Paintball Stores

[Aslan]

Maybe this is an isolated several incidents with an isolated couple stores...but it pisses me off so I'm gonna post it.

I can't remember the last time I went into a paintball store and got decent service. It seems like of the TWO stores I frequent, I usually get a punk kid who is completely disinterested in me. Either there is:
A) his friend/teammate in the store and they are messing with his gun.
B) lunch in the back and he's more interested in what is on his sandwich than watching the counter.
C) a cell phone call that he can't tear himself away from long enough to ask me what I need.

Here are three separate, more specific, examples:

1) I went in a local store and the guy was playing a cd loaded with curse words...and of course the gun that I had brought in 3 weeks ago for service had been looked at, but they neither did what I had requested nor actually fixed the gun...just replaced some valves and said it was good.
2) I have had two incidents, one at each of the local stores, where the person has actually laughed at me when I asked him a question. Apparently, newbs aren't welcome in paintball stores...so fair warning to newbs out there, go buy your gun at Wal-Mart...it may be junk and the person selling it to you probably won't know anything about paintball...but at least they won't make you feel like an idiot.
3) I, twice now, have waited two weeks for a part to come in. I have a gun that I'm fixing up to sell and have had to wait two weeks for one part then over a week now for another part. And, it's not because these parts are back-ordered...they have them in their other location...they just don't care and always "forget" to go get them.

Both of these stores are usually empty...maybe that makes the staff bored and less responsive. I used to feel bad for the stores that they weren't doing as well as I'd like (because I like to see stoers do well to keep the sport going)...but now I could care less and actually hope they go under. I've gotten better advice and better responsiveness online than I've gotten in these stores...and I'm sick of it. I go to one store because they are the only ones that will fill my old CO2 tanks (over 5 years old) and they fill HPA (discount sports stores usually just do CO2). But other than air fills...I look at paintball stores as pretty much useless.

[slade]

it probably is just isolated incidents. i love all the paintball stores around me, the people working there are really nice and friendly, and do help out noobs. the guy at my closest store even looked for an old pump kit he had which he was going to give to me for free (he didnt find it, but still). ehh, i practically played pump one game today anyway, when my cocker wouldnt recock...

[Target Practice]

When I was working in the local shop, I busted my hump to give good service. The only time I ignored a customer was when two teenage punks came in only to jerk me around. Little pricks.

Anyway, tsc and I always did our damnedest to keep the customers happy. We paid more attention than the owner did.

[WickeDKlowN]

The only nad experience I've had with a Paintball store was one time I called Extreme Rage to see if they had any Omega Body Rails left. The kid said they did, so we drove the hour and a half or whatever to get there and the kid pointed me to some sight rails.

My friend bought a Mag from the same store, and when he got home and tried it out it was leaking everywhere. He took it to another local shop and they went through it and it was missing a reg seat, had the wrong size PT spacer and a few other things.

Pro-Team Products was good to me the handfull of time that I went though.

[Jaan]

My friend has a store that started in 1994. His prices are good but mostly people go to him because of good customer service. He gives a 1 year warrenty on each gun for example, so if you buy a used gun from him you know he'll fix it free at the store in a day or two. I've seen him tell a newbie he would be better off renting for a while instead of buying a new gun, and I've seen those same people come back in in a year or two. I've also seen at least a dozen stores like you describe come and go ... and it'll be a good feeling when you see those stores close down too.

[gc82000]

There was a store like that here bacjk in the nineties. Owned and opperated by a bunch of posers. The type of ppl that moved witht he trends and did not care about their prior customers. They only were into PB for about a year before they moved on to opther things. Their field was even worse they never cut the grass and there was fire ants all over the bunkers. Plus if you could actually play they would not allow you to play with anyone but them and if you beat them they would say you are cheating and ask you to leave.

It was no wonder they were only in business for 2 years.

[Duzzy]

You know I had a very wonderful experience today at a store I went to visit.

The guy I talked to over the phone was very helpful in giving information and directions over the phone so I was thinking that my 2.5 hour drive wouldn't be a complete waste of time if nothing else.

First thing I noticed upon arriving. People playing on a speedball feild right next to the store with no referees watching. This doesn't bother me most of the time but there was a little kid so I wasn't too happy with it. I have noticed that some people like to shoot up little kids in an attempt to look like they have skill.

Next thing was that all the referees were smoking in the doorway of the store. If people want to smoke fine, but smoking where everyone has to deal with it is inconsiderate in my opinion.

Anyways, I went in and asked for an air fill and a Male QD Nipple. I spent almost 5 minutes telling him what I wanted and he still didn't quite get it. "Do you want a slide check?", "What are you using it for", "Oh, you then you don't want a slide check", and so on and so forth.

