Re: gun store workers/owners
Adding in my own $.02 that you didn't pay for...
It doesn't matter where in the supply chain you are these days, there is a current reality of the way that consumers are demanding your product. You are either meeting one of those primary needs or you are relegated to a niche in the market.
I have commented on this several times but at the producing end of things, a lot custom builders out there are in positions where they maybe haven't planned for the stupid factor in customer communication. As a result when you have (to you) a genuine, no-shit question (like trying to get information on the manufacturer's warranty effect of treatment XYZ) you get a grumpy or short reply and then half the people on a forum trying to tell you that you shouldn't bother the manufacturer with such things because you are delaying other builds.
Bullshit.
Again, doesn't matter where in the supply chain you are, you have customers. You know day 1 before you ever sell a gun or cleaning kit or something that you have to deal with people.
I am sorry that you have had 50 people email you today who will likely never buy a rifle or action. I am sorry that the guys who DID buy one 3 months ago have sent you an aggregated total of 10 emails today to find out where the action you estimated in "6-8 weeks" is.
These communications are part of your business. And for the sake of the 50 who wont buy, you may have offended or turned off a handful in that stack who had the money in hand and you pushed a different way.
Ditto gun stores. You know when you work there (or at least should) what dealing with some of these bozos of the world is going to be like. Sorry about that. It sucks, I know. But its also why this is your JOB rather than your FUN
Dealing with the stupid of the earth in a reasonably pleasant manner can be trying but at lest when I am next in line after Bozo Homie who wants to know the best gun to shoot sideways and the dude who handled 20 guns before leaving empty handed, please understand I am not Bozo 1 or 2.
I am my own person to be judged on my own questions and actions. Give me the benefit of the doubt until I prove to you that I fit into one of the other categories, at least. I would prefer that I still garner some reasonable level of respect then, but at the VERY least, let me demonstrate my stupidity rather than have it assumed!
I have seen one gun store here in Colorado which has really pulled off the business balance in the "new economy" pretty well. Jensen Arms in Loveland, Colorado has one guy whose entire job it is to deal with internet sales. At any given time they have 500 guns on auction on Gunbroker or something like that. The retail store site could be far more useful but they at least understand why people call first or that there are other ways for them to make money rather than be 100% dependant on tom, dick, and joe coming through the door.
They keep a brisk retail business going because they stock the staples AND some interesting things AND the accessories for most of what they carry AND have a gunsmith as part of the business AND have branched out into another demand space: police equipment (the vests, hats, uniforms, badge holders, etc have to come from some place and if you are one of a handful in the area that someone can look at that stuff in person, there you go).
They have at least 2 or 3 guys behind the counter on the weekends plus a lady whose only job is to run the insta-checks and register. Importantly to avoid super-salesman they seem to have worked on their approach behind the scenes or have just worked together that long or something because I have yet to go in there and see one of their sales guys jump on another guy's lead. One sales guy. One customer.
I bought my 700SS 5-R from them and if they were a little closer to me they would get a lot more of my business. They might sell a box of federal GMM for $24 instead of $22 but to me there is a lot to be said to being able to hold that (pistol/shotgun/rifle/suppressor/bipod/optic/sling/box of ammo) in your hand before you decide to lay down plastic on it.
