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| - For several years I have seen this coin shop as I drive down Scottsdale Rd. Each time I thought to myself, I should really stop in there and check it out... it's gotta be pretty good to be a small shop in Old Town, right? Wrong. I finally got a chance to go in yesterday, and I can say that I certainly won't be back unless I hear there are staffing changes.
My father and I have been building a coin collection that he started when he was a kid. I thought it would be a perfect Christmas gift to get him a nice coin, so while holiday shopping in Scottsdale, I asked my fiancé to stop in to Republic Rare Coins with me. At first glance, the store looks tiny. And it is, but it's organized well to hold a decent inventory. The man at the counter greeted us with a quick "can I help you find something?" and I responded that I was just browsing, seeing what all he had. The fiancé sensed that the man had lost interest already, so he mentioned to the man that my father and I had quite the coin collection, hoping to redeem the possibility that he thought we were just browsing like we were in a museum, rather than with the intention to buy. I don't think this guy even acknowledged the sentiment. We went on about looking through the different cases, commenting on a few particular coins, with ideas percolating with potential gifts or additions to the collection. When I noticed a case of foreign coins, I asked the man if he purchased them too... I have several, but I don't know a lot about the foreign ones and don't have the same interest as I do US coins. He mumbled "no" without even looking up from his book, and ignored my follow-up statements about my question.
It was about this time I started getting the feeling that I wasn't welcome. The man clearly had no interest in helping me or engaging me, and I felt as though I had intruded when he didn't want to be bothered. He got a call, and suddenly he was Mr. Personality! He was very friendly on the phone, talking to someone who must have been a close friend or family member. He mentioned that he was bored in the shop, and went on to make a few racist remarks... both are awesome things to do when you have customers inside. The shop is the size of a small kitchen, it's not like we can't hear. I'd wager that this shop stays in business based on this guy's inner-circle providing business, and outsiders are unwelcome.
He continued to blatantly ignore us, even as I showed real interest in a few things. When my fiancé asked if I wanted to buy something, I said I kinda did, but I didn't feel like he wanted to sell them to me. He agreed, and we decided to move on. As we left the shop, there was no acknowledgement of our departure, no "Thanks for stopping by", not even a "see ya later". Nothing.
This shop might be great, if there was any customer service. I felt so unwelcome I actually decided not to make a purchase, which is saying a lot. This man is totally rude and is driving customers away. I'm even more motivated to find another local seller I can establish a relationship with so I can continue my hobby.
It might be time to hire a sales associate to handle the day-to-day or hang up your hat, sir. You're giving numismatics and coin sales a bad name.
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