We have a local S&W distributor who wants to do a deal, but I won't even authorize that until we get our people through an armorer class. We (and the distributor) keep getting lip service on the class without any results.
On top of this, one of the SO's in the state has M&P45s as their standard issue firearm. They have had a couple of dead triggers crop up and aren't getting any response from the area rep. I don't know if it is him or something across the board with LE sales right now.
I see these sorts of issues crop up so frequently I'm forced to wonder if they just deliberately look for people with severe personality problems to serve as representatives for gun companies, or if they structure incentives and performance measurements so as to illicit anti-social behavior from them on a consistent basis.
jlw, if it's the same guy we had here in Columbia, definite oxygen thief.I don't know if it is him
I'm in GA.
S&W LE Sales reps
Couldn't find our sales rep's picture, but did find Chris Dallas - that was not the guy who made an ass of himself here. Reason I wondered is that I was unsure where S&W had their sales territories.
Cris is the area rep for us, and he is the one supposedly handling the situation for the agency mentioned above; however, the Sheriff there is very unhappy with the service he is getting and has sent out letters stating such to every SO in the state as well as the state LE firearms instructor organization.
I'm of the opinion that people that work in the Gun business the majority of the time, could work in no other industry with the way they treat customers, so they somehow ended up in Guns.
I've never seen more belligerent service anywhere, from so many different business, consistently. Seriously.
You could hire all waitresses from Waffle House to staff I'd say 85-90% of gun stores, and they'd have no product knowledge, but, they'd know how to treat a customer probably better then the staff, and probably do better sales because of it.
Disclaimer: I've worked in services and support for the last 5 years, and before that I did sales, and other honestly, customer facing jobs, etc. I just... I mean I just don't get it, seriously, it blows my mind. I had a guy get in an intense argument with me, about the fact there aren't extended magazine releases on 1911's, and then I showed to him on his own models that there are. "Oh, it's only slightly longer", I didn't even want to point it out. I just asked to handle the enhanced model with an extended magazine release and thumb safety, and he pounced on it. I'm fine arguing with gun store staff, I just... don't have to argue with any other staff in any other business anywhere else like you do there.
What's the deal with that?
ETA: I mean it's like "Hey, can you hand me that one?" "Oh, alright", just isn't enough, and frankly, normally, they aren't that informed, but I don't really care, they're doing their job of talking, so normally, I'll listen to them, and give them that respect. But, it seems like no matter how disarming you try to be, you get in a debate. I almost had a gunsmith refuse to shave the FSB on my AR-15, and I paid him a $100, that's after he said he originally quoted $80. I mean... I just don't get it, seriously, and I know I'm about to get the onslaught of "YOU PAID HOW MUCH?!", that's what really did it. I've bought guns through them, etc. It irritates you enough you want to start your own gun store.
I'd try to hire people from other lines of business, seriously, and have a serious, serious discussion with people with prior experience about expectations on customer service.
ETA 2: And that gunsmith... best gunsmith in town for service. I really hate bothering gun stores by giving them my business, I know it's asking a lot to hand them money, but... someone's got to do it.
Last edited by BWT; 09-24-2012 at 10:03 PM.
If anyone hears of a sales position opening in the firearms industry, let me know. Got a buddy with military, federal LEO, and city LEO experience looking to make a career change.
#RESIST
We aren't all bad.... :/
J.M. Johnston
Host of Ballistic Radio - Sundays at 7:00 PM EST on Cincinnati's 55KRC THE Talk Station, available on iHeartRadio