Gander Mt. Experience
02-24-2012, 02:51 AM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Anne Arrundle County, Maryland
Posts: 1,672
If you just stood there and did nothing then part of the blame is on you also. After not being helped at the counter, and after a reasonable amount of time, you should have asked someone if they could help you. People are the same everywhere. You have very few good workers and a bunch of lazy people. If you didn't feel that should be necessary you should have asked another employee, or one of the ones behind the counter, if you could speak to the store manager. Then explain to the manager the situation and ask if there is anyone that can assist you. If that doesn't work to your satisfaction then you need to take it to the next level. Call the corporate office. The corporate office hates to get customer complaints and should respond accordingly. Poop runs down hill you know. You may think that none of this should be necessary, but, if you do nothing, nothing will get done. If there is a good manager at that store I guarantee it will go no farther then him and he will resolve the problem. You must like something about the store or you would not have been there in the first place, unless it was your first visit, so it must be worth your effort to make it a better experience for you when you shop there. I had the same experience at a Bass Pro Shop recently. The difference was there was only one person behind the counter and he was putting a scope on a rifle. There were 2 more employees on my side of the counter who looked to me to be doing very little and never asked if I needed help so I asked them if I could speak to THE store manager. When he arrived I explained the situation to him. He seemed very disinterested to me but I got the help I needed without any further waiting. Take control, you are the customer and if they, Cabella's, wants your business they will take care of you if you let them know there is a problem.
Last edited by pluckit; 02-24-2012 at 02:55 AM.
02-24-2012, 03:09 AM
#12
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 538
02-24-2012, 03:18 AM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,445
Most often, the folks they have working a sporting goods counter is someone that has worked for the store in some capacity a while, but there's no guarantee that person has any experience with guns or hunting, or archery, or camping, or fishing, etc.
Makes no difference to me, I don't go to these stores looking for opinions. With the occasional exception, these folks have no idea. I go to buy something and then leave. I actually don't want the "sporting goods" guy asking me if I need help, though I understand why they do it. There's no excuse for poor service, and if I go up to a counter and they don't acknowledge me within a few seconds I politely make it known that I need something.
Makes no difference to me, I don't go to these stores looking for opinions. With the occasional exception, these folks have no idea. I go to buy something and then leave. I actually don't want the "sporting goods" guy asking me if I need help, though I understand why they do it. There's no excuse for poor service, and if I go up to a counter and they don't acknowledge me within a few seconds I politely make it known that I need something.
02-24-2012, 03:35 AM
#14
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Penns Woods
Posts: 1,628
Makes no difference to me, I don't go to these stores looking for opinions. With the occasional exception, these folks have no idea. I go to buy something and then leave. I actually don't want the "sporting goods" guy asking me if I need help, though I understand why they do it. There's no excuse for poor service, and if I go up to a counter and they don't acknowledge me within a few seconds I politely make it known that I need something.
BPS
02-24-2012, 05:59 AM
#15
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 195
The GM on M-59 in Mich. is the same as Paul54 writes about. they could care less. The Bass Pro Shop in Auburn Hills, Mi. isn't much better, and Cabela's in Dundee, Mi. only slightly better. When these stores first opened, they were great, but soon got that "self serve" attitude.
02-24-2012, 06:22 AM
#16
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 143
If you just stood there and did nothing then part of the blame is on you also. After not being helped at the counter, and after a reasonable amount of time, you should have asked someone if they could help you. People are the same everywhere. You have very few good workers and a bunch of lazy people. If you didn't feel that should be necessary you should have asked another employee, or one of the ones behind the counter, if you could speak to the store manager. Then explain to the manager the situation and ask if there is anyone that can assist you. If that doesn't work to your satisfaction then you need to take it to the next level. Call the corporate office. The corporate office hates to get customer complaints and should respond accordingly. Poop runs down hill you know. You may think that none of this should be necessary, but, if you do nothing, nothing will get done. If there is a good manager at that store I guarantee it will go no farther then him and he will resolve the problem. You must like something about the store or you would not have been there in the first place, unless it was your first visit, so it must be worth your effort to make it a better experience for you when you shop there. I had the same experience at a Bass Pro Shop recently. The difference was there was only one person behind the counter and he was putting a scope on a rifle. There were 2 more employees on my side of the counter who looked to me to be doing very little and never asked if I needed help so I asked them if I could speak to THE store manager. When he arrived I explained the situation to him. He seemed very disinterested to me but I got the help I needed without any further waiting. Take control, you are the customer and if they, Cabella's, wants your business they will take care of you if you let them know there is a problem.
I make my living in the customer service business and you always should acknowledge a customer whether you think they want help or not. If I treated my customers that way, I would be out of business real soon.
I do not spend my money with people that don't provide at least a little customer service. As for going to the store manager, it is his responsibility to see that his employees are trained in cs. There are times when businesses are short handed and/or very busy. I understand that and do not have a problem with it either. This store is never very busy.
But, when employees are not helping other customers, it is inexcusable for them not to acknowledge you. I have trained sales and cs people for over 25 years. Therefore, I know at times I have fairly high expectations. I don't expect them to treat me any different than anyone else, just show they are interested in helping. That is not asking for too much regardless where anyone lives.
Like I said, I try to spend my money with small businesses (brick and mortar or internet) and I don't do business with those that don't appreciate it.
BTW, I don't have to accept it as this is the way it is everywhere, because it is not. Maybe it is where you live. I just go someplace else.
Gander is the only choice for my wants/needs in Amarillo, but that will be changing soon as we are moving to a place where I will have more choices.
