Bass pro 11th day release

[a1911guy]

Is there an update on the BPS releases? What purchase dates are being released currently? Thanks.

 

[smokey]

Equity all depends on how quickly people answer their phone and can get into the shop to pick up their gun. If somebody does not return a call for a week, or cannot get to the shop for a week, it isn't BPS fault for allowing somebody else with a quicker return call and better availability ahead of the other person.

As long as they progress down the line in an orderly fashion, I am fine with the process. Oh yeah, and as long as if I buy something from them in early September they get it to me in 11 days or at least before October 1, 2013. lol

By the way, what was Smokey's response regarding the change in policy by BPS? It appears he deleted his reply because I do not see it anywhere in this thread. Can somebody PM me the reason since Smokey does not want to make it public? Curiosity is killing the cat.

I've got to basically be careful to not come off as representing basspro when I post and make clear that I am posting as an individual and not on behalf of basspro.

that being said. The thing holding up basspro before was a desire by higher ups to completely verify that it is legal in the state and federal areas before moving to a policy to release. The MSI lawsuit essentially got the attention of the corporate lawyer people. It was verification that it was legal through state law. They then went to work to get confirmation through the feds that it was legal. After a lot of run-around, the store's high paid lawyer folks got a written confirmation that it was legal federally to release without the NICS section filled out if the state failed their duty as POC.

By the time they had legal confirmation that it was legal according to state and federal laws, a backlog of about 1,000 guns had built up. Now came the issue of planning to release those guns in the most fair and efficient way that could be implemented in a hurry. A degree of opsec was needed to keep a flood of 1,000 people all demanding their guns at the same time while the release procedures were being created.

The BP gunroom lady worked her arse off, putting in a LOT of time so that the guns could be released. She developed a system in which the store could properly manage the paperwork as transfers happened, and then the dispositions eventually arrived for that paperwork. When the dispositions arrive, that information needs to be added to the paperwork and then the paperwork needs to be filed back in order with all the other 4473's...soo there's a good amount of organization she needed to do there.

The process for releasing also needed to be created. Basically, a list of every single regulated firearm customer and their #'s was created in chronological order. A scheduling book was also created. Then the person that manages the work schedule came in to play to ensure there would be adequate coverage during the release process(which is hard with a limited number of hours allotted to the hunting department...also since this is happening DURING the biggest sale of the year, the hunting classic).

Once everything was in place, the people who weren't on a need to know basis were filled in. Once the department and most of the store knew what was going on, calls started to go out to schedule appointments.

The calls have largely come from myself and another worker at the store. This past week, I've basically been in a back room making a few hundred new best friends every shift. As I make my way down the list, I record that I've called and whether I made contact or not. I also record appointments in the schedule and note the appointment times on the phone record list so it's known that the customer is taken care of. During the call, it is made known that the background check has not come in, which means it's possible for the gun to be confiscated by law enforcement if it does eventually come back disapproved. It's also made known that under state and federal law, once the waiting period has been fulfilled, it's legal to complete the transfer. From there the appointment date and time is figured out and entered into the paperwork.

The appointments are the best way the store could figure out to release all the guns in a timely and fair fashion. After I've filled up an entire day with appointments, I give the sheet to another worker who pulls that day's application packets and the associated guns to have them ready for the following day. That allows us to have them handy when customers show up to get them. If we didn't already have them pulled, it would take forever to look for them and things would be much less efficient. Having the appointment also means those customers skip the number system and can get right to paperwork when they enter the store. It also spaces pickups out through the day and prevents a flood of 5-10 customers all showing up at once to get their guns and having to wait for each other.

the backlog consisted of about 20 pages worth of people. When I left work today, I was starting to call page 18. Every time I've started my shift, I've gone back through the pages I've previously called to give the oldest customers another call. There are some that bought a gun in april that I've called 5-6 times. Once zipping through them, I work on customers I haven't called yet.

Once the backlog is taken care of, there are lists of customers that have the date we can call on the top. As soon as the 11'th day comes around, we'll work down that list to set up appointments for them.

If you have an appointment date/time set up, you come in to the store at that time and walk back to the hunting counter. You go down to the knife-end of the counter, where the shooting arcade games are. There is a green rolling-counter set up down there with a worker stationed to take care of appointments. If your name is on the appointment list, your paperwork and guns will already be pulled. At your appointment time, you give them your govt' issued photo-ID with your correct address(or additional change of address card) and the worker will work with you to finish the state and federal paperwork. Two boss-people will come over to check the accuracy of the paperwork and sign-off on it. Once that is done, a dedicated gun-runner(not the eric holder kind) will escort you and your gun out the front doors as the worker moves on to the next customer.

