FSC cards

[acespawnshop]

Due to the recent surge in firearm purchases I have came across a new problem. Let me give you my POV here. I am PAWN SHOP first and firearms dealer second. We are making decent money now on guns but I know that wont last and here our pawn customers have always had priority over transfers.

That being said we schedule throughout the day to space apart our gun transfers so:
1. nobody has to wait
2. we don't get 12 people at once show up to DROS
3. We can schedule employees better
4. We have time for designated lunches
5 Adequate time to log new guns in during business hours so we dont stay late
6. So we can always have somebody available to help non-firearm customers.
Just to name a few reasons why we operate the way we do.

Now here is my latest problem. It appears that people are coming here to just drop in for an FSC card so they can go elsewhere and buy something from a bigger retailer who is busy and it takes too long there to do their FSC.

Since I schedule ALL my gun transfers and we ask before hand if they have FSC cards or exemptions we give extra time to those who will need one. I have been telling people if you just want an FSC so you can have one should you decide to purchase in the future I don't have time to deal with it. If you buy a firearm from here or you need one to transfer here no problem we will get you set up for one. Is there anything that says as an FSC instructor I have to do an FSC for anyone who wants one? I honestly just don't have time to mess with those who want to save time from not getting one at bass pro or turners.

Am I making to big of an issue here over this? What do you guys do? If I wasn't busy and had the time I wouldn't be complaining about this, but currently I just don't have time to babysit an FSC card if thats all they're doing. Thoughts if Im being meanie let me know, but I just dont feel like I should have to do these so Bass or Turners can sell one of their guns easier.

[ASD1]

"Is there anything that says as an FSC instructor I have to do an FSC for anyone who wants one?"

NO

Most if not All the shops in the San Francisco bay area have the "no buy no card" policy.

Their seems to be a huge demand just before a local gun show because the lines are "to long to get it at the show" or "the table top I am using wants me to get the card before I come in because they do not have time to do them"

[acespawnshop]

Most if not All the shops in the San Francisco bay area have the "no buy no card" policy.

"

Wait, there's still gun shops in the SF bay area?

[kemasa]

You might schedule the tests and see about outsourcing the tests.

[dk94044]

Right to refuse any customer is legal, but bad customer service. Not that you care, but they probably will give you a bad Yelp review, I would post a sign or in your pawn store ad mentioning this, so as you don't waste either of your time after they come in.

[acespawnshop]

Our biggest issue here is scheduling and time management. I had somebody call today and ask if they can come do one and we allotted a spot for them. Its just a temporary problem that I imagine will go away at the end of the year. Im on the fence here and that's why I took it to calguns to get answers to what everyone else is doing. It was just odd that I had two in the same day tell me they want to buy something at turners but don't want to get their FSC's there. It was almost like "why don't you just buy it from me instead and then Ill do your FSC"

AND as for signage, how about this one that's been up for over a year. "want to purchase one of our guns but need an FSC, buy one of our inventory guns and get $10 off your FSC"

[Zorba]

Right to refuse any customer is legal, but bad customer service. Not that you care, but they probably will give you a bad Yelp review, I would post a sign or in your pawn store ad mentioning this, so as you don't waste either of your time after they come in.

Three points:

1) You are correct, bad customer service.
2) Who gives a darn about Yelp? As far as I'm concerned, they stopped being relevant (if they ever were?) long ago.
3) People don't read, you could put up a flashing neon sign saying "we don't do FSC" and 3/4ers of the people wouldn't see it.

[Fizz]

How much overhead is it to give someone a bubble form and test and whatever filing is necessary?

I would just make a score guide by hole punching the correct answers on a blank sheet. Place the sheet over the customer's response and look for the locations that don't show through (wrong).

I'm not an FFL but it doesn't seem to me like the FSC is a massive undertaking. You also have people coming into your store who otherwise wouldn't have. You're getting some real cheap advertising and a chance to showcase LGS service. If not for the immediate transaction some point in the future potential.

You're also being presented with an opportunity to steal business from a competitor if you have what they want or better.

I would look at what your current advertising costs to get 1 person in the store vs whatever losses you estimate the FSC without purchase to be and make a business decision.

[acespawnshop]

I hear your points Fizz and I agree. Its not the time to grade the test. Its getting them set up in our system, getting their ID and inputting it into the states computer system, observing them while they take it was we are supposed to do. Dealing with the many many many charges on my credit card that continuously gets shut off for CC fraud because I ran tons of small charges on my card and I have to deal with the bank. Its all that and the shop talk that goes on takes time when I have people waiting for us who actually scheduled an appointment to come down here and do their transfer. That's what it takes away from. I just got really irritated when I was asked to do all this so another shop can make their sale easier. I don't want to turn people away for stupid stuff like an FSC card. IDK I'm still on the fence on these things.

[kemasa]

The biggest issue is watching the person take the test as you can't get around that.

Do you have space in which a FSC instructor could come in and give a test? Then you don't have to worry about anything other than a small space and finding an instructor who wants to make some money.

[acespawnshop]

Space? Not really it would be an issue with internet access. Since we only have two shop computers can access the internet. Its not that we do a ton of FSC Cards here its that when we do they're for customers who are starting their DROS's. We have never had issues of people coming in just for an FSC until recently. And like I said earlier somebody called today and we told them sure just set an appointment for it so we can schedule it up. Some days there is only 1 guy here who is an FSC instructor. So he has to handle ALL the stuff that comes in that day. See its not so much an issue of how to get one to just one person its that we have lots to do and it grinded my gears when I was told it was so somebody else could sell them a gun? It would be like me going to bass pro and handling all the guns just so I could see what I wanted to order myself and then using my FFL to get it cheaper.

[kemasa]

I get what the issue is. In the past with limited HSC cards, people could not get them unless they bought a firearm and some FFLs could not get additional cards, which presented a problem.

A FSC could bring in their own computer and either use wifi or a broadband wireless device.

Look to see how you can solve the problem in a way which everyone wins. I know around me there are FSC instructors who are not FFLs. They did it to make money and help people. Find someone who can issue the FSC for you, either at your location or close to you.

[Garv]

I assume you do not have the inventory to equal a place like Turners.
If you do, offer to match price?

If you do not have it, at least they leave with a good impression for next time.

[acespawnshop]

Of course we don't. If we can get it for them I've always offered to order it up.