A Lesson in Responsible Customer Service

"Hello? Chevrolet? My old Blazer doesn't run any more. Oh? You're going to send me a brand new one?"

Yeah. Right. That's just nuts, right? Almost no industry would routinely fix or even replace something that's several years old -- at no charge. But ... consider this note I got from Dave, in Cedar City, Iowa.

Hi, I listen to Gun Talk every Sunday but I am not able to get to a phone to call in. I have a cool story about a revolver and I wanted to relay this information to Tom and all his listeners. I was given a Ruger New Model Single Six some years back. This gun was in terrible condition and I was afraid to shoot it so I contacted Ruger and arranged to send it in for a safety check. After about 10 days a nice lady from Ruger called me and told me the gun was unsafe to shoot. Then, (this blew me away) she told me they were going to send me a new one AT NO CHARGE TO ME!!! I could hardly believe my ears! Several days later my FFL dealer called and told me I had a gun waiting for me. Ruger even took care of the transfer fee! It was just a fantastic experience. This all took place last November (2016). I was so

pleased with Ruger that I purchased a brand new GP100, stainless, 4.5-inch in .357 Magnum, and also a brand new Ruger American Compact 9mm. I can't say enough good about Ruger and this whole transaction was really a welcome set of events being so close to Christmas. So now, I have THREE brand-new Rugers, two of which are revolvers! I am with Tom on the revolver thing. I love 'em and if I could only have one gun, it would be my GP100. I just thought I'd share this about Ruger's customer service. It was great! Great company!

I get this kind of email routinely. It's one of the reasons that when someone calls the program with a problem with his or her gun, one of the first questions I ask is whether the gun maker had been notified. Often, the manufacturer will simply fix or even replace the firearm. I don't know about you, but I like the feeling it gives me to know the high quality of the people and companies in the firearms business. ~ Tom

Tom Gresham
Author, outdoorsman, gun rights activist, and firearms enthusiast for more than five decades, Tom Gresham hosts Tom Gresham's Gun Talk, the first nationally-syndicated radio show about guns and the shooting sports, and is also the producer and co-host of the Guns & Gear, GunVenture and First Person Defender television series.

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