Boy, did this story bring back memories! I sit down from time to time to read my husband's (Dr. Encore) campfire stuff, but never before have I been compelled to reply. I was in retail management for 20 odd years, working for some of the major players (Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus to name a few). These were companies that made customer service a FOCUS during their training of new employees. But- sure enough, after a few weeks on the selling floor, that ol' "Customers are an INTERRUPTION of my work , not the PURPOSE of it",- attitude would rear it's ugly head. Shame on the manager of that Cabelas firearms department for not having his stock well maintained and ready to sell,and shame as well on the selling associate for putting "conditions" on his willingness to sell product.
The best way to address this problem is for the customer to make a VERY LOUD FUSS right at the point of infraction and demand to speak to a member of upper level management. Once the manager appears, quote the seller, EXACTLY, and you will see a major change of attitude. And by the way, there is ALWAYS a member of management on duty, trust me... Rude selling associates are banking that you won't complain..... Also effective, write the manufacturer of the product you were interested in and explain your frustrations. The last thing a store manager wants to get is a call from the president of a major gun company with a gripe about service or product maintenance. It is down right humiliating! The relationship between vendors and stores is VERY important these days...... As a last resort, walk away from the store. It seems that this is a great way to have the last say, but in reality, you do more good for the overall retail enviornment by MAKING the retail establishment get it right. There will always be a fellow sportsman (or sportswoman!) walking up to that counter after you, and unless you help retailers weed out the worthless sellers, they will take over the planet!!
Doegirl
