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3 Places Where Gun Store ERP Software Boosts Customer Satisfaction

3 Places Where Gun Store ERP Software Boosts Customer Satisfaction
Whether it’s in your store or at your shooting range, ERP software provides an enhanced consumer experience.

Like any business enterprise, gun shop owners strive to provide a consistently high level of customer service. Many use ERP software to maintain a competitive edge over their rivals because it allows them to complete complex transactions quickly. As a result, the customer enjoys a seamless shopping experience.

The Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and other governing bodies, carefully regulate the sale of guns. This includes:

  • Filling out ATF forms
  • Tracking acquisition and disposition information
  • Maintaining compliance with ongoing regulation amendments

These processes are in place for good reason, but they also take time, which can frustrate your client base. These rules are designed to protect both gun owners and the general public by providing rigid control over the sale and movement of firearms.

With an enterprise resource planning system that is configured to work specifically for a business in the gun retail industry, you will provide a heightened level of service. And your customers are bound to notice the difference across your entire business operation…


1. At the Sales Counter 

To purchase firearms in the United States, customers are required to fill out a Firearms Transaction Record (known as a Form 4473). There’s a fair amount of information required, including:

  • Name and personal information
  • Background check transaction number
  • Affidavit
  • Firearms information (make, model, serial number)

The form can be tedious to fill out, and if you make a mistake, it can cause delays. To avoid this, ERP providers such as Windward Software have developed an online kiosk (available for customers hosting their software on premise)  that enables customers to fill out a Form 4473 with ease:

  • Prompts customer to fill out required fields
  • Notifies customer of potential errors
  • Forms can be printed, then saved as electronic files


2. When Placing Special Orders

There are endless ways to customize or modify a firearm by adding accessories such as:

  • Grips
  • Holsters
  • Scopes
  • Engravings

As a result, special orders are commonplace. If you plan on doing any light manufacturing at your gun shop to accommodate these orders, it’s extremely helpful if your enterprise resource planning system has a ‘kits’ feature. Similar to a bill of materials, this provides an itemized breakdown of the individual components that went into the assembly of a firearm.

If you choose, you can add an individual line for each kit component on the invoice to help the customer understand the cost breakdown. As an added bonus, the components will be subtracted from your inventory as they’re used.


3. At the Shooting Range

If you operate a shooting range and rent firearms, you can incorporate a rental software component into your ERP system that will enhance your ability to track the availability of your product at all times.

To learn more about this, read: Using Inventory Management Software to Add Rentals to Your Business.


To learn about the benefits of ERP software for gun shops, call Windward Software. Our award-winning System Five platform features an industry-specific module that provides enhanced functionality for retailers and service providers in this sector.

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