gunsmith has my gun no responses

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I would agree that the refinishing takes time as previously stated about getting enough guns together to run a batch through.

Still should have communication though!

I'd be at his door tomorrow before he's had a chance to have coffee.

And the conversation would be, I've come for my gun, right now. I'll wait here for you to bring it to me now.
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I would not do that without having LE meet you and go with you to the house to retrieve your pistol. This makes for a bad scenario if things get out of hand. Just better safe than sorry!
 
I've read a lot of posts above defending the smith's behavior in this case - if the gunsmith is going to "batch up" all his refinishing jobs, causing a potentially extended waiting period, that needs to be communicated to the gun owner UP FRONT and not just used as an excuse when the gun owner comes a calling or a knocking.

Gunsmithing is a business, and just like any other business, customers deserve to be treated with respect and courtesy. As customers, we deserve the courtesy of communication and a realistic expectation of when the good or service will be ready. Why would you demand less customer service, and less courtesy and respect from a gunsmith than you would any other business you patronize?

I don't get it.
 
You don't get it because you aren't an older gent gunsmith who is not used to today's "I want everything I want and I want it NOW" crowd. I know a gunsmith who is 85, and he has been doing it since he was 5 at his dad's knee - email? nope, website? SERIOUSLY?, voice mail? What's that?

Yet he has a huge backlog because in our area he is well respected at being able to do the job right the first time out. Whether that might be the scenario here or not, I do not know - but from the sounds of things it MIGHT be.

Yes, customer service is key factor, and yes, he should be returning calls, etc. - but again, go in with a calm demeanor and determine the facts, before opening one's mouth and making a situation even worse
 
You don't get it because you aren't an older gent gunsmith who is not used to today's "I want everything I want and I want it NOW" crowd. I know a gunsmith who is 85, and he has been doing it since he was 5 at his dad's knee - email? nope, website? SERIOUSLY?, voice mail? What's that?

Yet he has a huge backlog because in our area he is well respected at being able to do the job right the first time out. Whether that might be the scenario here or not, I do not know - but from the sounds of things it MIGHT be.

Yes, customer service is key factor, and yes, he should be returning calls, etc. - but again, go in with a calm demeanor and determine the facts, before opening one's mouth and making a situation even worse
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I have no problem with ANY of that as long as the expectations are set quite clearly (preferably in writing) prior to accepting the firearm and/or payment. And it doesn't take a computer, a fax machine, or anything more advanced than a phone and a notepad to do this.

It makes no difference whether the guy I'm doing business with is 25 or 85 to me. I don't care that other customers think he walks on water. What matters to me is that I be informed as to what I can expect and when I can expect it.

I'll give you an example. Five years ago, I ordered a Randall knife. For those of you who don't know them, Randall is a small but highly regarded semi-custom knife manufacturer with a long backlog (5 years). When you place your order, assuming it's not a phone order, they call you back, confirm your order and make sure you understand not to expect your knife in tomorrow's mail! They charge a nominal deposit ($50) and send you a snail mail order confirmation which includes the expected date the knife will be built and delivered. At any point in the backlog period you can call them during business hours and they will advise you if anything has changed. 30 days before the knife is due to be shipped, they'll send you an invoice for the balance of the payment.

That is what I consider good customer service. And there's no reason a gunsmith can't operate in a similar fashion. If you're taking my money for a good or service, you're in business. If you're in business, you should behave like a business.
 
...I talked to him for about 2 hours...

Am I screwed?
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No, just impatient :cool:
He took 2 hours of his time just to talk with about refinishing one gun. That doesn't seem like bad customer service to me.

When you dropped the gun off did you convey any sense of urgency to get it back? Did you ask how long it would take? Did he volunteer how long it would be? As multiple people have pointed out refinishing takes time, when done right, and most smiths batch these kind of jobs. A month really is not that long.

Yes, he should be able to give you a status update via phone and/or email, but how long have you been calling? A week? There are such things as vacations, particularly during the summer.

I would suggest trying to contact him personally and politely for a while longer (2-4 weeks) before even thinking of going outside "the family" and getting courts or police involved.
 
I've known several people who have used "home based" gun smiths with varying degrees of gun owner satisfaction. One old codger really impressed my wife and I with his safe handling of firearms by continually pointing the muzzle (of what turned out to be a loaded weapon) at us while he inspected it. :eek:
 
My gunsmith is an older gentleman. He has a storefront but works there alone. He does not have any staff. So he is the book keeper, door greeter, billing department, janitor, maintenance man, as well as gunsmith. For the past six months, his answering machine was set to pick up after one ring. The message simply said, "I am sorry for not answering the phone. The extreme volume of calls is very much appreciated but also making it difficult to complete work. If I have your firearm and I have not yet called you, I am sorry but it simply is not yet finished. If you have questions for me, please leave a message and I will return your call as soon as possible." He once told me that he could turn guns around approximately a third faster if he didn't get three dozen calls per day from impatient people. Ironic isn't that?
I also agree that one month is not a reasonable timeframe for a refinish job. Stop by and check in but be polite. I doubt anything is amiss.
 
as promised

so after 6 weeks, I left 3 voicemails, 7 phonecalls, 3 emails he called me saying his machine was broken, his computer and phone were broken and to come get my gun. he said he couldn't work on it and needed a new compressor but to just take it back until his machine is fixed

so here they are! I'm so glad to have gotten it back.
he said he'd call me when his machine/compressor is fixed.

 
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