Kinsey's Outdoors Mount Joy Pa

**scootertrash711** · June 17th, 2009, 09:59 AM

Hey there, This is kind of long but it needs to be said.
I'm not the type of person to complain about things but when something is really wrong I'll call it out.

I had gone into Kinsey's a bunch of times in the last two yrs of living in the area. I have purchased firearms from them in those 2 yrs.

Twice I went into the store and spoke to the same person, I'll just call him Bode. I went in to see the New ruger LCP when it just came out. He had told me that he had purchased one and he liked it. Then he tried to sell me on a model that was cheaper and only wanted to show me that model. "For the price diffrance your better off going with the cheaper model." Coming from a guy that just told me he had one and he likes it why would you try and down sell the purchase and down sell your shop.

I then went in yesterday to get the LCP. After waiting for 45min. at the counter with two guys working it, Bode came to help again. I asked to see the LCP and he pulled it out. I got to hold it and feel it in my ex large hands. He told me that he got his back in March when they first came out and then again tried to down sell to a diffrent gun. He took the Kel Tec out of the Case took the LCP from my hand and gave me the Kel Tec. Then He walked away to speak to another customer on the other end of the counter.The gun and the keys to the counter cabinets were left on top of the counter. The man walked away leaving all of this open and a gun in my hand. 10min. later the other guy working walked past and saw that I had the Kel tec and asked if I needed anything. I told him no and gave him the gun back and walked out.

Before moving to Pa. I was a General Manager of a high end american made motorcycle dealership out in Chicago. If I heard a salesmen in any department at the dealership down sell a product, for the wrong reasons We would be having a talk. Then to leave a gun and keys to the place just sitting there is crazy. I know people will not agree with what I'm saying right now but you had to be there to get the feeling.

I just didn't understand the whole thought process. I then want down the road (about a half mile) and purchased it from TROP with no problem. It was even $20 cheaper.

I just wanted to inform and rant about this. You can do what you like with the info.

Thanks PAFOA

**mak47** · June 23rd, 2009, 03:29 AM

I've been a regular at Kinseys for a while now and regularly work with Ben Bode.

I can tell you for sure, that if he's trying to downsell you, he's got a reason for it. I'll be the first to admit that it can be tough to swallow a salesman pushing something cheaper, but I've worked with him enough to know that he knows his stuff.

I've known a few people now who have waited and waited and finally got their Ruger LCP's...then sold them or traded them in quickly thereafter. I had another dealer tell me that there has been a problem with the frames cracking. I've never spoken with Ben about the LCP because it just isn't something I'd have an interest in, but my guess is he was trying to steer you to something that would be more satisfying in the long run.

He's opinionated, and I know him pretty well so he doesn't hold them back with me. But if you're a new customer, or someone he just doesn't know all that well I'm sure he was just trying to steer you away from a product that he thought would prove to be disappointing without outwardly bashing it.

Unfortunately Kinsey's prices have skyrocketed far beyond those of other shops in the last couple of months, so I haven't been able to buy anything there, but Ben Bode is in my experience one of the most knowledgable gun sellers working in our area right now.

**M70B1** · September 11th, 2010, 12:03 AM

Scooter,

Please forgive the lateness of my reply. I regret that you didn't have a good experience dealing with me. What I want is for all of my customers, whether they're my personal friends or complete strangers, to be satisfied with the firearms they purchase from me.

What a customer wants in terms of size, weight, performance and price are the determining factors in what firearms I advise them to purchase. If I think one particular make or model is going to suit your needs or budget, I will show you that firearm. I always want people to see all their options before they make a decision. This is to ensure that you won't later regret your purchase if you discover you could've had something comparable that might be more to your liking.

If you feel that I was pushing you to buy a gun you were not interested in, I apologize. As the other gentleman stated, there is always a reason I advise someone to purchase a particular gun.

Why would a salesman try to "undersell" a customer? There are two primary reasons I do that at times, and they're very simple.

1. You being happy with the gun you buy is my foremost concern. I take personal pride in what I do and I want you to be completely satisfied with the firearm you purchased as well as your interaction with me.

2. My honesty and sound advice will make you a regular customer.

I will NEVER try to sell a firearm (or any other merchandise) to a customer simply to make the company more money. Customer satisfaction and repeat business are preferable to making a fast buck, both ethically and financially.

If I think you're going to be happier with one firearm over another, I'm going to try to sell it to you. For example, if someone comes in to buy a Taurus PT 24/7 as a carry pistol, you'd better believe I'm going to try to sell them a Springfield XD, Beretta PX4 or any number of alternatives. Why? The fact that those alternatives are more expensive than the Taurus might be a plus, but that's not even part of the equation. I don't want to send them off with a gun that has to be returned to the factory in 3 weeks for repairs. (On that note, our shop has shipped back over 20 Taurus handguns this year alone for repairs.)

In terms of how long you waited, if you did indeed wait anywhere close to as long as you claim you did, I apologize. I try my best to manage numerous customers and transactions to deal with at once while usually having few staff members available for assistance. Admittedly, I have a short attention span and am often side-tracked with several people wanting different things at the same time.

We generally keep a close eye on the pistols we get out of the case. Aside from that, you are on camera almost everywhere you go in our store. While I certainly believe you got the impression you were on your own, I feel I can safely say that someone had an eye on you while a pistol was out of the case.

If you ever feel that you're ignored or aren't being listened to, I encourage you to bring it up. All I ask is that you do so in a reasonably polite manner. Whether you feel the need to speak to me or a manager (which I am not), we do want to know if you feel you have not been treated fairly and the reasons why.

I think that overall there may have been some misunderstandings, and I certainly hope that you don't harbor any bad feelings toward myself or the store. Have a good weekend, man.

-Ben Bode-

**bripro** · September 14th, 2010, 10:09 PM

In my experiences there, the salesmen were always courteous and professional. Unfortunately for them, any gun I have ever priced there can be found cheaper on the other side of 283 where I can also find my favorite salesman from Kinseys past. If they werent open on Sunday Im not sure if I would ever stop in since Im not much into archery.