How to run a gun shop--IMO

[the1kidd03]

This my friends, is a clear example of the difference in the education of a business major and that of organizational leadership, LOL.

 

[anifong]

Interesting concept - I do agree would only work with certain clientele, versus mass appeal to every-man. I'd gladly pay a premium for good friendly service and to avoid the guys just hanging out in the local shops.

 

[jcwit]

I've never run a business. I'm finishing up my MBA, and I have some ideas that have occurred to me, but I'm not any kind of expert. You might think it presumptive of me to think I know how to run a gun shop. That's OK.

YUP! Sorta sumed it all up in the first paragraph, if not the first sentence.

 

[indiucky]

I've never run a business. I'm finishing up my MBA, and I have some ideas that have occurred to me, but I'm not any kind of expert. You might think it presumptive of me to think I know how to run a gun shop. That's OK.


The problem with most gun shops is that they do a terrible job of separating coonfingers from shoppers and real buyers. How can you tell the difference? Appearance? Past transactions? None of these are reliable indicators.

How do you give your most valuable, serious customers fantastic service by not wasting a crapload of time on tire-kickers that want to shoot the breeze and do little else?

I think you can do it by charging for time. If I am a gun shop owner that has good advice to offer and lots of different guns for you to grip and fondle to find what works best for you, then that time is worth something-- to BOTH of us, proprietor and customer alike.

So instead of trying to make money on selling guns (cranking up prices), you sell guns at lower prices and sell SERVICE to make up the difference.


How would you like to go to a shop and not have to wait in line as much, if at all? To not fight some other customer for attention? To KNOW that you are going to get individualized service?

It takes a change in how you look at the business. You are not a 'gun shop' per se, but rather a 'personal defense consultant'-- and like other consultants, TIME and expertise is what's for sale.

Here's how I'd work it. First, you have to split the store into two parts: the 'gun' part and the 'everything else' part (ammo, holsters, powder, whatever).

Then you set up a refundable cover charge for the gun part. Come on in and look all you want for $5. But you will waiting in line behind those folks that paid $10 for an actual appointment time and individualized attention. Expect good service, just at slightly less priority.

The customer that is actually interesting in buying will pay the $10 because it's cheap for the vastly improved experience when spending a big chunk of cash. Those who want to look around can still do so, just expect potentially less service for $5 if you don't buy anything.

Those who never want to buy anything are not likely to pay the $5 at all and will go mess with some other shop.

Price your guns and ammo at competitive prices so people know that it is SERVICE they are paying for. IOW, no $700 Glocks.

Best of all, because the customer got great service AND a good price, they are likely to come back. It also makes it far less likely that you have as many people come in the door that just want to handle guns. These people expect the retailer to give them a bunch of time for free! Time on non-paying-gawkers vs paying customers is not equally valuable. Reduce the gawkers and give the real customers a better chance at the TIME that is so valuable.

$5 is low enough that folks who aren't necessarily buyers but are serious lookers can still afford it. It's just enough deterrent to filter out the very bottom feeders.

Competing purely on price is a loser. Anyone can call around and price check. You have to win on SERVICE. You can deliver to the customer a superior overall experience this is a much better VALUE.

As any waiter will tell you, good service is worth money.

Your $10 customers get the best service possible, and the $5 customers get far BETTER service than they could get at any "free" shop because they won't have to compete with nearly as many lookie-loos for employee attention.


I came up with the basic idea for a music store because they are the WORST stores of all to deal with. Pity the guy trying to demo and buy a premium guitar.

Thanks man..The funniest thing I have read in a while..And I read the INGO political section...If your Business degree doesn't work out try comedy..You have got a gift...

 

[sepe]

I've never run a business. I'm finishing up my MBA, and I have some ideas that have occurred to me, but I'm not any kind of expert. You might think it presumptive of me to think I know how to run a gun shop. That's OK.


The problem with most gun shops is that they do a terrible job of separating coonfingers from shoppers and real buyers. How can you tell the difference? Appearance? Past transactions? None of these are reliable indicators.

How do you give your most valuable, serious customers fantastic service by not wasting a crapload of time on tire-kickers that want to shoot the breeze and do little else?

I think you can do it by charging for time. If I am a gun shop owner that has good advice to offer and lots of different guns for you to grip and fondle to find what works best for you, then that time is worth something-- to BOTH of us, proprietor and customer alike.

So instead of trying to make money on selling guns (cranking up prices), you sell guns at lower prices and sell SERVICE to make up the difference.


How would you like to go to a shop and not have to wait in line as much, if at all? To not fight some other customer for attention? To KNOW that you are going to get individualized service?

It takes a change in how you look at the business. You are not a 'gun shop' per se, but rather a 'personal defense consultant'-- and like other consultants, TIME and expertise is what's for sale.

Here's how I'd work it. First, you have to split the store into two parts: the 'gun' part and the 'everything else' part (ammo, holsters, powder, whatever).

Then you set up a refundable cover charge for the gun part. Come on in and look all you want for $5. But you will waiting in line behind those folks that paid $10 for an actual appointment time and individualized attention. Expect good service, just at slightly less priority.

The customer that is actually interesting in buying will pay the $10 because it's cheap for the vastly improved experience when spending a big chunk of cash. Those who want to look around can still do so, just expect potentially less service for $5 if you don't buy anything.

Those who never want to buy anything are not likely to pay the $5 at all and will go mess with some other shop.

