Cabelas...

[Tallest]

I for one agree that bashing the retailer for the actions of an individual is a little lacking in rational. I have worked in retail for about 9 years, and I can tell you that one thing that will make 99% of retail folks disinclined to help you is the "what are you going to do to make it right?" question. Is it appropriate at times? Yes. But there are about 475,000 better ways of starting that conversation. When you ask that, you sound entitled. You also sound like you don't have the common sense to grasp that sometimes entropy and stuff just happen. Taking personal affront to a material purchase gone awry smacks of immaturity... in my experience.

That smacks of immaturity and someone who doesn't value the source of their income to me. What kind of retail employee gets miffed by an approach like that?

Dranrab - Perhaps in an older era, you would be correct. But modern retail has trained people to expect to get whatever they want when they want it. And as soon as they don’t get their way, or things don’t go as planned, or any issue occurs, they expect compensation.

As far as failing to value my source of income, nothing could be further from the truth. It is company loyalty which causes the weariness and frustration when the bottom line is perpetually hit by this sort of immature entitlement.

 

[Dranrab]

"But modern retail has trained people to expect to get whatever they want when they want it."

If modern retail is going to survive, in an online shopping world they should aspire to deliver just that. Especially when that retail outlet tells the customer they are going to give him what he wants when he wants it as a condition of placing the order. So the company has a decision to make. Either "make it right" and win a loyal customer, or don't "make it right" and lose the customer forever. Which is better for the bottom line?

 

[Dearhunter61]

Frankly, I've been surprised by how many people have been conditioned to "expect" a retailer to not deliver on what they say and except it as the way to do business and are perfectly fine with what I consider very poor service.

I'm in the service industry and if we screw up we do whatever is necessary to make things right for our customers. I have always been taught to under promise and over deliver and if we screw up rather than dismissing the customer and risk alienating him or creating a situation where they might take their business elsewhere we take care of our customer. We are trained to make raving fans! Sometimes this means a credit, sometimes it means free product, sometimes it is simply getting creative in helping them with the issue, perhaps it's a simple as recommending a different solution that will net them the result they are looking to achieve. The goal is to be proactive when something happens...if a delivery is going to be delayed we pick up the phone and let them know and if it's going to be really late not only do we let them know but we call and offer options for our customer in order to make sure they are satisfied. Always it's about them and not us. I've always been taught if you take care of your customers they will take care of you.

This has NOTHING to do with "entitlement"...frankly that was the dumbest comment I've read on here and shows just how little he understands business. It costs companies a heck of a lot more to attract "more/new" customers than it will ever cost them to simply take care of their current customers! I always want a good price but I've always been willing to pay a little more if the service given is extraordinary.

It also seems there are a lot of people that have extremely low standards when it comes to how businesses deal with them.

 

[Tallest]

Dranrab... Dearhunter61...

I’m starting to think we’re coming at this from different angles. I entirely agree with the ideology of what you’re saying, but my experience has produced a lot of dissonance with the ideal. “Take care of the customer and they’ll take care of you” requires mutual respect. And when that mutual respect is there you have really great business relationships. But a lot of the time it’s lacking... completely. You need look no further than youtube to see tutorials where people are teaching others how to get something for nothing from modern, big-box retailers by making a stink and being the customer from hell. That, to me, is an indicator that something is going awry in our culture. That kind of customer will never be good for the bottom line no matter how well you treat them.

I’ll be the first to admit that maybe I was wrong, though. My original post in this thread was in response to frustration, based on my own experience, as to the Cabelas bashing tone the thread had taken. Dearhunter, it seems you were able to reach a productive resolution with Cabelas, and that’s great for all concerned.

 

[CLYA]

On the way to Cabela's yesterday, I discussed this thread with my wife, who had been in retail for over 30 years. The words "what will you do, to make this right" immediately put her on the defensive. One item mentioned in a lot of those 30 years, is that the customer certainly, is not always right. Some will screw you over, and take advantage if they can.

Once back home, I read the first of the thread to her. It was then, "well, maybe, there's a point, to a degree".

Getting back to Cabela's, I went to check out muzzle loaders. Being one of the large Cabela's, they had a good stock of various black powder rifles for the hands on experience. Much better than internet pics, IMO. I personally prefer to see the gun I'm buying, before purchase. Who knows, what you'll get when ordering online. Always makes me wonder where all the internet returns go. I can at least inspect packaging at a brick & mortar, for tell tell signs of restock.

I prefer these stores to remain in business. I'm well aware that it cost more, than online sales, and I'm willing to pay more, to an extent. I have got some exceptional deals at Cabela's which I mentioned previously. Yesterday, it was bullets, powder, and primers. Just put them in the bag, no haz-mat fees, and all of that. The store was busy.

 

[RC20]

If it were not for Cabalas and Sportsman's, we would have no powder or bullet choices in town.

We would have virtually no reloading choices (supplies, parts, pieces etc) in town.

For the critics, you try to run a big operation with thousands of employees and see how you do?

Yes there are mistakes, sometimes outright screw ups. Its a touch business with Cabella up for sale, Sportsman's a swell?

Yep, the world changes. Adapt or not, your choice.

So far the only thing I have gotten beating my head against the "it ain't like it used to be wall" is a bloody forehead. After a while I figured out how not to make it hurt nearly so much.

And yes attitude means a lot. Courtesy goes a long ways.

Try to deal with the whinny public all day long. You may be the 32nd person they dealt with and the first 31 were jerks.