Accuracy International Customer Experience at BSS

[Delivery]

Having recently (2023) purchased a brand new AX-MC at quite a chunk of change I was at the BSS Friday I was interested in looking at the new AXSR and having waited patiently while another person was asking their questions I stepped forward.

I was a bit narked that as I stepped forward another person arrived at the stand and also stepped forward to look at the AXSR and the AI staffer turned to the other guy and started talking to him, so I felt a little put out but dismissed it as unintentional if not a little insensitive, not quite what you might expect of a highly professional organisation at a trade show.

Anyway I got the look that I should ask my question while the other guy was still there and I did ask for a bit of an overview on the AXSR.

As the AI guy started to talk, a fella he obviously knew came up behind him and started talking and interacting with him. The AI guy was carrying on with this fella and another fella turned up and started interacting the other two, the other prospective customer walked away presumably non plussed.

The AI guy then turned to the second fella and said something along the lines of “I’m working and you guys just cost me a potential customer” - he then looked towards me, turned around and carried on talking to these other fellas.

I obviously assumed that as he was halfway through his sentence when he stopped talking to me and started talking to the other guys I must clearly not “look like” an AI customer somehow as I clearly got the message that he was concerned that the other person walked off but didn’t seem concerned about me at all.

At this point I walked off thinking how I’d paid to get into the show with the explicit intention of seeing just a few stands and having a browse where AI was one of those two and I’d been ignored twice.

Although the whole experience was less than 5 minutes I was even more annoyed and feeling completely unappreciated as an AI customer.


Does anyone else feel the general lack of concern for how people in allegedly professional relationships present themselves to the public reflects on the company or is the general view that the “younger generation” are just like that and we should lower our expectations accordingly?

At this point I would not be looking at a new AI first whereas until this encounter it had always been the brand that I aspired to.

D

 

[Malxwal]

They should be employing professional sales people with some hunger, although in that specialist market they do need technical expertise.
Your man there obviously getting paid too much.

 

[bluesako]

his loss i would email accuracy int and tell how you have been treated the cheaky git bs

 

[Delivery]

Yeah obviously there’s probably more demand than availability at the moment due to various conflicts like Ukraine and the like but I just don’t understand why a company would pay good money to exhibit at a show and then perform badly.

I’m just wondering if I’m being overly sensitive here hence the post to gain feedback if being ignored while larking around is something I should be annoyed about??

I did stand there for a few minutes expecting a continuation but it just didn’t arrive.

 

[bluesako]

im sorry you were treated so badly, they wouldnt get another penny of me, i hope it didnt spoil your visit, this is why i stopped going to shows, anyway i think their products are overrated anyway loads of better rifles out there cheers matey bs

 

[Delivery]

My buddy said I should have told the guy that I was changing from an AI advocate to a detractor before his very eyes (but he used other words).
I deliberately waited overnight before posting here to see if that was something would just wear off but as it was one of the two things I really wanted to do it did take the edge off the show.
I'm pretty sure I won't be buying a new AI after that though and will need to limit my purchases going forward to just what I need and cant get from anywhere else.

 

[DVS1]

There are some ignorant individuals out there for sure! The lad I took with me yesterday saw this first hand. Being proud of the A.I heritage I showed him the stand and the .50 cal on display. The one staff member that wasn't engaged in talks looked at us, evidently didn't like the colour of our jibs or had weighed up our finances in his opinion in a nanosecond second and physically moved away. No eye contact, no nod of acknowledgement, or even a nod to unspoken say I'll be with you shortly. His upper lip had certainly been starched!!

 

[Delivery]

Exactly why would you do that after paying to be there?
I've been in a BMW garage before where I got similar treatment the guy was desperate to get me in a new BMW until he released I was driving a works van then he just withdrew the offer - didn't ask if I was the boss of the company though!

 

[Ronin]

AI don’t sell to the public direct

Was the stand Sportsman or Sporting Services ?

Surprised either (if that was the case) would deal with people that way

Having owned numerous Accuracy Internationals for over a considerable length of time I can say I’ve never had shoddy service from Sporting Services

I can also vouch for the civilian marketing face of AI (Alice Bond) who is very pleasant, professional and quick to deal

 

[Delivery]

AI don’t sell to the public direct

Was the stand Sportsman or Sporting Services ?

