Anyone actually encountered a Happy Gun shop??

[Halimede]

Customers must be at times a difficult bunch but are they not part of the deal?
I have walked out of two Lancashire gunshops mentioned in this thread as being good. One shop near the coast is air only and when I went in (having rung first) the sales staff outnumbered the customers but it was fish and chip time. I won't be back and I bought my Chrony online from someone else.
The other shop is mixed shooting and the salesman went away to sell rabbit snares whilst showing me a semi auto 12 bore. It was several minutes before the door was unlocked by a customer entering and I made my escape. I won't be back here either.
I once had several 'scopes layed out on a counter for me at a posh shop just to the south east of Lancaster whilst the shop was busy. They got the semi auto sale as well which had to be worth far more than a handful of snares. A shop just south of Preston could learn from that.
I have been well treated by a posh gunshop in the centre of Newcastle frfom whom I bought an S400 whilst dressed in motorbike gear.
Shops at both ends of the spectrum seem to try the hardest. My experience suggest to me that both the established high end firms and the small shops who might not have been trading very long are most likely to take their business seriously enough to make sure that they get it right. I think that it is the comfortable and jaded ones who are ticking along nicely that allow their disrespect of customers to show.

[Senn]

**Rant mode on**

Miserable sods

Why is it that every gun shop that I seem to frequent the staff are so sodding miserable

Ok we all have our bad days but it doesn't seem to matter which day that is

Surely I can't be alone in this

For some reason all my local RFD's just seem to have that uninterested, slapped arse look on there chevy chase

Crikey even a false smile would do

I won't mention no RFD names but within a 30 mile radius I have visited at least 9 RFD's and 8 of them I would consider to be not very friendly one of them is ok but he's still a miserable sod

Jeez one of them I've even bought multiple new guns from over the last 2 years and I was very close to not buying one of my latest purchases as the young chap on the counter was so disinterested and sodding miserable

I don't expect balloons, party hats and a round of applause when I walk in a gunshop although it would be nice just a nice open smile and a bit of banter wouldn't go amiss

Sadly it's probably a sign of the times and not exclusive to gun shops, I've been in retail and would never be so miserable when customer facing.

Do we actually have that thing called a Happy Gun Shop??

**Rant mode finished**

This syndrome has gone international! And I really thought it was like this in Bulgaria only.
At first it occurred to me it could have been a "serious business - serious attitude" policy
Some time later I simply realized that for some reason almost all of these guys know nothing of providing proper customer service.
I still have no clear idea how come every gun shop clerk is grumpy and sick of life itself...

[harvey_s]

Haven't read all the thread - but just in case no-one else has mentioned it...

Youngmans Sporting Guns in Great Yarmouth, owner is a thoroughly nice guy and always happy to help - definitely recommended

[Bob Brown]

T & J. J. McAvoy always happy to help and the girls in there really know their stuff http://www.guns.gb.com/

I had heard Tim Mcavoy was a surly old git,and i too had heard they were only interested in the powderboys.
As they are localish i thought i would give them a go,and had to be buzzed in through the security door.
I went straight to the second hand air rifle dept,which is on the opposite side of the shop to the shotties etc.
Within a couple of minutes i was asked if i needed any help,i told them i was ok and he replied,"give us a shout if you cant see what your looking for".
On the second visit i was asked on entering if i needed any help by one of his daughters,a punky looking but attractive girl.
I asked her for a look at some things and she went off to get them.
Then i was asked by Tim Mcavoy if i was being looked after,and his daughter came back to say "back off my customer". lol
On one occasion i asked them if they would price match several items,which they did with no problems.
On another occasion i asked for some Tru oil and they didnt have any.She found one in a multi pack set and split the pack for me.
I have also pxed there and was happy with the deal,and what i got for my rifle in the deal too.
I can thoroughly reccomend Mcavoys in Standish Wigan,who just shade blackpool air rifles in the smile and helpful stakes.

[lensman57]

I had heard Tim Mcavoy was a surly old git,and i too had heard they were only interested in the powderboys.
As they are localish i thought i would give them a go,and had to be buzzed in through the security door.
I went straight to the second hand air rifle dept,which is on the opposite side of the shop to the shotties etc.
Within a couple of minutes i was asked if i needed any help,i told them i was ok and he replied,"give us a shout if you cant see what your looking for".
On the second visit i was asked on entering if i needed any help by one of his daughters,a punky looking but attractive girl.
I asked her for a look at some things and she went off to get them.
Then i was asked by Tim Mcavoy if i was being looked after,and his daughter came back to say "back off my customer". lol
On one occasion i asked them if they would price match several items,which they did with no problems.
On another occasion i asked for some Tru oil and they didnt have any.She found one in a multi pack set and split the pack for me.
I have also pxed there and was happy with the deal,and what i got for my rifle in the deal too.
I can thoroughly reccomend Mcavoys in Standish Wigan,who just shade blackpool air rifles in the smile and helpful stakes.

