I wrote this article in February, but never published it. My good friend Caleb’s article on gun buyer habits prompted me to dust this article off and publish it.
I have spent long hours in gun stores – both as an employee and a customer. I have seen plenty of rude, inconsiderate, and unsafe behavior while I was working and shopping in gun stores, and I would struggle to provide a justification for almost any of it.
Please Sir, Take My Money In Exchange For This Firearm
The problem many customers have when they enter a gun store is that they are quite often ignored or insulted when actively trying to give a gun store employee money in exchange for a product. Tales of difficult car salesmen are legion in popular culture, but I have never encountered such a wide and consistent number of rude salespeople in any industry as I have in the retail firearm industry.
Some groups perceive this as a slight against them. Perhaps there is some merit to their thoughts – women or minorities are almost certain to be treated in a negative manner – in some gun stores, by some employees. However, I’m a white male, and I’ve been treated rudely by the same people who would or have been rude to those same women or minorities. It’s just a different kind of rude.
The problem is that there is a gun store employee groupthink that seems to cross economic, social, gender, and political boundaries. It doesn’t matter if you go into a small gun store in rural Tennessee or a high-end gun store in an upscale Arizona suburb, you’re probably going to encounter many of the same sort of people.
They might be far more interested in talking to each other in front of you, perhaps to show off how much they know about whatever topic is at hand. Or maybe a lone employee will try to chase you off with a gruff and unfriendly greeting, then remain noncommittal even after you try to tell him what you’re looking for. Other times, they’ll talk down to you, whether you’re knowledgeable or not.
Firearms bring out an attitude in a lot of people. A perception of not knowing every little detail about a weapon means a huge loss of face. Gun store employees are a group that almost certainly falls into this category – in fact, I’d say that they’re the self-perpetuating inspiration for the attitude.
Unfortunately, being around guns and gun people all day doesn’t bring a proper education or knowledge base. Most of the time, I just smile and nod while someone behind a gun store counter tells me that a Ruger P95 is better than an HK P30, or that .45 has a lot of “knockdown power,” or that the Kimber employee that takes your order on the phone then hand builds your pistol. Two kids who worked in the store with me mocked me behind my back for liking the Beretta M9. Never mind the fact that it had saved my life, they knew better because…they played video games and talked to people at a gun store?
Now, there are a lot of good people in gun stores too. They have real-world experience, they are intelligent enough to discard the tall tales they hear instead of passing them on as gospel, and they’re kind enough to be polite and helpful to customers. They’ll listen to you and help you find the firearm you need or want instead of trying to sell you their favorite toy.
Believe it or not, they’re at least as fed up with the idiots that stand with them behind the counter as you are. But even some of the good ones can become jaded after months or years of dealing with the firearm-owning public.
You Retard, Stop Pointing That Pistol At Me
Although I worked in a gun store for a short period of time compared to some folks, I encountered a lot of idiots. The training and experience of the gun store customers (and employees) one might expect to encounter on any given day runs the gamut from “I learned about firearms from Battlefield or Modern Warfare” to “I’m a world class competitive shooter.” This wouldn’t be a problem at all, if their attitude toward firearm safety didn’t also vary from careless disregard to careful respect.
I’ve had a loaded (actually loaded, not the “all guns are always loaded” BS) XD45, with the carrier’s finger on the trigger, pointed at my chest in a gun store. In fact, that person did so casually in an attempt to intimidate me into allowing him to “return” an item that had a price sticker from a competitor’s store on the packaging.
I’ve watched other employees, while dealing with obstinate and unintelligent customers, progress from gentle reminders about firearm safety to outright orders to stop pointing guns at people. We aren’t concerned if you start off ignorant of basic gun handling skills, but we need you to pay attention to the instructions we give you.
The first and most important firearm safety rule is to treat every weapon as if it were loaded. Once accepted, this rule guides all behavior around firearms. Unfortunately, it’s not always understood or respected by those who own firearms.
I really don’t care if I hand a gun across a counter and the person who takes it from me, who has never shot before, puts their finger on the trigger. They have no way of knowing that it’s a bad thing to do. However, pointing a gun at someone is just plain rude. It’s something that should be common sense, but unfortunately, common sense is often lacking.
