A Tale of Two Tenda's

[4n2t0]

I want to start by saying that I absolutely love this place. I've been a customer ever since they opened. I recommend them to everyone. They usually have some of the best prices and in the past, when their shipping policy was better, I had almost everything delivered. Since the shipping policy has changed a little (no shipping of powder, oversized charges etc.), I've been compelled by cheapness to pick up items in-store. I visited them 2 out of the last 3 weekends.

Now here's the ugly...

I understand that the store gets very busy, but waiting for 45 minutes to pick up an item that has already been paid for and processed is completely unacceptable. The first visit was for a single 8 lber of powder. I stood, right in front of the checkout cash register, for 20 minutes before anyone even attempted to help me. They even checked out 2 other customers right in front of me! So I'm a little upset at the lack of service, but I thought, don't worry, it's just a one-time event. NOPE!

The next visit was to pick up a Henry lever. This time they had a line. Good. It took them 45 minutes to service 2 customers in front of me. Bad. Remember, these are all in-store pick-up customers. This time I was internally steaming, and I wasn't the only one. The girlfriend of the customer in front of me turns to him and says "maybe we should just go" and he replies "No !@#$% way I'm leaving now after waiting all this time". He, like many other customers in that line, was visibly and verbally upset.

After these last 2 visits, I'm less likely to buy anything that requires me to show up in-store. Unfortunately, that list of items grows every day with shipping charges the way they are these days. I can't for the life of me understand why there isn't an employee dedicated to in-store pick-ups. When there isn't a lineup for pick-ups, that employee could support regular operations.

So, what do you think? Am I being unreasonable? Or like the kids on Reddit say, r/AmItheA$shole?

[.30/06 FTW]

Customer service has never been Tenda’s strong suit.

[Can-down]

It sort of sounds like you stood there waiting for the girl to ask you to dance on the first visit..... second visit seems strange but what is even more strange is why you didn't get some answers to your question right then and there?

Did you at least express some displeasure about having to wait so long for a pickup?

Why did it take so long for the people in front of you?.... how long did it take them to give you your goods once you finally got served?

So many questions.....

I'm not surprised things are a bit goofy at Tenda, the few times I've had back and forth's with them via email there was a fairly obvious cultural difference when it comes to customer service.

[4n2t0]

It sort of sounds like you stood there waiting for the girl to ask you to dance on the first visit

Before or after I stated rather loudly, in front of everyone, "It's like I'm !@#$% invisible!"

what is even more strange is why you didn't get some answers to your question right then and there?

After waiting for 45 minutes, the last thing I was about to do was prolong the wait for the customers behind me while I argued to what would probably be no end.

Did you at least express some displeasure about having to wait so long for a pickup?

Not necessary. They, and everyone inside that store, could easily tell that everyone in that line was fuming.

Why did it take so long for the people in front of you?

They weren't being served. All the employees just focus their attention on walk-in customers who approach the counter. I would have walked away with my new lever in half the time if I had just bought it at the counter.

how long did it take them to give you your goods once you finally got served?

30 seconds.

So many questions.....

So many answers...

[Can-down]

OK, When you said there was "a line" I didn't realize there was a line and then there was everyone else just walking up to the counter and getting served ahead of the people in line.... you've got more patience then I do that's for sure!

Thanks for the answers.

Maybe you should ask Tenda here on their sub forum why they are so dysfunctional on the pick up side?

[thegazelle]

I was there twice this week to pick up ammo, one time that I pre-paid, the other buying more of the same. One of the times I took my daughter with me since she needed me to drive her somewhere that I was not expecting, so I told her to come with me to Tenda to pickup my items before we proceeded to drop her off. When we got there, it was busy...lots of people trying out stuff, people picking up. As usual there doesn't seem to be a semblance of order, so you never know who is being served and who is not. It would probably be good to have a separate part of the counter with a sign for pickups, so people can line up there, and the staff knows that those should be generally a quick in and out (not people looking to check out firearms, etc.).

