Skylar from SWFA

Skylar came out to our Legacy Outfitters Painted Post Chapter meeting last night to talk about optics and more specifically varmint hunting optics. This was the perfect precursor to our Varmint Hunt this weekend. Great presentation and my head is still spinning. I now have a better understanding of FFP vs SFP and Mils vs MOA. Ok FiremanJG I'm convinced now why MOA sucks! Unfortunately, Skylar followed me to his truck while I was carrying an arm load of Swaro Binocs, Steiner Scopes, Swaro Z5, SWFA SS HD, and I think a Zeiss HD5 or I'd be set for scopes. Anyway, huge thanks to Skylar and if you haven't bought from him and SWFA you're missing out on some great customer service and great prices.

http://swfa.com/default.aspx
(972)-SCOPE IT

Skylar and SWFA are good people for sure!

Sometimes guys have to see it and feel it, before they underatand why Mils are easier. It happens monthly on my range. I teach Mil and MOA and let them decide for themselves. More often than not, guys leave liking Mils and not liking MOA as much as they thought they would. When folks realize inches are completely out of the equation, Mils are easier and faster to use. Especially on the wind holds!

Just wanted to say thanks to Skylar as well. Great presentation, honest, down to earth and willing to take the time to answer questions. I know because I had about 100 questions for him.

Brandon

If you can get ahold of him great. Only time I called swfa and asked to speak to him I got interrogated as to why I was asked to speak to him...

Everytime i call i get him and trust me i call a bunch!!!! Skylar and Swfa are the best to deal with!!

My experiences have been far different. I have had few good dealings with them...

I've had nothing but great dealings with them and I've bought a lot of stuff. Maybe you need to try again.

Every time I call him and ask for him it goes straight through.

I got a 5th degree interrogation from some girl when I called for Skylar in December, was willing to drive 130 miles down there to get it too, but bought what I wanted somewhere else. Need to buy some stuff right now, not much $'s but need what I need and am shopping the 'net instead of calling back. Just Sayin
Ron

Well yes you can always pay more somewhere else if it's too difficult for you to call....

I've never had a problem getting Skylar on the phone. I have been politely asked why I need him instead of another sales rep and I explain that we have already been in contact on this project. Then I hear "say no more, understood". When I've been transfered to his line and had to leave a message, Skylar has called me back. Zero complaints here. In fact, just about every student that comes to the range has some type of optic need, and I point them to SWFA every time.

The only time I've had trouble with them is on the 110% price match guarantee. On two separate occasions, they simply wouldn't price match. The competitor got my business.

Other than that, business has always been straight forward, including there warranty process.

So here is how the call went

Me: good afternoon. Can I please speak to skylar?
Rep: I can help you
Me: I have been msging him and would like to talk to him
Rep: so if I ask skyar your name he will no exactly who you are?
Me: we have been messaging each other about a scope
Rep: tell me all the messages and I will help you
Me: but inwould prefer to talk to sklyar
Rep; he is busy and can't help you

SWFA/Skylar is my go to for optics. Unless I have to buy Nightforce.
Dang it SWFA become a Nightforce vendor

AH'03
As far as paying a little more for GREAT service, I've preached that paradign for over 40 years to every new salesman or retailer I've sold to, hired or trained....Zig Ziglar's original mantra was "SELL the SIZZLE...Don't SELL The Steak, Ya can buy just a Steak Lots Cheaper at the grocery store....and have fired people who've answered MY phone for having an attitude that is not conducive to getting a sale or refferal or AT LEAST a Call Back # on every inquiry.


After getting initially into Business to Business Office Products Sales in the Spring of 1970, and spending the next 40 years later into selling Consumer Products to Retailers, from Mom & Pops to large Corporate and small Retail Chains ranging from WalMart/Sams Club HQ, all 7 Divisions of Dillards Stores, 1/2 of Macy's, Federated Department Stores HQ, Sears Chicago group, various drug store chains, a 900 unit Dallas based national discount store chain, AAFES HQ, small sporting goods chains like Oshmans & Academy and over a hundred national & regional hardware & sporting goods Wholesale Distributors, in multiple consumer product categories...making tens of thousands of client calls either by phone asking for an appt or setting one, in person with & w/out an appt, or simple door pulling BtoB cold calls...imagine my surprise at being stonewalled at a seemingly progressive OnLine + Brick & Mortar retailer like SWFA .

I am a little familiar with the strategies of dealing with a brusque don't bother me or my boss screener/receptionist/secretary whose sole job is to deny access to her business associates, and interrogates the caller the way I was treated when I called for Skylar at SWFA....so much so at first I thought I was back in the Collections Business again, chasing folks who owed Money for a contractor of BofA...worst job I ever had, and kept getting yelled at "this ain't Customer Service & GET ALL the money on the 1st call" and move on.

IMO The Screener who answers inbound retail calls whose job is not to increase the companies business by directing the call to someone else who can answer the retail inquiry I've asked, but to interrogate the caller and otherwise prevent access or at the very least monitor the sales person's calls for some other reason....makes me wonder how the company is organized and why.