The obstinacy of many firearm owners, and their subsequent refusal to learn to properly handle and employ the firearms they own, greatly vexes me. I don’t care if you don’t know about gun safety NOW or don’t know how to shoot NOW, but you should take an active interest in becoming proficient with firearms if you’re going to use them for home or self defense.
This might seem ironic given my comments in the first section of this article, but it’s also annoying to deal with an uninformed and argumentative person who isn’t there to buy a gun, just to talk about them. They could just as easily have been standing on the inside of the counter, telling customers that the M9 was always unreliable.
I wasn’t there to talk about guns, I was there to help people find the right one for them. I’d happily talk to someone about guns for an hour or more if it meant helping them make the right decision. I had real customers to help, so listening to some guy blather on about how cool piston ARs are when there was a young couple patiently waiting to buy a home defense gun nearby was a complete waste of everyone’s time.
I may have come across as overly harsh in this article, but I cannot express enough how my time working in a gun store colored my opinion of firearms ownership by the general public. Again, thanks to Caleb for writing a great (and more respectful) article.
I could not agree more, this reminds me of a rant I wrote comparing buying a mattress to buying a gun.
http://goo.gl/hQ9Tb
I no longer shop in gun stores it is far too easy to buy online and I don’t have to put up with all the BS.
I limit my time in them and typically only go in if I’ve called ahead and confirmed what I want is there and priced about what I would pay after shipping. I don’t go to browse.
I don’t shop in gun stores nor do I go to gun shows because of the absolute unbelievable jerks.
From my time in a gun store, I can’t agree with you more many of the same actions you listed here are the reasons I resigned from that job.
Andrew, in this post you mentioned your interaction with two fellow gun store employees who knew better because of their video game experiences. What is your take on the video gaming public and the transition that some of them make into the gun hobby?
I have actually wanted to make a video about that topic. I have quite a bit to say. I first shot handguns, shotguns, and rifles before I played video games as a kid, but then I played video games a lot in my later formative years. The prospective title of my video is “Call of Duty Has Not Taught You Anything About Firearms.”
I’d love to see that because I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding between both communities. I’ve done some comparison videos between real life guns and guns in battlefield 3 on youtube and have tried to bring some factual tidbits into it, like how sometimes guns jam, or how you have to adjust your sights, or worst yet you have to clean them. Here’s one of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejsDjm00E8U
How the hell are you gonna work the controls when your CoD gun double feeds 😉 With a good 50 yard zero on your AR you really won’t have to adjust your sights at all either. First get them to stop blacking out ACOG’s and Reflex sights from EMPS… 🙂
I approve this idea, please do. Learning about firearms through video games is the same as learning about firearms through action flicks. Their goals are to entertain and make money, not educate and depict realism. While on this topic, humorous related articles!
http://www.cracked.com/article_19781_6-stupid-gun-myths-everyone-believes-thanks-to-movies.html
http://www.cracked.com/article_18576_5-ridiculous-gun-myths-everyone-believes-thanks-to-movies.html
This is an interesting topic. I too began shooting before I had ever heard of a Nintendo, but now I tend to play the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield on a regular basis. The most misleading point in video games is that guns never jam. And they’re always sighted in. And small arms never get too hot to hold.
Battlefield adds some realistic effects such as bullet drop(although every bullet is a tracer round). I think people now realize how fast 30 rounds can be used up in an automatic rifle(contrary to the movies).
Anyway, I definitely look forward to reading your article/watching your video should you publish one.
Altough i fully agree that games are in no way the best way to learn about firearms, there are games out there that have adjustable sights, random jams and changing barrels on MG’s before the get to hot. No gun cleaning as far as i know tho.
I have often wondered why gun retailers don’t post firearm safety rules. You walk up to any Range and they have the rules prominently posted. Normally an employee will go over them with you. I would feel a whole lot better about shopping at a crowded gun counter if every employee recited safe gun handling rules and got some sort of acknowledgement before handing one over. Instead, you get counter nazi’s waiting to pounce on ignorant potential buyers. Or worse, ignorant potential buyers sighting in on my rapidly graying head.
I’ve never worked in a gun store, but your comments about the attitudes in there are spot on. If only more gun store employees would read your and Caleb’s articles today!
