your penis. Get over yourselves. There are people out there, male and female, who have forgotten more then you’ll ever know.
What is wrong with gun store owners/employees that post on here. In my LGS, I prefer to shop with the female employees, because they exhibit more humility and have a much more relaxed attitude and sense of humor (not that the guys are all that bad). If this poster has the same attitude in the store as she is exhibiting in this article, I’d hate to shop with her. Instead of saying she knows more than you (the customer), perhaps she should say (and think) that she most likely knows as much as any of the male employees, or, alternately, that she knows enough about the merchandise she sells to be able to assist you with making your selection. When any salesperson claims that they know more than me about whatever they are trying to sell, my immediate knee-jerk response is to try to get the hell away from them ASAP, because they don’t know what I know, so they are clearly full of “it”.
As for her “Niagara Falls” story; does she want some cheese to go with that whine? Seriously, every business is going to get bad reviews from customers that they thought they’d satisfied. And those bad reviews are going to include both ridiculously false assertions AND irrelevant insults. Get over it.
Maybe the people at my LGS feel the same way as Alex, FC, and the other LGS employees that have posted here, but, if they do, thank God they keep that stupidity to themselves and present a professional, friendly face while they are at work.
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