FWIW I never heard anything from the Screener like "I'm sorry he's not available, HOW CAN I HELP YOU?" I had to ask HER if it possible for her, or someone else, to check her inventory for what I wanted almost 5-10 minutes deep into the call so we both wasted our time, and they lost my good thoughts of what I'd always heard of their reputation for courtesy, and have become a last resort call resource for me.

I've never gotten the same "WhattaYaWant" attitude I got in Midlothian with the folks anywhere else in an OnLine Retailer, and Great Service is why I call a distibutor in Missouri 1st instead of the guy in Memphis....but you'd think the New York optics guys that used to be on Lexington in Manhatten would be the worst for having an attitude to deal with & you'd be wrong... but then they've only been at it since the early 1950's when Personal Service was King, and have earned my business with things like: getting a product order & seeing that they were out of stock in the computer, taking a moment to double check the warehouse on an ad item, but willing to take the ad price order, taking the payment, and having the product drop shipped from the factory warehouse in Wisconsin at no extra charge so as to not miss a sale....or disappoint a customer. THAT's the way for a Win Win transaction to work IMO.

It's not ALWAYS about being cheapest, but It's ALWAYS about GREAT SERVICE with a smile in the voice on the other end of the line.

I was really looking forward to going to Midlothian, as I needed to sit down with my Insurance Agent of 40 years who's office is just north of Main St, and seeing SWFA's new store to see what all they carried. But after the call to Skylar went in the toilet, I called my Agent, cancelled the appt and got done what was possible over the phone & by USPS like he wanted to begin with, since I was not going to go to work for him after all, like we'd talked about.

Back in the late '70's when I was the Sales Manager of a Dallas/Carrollton based SG Distributor, a competitor of mine who's local rep was a buddy - I called on & sold his family's gun store on the Square in Denton, had alerted me to a new Shotgun News Mail Order operation that had opened up in an old house in one of the 'burbs just south of Dallas, so I cold called them the next time I was down that way...wonder if this is the same outfit that has become SWFA?
JMHO & YMMV
Ron

I called SWFA today to update CC info for a back order and Skylar was the one who answered the phone. As usual, he helped me out quickly and efficiently. I have purchased many scopes from Skylar, including a personal transaction of one of his scopes, and have always been more than satisfied. Skylar is good people, and since he is, he is in demand so I would not be surprised he is not always available immediately.

Dang every time ive had to ask for him they never ask me anything but my name..

I didn't read all that but randomly I saw a Zig Ziglar quote in a presentation today. Bottom line I think you're in the minority of people who have had a bad experience with SWFA but then I won't talk to anybody but Skylar. I won't buy a scope anywhere else because of the service and as a bonus the price.

Sounds like they work on commission.

I've done a lot of buisness with SWFA and have never had a bad experience. I have had them turn on even better CS after mention of THF or after they pull up my account.

They certainly have a loyal following who make them out to be the end all be all.

I have had multiple bad interactions with them. One involving them admitting to messing up then doing nothing to help me.

And it sounds like I am not alone in having bad experiences.

I can get good or better prices from other dealers, that I have never had a bad interaction with. I would encourage people to determine who they want to do business with and not rely on the loyal fan base.

I am certain this post was meant to just say thank you to Skylar for taking his personal time to drive out here to Mineral Wells, after getting off work on a Monday evening, to share some knowledge with our legacy outfitters chapter.
I have personally dealt with SWFA multiple times. Each time I call the person that answers the phone attempts to assist me even after I ask to speak with Skylar. I ask if they can provide me with the THF discount and they always say let me transfer you to Skylar. Have I had to leave a message, yes, but I have always been called back.
This was not intended to speak for everyone that works for or answers the phone at SWFA. Sounds to me everyone that has dealt with Skylar for an order has had a good experience and I believe a shout out to him was what the OP was getting at.

BWH65 I agree about your thoughts on the OP's attempt to thank Skylar for his stepping up to share information and educate an audience. I'd really liked to have talked to him the several times I've tried to reach him over the last couple years. I've never been able to schedule a time to meet the man when I have a Dallas VA Hospital appt and am willing to drive another 50 miles out of the way since Midlothian is not a destination in my normal travels, as I am 100 miles north of the VA.... or even talk with him on the phone, but then I am a single individual retail consumer with usually not much money to spend either.

Skylar's good work is apparently what keeps the positive SWFA reputation alive, so kudo's to him for his excellent efforts...FWIW his positive reputation is not limited to just this Forum. However that SWFA positive vibe is not so much in evidence however about the lady who answers the phone, with the same huh?? reputation apparently across other Forums as well. So I was wondering if it was just me being overly sensitive...again, given my history of being able to overcome a Door Stopper's efforts to deny my access to the desired Right Person at all levels of the Retail World over a 30-40 year period....so I bought the 5 scopes I wanted and a rangefinder elsewhere over the last 6-8 weeks. That's all I was trying to get across.
JMHO & YMMV