How to run a gun shop--IMO

[Hohn]

I hope Fenway doesnt start charging to browse the classifieds.

No, just for signature lines and all that other bonus stuff

 

[The Bubba Effect]

The tire kickers are buyers who need to be courted a little bit to make the sale. If they did not want to buy something they would not be in the store.

You ring up the purchases of the people who come in and buy stuff. You sell stuff to the tire kickers. Take a tire kicker and help him work up the nerve to buy the thing he's been trying to talk himself into.

 

[LANShark42]

For some problems, you need to think outside the box. But customer service/sales? Not so much. Props to the OP for a different approach (even if the Aussies though of it first.)

 

[Racechase1]

If your getting a degree in business,and running one think another direction.
"Those who can do, those who can't teach". I know there has to be at least one business school looking for a teacher.

 

[Hohn]

I'm happy I could provide good humor and an outlet for the most obnoxious personal comments about intelligence and education for those inclined towards such.

Feel free to hang around and display your superiority complexes, I can handle it, and it's not MY space you are wasting, so I don't care. I've managed to make it in life despite my obvious intellectual handicaps.



If you won't pay the small, refundable cover charge, then it's simple: YOU are not my target market.

Instead, a store like this caters to first time buyers and those who have little knowledge or experience--those who need time to decide what they want, need some experienced advice and perhaps some range time and are willing to pay for the individualized attention. In short, a person is willing to pay to have the mystery and apprehension taken out of first-time buying.

But you guys are all experienced gunners that buy and sell guns like they're $3 whores. You have dozens in the safe, and who knows how many in other locations. You don't remember being a first timer.


Yet, *I* am the one that's out of touch.


In my world, 20-30 rabidly satisfied customers who will rave about the outstanding, individualized attention they got at a great price in a way that took the minimum amount of their time possible beats having 100 INGOers engaging in online urinary olympics about my store compared to others stores.

I value word of mouth. But not words from every mouth.

 

[Hohn]

The tire kickers are buyers who need to be courted a little bit to make the sale. If they did not want to buy something they would not be in the store.

You ring up the purchases of the people who come in and buy stuff. You sell stuff to the tire kickers. Take a tire kicker and help him work up the nerve to buy the thing he's been trying to talk himself into.

Often, this is true^^. No one's saying a tire kicker isn't welcome. Come on in and kick all you want-- your $5 will be taken off the price of a token box of ammo (at a reasonable price) or a pound of powder you can grab on your way out.

I go into music stores all the time with ZERO intent to buy anything of significant cost. I just want to see what's new. Once in a while something might catch my attention, but impulse purchasing of something like that still isn't happening. If I go back, I'm not tire kicking-- I'll go straight to a salesman and make sure he knows I'm there to spend money. Because I'm spending several hundred dollars, paying a modest sum more to make sure I can get in and out in the minimal time with great service is easily worth it.

When I go into a store to tire-kick, I usually will buy at least something, even if it's a small token item. Under this business model, a music store customer could get a "free" pack of $5 guitar strings because that would pay the refund of their cover charge. (not free, bc the customer basically bought them with the cover charge).


Moreover, several businesses already have "minimum purchase" amounts before they will ring up a credit card sale. A cover charge essentially serves as a mandatory minimum purchase amount, and obviates the need for such.

So a minimum purchase for a credit card is acceptable, but the exact same effect via cover charge somehow is not?

I disagree.

H

 

[Hemingway]

Hohn, I say go for it, dude. At least you're trying to do something. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, at least you can be proud you tried.

Too many people bad-mouthing those that are trying new stuff these days.

People probably thought nobody would pay $15 to walk nut to butt through the 1500 to look at test tubes, used copies of Poor Man's James Bond, Nazi memorabilia, $50 pistol mags and some fruitcake claiming to be the official U.S. Marshals armorer. But, the line's out the door every time.

$5 is a small price to pay to gain entry into a place that's free of internet commandos.

 

[kawtech87]

Funny you ignore the fundemental rule of "word of mouth".

A satisfied customer will tell at the most 5 other people of thier experiance at your store.

However a dissatisfied customer will tell 10-20 people of thier experiance at your store.

I'm not just talking out my ass either. I'm straight up telling you your business model sucks.

Business school is lost on you I'm affraid. You will learn shortly everything you learned there only works in ideal situations at best, but most only works in theory if at all. I went to school to learn how to be a technician in the powersports industry. I had perfect attendance and had top grades in my class, I thought I knew everything. But the first year I spent in the field, I learned how to work on bikes.

My father went to school to be an electrical engineer, however he spent the last 30 years running an extremely sucessfull business that has nothing to do with electronics.

Customer service is key, you are right about that. The rest, way off base.

NOONE WILL PAY FOR NOTHING. Most people don't want to pay for anything let alone the "privlage" to be in your store.

Sorry fail.

 

[ModernGunner]

Uh, I WENT to Cabela's, did LOTS of fondling, DIDN'T cost me $10 or even $5, and DIDN'T pay anywhere NEAR $700 for the Glock. Less. Much less with sale + coupon.

 

[Hohn]

Great! I've been to Cabela's several times and loved it. Your point?

BTW, ModernGunner, love your signature line.

 

[jbombelli]

The minute you tried to charge me just to look at merchandise is the minute I would walk out the door and never return.


Go out into the real world and get some business experience. Particularly in retail. If you want to be successful, I guarantee you'll change your approach to service.

 

[LANShark42]

I'm happy I could provide good humor and an outlet for the most obnoxious personal comments about intelligence and education for those inclined towards such.