Now, at these places I tend to be a bit of an assertive type so if I don't feel anyone is serving me I'll start walking up to anyone who is NOT at present talking to a customer (I never interrupt two people talking or someone who is clearly being served), but if it's a guy who just talked with a customer and is walking to another part of the counter (ie. picking up ammo) or going into the back, I'll say a quick "excuse me" and ask "who I go to in order to pick up my item?". In my mind, this does two things: 1. it tells them someone is waiting for pickup and 2. it forces a response one way or another. Even if someone is busy they'll say "will be with you in a moment" (and they come back after being done with another customer) or "hey Fred, can you help this guy?" Now, should I have to do this? Maybe, maybe not. Some people will feel the customer should not have to ask for help, but the store should be both cognizant and aware of customers waiting. Unfortunately as we all know that is ideal but it's not the way it always works.

The pickup for pre-paid was easy - the guy took my name and order number, went to the back, and got my ammo, recorded it all in the ledger and I was off.

When I went back a day later to get more, it was less busy but still lots of foot traffic. I ended up getting a fellow who my daughter told me afterwards is "clearly is not enthused about his job" - when I mentioned that I looking for a certain caliber of ammo and a certain brand and even told him the price, he went to his computer and started punching things in. He then asked me what it was again, to which I took a deep breath and repeated it again - make, caliber, quantity, price and even what the box looks like. He was clearly cycling through a catalog and started asking me "is it this?" I said "is it (dollar figure)"? He eventually found it and he punched it and and rang me through. Maybe it was his first day on the job but definitely his persona was not screaming customer service.

All that said, I have to look at Tenda as a whole. I have spent close to six figures there over the years, and while there is the rare hiccup, the overwhelming amount of my experience in store and online (buying to pickup) has been positive. Their prices are generally pretty competitive, if not the lowest as a whole for many products, and they carry stuff which I have not found in any other store. I think they can probably benefit from having an improved fulfilment process, starting with designating a certain section and maybe an employee to man pre-paid pickups. I would also say that even if a store is busy, communication and customer focus and cognizance is key. I don't even have an issue with the whole old fashioned idea of issuing numbered tickets and serving customers in order, if it has to come to that. Just like waiters and waitresses in restaurants, you can put two people in the exact same stressful / disaster situation, and based on their people skills, communication and level setting expectations, create a much different customer experience.

If there was a clear lineup there at the time, then definitely Tenda dropped the ball on this one. They may need to get different employees who can problem solve better or at the very least keep communicating in a busy environment.

I think it may also be of benefit to discuss this with the owners (Steve and Wellin, I think are their names - husband and wife duo - at least that's what I remember). Coming from a long standing customer and as long as long as the concerns are communicated constructively, it may just prompt them to change the way they do things to improve the end customer experience.

I have to go in tomorrow to get some more ammo (the same stuff I picked up earlier this week - yes, I am pretty indecisive how much I want of it) - will see how it goes tomorrow on a Saturday.

[Can-down]

If I was in line for 45 minutes looking at a customer service cluster f u c k scenario ,I'd be tempted to pull out my cell phone and call the store to get some answers...... probably after 15 minutes of careful observation.

[Midnight Rider]

Sounds like the store was running a bit short on staff which is pretty common in retail these days with what seems to be a Canada wide labour shortage . Who knows , maybe people called in sick , maybe just can't find honest employees who want to work . I guess the only real option is to take your business elsewhere if it really bothers you ; but staff shortages seem to be everywhere these days in retail , and with all the red tape associated with firearm sales these days , it probably slows the check out process down even further .

[45C]

Well they already had your money, so why let all those new customers go

[4n2t0]

As I highlighted in my opening paragraph, I like this place. I really do. If their shipping policy had never changed (no fault of theirs, shipping's gotten stupidly expensive), I wouldn't have ever known what a disaster the in-store experience has become. I remember visiting their previous smaller location several times. Never once did I have a bad experience.

I knew what would happen when I wrote this thread. I thought about it for a week before posting. I accept that I'm opening myself up to criticism. Like in any relationship, it's only good when it's good. When it's bad, it's time to have a conversation, lol.

Oh well, you live and learn.