Salesman - Sales Associate Shoot Straight Employee Review

2.0
Apr 9, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

An average part-time job for someone with enthusiasm for the shooting sports. A job like this allows you to gain knowledge and handle many types of products you may only see at other stores or in magazines as a regular consumer. Has a good selection of firearms, accessories, and ammunition, and SOME employees I worked with actually cared about assisting customers above and beyond their initial requests. Often, this involved educating new gun owners about safety procedures, different firearm types, etc. It was good to see some employees cared about advancing the hobby and helping out people with less experience than they themselves had.

Cons

Where to begin....Ok, Keep in mind, I already had a year and a half's worth of working at and occasionally managing a small-scale firearms store in a different city in Florida. The training sessions we had to attend were no less than hook-line-and-sinker tactics for reeling in young twenties people who like firearms. However, two things pointed out by the regional manager stood out. 1) "We're not hardcore salesmen here. You may have been at your previous store, but we do things differently here." and 2) "Forget everything you learned about how things are done at your previous job. You will have to learn how we do things." While I can give merit to 'the 2nd statement, the first proved to be a flat-out lie. My first week of training with a "buddy" (a "more experienced" employee you shadow before being allowed on your own) involved HEAVY sales pushes on EVERY transaction; from NRA memberships, accessories, additional firearms, etc. This push for sales seemed more prevalent on new gun owners, and the interaction with these particular customers offered little education of basic firearms safety or anything of the sort. I placed "more experienced" in quotations because the guy who I was shadowing was incorrect more than once on certain firearm specifications and on taser carry laws in the state. I can forgive inexperienced employees and heavy sales pushes despite the sales pitch of the regional manager during training, but the unforgivable aspect of this establishment was the unsafe operation of its firing range. I witnessed employees not actively watching range surveillance, refusing to remove individuals who on more than one occasion placed all other customers at risk with improper and unsafe operation of their firearm, and failing to keep eyes on the range when their fellow employee was in the range area or even downrange fixing a target arm, etc. The unsafe operation of the firing range and lack of concern for employees' safety and health were the last straw in my stint with this business. I left for that very reason. I stop by this store every few months just to browse around and there seems to be a new crop of employees every time. Not even the managers are the same.

Explore other reviews about Shoot Straight

5.0
Nov 25, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good job, easy if you understand stuff quick

Cons

Lots of standing, hours are wonky

3.0
Jun 20, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fair pay, multitude of opportunities for further industry education, Good growth opportunities as the company prefers to promote from within, reasonable and predictable schedule, and ease of adjusting schedules to call out or swap shifts, additionally many of the customers especially regulars are simply a joy to work with.

Cons

Overall facility maintenance of employee areas and aging store fixtures, understaffing difficulties at times causing employees difficulty in getting to employee breaks, or other necessities based on which department they're stationed at that day. And interpersonal employee politics and favoritism can play a part in your day regularly.

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