Feel free to hang around and display your superiority complexes, I can handle it, and it's not MY space you are wasting, so I don't care. I've managed to make it in life despite my obvious intellectual handicaps.



If you won't pay the small, refundable cover charge, then it's simple: YOU are not my target market.

Instead, a store like this caters to first time buyers and those who have little knowledge or experience--those who need time to decide what they want, need some experienced advice and perhaps some range time and are willing to pay for the individualized attention. In short, a person is willing to pay to have the mystery and apprehension taken out of first-time buying.

But you guys are all experienced gunners that buy and sell guns like they're $3 whores. You have dozens in the safe, and who knows how many in other locations. You don't remember being a first timer.


Yet, *I* am the one that's out of touch.


In my world, 20-30 rabidly satisfied customers who will rave about the outstanding, individualized attention they got at a great price in a way that took the minimum amount of their time possible beats having 100 INGOers engaging in online urinary olympics about my store compared to others stores.

I value word of mouth. But not words from every mouth.

Obviously you put your idea out there to see what INGOers thought of it. And apparently, the vast majority didn't think much of the idea. Be careful what you ask for.

I was a first time buyer just a couple of months ago. But that doesn't mean I was an uninformed buyer. I got most of what you are offering at Gander Mountain in Evansville. For free. Then I made a purchase.

And just out of curiosity, what color is the sky in your world???

 

[Brandon]

Even ol Don doesn't charge a cover to get in.

 

[the1kidd03]

Great! I've been to Cabela's several times and loved it. Your point?

BTW, ModernGunner, love your signature line. Tell me, was that free?

That your THEORY would work well.......if you were the only game in town.

You would not be however, and people would not pay somethin for nothing. They prefer to get everything for nothing. You are asking/expecting to go the complete opposite direction that a consumer is "taught" to.


signatures are free

 

[Smokepole]

The tire kickers are buyers who need to be courted a little bit to make the sale. If they did not want to buy something they would not be in the store.

You ring up the purchases of the people who come in and buy stuff. You sell stuff to the tire kickers. Take a tire kicker and help him work up the nerve to buy the thing he's been trying to talk himself into.

When I am in the market for something like a car or a gun, I will work around to the various dealers to see what they have for how much and to get some questions answered. AND I am also trying out the dealer for knowledge, services available and ATTITUDE. There is the largest part of your customer service and good will. If I get the feeling that you don't have time for me because I am not going to buy today then I don't have time for you. I am sometimes looking for MY new dealer.

I have not owned a retail business, but I have in the past spent a lot of time working in retail or similar operations and an owner WANTS walk-in business. Sometimes treating a walk-in right not only brings him back but can bring in others just by word of mouth. Others that the business WOULDN'T normally see. It all boils down to the science/art of qualifying the customer and how you treat them. Separate the potential buyers from the lookers and provide the proper amount of attention and service while being honest and letting them know what you are doing. That is your sugar for the future sale/regular customer. If you can do this you will see FAR more unexpected future sales than with your "cover charge".

Your business is your business and I wish you good luck no matter how you choose to run it. But with a $5 "lookey charge" you won't see me anytime soon.

 

[Hohn]

Even ol Don doesn't charge a cover to get in.

And worth what you paid.

 

[42769vette]

That idea will never work. I promise I have been educating a customer, or had a customer want to talk about ? while other customers waited and left because I just could not make it to them. Its hard to nicely end a conversation about cars, to get to the customers who want to buy somthing. Its just the nature of the beast. You do the best you can with the time you have.

But the thing is the guy you thought you were wasting time with might be a big customer down the road. If you charge him to talk to you then he will find somone who will talk to him for free.

 

[Hemingway]

If Don would charge $50 to get in, maybe I'd actually visit the place since that's probably an effective way to keep the scum out.

 

[Brandon]

If Don would charge $50 to get in, maybe I'd actually visit the place since that's probably an effective way to keep the scum out.

You would think with Don, if there was another way to make a buck, he would have been doing it by now.

Maybe he knows something some of us don't ???

 

[sepe]

I'm happy I could provide good humor and an outlet for the most obnoxious personal comments about intelligence and education for those inclined towards such.

Feel free to hang around and display your superiority complexes, I can handle it, and it's not MY space you are wasting, so I don't care. I've managed to make it in life despite my obvious intellectual handicaps.


If you won't pay the small, refundable cover charge, then it's simple: YOU are not my target market.

Instead, a store like this caters to first time buyers and those who have little knowledge or experience--those who need time to decide what they want, need some experienced advice and perhaps some range time and are willing to pay for the individualized attention. In short, a person is willing to pay to have the mystery and apprehension taken out of first-time buying.

But you guys are all experienced gunners that buy and sell guns like they're $3 whores. You have dozens in the safe, and who knows how many in other locations. You don't remember being a first timer.

Yet, *I* am the one that's out of touch.

In my world, 20-30 rabidly satisfied customers who will rave about the outstanding, individualized attention they got at a great price in a way that took the minimum amount of their time possible beats having 100 INGOers engaging in online urinary olympics about my store compared to others stores.

I value word of mouth. But not words from every mouth.

You posted an idea on a public forum and got butthurt when people didn't like the idea. Without going back through the thread, there have been at least several that work in or run gun shops. I'd be willing to bet my entire collection that they've all given solid advice to first timers without charging an entrance fee. I'd be willing to bet my truck that they're willing to do it as many times as a first timer comes in with questions. Like I said before, it would be a good discussion in the classroom but I doubt this business model would be all that successful in this area.