doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Professional Lookers

As my late Dad used to say, "you've come to a goat house for wool".
JR

We suggest that if you are looking for something special, please contact us electronically, or call (as we may already have it available.) Quality Arms maintains a wish list of what our customers are looking for. If you have a special need please let us know, so we can contact you should we receive something that may be of special interest to you
http://arrieta.com

Send all your cards and letters directly requesting Johnny B�

Nothing better than a customer with good questions I always say.

My grandfather sold bird dogs to Robert Woodruff or "Mr. Bob" as he was known, Chairman and CEO of Coca Cola. He told me this story one day. Mr. Bob was in a nice Maryland gun store while on business for Coca Cola during WWII. He asked to see a very nice Model 21 and the manager said "ol timer I doubt you can afford that". Mr Woodruff said "maybe you're right", said Goodbye and left. As he was leaving a young clerk stopped him and said "come around later and I'll let you look at it, Sir" . The following month the Manager came in an there was Mr. Woodruff looking at the 21. He begin to dress down the clerk and Mr. Woodruff said "are you going to let him talk to you that way?" The clerk said "he's my boss" and Mr. Bob replied "no he's not, you run this store now, I bought it last night over dinner with the owner. He was such a gentleman he did not fire the Manager, but simply said to him "Young fella look's like there are shelves to be stocked better get started!" My grandfather said that illustrated an important lesson to learn. "It is the content of one's character that matters not the content of his wallet! Just thought this might be interesting.

H

I think it's a great story, and I like the outcome, but it seems more like a vindictive grudge than the high road. Hope the kid kept the new boss happy, probably was on pins and needles knowing how punitive ole Bob was.

Well, maybe guys who call with questions are interested, and will have more or less continuing interest depending on the answers to the questions? Maybe there's some comparison shopping going on too? I've not phoned a dealer with questions in a lot of years, but this isn't at all hard for me to understand. Is this so hard to accept as part of doing business?? Some calls might be just curiosity born of boredom. Kinda like whining to deal with boredom.

Jay

Craig: I can see your point, I just always thought it was indicative of the point that your position should always come from one's customer service to the customers not mindreading and assuming their worth. Guess it can be taken as one's outlook warrants. Remember he wasn't fired just reassigned.
I'll ponder it more.

H

Robert Woodruff was one of the greatest philanthropists of the 20th Century. His hallmark was old school anonymity. It was only after his death that the breadth of his generosity was known.

My old friend Bill Jaqua would tell me this- back when he was in downtown Findlay- bear the old courthouse- "I try to treat everyone who comes into my store with questions about guns as if they were the most important person I have talked too that day-- John- [censored] all you want about "lookers'- but be grateful that they are looking at your items- can't have it both ways in today's competitive gun market- look what happened to Herschel Chaddick- he drive away a lot of customers with his BS stories about the King Ranch customers(?) he had- BS--

What about this guy: They email and say they are interested in the gun and is it still available. You reply yes it is and answer their questions, you never here from them again. Sometimes I wait a day or two and email them and ask if they want to do something on it."They don't answer".

Should they "have the decency to at least reply"?

John Boyd

Yes, they should, however, without thick skin, retail is not a place you want to be. Sounds like your picking fly crap out of pepper.

I had a dealer just the other day not return an e-mail inquiry on an item I was interested in. Oh well his loss. I could go on all day about dealers, as I'm sure you could about customers, but I won't.

My point is, only a couple of choices for you. Suck it up as retail and move on, focus on it and stay frustrated, buy a little cheese to go with the whine or find something else to do in life.

Hope this helps.
Bill