At my first visit I needed help what would be the right gun for me (.22), I got a comment "you need to know what you want, we have over 4000 guns in stock". My answer was "Well, you need to help me here, because you have over 4000 of them!"
Jan
The problem we run into is exactly this: "I'm looking for a .22. What would you recommend that would be right for me?" How can we answer this if we do not know what you are using it for, or what sort of considerations you have already made toward this purchase?
Yes, we do have more than 4,700 firearms in stock at any given time, all of which are posted on our website for you to review -- a website that is updated by the minute, and shows real-time inventory selections. What we are trying to have our customers do for themselves is to scan the available models that are in our inventory to determine which styles of rifles will best suit their requirements and their budgets.
Are you looking for a bolt-action rifle, or a semi-automatic rifle?
Do you want wood stocks, or synthetic?
Do you want a scope mounted to the rifle, or will you be using iron sights?
Under what sort of conditions will you be using this rifle? Is it your primary gun, or a back up?
Do you have a price range in mind?
What are you using the rifle for? Hunting? Target shooting? Benchrest shooting? A little bit of all of the above?
Have you visited our website to determine what we have in stock? If so, what appealed to you? If not, have you visited the websites of the manufacturers to determine what is being produced that might meet your needs?
And we ask that if you have visited our website, that you make note of the inventory stocking number for the specific firearm(s) that are of interest to you. Coming into the store and saying "You have a rifle on page 6, line 4" does not help us find that particular rifle for you. Instead, if you come in with a small measure of preparation and say something like "I'm looking for a bolt-action .22 that I can use for shooting squirrels", or "You have a Savage rifle for sale, stock number NG###xx", we can certainly assist you with that product, or suggest alternatives to that model.
We simply ask that customers realize that we have one of the largest firearm inventories in the business, and that the buyer must make at least a small effort to help us help them. Even if you do not have a specific model in mind, being able to at least suggest some purpose for the purchase you are intending to make will allow us to assist you far better than blindly asking "What scopes do you have in stock?"
Jan, I, too, have been in customer service for more than 27 years. I have trained sales agents in several different fields for many years, and pride not only myself, but our staff here at Epps as well on our product knowledge and our willingness to assist ANY customer that passes through our doors. No, our customer service is not perfect. Yes, we do sometimes make mistakes. And yes sometimes personalities may be somewhat counter-active to other individuals. But contrary to several claims here on this string, the staff at Epps does not go out of its way to ignore or otherwise discriminate against new customers. On the contrary, we welcome new shooters and new customers as well as experienced or familiar ones.
Customer service is a two-way street. Too often on these message boards it seems that customer forget this. We on the business side of the counter are here to HELP you, not to make decisions for you. We can recommend or suggest products and alternatives, but in the end it is the responsibility of the customer to make an informed decision when they choose to finalize any purchase.
In order for us to offer this assistance, we must have certain input and cooperation from the customer. We are not asking that you walk in with a 100% specific request in-hand (I want a Remington 700 SPS DM in .270 Win Mag with a Bushnell Elite 3-9x 40mm DOA reticle mounted on Weaver bases with Leupold Medium matte rings). All that we ask is that our customers have at least a basic understanding of what they are looking for, and what use they intend to get out of it. That way we can start with that preliminary selection they have made, then branch out to other options once we have established a wider range of products that will suit those needs.
Isn't this why they call it
shopping?
