These guys used the be the first and last place I went for optics! They were ALWAYS professional and helpful in addition to having very good prices. The personel were very knowledgable and seemed to want to make sure you got exactly what you needed. Unfortunately since they've expanded prices have gone up and the people are to say the least petty and rude. The last time I was there I inquired about a new sight they had on their website which the guy helping me said they didn't carry because it was lousy quality. So I inquired about another sight they had in the glass case and when he walked away he mumbled something about how bad the quality the second sight I inquired about was. Ugh! The guy frankly was a jerk. Why in the world would they carry something or advertise something that is a lousy product? I certainly understand that most often you get what you pay for and that products that cost less, tasco vs zeiss, isn't going to perform as well as more expensive optics. Given that, there simply isn't any reason for the lousy attitude and service. No longer are they the first or even second place I shop for optics.

Mel

Sorry to hear that.

Skylar isn't going to like learning about this. He's always who I deal with, on the phone, and has always done a bang-up job.

I have been in several times. I am not one to interact much with the folks working there - as I mainly just go in there to buy something specific or just look around. I have bought several guns there over the past year and have had no issues.

So I have had a fair amount of "observation time". My general impression is not all that great. Pretty nonchalant service overall, sometimes I have witnessed what the OP relates with other customers, etc. Just a general feeling of service ranging from nonchalant to downright dismissive. One gets the idea that the help there is borderline lazy and there is an air of condescension that emanates from them. Not every time or every person there every time, but that's the overall impression I get.

There are pretty obviously "buddies" and/or known customers that the workers are very friendly to/go out of their way to help. To me, that just highlights the lackluster service that others receive.

As most will attest, this atmosphere is unfortunately common at many gun and archery shops. Probably the norm more than the exception. I am not saying that SWFA is overtly unfriendly (I have seen shops that fit in that category too).

But I am always mystified that owners/managers don't drill into their reps' heads that a genuinely friendly demeanor and willingness to relate to customers will sell a lot of merchandise.

Or a service. I've had customers come back a second time, as well as have referred me to their friends. I'm nice, I'm reassuring, and I make it fun. Customer service is of top importance. If I didn't operate the way I do, I'd get lots of bad press and eventually have no more customers. Of course it's easier for me. I don't have any employees to have to wrangle. One employee can make a customer have a bad attitude toward an otherwise good business.

That part that gets me with them is that they dont have a live inventory or didnt last time I asked. I can walk into the store ask for a item that shows in stock, they go over to their system and say we dont have any of those currently. Yet I can buy one online only to be told after the fact that its back ordered. That is a big reason I look else where most of the time.

Last few times I've tried to deal with them I've gone elsewhere. Paid more maybe but got better service. I don't know everything about scopes so I'm usually full of questions. If they don't want to take the time I need to make a purchase there are 100's of other people that will.

Swfa is over rated by a long shot, crappy customer service

I just dealt with Skylar and SWFA last week. Traded in my SWFA 16x42 for an SWFA 3-15x42. He was helpful and answered probably a half dozen questions I had via PM. After I got the trade-in offer online, I drove down to the store to do the physical trade-in and the employee at the store was busy with another customer for about 5-10 minutes. I could tell he was answering a bunch of questions the guy had about several different scopes, and as soon as he had a chance to come help me out, he rushed over and apologized for the wait. He was friendly and helped me find a couple of accessories, and frankly, I was very impressed with the quality of employees that Skylar had hired and trained. I even took the time to PM him afterwards and let him know about my good experience.

Sorry to hear that yours wasn't the same, but I don't think that your issues are a company-wide problem. Maybe one bad employee?

I have never dealt with SWFA, but this is how a lot of smaller businesses operate. For example, a good buddy of mine has a motorcycle/atv parts business who sells thousands of parts every day. They are primarily an online sales business, but have a small storefront. They do keep a few things in stock, but those items cost them money to keep on the shelf. To keep costs low, they either drop ship straight from manufacturers or have it shipped to their shop, then ship them out. It keeps their overhead costs low so they don't have millions of dollars worth of inventory to keep up with/pay for.

Dealt with them multiple times with no issues. I always go through Skylar.

Sounds like most of the LGS I've ever been in, sadly.

