2 Bad gunstore experiences in one week.

[alwalker84]

Couple weeks ago I purchased an XDm 3.8 from another INGO member. Great purchase and love the gun.

Bad experience #1.

Stopped into Fort Liberty Fierarms in Avon to see if they had a leather IWB holster and a houge rubber finger grip. Walked to the counter and asked the guy if he had what I needed, and he asked what I had... I went to unholster (took mag and chambered round out before entering the store), and the clerk immedietly "makes ready", puts his hand on his gun ready to draw all the way up until i show him that its empty, and then he SNATCH the gun out my hand and racked the slide. Said, "hey, i gotta make sure for myself"... At this point I am at complete mode. Caught me so damn off guard I didnt know how to react. I just took my gun back, holstered it and left after he said he didnt have what I needed.

Anyone ever had a clerk "make ready" in a gunstore while showing them your firearm......and even more so, literally take the damn gun out your hand!??! I know I have a large frame of sorts, but I cant be that dang intimidating.

Bad expereince #2

Found an IWB leather holster and some other goodies for my XDm on INGO. Set up a meeting in the Gander Mountain parking lot in greenwood. I arrived a few minutes early with my girlfriend, so we decided to go in and look around at the gun selection. While walking towards the counter their were 3 clerks behind the gun cases. They were in a group laughing and joking about something. As I approached the counter, I caught their attention. They immedietly stopped the conversation and broke camp in different directions. They all looked at me, no one spoke, and one of them walked right past me...he was so close he had to turn sideways to pass me. He looked me right in the eyes and never said a word. 20 seconds after being at the counter, that place turned into a ghost town. Pretty much pissed me off, so i hung around for about 10 minutes, just to entertain the fact in anyone was going to come back. No one did...about that time the fellow INGO'er called and said he was in the parking lot, so we left.

I dont like to ever pull the racial card, but I will at least mention that im a rather tall black guy. Ive been to every gun shop in the city and have never recieved the treatment I did this particular week...

Discuss...

 

[MrsGungho]

I don't like to pull the female card but it happens... They think I am stupid when it comes to firearms and such.. if they only knew right?

 

[SEIndSAM]

With Gander Mountain, you don't need to worry about the race thing. They pull the same crap with us white guys!!! Seriously, if you follow the posts here you will see some stores are horrible with customer service.

 

[jkfletcher]

I had that same kind of experience with the gun counter employees at Gander Mountain in Castleton. Was looking for a holster and wanted to make sure the gun fit it. Rather than unholster mine, I saw that they had the same kind of gun in the case. Waited for someone to finish up helping another person, stepped up to counter and before I could even get a word out the guy looked at me and took off. And I'm a short white guy, so maybe it wasn't race, maybe they just suck

 

[Expat]

on #1- Never had anyone do that to me as far as acting like he was ready to draw but I have been in a shop before where I put my hand on mine. Both were white guys. One just suddenly whipped out a revolver and started waving it around. He wanted to show the owner or clerk how quick he could draw. The other was a guy that was obviously mentally ill and started getting really loud.

As to checking your pistol after you had cleared. No offense but everyone should do that no matter who just cleared it. I assume it is loaded until I personally check. I trust me, the rest of the world, not so much.

 

[Osobuco]

With Gander Mountain, you don't need to worry about the race thing. They pull the same crap with us white guys!!! Seriously, if you follow the posts here you will see some stores are horrible with customer service.

This is very true - I hate GM and avoid them at all costs.

 

[Shive.Justin]

never had problem #1 before. as far as #2 goes, trying to find somebody in gander mountain that WILL help you is like to find a needle in a haystack. i can be done, but is it really worth the effort? i always have that problem when i go to gander mountain(the greenwood store to be specific).

 

[Lead Head]

For No. 1, maybe explain what you are going to do before you do it. Explaing first, then open the jacket, lift the shirt, etc. Like a tell, show and then proceed if all seems cool before reaching for anything. Going in totally unloaded was smart but at minimum it's probably a good idea to not have one in the chamber for safety reasons alone. Not everyone can "read" the situation as well as others so just like the cops, they act first.

For No. 2., Gander Mountain specific to the gun counter is on par with when Kmart sold guns. Maybe they still do, I don't know. If you ever noticed, GM turns over employees like I go through ammo. If your local GM has good clerks, tell 'em.