My pet peeve is when I have taken the time and expense of driving to a store, am standing in front of the counter obviously waiting for service, and a salesperson engages in a lengthy phone call with someone who can’t be bothered to come to the store. They should end the call asap with an offer to call back when they don’t have a potential customer standing right in front of them.
Also, as someone with over 50 years experience with firearms, including 15 years as a Class 3 arms merchant, I am still somewhat taken aback when I encounter a gun store sales person who doesn’t know his product.
I would think store owners/managers would not long put up with rudeness and/or incompetence that would detract from the store doing good business. Evidently, this is not always the case.
That being said, I will also say that most of the gun store staff I encounter here in Tucson, with one or two notable exceptions, seem to be reasonably polite and willing to help to the best of their ability.
And it is far easier to get gun store staff attention than to get assistance at Harbor Freight or any of the big box stores. ;-)}
“Two kids who worked in the store with me mocked me behind my back for liking the Beretta M9. Never mind the fact that it had saved my life, they knew better because…they played video games and talked to people at a gun store?”
Correction: Two punks who havn’t had common sense beaten into them and happened to work in the store with you mocked you behind your back. Big difference.
An entirely justified article.
Thank you very much for this article. I hope it raises awareness among gun store people, employees and patrons alike, about the impact of their behavior on each other’s quality of life.
Thank you for the kind words Andrew.
I hate to say it, but the major exception to the gun store attitude pattern seems to be the big box stores – specifically Sportsman’s Warehouse and Cabela’s. Though I have a locally owned gun store with a very big selection just two blocks from my house the attitude I get at that store is so bad I drive four miles past it to spend my money at the big box store whenever I can ever since it opened.
If someone who knows nothing about guns goes into a locally owned store there is a very good chance they are going to leave thinking that “gun guys” are jerks.
I have to agree with this. I get much more attitude at the smaller local guns stores, which is a shame, since I would rather support them than the big box stores.
I agree 100% i’ll drive right past the local guys to go to Sportsmans, there i get treated like a valued customer and friend compared to the “locals.”
You were not too harsh. Just straight forward and honest. Good article.
Thanks for the video Andrew. I enjoyed it, as well as your other videos. I have an idea for you, should you make another post/video on the subject. How should the customer approach gun handling in the store?. Specifically, there are some things I will always want to do when examining the gun. I always want to examine the sight picture, test pointability, and most of all, test the trigger. I don’t know exactly what the right thing to do is, but I usually:
1. Clear the weapon and visually inspect the chamber.
2. Do all of my pointing away from the clerk, and any customers.
3. Ask the clerk if I may try the trigger.
Err, sorry, article. Was just watching one of your other videos.
Right on, as always. I’ve bought my 3 pistols from someone I knew before he opened his gun/pawn shop, so buying from him is a great experience. BUT, in other stores where I’ve bought ammo and accessories, I’ve encountered the friendly, knowledgable people, and the “everything I know about guns came from Hollywood” guys.
I work for an ffl and deal with the stuff that caleb was talking about all day. I dont claim to know everything about guns and try to learn more whenever I can. I think the attitude is just with many people who shoot guns on both sides of the counter. A better attitude can be used from both parties. Nowadays people act as if an employees should be kissing ur ass just for buying from you. Some employees act like a name badge just vastly expanded your knowledge. As for new shooters they are some of the people i like helping the best but it always helps when a little hw is done before u come in and have the proper respect for firearms. Its disconcerting how comfortable i am having a gun pointed right at my head.
Thank you for saying “vexes” it is one of my favorite words. Great as always.
Yes I have also witnessed gun store morons ie: Gander Mountain to a young couple “… the Taurus has a lifetime guarantee, but you will never need it!” Local gun store psycho salesman “…I don’t need an assault rifle, I’ll take one off a dead NATO soldier when I shoot them with my Remington 700!.” The worst is when you are given a question after asking one “Why would you want a…?”
I once thought I was about to encounter freakazoid shootout outside a gun shop when some idiot asked “Do they sell little guns in there?,” to which I replied “Why don’t you walk through the door and find out?” He snickered and then stared me down. I later saw him looking at 22 NAA’s.
During hard times I asked to apply to a gun shop for part time work. It was minimum wage with no chance for advancement other than getting to fondle every gun in the shop.
