Glock lost a potential customer today

I was all set to buy a Glock soon and I had heard about the Glock Blue Label program this weekend. Discounts for "Those who qualify include:

Sworn Law Enforcement officers, including Federal, State, County, & City (Includes retired L.E. officers with "retired" credentials)
EMT’s, Fire Fighters, Volunteer Fire Fighters, and Paramedics
Military personnel including Reservists and National Guard with I.D. (Includes retired Military with "retired" credentials)
Corrections Officers, including Parole and Probation Officers
State Licensed Security Companies (Loomis, RAM, etc.)
State Licensed Armed Security Officers
Court Judges, District Attorneys and Deputy District Attorneys
LE Academy Cadets with enrollment documentation from the Academy"

Because they did not specifically cover me as being Honorably discharged and a disabled veteran but not retired, I sent in an inquiry about it.

This is the message I sent with my other info: "Disabled Veteran. Was honorably discharged but not retired. Would like to know if I qualify for the program. Thanks "

This is the response I got back: "Unfortunately not." The response comes off as rude to me and I know that other gun manufacturers would give me a discount if requested. I do not normally go after these discounts but it is a significant discount. I don't get it.

Goodbye Glock for devaluing my service and alienating part of your target demographic. Hello Smith and Wessen and Springfield Armory.

I used to boycott Ruger for discriminating against motorcyclist employees on their health insurance policy but they changed their tune on that. Money talks....

David

Thank you for your service and standing by your values.

FM

Fuller Malarkey said:

Thank you for your service and standing by your values.

FM

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Thanks for the compliment. I rarely get so I feel I need to stand up to a company like this but it makes me mad. I felt I needed to say something.

I did email them back with: "Please inform your management that you have lost a potential sale,discount or not, by alienating part of your target demographic and devaluing my military service. Plenty of other gun manufactuers to buy from."

and got a reply: "I’m sorry you feel that way and our programs inclusion of Active duty and retired military doesn’t mean to give the impression of devaluing ones military service. We thank you for your service and wish you the best in your future."

That person is just doing his/her job and I do not want that person to think I am mad at them. Just the company.

I already bought a Springfield gun prior to finding out about any discounts. Not holding that against them, just me.

David

flhrci said:

...This is the response I got back: "Unfortunately not." The response comes off as rude to me and I know that other gun manufacturers would give me a discount if requested...

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I agree that the response was perhaps overly terse, though it is the answer I expected.

What other manufacturers give us normal veterans significant discounts?

I believe the discounts for certain segments of society are bigotry. And in some states may actually be against the law. It essentially comes out to be a bribe for those groups to encourage contracts not based on merit. That is why they do these programs so the public will pay more money for a arm that they believe is superior because government agents and agencies use them.

Unfortunately almost all the firearm manufacturers do this, making the general population pay more. Companies that don't do it already sell their weapons at a reasonable price to the public. Some of them get their customers by better service and warranty. Not something that S&W or Glock is known for. It is odd that the more economical firearms have better warranties, and better service.

MAC702 said:

I agree that the response was perhaps overly terse, though it is the answer I expected.

What other manufacturers give us normal veterans significant discounts?

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S&W has a program that is supposed to be coming back for 2014 according to their website. http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category4_750001_750051_757803_-1_757797_757797_image Click on the image and you shall get a .pdf file with the 2013 program discounts.

Have read that S&W, Springfield and Para also do but have not checked into it yet.

David

WalkingWolf said:

I believe the discounts for certain segments of society are bigotry. And in some states may actually be against the law. It essentially comes out to be a bribe for those groups to encourage contracts not based on merit. That is why they do these programs so the public will pay more money for a arm that they believe is superior because government agents and agencies use them.

Unfortunately almost all the firearm manufacturers do this, making the general population pay more. Companies that don't do it already sell their weapons at a reasonable price to the public. Some of them get their customers by better service and warranty. Not something that S&W or Glock is known for. It is odd that the more economical firearms have better warranties, and better service.

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Wolf, you may be right about this. I do not know. I figured at least the military discounts to be a PR campaign for any business or to make the owners feel better. Hard to say.

David

flhrci said:

Wolf, you may be right about this. I do not know. I figured at least the military discounts to be a PR campaign for any business or to make the owners feel better. Hard to say.

David

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IMO everything in business is for the long term goal to make money for the stock holders. This is their primary goal, both Glock and S&W as well as Colt have given away guns to police departments to entice civilian sales. They are in business to make money, if they sell to the agencies for no profit they have to make it from the GP to make stock holders happy.

This type of selling is called loss leading. When I worked for CCI I gave product away, and often paid for things like scoreboards and other needs for schools with the long term goal of gaining customer loyalty.

GLOCK is proud to offer the exclusive Blue Label program to support those who protect and serve communities across the U.S. and around the world. Those who qualify will receive a discount on any GLOCK pistol of their choice.

