Sunday, February 19, 2006

Sometimes my job has its funny moments...

*Ring, ring*

Frazzled Employee: "Coal Creek Armory. This is Tamara."

Potential Customer: "Yeah, I need to talk to somebody in the gun department." (Like we have any other departments.)

FE: "Go ahead, sir." [long pause] "Go ahead, sir."

PC: "Oh, uh... Well, actually, I need to speak to someone who can tell me about how much a gun is worth."

FE: "Go ahead, sir."

PC: "Er, well, it's an old army-type gun. I need to talk to somebody who knows old army guns."

FE: "That'd be me. Go ahead, sir."

PC: "It's kind of a strange one..."

FE: "Well, let's try and figure it out. I think I might could help you."

PC: "Really? Uh, okay... Well, my grandpa brought it back from the war. He got it off a dead German. It's a German rifle. What's it worth?"

FE: [sigh] "What kind of rifle is it?"

PC: "Um, an old German one."

FE: "Yes, but what kind? Is it a bolt-action rifle?"

PC: "Uh, yeah."

FE: "Okay then, what's it chambered in?"

PC: "I think it's in 8mm."

FE: "Does it have a scope on it?"

PC: "Nope."

FE: "Good. What's it say on the receiver ring?"

PC: "The what?"

FE: "Just forward of where you stick the 'bullets' sir. That round metal piece. What's it say on it?"

PC: "It just says 'S-slash-42'."

FE: "Okay, it's an 8mm Mauser 98k, made at the Mauser factory in Oberndorf in Germany. Does the wood go out almost to the end of the barrel? Is there wood on top of the barrel?"

PC: "No..."

FE: "So it's sporterized. I'll be happy to give you a value on it, but you'll have to bring it in and let me see it. A lot depends on how and when the work was done."

PC: "Uh, okay. Thanks! You sure know a lot about this stuff!"

FE: "Thank you, sir. You have a nice day, now."

:)

3 comments:

Les Jones said...

Gun support sounds about like tech support. :-)

Anonymous said...

"Gun support sounds about like tech support. :-)"

I'm not so sure; when I used to do tech support, I had people who would spend 15 minutes just trying to find the serial number or model number on the front.

Anonymous said...

Good on you.

In his defense, it IS a little unusual in my experience to meet topic knowledgable women in: Gun stores, hardware stores, lumber yards... and over the phone I'd assume you were just helping out on the phone.

Stereotypes exist for a reason.