Back in ’77, it was just plain hard work and a passion for serving Customers that got us started. We still work very hard and have the same passion, but it takes a lot more than hard work and passion to satisfy Customers today.
You see, as a company grows, it’s important to formalize the planning, processes, systems, training and communications; and to develop a great team of leaders throughout the organization. This is the hardest part of running a business and they don’t teach it much in business school.
From the time we began to formally state our operational goals, Customer Satisfaction has always been #1. There aren’t many companies in our industry that measure Customer Satisfaction, so we benchmark with the best internet companies in America and I am pleased to say we are right there with them.
Great Customer Satisfaction is no accident; it’s the result of planned and methodical execution of all things important – of listening to Customers and of continuously improving. At Trigger Gunstore, we adopted the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria in 2016 and set a goal to apply for and improve enough to receive the award in 2018.
We applied for and received the Missouri Quality Award (a Baldrige-criteria state program) in 2018, and applied for and received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2018, meeting the goal we set in 2019. Trigger Gunstore journey of continuous improvement doesn’t end there; in 2018 they earned, for a second time, both the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and Missouri Quality Award.
Everything really starts with our Vision, which is: ‘To be the best-run business in America, and the most successful, most respected business in our industry, for the benefit of our Customers.’ This is a pretty bold Vision, but it’s absolutely real. You can view our entire Mission Statement, Operational Goals and Culture Statement in the menu. If a Company values Customer Satisfaction, it should also value Employees; pay them well, provide training and development and treat them right — Employee Satisfaction is our #2 Goal. We treat our Vendors as partners because Supplier Satisfaction is our #3 Goal. Of course, goals #2 and #3 support goal #1. We realize our responsibility to provide leadership to the industry and to ‘give back’ to the industry and community.
In a very real way, we are our customers. Our stores are staffed by locals who have knowledge about the products we sell because they use them on their own outdoor adventures. We don’t rely on commissions or high-pressure sales tactics, because we want our customers to know that they’re buying the right products for their needs. In short, we applied for these jobs because we love this stuff, and we get hired because that love shows whenever we talk about it.
BROWSE GUNSSome of us have specialized niche knowledge, others seem to know a little bit about everything, and all of us like to hear and share new stories about the great outdoors. Many of our employees have been with the company for 10, 20, or even 30 years. It’s not uncommon for a person to start in an entry-level position in one of our stores purely as an extension of their interests in the outdoors, only to find themselves rising through the ranks and building a long-term career with the company. Happy employees make for happy customers, and we enjoy the friendships we find not only with our coworkers, but with the customers we get to meet every day. We don’t just sell this stuff, we live it.
We’re committed to being good stewards of the outdoors and wildlife habitats. TRIGGER GUNSTORE Warehouse supports the communities we serve by donating to local causes and partnering with wildlife and conservation groups like the Mule Deer Foundation, NRA, National Wild Turkey Federation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Ducks Unlimited, among several others. Many of our employees are also contributing, active members of such groups, volunteering their own money and time for the causes we collectively cherish and believe in.