Those who qualify include:

Sworn Law Enforcement officers, including Federal, State, County, & City (Includes retired L.E. officers with "retired" credentials)
EMT’s, Fire Fighters, Volunteer Fire Fighters, and Paramedics
Military personnel including Reservists and National Guard with I.D. (Includes retired Military with "retired" credentials)
Corrections Officers, including Parole and Probation Officers
State Licensed Security Companies (Loomis, RAM, etc.)
State Licensed Armed Security Officers
Court Judges, District Attorneys and Deputy District Attorneys
LE Academy Cadets with enrollment documentation from the Academy

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Perhaps you should have told them how your position as a disabled veteran protects and serves the community?

While I applaud your service, I don't see how you think that being a disabled veteran is a position or status that qualifies for a discount. The Blue Label program isn't a charity, it's a program designed to encourage and enable those who serve and protect to be armed (with Glocks, 'natch.)

Even if the program were extended to veterans, wouldn't you think that those who were 'non-disabled' and better qualified to protect and serve the community would be in line before those who were less enabled to serve and protect?

Fallschirmjäger said:

They could have just said, "No" which is the answer to your yes-or-no question.
They said "unfortunately not."
At what word count would you have deemed their answer acceptable, five words, ten, two paragraphs?

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They can't give discounts to everybody.

Fallschirmjäger said:

No, they didn't "specifically mention you" they specifically mentioned everyone they covered and you weren't in that group, you're not even in the same ZIP Code.

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Many times separated Vets are part of the entire military group. When companies/organizations split it out like that I inquire. A brand new local range mentions every sub-group of military for discounts other than the group I am in. Have to call them about it still. Have not made it there yet.

David

flhrci said:

S&W has a program that is supposed to be coming back for 2014 according to their website....

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That includes disabled vets, but still does not include all veterans.

Fallschirmjäger said:

Perhaps you should have told them how your position as a disabled veteran protects and serves the community?

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How does a retired Veteran do same? The rest of the categories do.

David

MAC702 said:

That includes disabled vets, but still does not include all veterans.

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Read it over again. You are correct. I do not consider myself disabled btw but the VA does.

David

I'll throw this up the flag pole:

Those who are active duty, retired, and disabled veterans usually don't make as much money currently as normal vets who are gainfully employed after their service. Therefore, they spend less money, and discounts to them sound great for the company's advertising, while make for a lot fewer discounts given than if all veterans were included, not just in number of discounts, but in dollars per discount, and discounts per customer.

MAC702 said:

I'll throw this up the flag pole:

Those who are active duty, retired, and disabled veterans usually don't make as much money currently as normal vets who are gainfully employed after their service. Therefore, they spend less money, and discounts to them sound great for the company's advertising, while make for a lot fewer discounts given than if all veterans were included, not just in number of discounts, but in dollars per discount, and discounts per customer.

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Yupp I agree with that, the bottom line is making money, so they have to draw the line somewhere on discounts. Not sure about Glock, but I wish S&W would worry more about quality than discounts. I wish Colt would return to selling popular guns, but that is not likely to happen.

The bottom line is always about pleasing the stock holders.

MAC702 said:

I'll throw this up the flag pole:

Those who are active duty, retired, and disabled veterans usually don't make as much money currently as normal vets who are gainfully employed after their service. Therefore, they spend less money, and discounts to them sound great for the company's advertising, while make for a lot fewer discounts given than if all veterans were included, not just in number of discounts, but in dollars per discount, and discounts per customer.

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Agreed. I am working part-time at Fedex and so far that is all I can get. Not even close to anything I am trained for. And also living with my Mom to save money.

David

WalkingWolf said:

The bottom line is always about pleasing the stock holders.

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Agree with you but I do not know what is wrong with S&W quality wise? I do not have any S&W right now. Could you please elaborate?

David

flhrci said:

Agree with you but I do not know what is wrong with S&W quality wise? I do not have any S&W right now. Could you please elaborate?

David

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I just bought a new Traditions 1873, but I looked at new S&W's before I bought it. The Smith quality is terrible, they are gritty and heavy with the trigger pull. Some of them had BC gaps OVER .010, totally unacceptable for a gun of that price. The old Smiths were great, and I would buy a good condition older model, but nothing current. A person should not have to pay close to a grand or above for a gun to have to have a gunsmith make it shootable. NOW Smith uses two piece barrels, which CA tried years ago and they were a disaster. The DW two piece barrel was good as it was adjustable and barrels could be interchanged. Smiths cannot, and are not adjustable, so if something stretches and the barrel gets loose it has to be repaired by a gunsmith.

I paid 450 for my traditions, but it is single action, but then the gun is perfect, and they have a good warranty. I talked to them before buying and they said if a problem they would have it back to me in less than a month. You won't get that from Smith or Glock.

At this time there are not many DA revolvers that I would pay a grand for new. There are some out there that have good reviews that are inexpensive, but they are not the quality of a vintage Colt or Smith. But I would rather pay 300 for a gun than a grand for one that is no better. Taurus seem to have as many problems as Smith, BUT there service is better.

I believe Smith has less problems with their SA than the revolvers, but then the market is mostly semi auto, so it seems that is where they concentrate their efforts. But if their service and attention to detail is lousy with their revolvers they have lost my trust to buy anything from them.

Thanks for the info Wolf. Definitely something to pay attention to when looking at S&W. Do you think the S&W Performance Center guns would be better despite the higher prices?

David