We live in a very shallow society, that's all. I don't look like Paris Hilton or some metrosexual (whatever the hell that is) so paranoid people instantly judge if we don't fit their expectations which are usually very, very narrow. I'm treated totally different when my hair is short. A suit with short hair and clerks kiss my ass. Long hair and camo, forget it. I'm the same person.

The human race is mess.

Now days, people are just afraid of fear itself because they are programmed to think that way. Fear keeps people down and powerless. Everyone is affected regardless of race, etc.

 

[shooter1054]

I am not a fan of Fort Liberty or Gander. I have had bad experiences at both. That said, I think as stated above a notification to the clerk that "I have it with me, unloaded." or something to that effect, would have gone over better. I would say you weren't in the wrong, but maybe not 100% right. It could have been better on both sides of the counter.

 

[Squib]

It only takes a few visits to GM to realize they do not believe in customer service. Not to mention their pricing is MSRP +. I simply do not go there anymore.

 

[cfgunworks]

It sounds like to me that you were mistreated as a customer in both cases. as others have said the GM service, or lack thereof, is no surprise. As to the issue in the gun shop, I believe the clerk over reacted. However, I much prefer to see a handgun presented by a customer from a case or rug than any carry position.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Clerk at the gun shop probably just has his mall ninja mojo working. Every time I've been to Gander, I just about have to buttonhole one of the counter guys to get some attention, which normally I don't mind, I like to be left alone, but when I'm ready I'd like to expect them to be.

 

[Moparracer89]

GM is terrible no matter who you are. They sell a few way over priced guns a week and don't have to sell to anyone else the rest of the week.

 

[WestSider]

I feel that way pretty much every place I walk into that sells guns. I only go into gun shops when I have to, I hate the atmosphere (and smoke) in there.

 

[GBuck]

I expect that kinda thing from Gander Mountain. Fort Liberty I have only been to twice. Both times I was treated like am idiot that knows nothing (they don't realize I own more firearms than they keep in stock). And I will not go back. They were arrogant and acted like I was inconveniencing them. God forbid they delay their coffee drinking.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Al, I pushed guns across the counter for four years during undergrad. I saw lots of strange things. Please allow me to comment:

Gander Mountain: the department head needs to hold a meeting. Where I worked we were taught to greet the customer, ask them if we could help them and then leave me alone to shop. Never turn your back to a customer unless he/she says "no thanks".

I am always disappointed by the level of customer service, maybe I just think when I did it that we always did it "better".

Fort Liberty: Well, don't know what to say. I never drew on a customer but I did have a few customers do goofy stuff with guns (including the guy with the P35 who jumped around when I handed it to him).

However, I am of the opinion that there is far too much handling of firearms in gun stores and always err on the side of safety. I don't know if I would have "snatched" it from you, but maybe a "please, sir, may I look at it first."

Sorry about your bad run of luck. Shoot straight.

 

[LEaSH]

I've only been in Fort Liberty once and the only guy working there that day had the badittude. So we left never to return. Who enjoys a good insult these days? And the stuff in that place is nothing special anyway. They're an advertising partner here I think, so there's no joy in me saying how I really feel.

And gander mtn, well let's just say that's not a real gunstore. It's just a place that harbors barely employable people that know nothing about what they try to sell.

Hey, I guess insults are kind of fun after all.

 

[Shibby575]

Gander has seriously horrible CS in the majority of store's I've been in.

 

[Noland]

Whenever I intend for a gun to be handled by a store employee, I carry it in in a non-shooting grip, and with the slide locked back. I have yet to have a problem.

I am not trying to defend the guy, I am just offering an idea that might keep the person behing the counter from being caught by surprise.

Sorry about your bad week.

 

[85t5mcss]

#2 is easy. That's just typical GM service as stated. I'm of average height and hTe to shave some days. I also wear jeans and t shirts. GM usually won't give me the time of day and when they do they make feel like I'm the idiot and I interupted them.

#1 is a little obscure. Not sure what to say other than it sucks you had a bad experience like this. Please don't let one individual sway your thinking about gun shops and other gun owners. There is a shop that will appreciate you as a customer and make you feel welcome, just doesn't sound like this is the one.

BTW, a friend who lives in Carmel and dresses nicely with the pretty boy hair gets excellent service at GM. Sad indeed.