I think a couple of you are attributing great service from SWFA to a single person, Skyler. I have no doubt that if I dealt with Skyler I'd get good service but I don't know Skyler and my experience when I go to the store or call in has been very poor.

Frankly it's been worse than poor. It's been very disrespectful and condescending. Based on others comments above my experience has been shared by others. This is not a recipe for success....I now think of them in the same way I do Cheaper Than Dirt.

LGS ???

Local Gnife Store

And when I asked for skylar I was interrogated. The person said unless skylar could tell me what I wanted to ask him he would not put him on

I agree 100%
If skylar wasn't there as a buffer no telling how bad it would be. Customer service and prices can easily be beat.

I am not in the DFW area so I have only dealt with Skylar via emails. Huge difference as he's always provided great prompt service and competitive prices. Sorry to hear he has an employee or two that need pink slips.

SWFA lost my business several years ago. I called the store and asked the person to verify that they had 4 higher end scopes in stock so I could visually compare them in person. He put me on hold,and then told me they had all of them in stock. I drove 50+ miles to SWFA's store only to find out that they had just 1 of the scopes that I was interested in buying in stock.

They will never get a dime of my money,I've got better places to buy optics from.

Well, this is not what I wanted to hear. I am looking to buy right now and was going to use SWFA. Looks like I may need to back off until this clears. I have always heard Skyler is the man to talk to from both THF and TFF but he isn't going to know me so that sucks.

Great customer service is not hard. Just be friendly, establish a rapport with the customer, and go from there.

Anyone can be trained to do it. If the customer wants to be left alone - leave them alone. If they want assistance, just ask a couple more questions to get a feel for the level of assistance they need - and go from there.

If you don't know, you admit it, and find someone who does. These guys who think they have all the answers without really even knowing the question run off more business than they bring in. Most of the time they are young, but not always.

I dealt with them at the TTH show in Houston one time. Last time. This was a couple of years ago, when I was contemplating switching all of my scopes over to mils from MOA. The guy I ended up with was a complete jackass. I was there to buy and apparently he didnt have time for questions. Wait. Aren't you here to sell?

The times I've dealt with skylar have been fine every other time not so much.

Here's my thought. These days you need to be an informed customer. Don't expect a LGS employee making $7/hr to answer all your questions when they have probably never used the gun, scope, or optic you're interested in. The internet has a wealth of knowledge and will have better information than any LGS employee. Do your due diligence and know what you're buying before you walk in or call in. The only thing you should be calling, visiting, or emailing them for is in-stock status and to place an order. That's how I treat all my LGS purchases and it's never let me down.

Personally, I've never been let down by SWFA. I've dealt with them over email, PM, phone, and in person over the years. Maybe their CS has gone downhill since I last dealt with them (2 months ago, although it was Skylar that placed my order) but only times I contact them is for in-stock status and to purchase. I don't want/need their information, advice, or 2cents because I've already done my homework by the time I'm reaching out to them.

I agree with the top half. But swfa should not put themselves in positions where they take from customers. They should not tell customers things that are not true. They should not make it difficult to shop.

Doug at camera land has been great. buy when I call and he is not there, I still get good service. It's almost as if it doesn't matter who I talk to

I certainly didn't "ask" for advice when I was there last so when I asked if they had the sight I was looking for in the back that they advertised online I was told, rudely I might add, that they didn't have it and that they didn't carry lousy product in store and I then requested to see something they had in the glass case, the guy made disparaging remarks about that product as well. This was absolutely the poorest customer service I've seen in quite a while.

Frankly, SWFA presents themselves as EXPERTS where optics are concerned and if they are going to present themselves as such they should be experts. And they should be able to present information upon request with consideration, expertise and CLASS! There's absolutely no reason to be a jerk to customers. Frankly you have a very LOW standard to which you hold people. Perhaps that's why they behave the way they do...because people like you are ok with poor service..it sounds like you go in expecting poor service and are ok with receiving it... Also I noticed you mentioned Skyler...as has been stated he does seem to provide good service, at least to those he knows. I've never had any dealings with him but from what I've read he does a good job. If he is part of the ownership/management of this store perhaps he needs to teach the others to more effectively handle their customers because he is the only one from that organization that seems to treat customers as they should be treated. And it definitely seems that once they expanded they have become much worse at customer service.