I do remember a customer asking a salesman “I need some Boolits,” to which the salesman politely asked if he meant bullets, or ammunition.” He did mean ammo but I was impressed that the salesman did not ridicule the customer.
Perhaps we can examine life from the other side of the counter. Who was the biggest asshat to ever walk into the store?
http://www.romeotangobravo.net/2012/05/gun-buyers-habits-that-drive-me-nuts.html
Just saw this link from SayUncle…
Biggest asshat? Anybody who walks in and asks, “What’s a good gun for my wife?” and doesn’t even bring his wife.
Amen.
As a side from my day job, I do marketing and communication consulting with several powersports dealers… I think you will find similar problems in many retail sales industries… part of what I teach clients is to know their mission and purpose… which for many is to have happy, satisfied customers and make money…
With that in mind, I help train them on a simple sales process… Greet, Diagnose, Recommend, Ask to Buy, Thank Them… in short
Greet… Introduce yourself, shake their hand, ask their name (and remember it), thank them for stopping in, ask “How may I help you?”, not “Which gun do you want?” or worse yet, “yeah, you need something?”…
Diagnose… Get to know your customer, their needs, their interests related and otherwise, ask open-ended questions… may they want a gun for concealed carry, but they’d also like to use if for IDPA matches… are there budget considerations, and those consideration are not realistic… don’t berate… move on to recommend…. so they’ll see and understand…
Recommend… Educate your customer, show-n-tell, compare and contrast your various products – but don’t put down specific products you have – otherwise – why the heck are you selling them, explain features and functions, discuss benefits, and overview the product…and don’t berate your customer or their previous choices… educate them on what they need and why… but let them decide… if you did a good job, they will too – in their decision… and then it’s what they decided to purchase, not what they were told to purchase…
Ask to Buy… “So, would you like to purchase _____ ?”…then add value to you and the sale… do you need… in this case…ammunition? eye and ear protection? a case? oh, you have kids… maybe a quick access safe? a light? cleaning kit?… you get the picture… and if you did a good job at the recommendation stage… this will be a no-brainer for the customer…
Thank Them… Thank them by name for their time and business – whether they make a purchase or not… because they’re buying you and your store as much as they are the product… give them your business card…
Business folks have to think beyond the immediate sale… and if that customer decides they need a different gun… you want them coming back to you… and a good sales process will reduce customer problems…
Sorry for the long response Andrew… but similar problems exist in many industries…
Dann in Ohio
Good post, Dann. It sounds to me like you could sum up good salesmanship with “common courtesy and common sense”.
Interesting you should mention powersports. I spent some years running a Honda shop in Boston. Full of enthusiasts as you might imagine, but my best salesman by far had a background in (wait for it) haberdashery. HE know how to connect with his customers better than anyone in the store, including me.
PS: I should have said… in that process.. everyone is treated with respect and the same… men, women, minorities, newbies, BS’ers…
Dann in Ohio
Excellent article. If anything, not quite harsh enough.
There is a shop near my home owned by a husband and wife. The wife, allegedly a retired police officer, cannot identify some common firearms, and hides in the back room when customers come in.
“I’ve had a loaded (actually loaded, not the “all guns are always loaded” BS) XD45, with the carrier’s finger on the trigger, pointed at my chest in a gun store. In fact, that person did so casually in an attempt to intimidate me into allowing him to “return” an item that had a price sticker from a competitor’s store on the packaging.”
Wow, dude, that sucks. I guess one runs into assholes everywhere, eh? Recently there was a douche who biked by me in Newport Beach and screamed in my ear for no reason and proceeded to deliberately block street traffic with his bike while yelling “I’m riding my bike on the beach! Riding my bike on the beach! Riding my bike on the beach!” (trolls in real life, who are either inept, inbred, or just plain mentally deficient by choice). This post reminded me of the common breed of dumbassery out there in the world. Stay safe, man.
You weren’t too harsh, but I would like to point out that (from my point of view down here in Texas) the market is changing. Gun store employees are getting better at being polite and professional, and finding out what the customer wants before making recommendations.
The ignorant buyers are always going to be there; guns aren’t common enough for everyone to know how to safely handle them. The jackass shooter will always be with us, sadly.