In the meantime I am getting my air tank filled. I have a NWPP QD on my Endo Cradle so I can take it off the marker without any hassle whatsoever. A ref walks in while my tank is being handed back to me and says to one of his friends, "What kind of brings in his tank and rail instead of just unscrewing the tank?"

I also had to wait for over 10 minutes for the guy to get my sale to go through on the cash register which wasn't that pleasant.

Anyways, end of my rant. My advice is not to patronize the store. Play at the feild but buy online. If I like a store I am more than willing to pay extra to help them out, but only if they make it worth my while by being helpful and courteous.

[Lord_Whoopass]

Where in Michigan do you live?
The PB stores I deal with are Precision Paintball in Marquette, MI and Mollys Paintball in Stevens Point, WI...

Rick (owner of Precision) fixes pretty much any marker, does cheap annodizing and has most everything in stock, what he doesnt have, he will get you in about 3 days... He always has great service and is easy to talk to...

Jake (owner of Mollys PB) is pretty much the same way...

I have seen some crappy pb stores in the past 3 years but most of them have went under because of it...

Hope you have some better luck...
Tyler

[Maggot6]

One place around me reminds me of your story, but everyone still seems to go there..,.,

[frontrunner]

the airball places around here will gladly help you if you are carring a highlevel gun but if not forget it. There is however a local shop (shop only) where i have dropped lots of money because the owner rocks he has the best prices around he is as low as some of the internet sites. and he we fix anything he can hes more for the rec ballers and thats what got me he was the first guy to beak out a book to look up a broken spyder part.

[Aslan]

stores

One place around me reminds me of your story, but everyone still seems to go there..,.,

Both stores I was talking about are close by. The next nearest store is over 35 miles away. The one store, is two blocks from my house...so it would be really nice if it wasn't such a cra$house. The second store is 45 minutes away, but only 10 miles from where I work. So, like I said...if I had an alternative...I'd try it. But in order to fill HPA...I gotta go to a paintball store. And since most of the big box sports discounter stores are more strict about filling old CO2 tanks...I also am forced to go where I can get those tanks filled...to get the most out of them before I have to replace them. But...if these stores want more than "air refill business", they better wake up...because people aren't going to pay 300% mark-ups on drop-forwards and 100% mark-ups on most everything else when they're getting treated like garbage.

[barrel break]

Ever been in a snowboard store? a windsurfing store? surfing? skateboarding? With the excption of windsurfing (mostly 30-50 year olds), that happens in all of them. Well, by and large, specialty sports stores flourish in the heyday of their sport, they are havens for their participants, places to bask in the glow of your favorite activity. They are normally, other than the site for you activity, the only place to go and talk to everyone who does it. Unfortunately, this leads to that sort of goofing around that you complain of. People treat it like their second home, but may not buy too much there.
Unfortunately This leads to a problem, as the sport becomes more mainstream, people are not drawn to that hardcore scene, the customer base dwindles, people become bitter, and the shop shudders to a halt. Look around, most specialty sports stores are only at the epicenters of the sport, they are gone. Enjoy it while you can, it is a fun ride.




*BTW* My family used to own a skate store, there were ramps in the back, the kids all hung out there. no more.

[Lohman446]

Going to the wrong stores - what side of the state are you on? What do you need might be able to dig them up somewhere here.

[Aslan]

Going to the wrong stores - what side of the state are you on?

SE

What do you need might be able to dig them up somewhere here.

It's not to that point yet. I understand that certain things are difficult to get...I've been looking for a Brute power tube forever...and try getting any type of upgrades for a Brass Eagle Raptor Silver Eagle. I understand that things sometimes get scarce. But when you go into a store and ask for a part...and they say they have it in their other store and will transfer it over...it would just be nice if they could do it without being "reminded" for two weeks. I could have ordered the parts online...I just thought that for common , inexpensive parts...I'd do the local stores a favor and give them some business other than just a tank refill. One of the supposed advantages to dealing with stores is they "can get stuff" because they either have it or have a good source. When I go in a store and they say, "we just mainly carry cocker parts"...I mean what's the point? Kids are going to go to your store...they are gonig to ask for parts and upgrades for their Spyders or Tippmanns or even Viewloaders. If you give them something in a way that doesn't make them feel worthless for not having a $1000 marker...maybe they will come back and get a $1000 marker when they are ready for that...and you still make money in the process...win win situation as far as I see it.

But thanks Lohman...I will keep you in mind.

[Crazy]

maybe mapquest it, but http://www.totalcontrol-pb.com/ is a great store. Andy(Owner) can fix any gun and is certified. He'll order you just about anything and is one of the easiest guys in the world to get along with. He's got the right business mentality when it comes to customers. check it out