Gander Mountain

Reviews 3

SA

Sam Hollis

I have been to the Gander Mountain of Woodbridge two times and have had two very different experiences. My first experience was horrible and I would not have went back had it not been for my son-in-law. I feel that my second experience was good enough to redeem the store to a degree. My wife and I pulled a number to be helped and waited. I understand that the staff is busy, but after 45 minutes I noticed that the staff was not using the numbers. They were only helping people that were on the far side of the counter. Occasionally, the staff would walk partly down the counter, then help a customer that had been there less time than me. Not once did they call a number. My wife and I walked over to where the scopes were and were helped after about 10 more minutes. What is the point of having numbers if they are not used? I explained to the gentleman that helped us that we didnt have much experience with handguns and that it was for my wife to carry with her. The salesman (I wish I wrote down his name) started showing us 1911s. Please note that my wife is nearly 70 years old, petite, and very frail. My wife and I listened respectfully as the salesman told us that the 1911 was the most accurate, had the best stopping power, most reliable, easiest to handle, safest, and everything positive. I asked about other guns, but he would tell us why the 1911 was better and we didnt want this gun or that gun. I carried a 1911 in Vietnam as an Army rotary pilot during three tours from 1966 to 1972. I own my 1911. I know it is a good gun, but it also much too powerful and too large for my wife. My wife and I left disappointed and I told her we would never go back. A week later, my son-in-law came to stay with us and said they had some good sales at Gander Mountain. I told him about our experience and he said that he would help us pick out something. Reluctantly, we went back to Gander Mountain. This time the store wasnt so busy, but the staff still was not using the numbers. We were helped by a friendly young man, Bubba. (I wrote down names this time and the other 1911-salesman was not there, otherwise I would have got his name as well). He explained some features of different guns to us and he seemed very knowledgeable. We walked around the store for a while, then came back to the gun store and were helped by a young Asian woman named Joecil. She was very courteous and pleasant and full of smiles, something you rarely see in customer service anymore these days. She provided us with additional information that my wife found very useful from a females perspective. Trying not to be prejudice, we were surprised at how knowledgeable and accepting of guns Joecil was. One of the things that I was most impressed about was that Joecil recommended that my wife and I go to a gun range and rent guns to test them. I never knew that we could do that. Joecil recommended a few guns that we should try, so we dont look completely ignorant to the gun range staff. They were both very helpful. Also, before I left, Joecil thanked me for my service...something that is lost in our country. I wear a Vietnam Veteran hat, but I dont ask for appreciation. But it is heartwarming when someone recognizes the sacrifices that my family and me faced while serving our great nation. While leaving, my son-in-law was nodding his head. As Bubba and Joecil helped us, he ventured off and listened to the conversations of other salespeople. He is curator at the NRA museum and a gun fanatic with over a hundred guns, including machine guns and silencers. He said that many of the salespeople had little or no knowledge of their products and were giving bad information to customers and he said he had to bite his tongue to not call them out. I cant say that I will come back to Gander Mountain when I finally make my purchase. But if we do choose to go back to Gander Mountain to make our purchase, it will only be with Bubba or Joecil.

RA

Randall Bigham

My 1st and LAST experience with Gander Mountain in Woodbridge, VA took place today at approximately 1pm....all credit goes to David at the checkout counter. I recently relocated to the northern VA area and as an avid hunter and fisherman from Georgia, I decided to check out the closest outdoors store to me which happened to be Gander Mountain in Woodbridge. Upon my arrival to the store it was raining and I was on a motorcycle. When I entered I had both my back pack on and motorcycle helmet in hand. I was not asked to check my bag or have it searched upon entering, as was the case for my motorcycle helmet. Upon my exiting of the store, David at the cash register told me that he needed to search my bag. I gave him an awkward look because it kind of caught me off guard and I knew that he looked at me and decided that he should check my bag because to him I did not look like a person that hunts or fishes, and i looked like the type of person who would steal something. Upon giving David the awkward look, he began to try and explain his reasoning of having to search my bag saying that it was Gander Mountains policy. David went on to explain how he needed to make sure I didnt have anything in there (duh David). I asked David if the store had sensors, as I had seen them on the majority of items in the store, and David told me that some people had figured out ways to remove the sensors (duh David). I agreed to show David the inside of my bag and helmet. Not for Davids satisfaction, but for mine as if to say "NO David Im doing just fine and I dont need to steal from your store. David stated again that what he was doing was store policy, and I repeatedly responded "NO Its Not David". Ive worked retail before, and I know how this type of thing goes. If it was store policy then every woman would have their purse searched, as well as every diaper bag and man bag. Im hoping that Gander Mountain does not encourage these actions from there employees. Im highly dissapointed right now. I will be making the long drive to Bass Pro and Cabelas from now on.

AL

Alex Foster

IF ZERO WAS AN OPTION THIS WOULD BE A ZERO Went into this store on 12/9/2015 to get a bunch of stuff to finish processing my deer with. I found that the particular dehydrator and grinder I wanted were out of stock. After talking with an associate I was told 3 of each would be arriving Friday morning and to come back then. I asked if I could just buy the display models of both but was told no because they had more coming in Friday. I returned Friday 12/11/2015 around 10 am to get the stuff I was going to buy Weds. When I got to the back of the store I found that there were not any of the particular grinders I wanted on the shelf. After 45 mins and 3 different associates looking I was approached by a woman I believed was a manager of some sorts due not wearing a vest but still having an ear piece to communicate with the associates. She stated that the warehouse had sent the wrong grinders to them so she would sell me the #12 3/4 HP Stainless Steel one for the sale price of $104 which is the one I was looking for. It would be a difference of $200 which I assumed would not be an issue or she wouldnt have told me this. Needless to say I get up to the register and the manager gets involved to apply the discount. He refuses to honor what I was told and instead tells me I can buy the display model which I had previously been told no. If it had not been for me already waiting 3 days to get the stuff I needed I would have walked out of the store and just ordered it online. Once I got done in the store I called the corporate number to file a complaint. The lady I talked to seemed to not care at all and said she would forward it to the Inventory individuals in hopes that this didnt happen again. I understand that the grinders are night and day to each other but the fact that I was told they would do it and then went back on their word really irritates me. Then for corporate to act like didnt care at all was just icing on the cake. I WILL NOT SHOP THERE EVER AGAIN