Ok, so I must get 20 e-mails, 15 PM’s and 10 phone calls a day from people asking when are we going to get rifle or pistol XYZ in stock. It got so bad that about 6 months ago, we put up a big sign on our website (top right corner) advising people that manufacturers don’t give ETA’s so don’t ask!
Now one would have thought that people would stop asking right? Wrong. So now they play this game when they call. It does something like this:
Caller: I know your website says that manufacturers don’t give ETA’s but I had a question about the gun itself.
Me: Sure, I can answer that.
Caller: Ok so what length is the barrel on it?
Me: 16"
Caller: Ok, uhm what is it chambered in?
Me: 5.56
Caller: Great, well that answers my questions. Just one final question, so you have no idea when they are coming in right?
Me: Click.
They ask the dumbest questions (that they know the answers to) in an effort to get me to give them a date (that I would just be making up).
Honestly, I don’t even bother to ask for delivery dates on things anymore because there are so many variables that could throw it off and then everyone is pissed (because it didn’t happen).
People get very butt hurt when you tell them you don’t know. Just had an angry caller this morning (which makes me question why I ever answer the phone) that was upset that I didn’t have a delivery date on an AR he wanted. “How could you not know? When I go to my local dealer and ask about the availability of a gun he tells three months.” :blink:
I have a buddy that helps me out in the shop about once a week. He advised me that he doesn’t think he could work in a gun store (because the customers are such a PITA that he would end up telling them where to go).
Honestly, there are days where I consider going to dealer sales only and stop dealing with the public. I have people that do NOTHING ELSE, but follow me around the net (reading everything I write) and then either blogging about me OR pulling up negative feedback from 2007 and link to it anytime someone asks a question about us or states that they are happy with us.
You are probably doing the right thing in not giving delivery dates…
I was told a rifle I ordered would be shipped in 14-16 weeks… It’s been 20… I can’t say I am mad, but I am upset a bit because I really wanted to have it by now…
Maybe if I was not given a date I would not be upset now, but then again, I may not have placed the order…
For all the stupid shit you go through at your store. Thank you for what you do. You keep dudes like us armed for reasonable prices, and give great information on the boards.
Just curious, and I’m sure you probably have a good reason - but why don’t you just tell people what the manufacturer’s estimate is while being sure to note that their estimates are often not very accurate?
Seems like giving people a number will placate their irreverence at being told “I don’t know” while still effectively communicating that nobody really knows for sure and you can only transmit what the manufacturers are telling you. It takes the ball out of your court but leaves the customer with something for their phone call.
I guess the only downside I can see from here as an outsider is that people might start to blame you when the manufacturer’s estimate is way off. But effectively communicating and stressing the fallibility of the ETA would mitigate most of that, I would think. Those customers that do get marginalized and or angry anyway, would seem to me to be less numerous than those who get hung up on under the current system.
I do. They tend to not believe because most are giving 13 month delivery dates. Which is of course a not worth the paper it is printed (or e-mailed on).
Seems like giving people a number will placate their irreverence at being told “I don’t know” while still effectively communicating that nobody really knows for sure and you can only transmit what the manufacturers are telling you. It takes the ball out of your court but leaves the customer with something for their phone call.
It can be, but at the end of the day it is STILL a flat out lie and I prefer to not do that (as I will get a guy that will wait 13 months for said product and on the last day of that 13th month, will write an angry review on some forum because it didn’t come in).
I was just about to post this, but in regards to AAC.
Told my dealer two weeks worth of two weeks on a couple cans. Then literally the DAY I find the cans at another dealer out of state and have them shipped to my dealer he gets a big shipment in from AAC with basically no warning.:blink:
I guess the only part of this that leaves some potential for confusion is that the customer doesn’t always know what is in stock, as opposed to those parts or products that will have to be ordered. Some dealers do a better job than others about clearly indicating whether a product is actually on the shelf or not, but I would hope that any customer waiting for an ordered to be fulfilled – especially in advance of a national election – is going to understand that frustrating and unpredictable delays are just a part of the process these days.
