Rude customer service

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Teppo87

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I've been buying from Ellwood Epps for a while now and usually look forward to stopping there when I am passing through Orillia. But on this recent visit I left on a sour note with one of the gun room customer service representatives (guy dresses like a biker). I asked the fellow if they had any standard Mosin Nagant rifles come in yet and the conversation went like this:

EMPLOYEE: "Did you look at our website before coming here?"
ME: "No I did not"
EMPLOYEE: "Well then you would know what we have and what we don't have had you looked it up on our website, wouldn't you?"
ME: "..."
EMPLOYEE: "If you're gonna come here looking for something, don't come without looking at the website first. Everything is up to date and from what I can see online we do not have any Mosins"

Ironically, there was an M44 Mosin carbine right behind him which he only noticed after giving me his little scolding speech.

How about this - consider that a customer has many others things happening in his life that checking your website before visiting the store is not exactly a top priority. Also, rather than outright scold a customer for not looking up a product on your website, why don't you learn a little customer service courtesy and look up that product for the customer on the computer terminal sitting right in front of you INSTEAD OF running your mouth off and making a customer feel unwelcome.

I don't care how great an inventory they have - I don't need that kind of attitude when I am willing to stop in and spend a good bit of my hard earned cash at their store. Shape up or lose customers.
 
For me personally, if I am on a website its because I want to make an online purchase. If I go into a store its because I want to browse, see something, hold it and possibly get some additional information.
 
So I have a questions since I've seen a few of these threads about poor customers service...

Does this happen a lot? More than in other retail?

Being a new license holder, I've only dealt with two firearms dealers so far and both were great, one local and one from out of province

If I got poor service like this I would not hesitate to talk to a manager

Oh and I've discovered most online inventories are not correct or very incomplete
 
I fail to understand why people do this when they are trying to sell something.

Seems pretty backwards to me, even if the same question was asked by a thousand people before just pucker up and answer politely. They are trying to sell you something not the other way around.

Sorry to hear about your experience, lets hope management can put him in line.
 
Don't forget not everyone in the area has internet. I drive almost two hours to get to the store and if I lived another kilometer away from where I do I'd have no internet (well dial up which these days is so frustrating...). Someone needs to be sorted out...
 
You'll see guys who love this store no matter what. The selection tends to be good and let's face it....a real feast for the senses walking into that place. Also, for me, a great deal of nostalgia because like the OP...it's a "must stop" for me if I'm heading-up hwy.11. Now...that said (and even having made some noteworthy purchases there) I feel a little ticked-off when I leave there most times. (2-3 times a year) They're busy, sell a ton of stuff, so I get the sense they feel they can be a little selective with who they treat well. I ALSO think that the RECENT effort they've put into their site gives them an extra layer of insulation at the gun counter. By "insulation" I mean protecting themselves from any extra effort. I recognize that there are guys who tie-up the staff's time tire-kicking and oddly enough...seem to bring 3 non-shooting friends with them. :) BUT...with few exceptions...the level of service is a bit spotty...to put it mildly. They used to be my preferred place to look for new gear. Now, I rarely even look on their site unless I can't find something I want elsewhere. Even then, I'm more inclined to wait than drive almost 2 hours to be treated like an inconvenience.
 
NOT acceptable , no excuse EVER for that kind of responses.. Fired would be the word if I owned the store.

^^^ This. If I was the store owner and this was the way my employee treated a walk in customer, he would be 2 feet behind the customer walking out the door.

You'll see guys who love this store no matter what. The selection tends to be good and let's face it....a real feast for the senses walking into that place. Also, for me, a great deal of nostalgia because like the OP...it's a "must stop" for me if I'm heading-up hwy.11. Now...that said (and even having made some noteworthy purchases there) I feel a little ticked-off when I leave there most times. (2-3 times a year) They're busy, sell a ton of stuff, so I get the sense they feel they can be a little selective with who they treat well. I ALSO think that the RECENT effort they've put into their site gives them an extra layer of insulation at the gun counter. By "insulation" I mean protecting themselves from any extra effort. I recognize that there are guys who tie-up the staff's time tire-kicking and oddly enough...seem to bring 3 non-shooting friends with them. :) BUT...with few exceptions...the level of service is a bit spotty...to put it mildly. They used to be my preferred place to look for new gear. Now, I rarely even look on their site unless I can't find something I want elsewhere. Even then, I'm more inclined to wait than drive almost 2 hours to be treated like an inconvenience.

Looks like they are a victim of their own success.
 
That sucks, I've only been in there a couple of times but had good service. That is an unacceptable attitude towards a customer, and would probably be my last trip to their store.
 
Maybe the guy was just having a bad day. You never know - he could've just got back from having to put his dog down, or maybe he just got a call from a neighbour that his girlfriend was loading up a cube van and moving out. Ya gotta remember that we're all just human no matter what side of the counter we are standing on. On the other hand the guy could be a certified d*ck head, but I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt.
 
The problem is what people define as good service.

If you pay your money and they sell you a gun they have in stock. Is that good service? All they did was hand you an invoice and send you upstairs to pay for it before you take it. WOW.. exceptional service.

Or did you have to fight to even get noticed at the counter....get a rude sales person...get lied too...told bullshyte stories....get the run around, then get over charged just to find out the gun they sold you was broken and they will send it away at your expense for 6 months to get fixed.
 
Speak to the manager or owner about this behaviour. It is unacceptable and may be costing the store in lost revenue.
My favourite gun store had this one salesperson who appeared to be so annoyed at everybody that it was like playing Russian roulette trying not to get him. After a while he was no longer there, and when I went to another Vancouver store to look for a hard to find part (a store well-known for its abysmal customer service) he was behind the counter. I wonder if they recruited him to uphold their reputation LOL.
 
You should've asked to see the M44 and then handed back to him and said something like.....well I was gonna buy this rifle since it looks like a good deal but since I didn't see it on your website I won't buy it now...in fact I'll go to other stores that have no problem selling me stuff...even if I don't see it on their web site first!
And then storm out making sure to email the manager about this incident.

There is no reason for that salesmans attitude.
 
Epps has some great stuff that comes through the door. I've had pretty good success dealing with them over the years, but have also had to endure some pretty rude clerks. I always chalk it up to this: these guys are working in retail, and I don't expect much for like the $9 an hour or whatever they rake in. If it makes them feel good about dissing a potential customer, makes them feel like more of a man, let the baby have their bottle.
Not just specific to Epps, seen it here in Calgary as well. Gun people are, IMO not always the greatest to deal with. What makes it worse is if you put a counter in front of them, now they are self proclaimed experts. I get they are busy, and patience can wear thin over the day. But can't take it personally.
 
I've had the exact conversation with one of those guys over the phone about a month ago. I was looking for a xd45 and got the same lecture. Not sure if it was the same guy or not. I been in there and the place is crazy busy,but that's no excuse for crappy service.
 
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