Does the Salesman Get a Commission?

[Shotgun Man]

At most gun shops, does the sales person get a commission? I ask because I find I go to a gun shop and look, compare, and handle the guns, and then leave, saying I'm not ready to buy.

Then I go home research, mull it over and return. Invariably I get another sales person.

I'm just thinking if they're getting paid commissions, I might ask for the prior person who was helping me.

[Noobert]

probably, i think all salesmen get some sort of cut in it

[SimpleCountryActuary]

probably, i think all salesmen get some sort of cut in it

Not all. I asked at Retting and the answer was no. On a previous visit one guy had helped me a lot. On a subsequent visit I was ready to buy but at Retting you grab the first open guy or you have a long wait (No, let me rephrase, you have a long wait and you make sure to grab the first available guy or it's time to shave again), and I asked about commissions because, as I said, another guy had helped before and salespeople have to make a living. They laughed about it. Nope. No commissions. Probably just the way Retting does business.

The old guy (Retting) helped me out with a couple of bayonets and a sling. Knows his stuff. Gave me a lesson on bayonets and how to care for the sling.

That's what's great about gun folk, like the guys on Calguns, they share what they know and everyone is the better.

That said, let's avoid too much togetherness.

[blackhawk411]

Not Turner's.

[dfens]

Hell no at most shops.

At the shop I worked at for a tiny bit are wages were already factored in without the commission, so no additional commission would be added.

Would be a great incentive to sale more, but would be a pain if buying a gun was like going to buy a car with sales people jumping all over you. Willing to sale you anything to make a extra buck at your expense.

Then the whole debate if one sales person gets the whole thing or is it split. What person gets to approach the customer. You're just asking for a headache.

Plus all the extra taxes means more paperwork that's no fun.

[antiocharmory]

Not at our store. I do get the impression that some customers believe this is the case. Sometimes I notice customers come into the store and want to talk to a certain sales rep because they are the original person they talked to when they first came into the store and that's who helped them in the decision making process. So when you go up to that customer to try and help them, they say I'm waiting for this person. What's funny is that they end up waiting for a few minutes and the sales rep they were waiting for tells the customer that they can talk to anyone about writing up a weapon. But sometimes the customer is just more comfortable doing business with the certain salesperson they had originally talked to. In this case, you can't really blame the person because they already have that comfort level with that person.

[barrykay]

Yes and No

I know of one store in the Bay Area that did pay spiffs and bonus to there salespeople. There where two people there that where in the $65K to $75K year after year. That store had a huge volume. They are however no longer in the firearms business.

[Tillers_Rule]

SoCalGuns and Turners, no they do not.

[randy]

Not at Oaktree. The sales people will spend as much time with you as you need or want.

[Soldier415]

At Bullseye staff is not on commission. We have found that it goes a long way to ensuring the customer gets the weapon he or she is looking for, not the one the sales staff wants them to buy.

We try to hire for the sales counter only people who love guns, love talking about guns, and genuinely enjoy working with a broad range of people.

For me, the incentive is not making a commission, the incentive is seeing someone, whether it be a new shooter or a collecter get the firearm that is right for them.

[ilbob]

I know a gun store where a few of the "employees" receive no pay at all. The deal is they get discounts on guns and ammo. Pretty good discounts, but no pay. Maybe not legal, but it seems to work for all concerned.

[Raja]

Not Turner's.

is that because they don't have any to sell?

[D53]

I have asked at my favorite local shop River City Gun Exchange and I was told no, they dont make commision.