# Ignorance and Entitlement.



## Mo Mo (Sep 16, 2016)

I an writing this post in the "Gear" section because my post directly correlates to hunting gear and there is a lesson to be learned here.

I work in a customer service based operation at a manufacturing company who is in the hunting community. And with that, I deal with the public on many occasions, both directly and indirectly where they ask for help. I wish I could say that I never deal with angry customers or people you just can't please. Unfortunately, this is not the world we live in. The world we live in is full of ignorance and entitlement.

Some comments I have heard from the public state that it is the products fault that they missed their deer or whatever the quarry may be. This is a very generic statement and in most instances, products are falsely accused of being the proprietor of a bad hunt. We have all been there, on a hunt, you take a shot and a miss. It happens. Weather it be "buck fever" or any number of variables, it is always someone or somethings fault, other than the hunter when dealing with customers.

Some customers feel that they are entitled to a brand new item because of the above described hunt failure. This is even after the product has been checked and verified to work correctly, or was able to be repaired if an issue was present. These customers fall into the category of people you just can please. No matter how hard you try, there is no reasoning with this type of person.

What has this world come to? People are blaming in-animate objects for failed hunts and feel like they are entitled to new product because they feel that the product they have is no good.

Through phone conversations, I ask tons of questions to try to find the source of the issue. Sometimes this leads to a confrontation. But I explain that even though the problem may not be applicable to the products I service, I would not be doing my job correctly if I did not try to help my customers figure out the issue and a possible solution, even if the issue isn't our product.

You would be surprised to know how many people get caught in lies. Changing of stories like "I bumped my item on a tree" and then it changes to " I dropped my item". Yet the customer still proclaims that it is the products fault for a failed hunt. "My item isn't working correctly, and it cost me my hunt". My reply and question is, "Did you verify that your item was working correctly before you went on the hunt?" Ahh....there it is. You would be surprised how many customers come clean and say that they had not. That is one lesson to be learned by all. You can have the finest gear to hunt with, but if you don't verify that it is proper working order, it's not ging to do you a bit of good in the field.

Now there is another type of customer that fits into the failed hunt category and somewhat falls in line with the above. These are the customers who have been hunting their whole life, are Harvard grads and tell you about all of their life's accomplishments. And for all of those wonderful brain cells they have, they are missing the one that processes the ability to read the instructions that come with the item so that they can understand how the product works. I have heard that assumption is the mother of all f*ckups. I would have to agree. Why would someone not take the time to completely understand how their product works before going into the field?

So now we have ignorant and unknowledgable customer's who feel that it's still the product's fault for their shortcomings. And manufacturers bare the brunt of this stupidity on a daily basis. Some food for thought, a person doesn't understand how to use their product or didn't verify that it's working correctly before going on a hunt, and we have to share the field with them. hat makes me feel safe, not.

And now we have the last group that is so wonderful to deal with. The entitled customer who feels that everyone needs to bow down to their wants and needs. This person is most likely the type of person who never received the proper a$$ beating in life to bring them back to reality and understand that it's not all about them. This is the type of person who might damage their product or not understand how to use their product, but feels like they are entitled to brand new product. Or their product truly has an issue that can easily be fixed, but a new product is demanded from the start. Like stated before, these customers are not easy to please and truly make work a punch in the dong. Again, it is the customer's shortcomings that have brought them to this point and they are blinded by their inability to function properly in society like normal people.

The lessons that should be learned from this post are:

1: Check your gear, it's not the gear's fault for a failed hunt if you don't verify function. It's no one's fault but your own if you fail your hunt because of a gear issue.

2: Understand how to use your product and read the literature that is provided. Practice with your product so that when it is time to use your product for your hunt, you will already know the outcome of using your product.

3: Customer service people are more than willing to help you. The old saying goes, treat someone how you would like to be treated. This is a saying anyone should remember when dealing with customer service at any business. The more respectful you are to a customer service person, the more they will help you, the more they will go above and beyond for you.

I wrote this post so that we could all remember that being ignorant or feeling entitled is by no means acceptable when trying to ask for help. Please, next time you need to deal with a customer service person, put yourself in their shoes and try to work with them as they will do the same for you.

~Mo Mo


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: well stated Mo Mo....... oh the stories I could tell after 19 years of on site computer, printer and network service


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Agreed, Mo Mo. I once saw a guy buying a new firearm the evening before opening day of deer season. I guess we don't have to wonder how his season went.

Years ago, I was a range officer at a private sportsmen's club and always tried to help with sighting-in just about anything. While spotting targets that looked more like patterns than groups, I would politely ask if the shooter would mind, if I shot a few rounds. Invariably, they'd say, "Would you?!"