I have only had a couple of dealings with them over the phone and I found them extremely helpful.

A.G

[FrankG]

The last two I have been in I felt as though I was intruding wonder why?

[steve65]

My favourite gun shop Arron wheeler in brighouse very helpful and very good on repairs might have to take my smk in trigger problem

[Missed_dinner]

This thread seems to be concentrating on established airgun shops with many mentions on various threads. So here is a pointer to a shop that does not get the publicity but does, I believe, offer excellent service. I talk about the Country Store, Pampisford, just outside Cambridge. Over the years I have bought a few rifles and a pistol from them and have always had excellent service and a warm welcome. They may not have the extensive stock (no pun intended) of dedicated airgun emporia but will always order a gun in for you and at an excellent price that competes with and often beats the aforesaid emporia; especially when travel costs are considered as well. Very nice people too.

I was wondering if someone else was going to mention these guys. I have had a lot of good and a little bad experiences with them. I think its one member of staff in particular. they are always welcoming and very knowledgeable and great prices but I have had a few problems with orders and responses to emails and phone calls. I must admit, calling for the second time in 3 weeks to see if my gun was in stock that was 24-48 hour delivery and finding out not only had it not been ordered but was £20 more than I was quoted did tick me off a bit and if I could have gone somewhere else I would but when they are my closest at 25 miles away they sort of had me by my short and curly's. I probably put £500-£600 their way in the last 6-7 months which in the grand scheme of things is probably small fry to them but I am now looking at an £800-900 PCP and wondering if they deserve my business. I spent 15 years in retail and know what its like out there and I'm more than happy to support local businesses even if they aren't the cheapest, just because they deserve it!
If I go in to "try" before I buy, I will get a price first and if I am happy with the price I will take up their time but I will never "try before I buy.....online"

[nevadacowboy]

My local go dive shop is also an RFD. Go in for anything to do with guns or for a gun cylinder air refill and they are as miserable as sin.

Go in for anything to do with diving and you would think you had gone to a different shop altogether, they can't do enough for you.

[leetrenchard]

Just had a recent visit to Pax Guns in North London.

Very nice bloke, huge knowledge too.

I even liked their politics (pictures on targets).

Also watched a short piece of a Dragon's Den episode, the very tall bloke was serving some food, finished the service with "Thank you for visiting our shop, please come again soon", all free but very welcoming.

I have a few lifetime bans on spending money with a few selected traders, this does include Tesco who ripped me off about £80, probably lost £10k plus by now. Will they never learn!

[Salamander]

I had heard Tim Mcavoy was a surly old git,and i too had heard they were only interested in the powderboys.
As they are localish i thought i would give them a go,and had to be buzzed in through the security door.
I went straight to the second hand air rifle dept,which is on the opposite side of the shop to the shotties etc.
Within a couple of minutes i was asked if i needed any help,i told them i was ok and he replied,"give us a shout if you cant see what your looking for".
On the second visit i was asked on entering if i needed any help by one of his daughters,a punky looking but attractive girl.
I asked her for a look at some things and she went off to get them.
Then i was asked by Tim Mcavoy if i was being looked after,and his daughter came back to say "back off my customer". lol
On one occasion i asked them if they would price match several items,which they did with no problems.
On another occasion i asked for some Tru oil and they didnt have any.She found one in a multi pack set and split the pack for me.
I have also pxed there and was happy with the deal,and what i got for my rifle in the deal too.
I can thoroughly reccomend Mcavoys in Standish Wigan,who just shade blackpool air rifles in the smile and helpful stakes.

Spot on. Tim is far from a surly old git. And all the staff are helpful.

[fulltimer]

I've recently had reason to visit two dealers / shops local to me and had excellent friendly service in both the 1st being Anglia Tackle and Gun in Norwich the other was Pellpax first at their shop in Roughton and second visit was their warehouse in Aylsham, in the past I also had good friendly service from Youngmans in Gt Yarmouth, in fact I'm over that way in a couple of weeks so might make my way into the shop while Mrs takes in the market, sure there must be something I need.

[Paul SE]

Another vote from me for Countryway in West Malling.

I visited there recently with the intention of buying a new jacket, and ended up with a new rifle, scope and gunslip as well

[badger5148]

My local gun shop is Whittlesey Guns always found them friendly and helpful I have had three air rifles from them last time I was in Dave Shipman offered me a deal instead of buying pellets one tin at a time a ten tin tube of JSB Exact for sixty nine pounds instead of nine pound a tin trat me fine

[mikewareing]

hi, has anyone got anything to say about kranks in pudsey leeds. atb mick ps good or bad.

Nothing but excellent to say about Kranks