CCW and customer service

[SubNine]

Ever since I've started carrying (over a year now), I find myself receiving bad customer service from places I go to, like auto part shops, gun stores, and even restaraunts. When I go out to eat with my buddies or my parents, we seem to wait longer for our food, and sometimes I have to tell the waiter or waitress repeatedly to get the things I had requested such as condiments. I've never had these problems before I started carrying. Does anyone else have the same issue? It's almost like they know I'm carrying, but I know I'm not printing. I don't get it.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[SleepingZ]

It's just your situational awareness kicking in now. Before you were a CCW the same things were going on-- you just failed to notice


SleepingZ

[P95Carry]

I really doubt there is a link - probably just the continuing downslide in cust service generally. Not that uncommon it seems.

If your concealment is good - as I expect it is - put this all down to the slow but steady decline in service - generally. Sad but often true.

My area is sorta ''OK" - just - and I doubt I have really noticed that big of a change - certainly would not ascribe it to my carry status.

[Thumper]

The only thing that might change the way you are treated is the way you treat or act toward others. Since you started carrying, are you behaving differently? Maybe a little more aggressive or demanding?

Just a thought.

[bluecanary25]

For an opposing view;
When I open carry, I get good customer service.
I am also polite and extend, what used to be, common courtesy.
I agree that many businesses lack decent customer service. Places like that do not get much of my money.....
BTW, I usually carry concealed. Don't wanna spook the sheeple.

[retsupt99]

The only thing that might change the way you are treated is the way you treat or act toward others. Since you started carrying, are you behaving differently? Maybe a little more aggressive or demanding?

Just a thought.

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Never stick your gun under the waiter's chin and demand additional napkins...bad move...
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Seriously, I doubt that there is a connection. Treat people as you wish to be treated...simple!

[QKShooter]

I would say one has nothing to do with the other.
Unless everybody is either Psychic or has X~Ray Vision these days.

[Bark'n]

The reasons are probably one of three things, all of which others have stated.

1) either your behavior or demeanor has changed and people are seeing you come off as a smug, demanding or condensending manner and are responding in kind.

2) your situational awareness is now becoming more acute and you are for the first time noticing things that have always been present before but never noticed before.

3) as Chris said, you are just starting to see a natural decline in customer service and peoples civility towards others in general.

Regardless, if your gun is concealed, the gun is not the issue, so don't get freaky paranoid about that!

[SubNine]

The only thing I've changed about how I handle myself, is I tend to be more polite, than I was before I started carrying. I deal with the same employees, well I don't know, maybe I finally noticed some things I haven't before. I realize that being armed definitely changes how I see things, and reading this forum has helped my situational awareness, and realize just how oblivious the general public is.

I also know that before I started carrying I would tend to get enraged when someone cut me off or did something stupid on the road, and I would try and "overtake" them. I don't do that anymore for obvious reasons.

Choosing to carry definitely has helped me realize that the small things that make people mad just aren't worth my life, and I hope I never have to use my gun in self defense, but I will if I have to. I'd also like to thank everyone on this board for educating me and helping me become a better person, and helping me with gun selection.

[Bark'n]

Spyder... you're helping yourself become a better person and being more educated.

We just throw out our opinions... what you pick up or how you change comes from within!

(but glad we can help out)

[FN1910]

If you are concealed and not printing then the fact that you are carrying couldn't have anything to do with it. As for some of the comments about your attitude and how you react to people could be it subconciously. Maybe you are more on edge and just feel that things take longer now or just maybe you are more aware of your surroundings. I think noticed the same type thing when I got engaged that women would "flirt" with me more than before. Probably just my imagination but interesting. You don't say what your age is but a guess is that carrying has made you more "mature" and notice the little things in life. When we are young and foolish we don't notice them but when we accept responsibility our attitude changes.

[Fragman]

The only thing that might change the way you are treated is the way you treat or act toward others. Since you started carrying, are you behaving differently? Maybe a little more aggressive or demanding?

Just a thought.

+1.

I do not get any better or worse service when I am carrying. Methinks you might be unintentionally bringing out the worst in people.

[Fragman]

Or, how about this for an idea?

No-one is going to convince me that noticing that your ketchup is late is a sign of Situational Awareness. Thats just ridiculous.

But, before you started carrying, maybe you would have been more comfortable getting P'O'd at the situation, and would thus have gotten the ketchup quicker. Now that you ARE carrying, escalating is not an option. Hence, if you do get bad service, maybe you are now just 'sucking it up' more, rather than causing a scene. Now THAT is more akin to Situational Awareness, being aware that there are others around and noticing without being noticed yourself.

[Bumper]

I don't know if I would say that situational awareness is what is kicking in, but becoming situationally aware does lead you to be more observant in other ways that could include noticing crappy service. But, my observations have been that "customer service" has been on the decline for years and has, of late, become almost intolerable. Around here, I believe people's expectations are that they are going to get crappy service and are surprised (pleasantly) when they get good service. Welcome to the new world.....

[havegunjoe]

I can't see a connection. I have been carrying for years and have never notice a change I could contribute to that. As P95 said it probably just a general down trend in customer service.