Slug shooters were the worst, because they'd routinely develop a flinch response and/or bruised shoulders. And, as we know, a shooter isn't going to get better by hammering away with more slugs. I never intended to show anybody up; just wanted to rule a few things out, before I told them to return another day. Sometimes it was the equipment set up by themselves that wasn't right, but most times it was the shooter.

I also remember a man that came to the range with a new-to-him military rifle from WWII. His shots were all over the place at 100 yards, so I posed the question and he gave me the relic to shoot. It had original iron sights, and although my vision is poor, I lined it up and put the first bullet in the very center of a 1-inch bull's eye. No brag, just fact and maybe a bit of luck, but he asked me how I did that.

Of course, I didn't want to spoil the moment, so I handed the gun to him and he departed right then and there.

I also saw scopes fall off firearms after shooting. And, cheap scope's crosshairs would flop around sometimes under recoil. But, almost always, it was something the shooter had done or was doing.


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

Well, without knowing what type of product we're talking about, it all comes down to one simple fact. Most people don't know how to shoot. Simple enough. You can shoot off that bench all day long, but if you don't apply "real world" shooting into your practice sessions, you will at some point, miss the shot. There is a big difference between target practice off the bench and hunting afield, and realistically, most shooters never practice the running, off hand, snap shots that are often needed in the field. I've been "lucky" enough to be able say that I've hit a runner from the standing position, more than a few times. Sometimes our best thought plans go south in a hurry and all you have left is a fleeting shot at a fast moving fur-ball. A little summertime jackrabbit shooting goes a long way in moments like that. Sorry, I got a bad habit of telling it like it is, I guess that's why I ain't in customer service!


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Great points... Now when I go to Big O Tires this morning I will try to be nice and not blame the tires for me missing a coyote yesterday. Well it could have been the Bushnell scope...lol really it was me, I need to take JTK's advice and go shoot some running Jack rabbits. I have hunted with a shotgun the majority of my life so I have a bad habit of leading running animals. I was a bit surprised he came in at a run and through my (misted) sent cone... The twenty gauge would have been ideal.

Note: this is the fourth coyote I've had go through my sent cone and not notice me at all...


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

It's best to know one's limitations. It's each sportsman's duty to learn his own.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Some people just seem to need to blame someone or something for their own shortcomings.

It's never their fault and they always have an excuse.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Hard to argue with, that's for sure. And, that's what JTK is saying, too. Doing it takes some doing.

But, also what Mo Mo is saying. Understand your gear and that comes with familiarity from handling/use.


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## Mo Mo (Sep 16, 2016)

JTKillough said:


> You can shoot off that bench all day long, but if you don't apply "real world" shooting into your practice sessions, you will at some point, miss the shot. There is a big difference between target practice off the bench and hunting afield, and realistically, most shooters never practice the running, off hand, snap shots that are often needed in the field. I've been "lucky" enough to be able say that I've hit a runner from the standing position, more than a few times.


Sometimes when I go to the range I get weird looks. I contort my body in positions where I am on the bench, but twisted as if I was shooting a coyote that came in to my far left. Or I might turn to the side and in a small sweeping motion from left to right or right to left, start to one side of the target and sweep my barrel into the target and squeeze off a round like I was shooting at moving game. But practical practice is where it's at. Shooting jack rabbits or prairie dogs on the run helps too.

The gear (rifle, optics, etc.) will only be as good as the person using it. It's plain and simple. You can buy the most high dollar equipment, but it doesn't mean a damn if you can't shoot.

Thanks for all the great feedback on this issue. I figured that this would at least get some good conversation started.


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

You must work for pulsar. Lol

Sent from my SM-T817V using Tapatalk


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## texaspredatorhunter (Aug 14, 2014)

I have gotten weird looks when going to the trap and skeet range with a pop up ground bling for duck and goose. It'll help you prepare for getting used to opening up the blind and making the shot.

One thing I will say about those fellas that are "long" range competition shooters is that I am not too impressed. Went with a guy to west Texas and he can ring steel at 1000 all day everyday. Put him on a critter at 500 with a cold bore and he will miss and will blame it on him bumping his scope or the wind or some other BS. Fact of the matter is I have missed more than my fair share of shots and honestly I would rather miss that put a lousy shot on an animal that may only wound it and either make it suffer or unrecoverable. Is a scope that holds through some bumps and recoil great....obviously but you still need to do your part! I have used Burris, redfield, leupold, and vortex and honestly they are all great but Burris and leupold have the best customer service by far!


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## Mo Mo (Sep 16, 2016)

fr3db3ar said:


> You must work for pulsar. Lol
> 
> Sent from my SM-T817V using Tapatalk


I do not Sir.


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