Characteristics of Ideal Gun Shops

[MTTSS]

What would you as customers say would the characteristics be of your ideal gun shops in order of importance?

Let's keep this constructive, perhaps having the outcome of some "market research" that dealers can use for their benefit and to improve their profits ultimately. Let's not refer to specific gun shops either positive or negative, but keep this general / generic. This is also not an exercise to debate about big gun shops v smaller ones as such.

Just a few ideas, that I sometimes feel that some gun shops can improve on, not necessarily in order of importance, but just to get the "project" started:

1. To show respect for all customers that come in the door? Not to underestimate your intellegence? And general everyday common courtesy and simple manners?
Have you experienced a situation where there are perhaps 6 gun shop employees that you can see, and not one will look up from what they are busy with and acknowledge your presence as you pass though the security gate? Do you get irritated if you get taxed on the clothes that you wear or whatever else (that you try and figure out - "why did they treat me so ***" you keep thinking by yourself as you drive away)? A wise man once said something to the effect that people will remember you not for what you said or whatever, but for how you made them feel. Is that not why most of us, most of the time, go to the gun shop, namely in order to "feel better" when we get out of there? What I have learned in my time, is something that some gun shop assistants can perhaps take note of: Its normally the guy with the greasy blue overall that takes a fat roll of blue ones out of his pocket and pay there and then in cash for the more expensive option that the salesperson did not suggest, whereas the Suit's credit card did not go through. And that the "grey man", you later get to know better, is the one who has seen and (still see) more real life "contacts", than what the sales assistant perhaps had fast food meals in his life. And its the "ordinary" guy next to you that you hardly noticed that buys the Holland & Holland for the price of a rather neat house, and then asks the sales assistant to keep the Swarovski scope in the shop, 'cause he do not know "what the wife will say if he get home with a new scope".

2. Knowledge of the subject matter (firearms and related) in general, and above average (expert) knowledge of the stuff that they sell? Passion for what they are busy with? Personal shooting sports or self defense or other practical real life continuous exposure?
Will you be amazed to hear that there are gun shop assistants that would on the 13th of May 2015 tell their prospective client that they wished Glock made a single stack 9MMP - yes that is 9 x 19, oblivious of the imminent arrival of the G43? How much credible advice can the gun shop assistant really provide his customer if he himself never get out and actually do a bit of shooting themselves, not even mentioning a bit of reading? A gun shop assistant that has never heard of a Tokarev? No, not the scarcer rifle, the pistol that is?

3. In the days before the internet (and forums such as this), the local gun shop was perhaps still like a type of local club, where the same gang would hang out and talk a lot of crap and make jokes and lick their wounds and monster courage for facing the world out there, if you remember those days, do you perhaps miss it and do you perhaps today sometimes get the feeling that the culture has changed to the customer being expected to come in, take what's available, pay and voertsek out of there? I personally have met people and have made good connections and also lifelong friends, from getting to know them in gun shops of days gone by, over doughnuts, coffee and whatever else, talking guns and whatever else. Are those days mostly gone as far as gun shops go?

4. How important is price to you compared to the other factors on your list?

5. What will your gun shops ideally be known for, in order of importance to you?

[Taranis]

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They must be friendly, informative and knowledgeable. Guns must be visible - no newspapers across the counter :D

I'd like them to sell you what is best for you at a price you can afford, not what they have to get rid of.

If the guns are grey imports or scuffed, they must declare so prior to purchase.

If the paperwork is incorrect, they mustn't rely soley on the customer to sort it out.

I'd like to see magazines and holsters for every pistol they sell. No good sending me off the some backroom guy who experiments with Kydex.

[Kayback]

Stock. stock stock stock and more stock. I don't ever want to be told "we just sold the last of those"

[PeaceOfficer]

Stock. stock stock stock and more stock. I don't ever want to be told "we just sold the last of those"

And stock. Variety is good too.

[Kayback]

Variety is good, so long as it is supported. No point having a one off custom wildcat gun from a manufacturer in some exotic location if it turn into a paperweight when a part breaks.

[PeaceOfficer]

Talking more about accessories though. Bags, holsters etc

[Meteor]

Stock the owner would use.
Old toppies or at least okes with Knowledge of the FCA competencies behind the counter.
Shops willing to store firearms even if your not a "cool" customer.
Shops willing to order stuff freely available in SA.

In my area there is 4 shops and only 1 has the first two of those down.

[Kreefstert]

Stop treating me like they are doing me a favour.

Jislaaik it pisses me off.

[ou bobbejaan]

Butchery and liqour store next door?

[Rooi_Willie]

What he said ^^^