The system has worked well so far, mostly due to the cooperation of customers. Things that seem to be inhibiting efficiency on the customer end that ya'all can help with are:
1) Not answering the phone: for confidentiality reasons, the policy is to not leave a message. Customers that don't answer still get numerous calls, but it slows down the scheduling a bit.

2) showing up too early/late: If customers show up early or late, they run in to the other customers they werent supposed to and it messed things up a bit

3) customers calling back to switch around appointments: it's completely understandable why this happens, but it is something that slows things down a bit.

****the above is info from me and is in no way intended to be a communication from bass pro shops****

 

[a1911guy]

Thank you for the detailed info on the releases. I appreciate all of the effort everyone over there is making.

 

[fabsroman]

I've got to basically be careful to not come off as representing basspro when I post and make clear that I am posting as an individual and not on behalf of basspro.


****the above is info from me and is in no way intended to be a communication from bass pro shops****

I kind of figured that was the case, and that was why you deleted whatever you had written.

Thanks for the update. Both it and the disclaimer are great. It also seems as though Bass Pro has one heck of a good system in place to deal with all of this.

I am going to have to make it a point to ask for you the next time I am at Bass Pro just so I can meet you. If I ask for Smokey from MdShooters, will they know who you are?

 

[Peartree]

Been through the process and it is as efficient as it can be under the circumstances. In and out in about 25 mins. Thanks.

 

[dforeman]

Sounds like a good fair system. I understand the need to be fair to everybody on the waiting list.

However, the only problem I see is the policy of not leaving a message. What if the customer is not available to directly take the call on a consistent basis. I'm usually only home in the evenings during the week. And, even then I'm not always within reach of the phone. So then with out leaving at least a simple message, how would somebody know they were even called?

 

[h2u]

Sounds like a good fair system. I understand the need to be fair to everybody on the waiting list.

However, the only problem I see is the policy of not leaving a message. What if the customer is not available to directly take the call on a consistent basis. I'm usually only home in the evenings during the week. And, even then I'm not always within reach of the phone. So then with out leaving at least a simple message, how would somebody know they were even called?

For me personally, this is what I did in your situation.
I had given them my cell number to contact me.
Yesterday, while in a meeting, I noticed an unfamiliar Maryland number ringing in three times over ten minutes. While still in the meeting, I googled the number and saw it came up Bass Pro in Hanover. Well, I knew of only one reason they would be calling me, so I waited until the meeting was over (big smile on my face for the remainder of that meeting) and called back and lined up my appointment.
If none of your phones capture an incoming number, then I would suggest calling up and asking for the people making the schedules for firearm pick up to check for you. If you can check up on the numbers from missed calls, just wait for a Maryland number ending in 2500 and call them back.
YMMV
Good luck!!

 

[dforeman]

I probably should have given them my cell like you did h2u. It just wasn't something that I thought about at the time. And now that I know the deal, I will definitely be more diligent of my phone in the evenings.

But, that is not a bad idea of calling them. I will try doing that. Thanks

 

[Kinetic]

Thanks for the info, Smokey.

Teed up my last buy at Bass Pro this afternoon.

The salesman was helpful but cagey about picking it up pre-Oct. 1.

Hopefully he was not "need to know" and I can get it early to mid Sept.

Pretty hefty line (I waited about an hour 'til my number was called).

Can't imagine what it's like on Saturdays.

 

[aab23c]

Any know what date they are at?


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[h2u]

Any know what date they are at?
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Smokey mentioned being on page 18 of the 20 or so pages of back logged applications. I dont know the percentage of people that have been sucessfully contacted and scheduled an appointment to pick up their firearms.
I would consider them mostly through the people that have been waiting awhile. I picked up my firearm today with no problems and I was toward the end of June.

 

[aab23c]

Well I was July fourth and still no call. So fingers crossed.


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[DEX]

Any updates with the date they might be on, concerning the backlog?

 

[a1911guy]

July 8th and no call yet.

 

[DEX]

July 8th and no call yet.

Well, that answers my question since I'm July 26

 

[a1911guy]

Well, that answers my question since I'm July 26

Got the call yesterday. Going to pickup shortly.

 

[DEX]

Got the call yesterday. Going to pickup shortly.

That's awesome! Means my call is getting closer!

 

[a1911guy]

That's awesome! Means my call is getting closer!

All went smoothly. Thanks again to BPS!

 

[ParadigmShift]

Yup, we just spoke to them as well and they are starting to release first in first out. Will take them a while, but faster than current. They said they sat down with their legal team and found a way to make the early release to work.

 

[MrDman]

Got my call today made an appointment for today.

Back home with my new gun

Thanks BPS