Paul
02-24-2012, 07:33 AM
#18
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Northern Chautauqua Co. N.Y.
Posts: 2,976
Yes Cabela's has Excellant Customer Service! they have some of the nicest people you'd ever want to talk to, on the phone anyway as I've never been to a store in person. Plus they have people that know what there talking about and if you ever have any problem with anything just send it back no questions asked for a full refund or exchange.
Now our local wal-mart has some of the dumbest people I've ever seen, I dont know where they find these people. For instance in the sporting good department they ordered Buck Shot and Elk Urine one hunting season and No Hand Warmers! Buck shot is illegal here and we dont have any elk execpt on our elk farms and we hunters need hand warmers as it usually gets so cold that you'd freeze to death on stand without them, I personally like the big long lasting Body Warmers. Anyway when they finally did order some after all the hunters demanded it, what comes in, toe and foot warmers! finally by the end of the hunting season they got a shipment of hand and body warmers in and by then they did'nt sell many as the hunters had to go elsewhere to buy them. So the following year they did'nt order near enough, they sold out fast. I was lucky to buy some when I did, I asked if they were going to order more and they said no because they did'nt sell last season.....well DUH! you did'nt get any in untill the end of the hunting season, who needs them after hunting season has ended.
I can go on and on about wal-mart, but the best one happened recently. I went to the 20 items or less express check out lane and there was a girl in fron of me with 100 items in her cart. The cashier was her friend and all they did was talk about the girl in lines new apartment and all the stuff in her cart for it. The cashier swiped the items so SLOW over the scanner at a rate of 1 item per minute that I was on fire.
Finally I could'nt take it anymore and said can you please hurry it up. The cashier and her friend looked at me like I was the biggest jerk in the world and went back to the scanning of 1 item per minute. I was really getting mad and said to the girl with 100 items in her cart, you know this is a 20 item or less express lane and your way over the limit. The girl with her full cart said well al the other lines are full and I dont get to see my friend much.When I finall got to checkout I told the cashier if I was as slow as you where I worked I'd be fired! she cashed me out in record time!
Why dont I go elsewhere to shop, because I live in a small country town and all we have is a wal-mart.
(BP)
Now our local wal-mart has some of the dumbest people I've ever seen, I dont know where they find these people. For instance in the sporting good department they ordered Buck Shot and Elk Urine one hunting season and No Hand Warmers! Buck shot is illegal here and we dont have any elk execpt on our elk farms and we hunters need hand warmers as it usually gets so cold that you'd freeze to death on stand without them, I personally like the big long lasting Body Warmers. Anyway when they finally did order some after all the hunters demanded it, what comes in, toe and foot warmers! finally by the end of the hunting season they got a shipment of hand and body warmers in and by then they did'nt sell many as the hunters had to go elsewhere to buy them. So the following year they did'nt order near enough, they sold out fast. I was lucky to buy some when I did, I asked if they were going to order more and they said no because they did'nt sell last season.....well DUH! you did'nt get any in untill the end of the hunting season, who needs them after hunting season has ended.
I can go on and on about wal-mart, but the best one happened recently. I went to the 20 items or less express check out lane and there was a girl in fron of me with 100 items in her cart. The cashier was her friend and all they did was talk about the girl in lines new apartment and all the stuff in her cart for it. The cashier swiped the items so SLOW over the scanner at a rate of 1 item per minute that I was on fire.
Finally I could'nt take it anymore and said can you please hurry it up. The cashier and her friend looked at me like I was the biggest jerk in the world and went back to the scanning of 1 item per minute. I was really getting mad and said to the girl with 100 items in her cart, you know this is a 20 item or less express lane and your way over the limit. The girl with her full cart said well al the other lines are full and I dont get to see my friend much.When I finall got to checkout I told the cashier if I was as slow as you where I worked I'd be fired! she cashed me out in record time!
Why dont I go elsewhere to shop, because I live in a small country town and all we have is a wal-mart.
(BP)
02-24-2012, 10:43 AM
#19
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 34
We have both Gander Mountains and Cabelas nearby.
World's apart in service, supply and prices.
It's closer to go to GM for me than Cabelas, but I go to Cabelas.
GM just stinks.
90%+ of the time, they don't have what I want, and I'm not talking odd or exotic items. Their "floor people" see you and run the other way.
If I go there for a specific item on sale, most of the time the items are already sold out even if I go the same day the ad comes out.
Cabelas has the item's I'm looking for, their floor people generally walk up to me and ask if I need help and their prices, price match policy and return policy are very good.
Additionally most of the Cabelas people are technically knowledgable, especially their catalog/phone people.
No contest.
World's apart in service, supply and prices.
It's closer to go to GM for me than Cabelas, but I go to Cabelas.
GM just stinks.
90%+ of the time, they don't have what I want, and I'm not talking odd or exotic items. Their "floor people" see you and run the other way.
If I go there for a specific item on sale, most of the time the items are already sold out even if I go the same day the ad comes out.
Cabelas has the item's I'm looking for, their floor people generally walk up to me and ask if I need help and their prices, price match policy and return policy are very good.
Additionally most of the Cabelas people are technically knowledgable, especially their catalog/phone people.
No contest.
02-24-2012, 11:42 AM
#20
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: southwestern va
Posts: 753
got a gander mountain north of me (roanoke) and south of me (greensboro). Both have pretty good customer service, i rarely need any help i usually just go in with what i want in mind. Their prices arent great unless you catch them at closeout time (which is what im usually doing). Some of their used guns arent bad deals either.