Surprised either (if that was the case) would deal with people that way

Having owned numerous Accuracy Internationals for over a considerable length of time I can say I’ve never had shoddy service from Sporting Services

I can also vouch for the civilian marketing face of AI (Alice Bond) who is very pleasant, professional and quick to deal

No it was the AI stand in block D6
Technically speaking they do sell to the public as they sell their brand Tshirts and other wares on their own stand but I didnt buy my rifle from AI, nevertheless the perception of the customer (me) of the company itself in this case has changed
I did go to all three stands though (and others obviously) I did go and have a very pleasant interaction with SGC and when I got to Shooting Supplies it was mobbed so didn't really interact

 

[8x57]

Having owned numerous Accuracy Internationals for over a considerable length of time I can say I’ve never had shoddy service from Sporting Services

I can also vouch for the civilian marketing face of AI (Alice Bond) who is very pleasant, professional and quick to deal

That must have been the lady that I spoke to when I last attended the Shooting Show three or four yeas ago. She couldn't possibly have been more pleasant or helpful despite me telling her that I was only looking and had not intention of buying.

 

[scotch_egg]

Firstly if you think the lads on the AI stand were salesmen you’re far off the mark. They are there just to talk about the rifles.

I had a far different experience talking to Alex about the new AT-XC they had on display. It didn’t have the comp trigger for whatever reason. He told me to go to the Kahles stand where his personal comp rifle was on display and try the trigger to the shock of the staff in that stand who were under strict instructions not to let anyone touch the rifle.

I mean Dave Wild was on the stand and he was a grizzle.

One thing I have to mention is Alex’s trousers. They looked like they had been sprayed on. My Mrs was quite taken by them

 

[Delivery]

Firstly if you think the lads on the AI stand were salesmen you’re far off the mark. They are there just to talk about the rifles.

I wasnt bothered about anything related to anyone's role other than the way I felt having been blanked
I can only suspect you looked like an AI customer (via the channel) and I didnt and @DVS1 didnt !

 

[Ronin]

No it was the AI stand in block D6
Technically speaking they do sell to the public as they sell their brand Tshirts and other wares on their own stand but I didnt buy my rifle from AI, nevertheless the perception of the customer (me) of the company itself in this case has changed
I did go to all three stands though (and others obviously) I did go and have a very pleasant interaction with SGC and when I got to Shooting Supplies it was mobbed so didn't really interactView attachment 352925

AI Store sells merchandise (caps, cups, target coaters et al) they do not sell hardware (rifles, barrels, parts etc to the public)

Perhaps an email to Alice Bond with your experience may assist them with future events and who to staff them

If you need email or mobile for Alice I can supply privately

 

[Delivery]

AI Store sells merchandise (caps, cups, target coaters et al) they do not sell hardware (rifles, barrels, parts etc to the public)

Yeah I understand that AI Store is the seller of brandware and I understand that AI sell to the public through the channel - the point I was just trying to make was that they are at a public show rather than a restricted "trade" show and they are selling stuff on the stand designed to attract the public (the brandware) and showing off marketing material, so presumably ... their intention is to show their wares and organisation in a positive light to the public rather than just going to upset existing purchasers that have already bought AI kit via the channel.

 

[Delivery]

Perhaps an email to Alice Bond with your experience may assist them with future events and who to staff them

I did consider this but wanted to see if others thought I should just expect this kind of thing or if I was being over sensitive or was I justified?

 

[scotch_egg]

I wasnt bothered about anything related to anyone's role other than the way I felt having been blanked
I can only suspect you looked like an AI customer and I didnt and @DVS1 didnt !

If AI customers look disabled on a crutch and knee brace then I do

I personally think you are being overly sensitive.

I didn’t get to the show until 12 and was one of the last people to leave. The stands were far less busy from 3.

 

[Ronin]

I did consider this but wanted to see if others thought I should just expect this kind of thing or if I was being over sensitive or was I justified?

If you have recieved poor service then feedback usually works to make changes for the next person

Many A I customers don’t always use their rifles to hit large steel targets

They use them to compete with for sure in many disciplines (not just “precision” rifle shooting), killing deer and vermin also

Perhaps all folk who walk on the stand should be considered equal and def there should not be any nepotism ,,,,

Some of the best people I know today, I hadn’t met five years ago (truth)

I’m sure uou know what I mean

But neither would I expect to be handed a brew whilst being clapped on to the podium - there’s a balance ,,,

 

[Lever357]

I did consider this but wanted to see if others thought I should just expect this kind of thing or if I was being over sensitive or was I justified?

I would certainly contact them and tell them about your experience. I have been on their stand at previous shows and as others have said, they're not salesmen, they are AI sponsored shooters. I always got the impression they were very cliquey, only spoke to people they knew. However, at the end of the day, they are the face of AI at the show and they just lost the company at least one sale.

 

[Delivery]

The stands were far less busy from 3.

It wasn’t particularly crowded at the time

But neither would I expect to be handed a brew whilst being clapped on to the podium - there’s a balance ,,,

I was just expecting to get an answer to my question about the AXSR (which I didn’t)
So I could compare to my AXMC and decide if I should start putting something to one side for a new AXSR which I don’t think I will be doing

However although I didn’t get clapped onto the podium (which I’m now starting to regret now it’s been raised ) I did get offered a drink at several other stands!