Price your guns and ammo at competitive prices so people know that it is SERVICE they are paying for. IOW, no $700 Glocks.

Best of all, because the customer got great service AND a good price, they are likely to come back. It also makes it far less likely that you have as many people come in the door that just want to handle guns. These people expect the retailer to give them a bunch of time for free! Time on non-paying-gawkers vs paying customers is not equally valuable. Reduce the gawkers and give the real customers a better chance at the TIME that is so valuable.

$5 is low enough that folks who aren't necessarily buyers but are serious lookers can still afford it. It's just enough deterrent to filter out the very bottom feeders.

Competing purely on price is a loser. Anyone can call around and price check. You have to win on SERVICE. You can deliver to the customer a superior overall experience this is a much better VALUE.

As any waiter will tell you, good service is worth money.

Your $10 customers get the best service possible, and the $5 customers get far BETTER service than they could get at any "free" shop because they won't have to compete with nearly as many lookie-loos for employee attention.


I came up with the basic idea for a music store because they are the WORST stores of all to deal with. Pity the guy trying to demo and buy a premium guitar.

Those lookie-loos could very well be willing to spend big bucks next week. Making them pay to get service will most likely send them to the next shop down the road. There are a couple very successful (and usually very busy) shops up this way that wouldn't be where they are today if they tried to run as you described. They don't sell $700+ Glocks. Even during panic buying, they keep prices reasonable and provide the best service they can. Are there times the lookie-loos keep staff busy when there is a customer ready to buy? Yes, but they (at least the majority of the staff) will make sure you're noticed and get any help you need ASAP.

It might make for a good discussion in a classroom setting but I don't think you'd survive all that long.

So, is that the type of crap they teach in business schools and MBA programs today? Having owned and operated a specialty retail and service business for 11 years, Pareto's principles apply to all businesses and not just gun shops. Qualifying a client is something you learn how to do very quickly with a few short questions applicable to whatever business you are operating. What you suggest is the death knell of a retail business. Retail businesses thrive on foot traffic and adding a toll booth at the front door would practically eliminate that traffic and will kill the business in short order.

From talking to more than a handful of professors in the MBA program at my school, no it isn't what they teach. It would actually be laughed at very, very loudly by several.

 

[dominicandemon]

Not sure on the percentage, but I am sure a lot of purchases are compulsive, so charging the serious buyers might actually get less sales.

 

[dominicandemon]

Funny.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/general_firearms_discussion/284720-1_hohns_gun_shop.html

 

[NavyVet]

Got him for you....

I can't rep him, but I *love* printcraft.

 

[JimmyR]

I normally buy used guns, but I decided to buy a new beretta px4. One of the gun shops I frequent for ammo and accessories had one in stock. I had gone there to"kick the tires"on a few multiple times, but because they didn't treat me like a second class customer because I didn't but a gun before. They would have lost a major sale, not to mention the couple thousands dollars I have spent in ammo.


That said, I spend most of my gun money at shops that make me feel ok with looking, hanging out, and "coonfingering." Sometimes the lookers end up being regular buyers.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Hohn, you're taking a lot a grief for floating your idea. But unless your store offered something I couldn't get somewhere else, I would never set foot in your store if I had to pay just to walk in. And the thing about "good service"...I expect that as part of doing business. Now, if there was something of value that you offered, well then maybe. But if all other things are equal, I'm not going to pay you just to be respectful and professional to me as the customer.

 

[IamLegend]

Sounds like a government program.

 

[1401king]

You know what goes a long way with me, when I walk into a place? Acknowlagement. A simple " Howdy folks" or a "How ya doin" . Now I feel like you give a crap that I am in your store. If you're with another customer I feel like you will get to me when you can. Pretty simple.

 

[obijohn]

all that money, time and effort for an MBA, congrats on your accomplishment by the way, and this is what you come up with.

The size and scope of the operation, not to mention the staffing, huge stock etc, would make this idea quite unmanageable, I think. I don't have an MBA, but i do have a business, or two, but treating ALL customers well and with respect makes for a better model. AND it's cheap.

 

[matodd]

all that money, time and effort for an MBA, can you get your money back?

 

[Hemingway]

I'd probably pay. It would eliminate the people that aren't serious so that the squared away customers aren't treated like the rest of the idiots.

I make 6 figures training people in firearms yet every time I walk into a gun store and try to talk to them, they treat me like I don't know anything about them. Even after I clearly show I know what I'm doing.

But, I don't think it'll work. Most people are too cheap for it. Like it was posted earlier, they'll pay $15 to look at a bunch of crap at the 1500 but not at a quality gun store.

 

[Pinchaser]

Your view of the world is overly simplistic but typical of an impending college graduate. You will grow and learn....the real lessons, the ones that will improve your understanding of how the world works, come after college.

 

[Hohn]

Interesting. Some will pay $15 to get in a show and spend the same in gas to get there and yet the idea proposed is shot down. Entertainment vs. ... what?

Yeah, that is interesting. Only in my store you won't have to deal with the 1500 smell.

 

[LP1]

On the positive side, he is applying some original thinking to a situation that we all gripe about. On the negative side, how much did he pay for his (soon-to-be) MBA?

 

[kawtech87]

OP, you shouldv'e gone to law school. Atleast in politics if you screw all your customers you can eventually become president.

In business, yeah not so much.

 

[dlbrown75]

I hope Fenway doesnt start charging to browse the classifieds.