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Sprint Corporate Store (Lynchburg): Circle & Slash Gun Sign

jmelvin

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
2,195
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
The wife and I dropped by both of our local Sprint stores yesterday to address a phone issue and then look at new phones. Over the years we've been in both and have never had the first issue while carrying. The franchise store had no postings and the workers were quite pleasant. However, afterward we dropped by the corporate store and were immediately greeted with a big circle and slash type sign with a gun shown in the middle. I intend to contact Sprint regarding this posting tomorrow, but wanted to find out if other Sprint stores throughout the commonwealth are similarly posted.

So folks, are your Sprint stores posted "No Guns" or with similar signs?

Although we're long time Sprint customers, I'm certainly up for changing providers, but I know Verizon corporate stores are "No Guns" zones.
 
Last edited:

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
The wife and I dropped by both of our local Sprint stores yesterday to address a phone issue and then look at new phones. Over the years we've been in both and have never had the first issue while carrying. The franchise store had no postings and the workers were quite pleasant. However, afterward we dropped by the corporate store and were immediately greeted with a big circle and slash type sign with a gun shown in the middle. I intend to contact Sprint regarding this posting tomorrow, but wanted to find out if other Sprint stores throughout the commonwealth are similarly posted.

So folks, are your Sprint stores posted "No Guns" or with similar signs?

Although we're long time Sprint customers, I'm certainly up for changing providers, but I know Verizon corporate stores are "No Guns" zones.
Have had no problem with Verizon corporate stores in Richmond - no signs, no fuss.
 

jmelvin

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
2,195
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
Thanks for the input. I've read in various places that Verizon stores were posted "No Guns" and that was the policy of the company.

I just need to get to it and find out what's going on with Sprint, though.
 

jmelvin

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
2,195
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
I could find no way to contact Sprint customer service via e-mail, so rather than call and try to record the conversation I took advantage of the chat option. This is how it turned out. No resolution yet, but Sprint is aware of my concerns regarding the danger, hostility, and judgmental nature of the sign. The "You" lines are my lines and the "Anthony P" lines are the Sprint person's lines.


Sprint: We received your information and will connect you with a Chat Specialist soon.
Sprint: Please hold, we will be with you shortly.
You: Thank you.
Sprint: Check out our latest plans for the best deal in wireless.
Sprint: The new Sprint Simply Unlimited Plan - available with a new iPhone 6 - gives you unlimited talk, text and data for just $50 per month. Learn more at sprint.com/iphone.

Anthony P: Thank you for contacting Sprint, my name is Anthony P. I am happy to help you today.
Anthony P: I'm sorry for your inconvenience. I’ll help find a solution for you as quickly as possible.

You: Good afternoon Anthony, sorry for the pause there.

Anthony P: Good afternnon, i am sorry to hear you did not receive proper service at the store, I will escalate your issue.

You: I'd like to start with the good if I could. My wife and I are long time customers of Sprint (circa 2000 and 2001) and have been generally pleased with the level of service we've received from Sprint when we call in or have to deal with Sprint stores in person.
You: Prior to this weekend, we had no reason to complain with the service we've received.

Anthony P: ok....

You: When we pulled up to our local Sprint store (3920 Wards Rd., Lynchburg, VA) we were immediately put on notice, that even as long time customers we were not welcome in the store. The store, sadly, had what I took to be a "No Guns" sign on the door, which we respected and immediately left.
You: This was the first time I'd ever run into this issue at any Sprint stores, and I found it not only offensive, but dangerous to those inside that the management would openly advertise that customers could not keep a sidearm to protect themselves in the case of violence.

Anthony P: I understand your concern, though please understand, it could be little problematic or scary for other customers at the store as well.

You: I'm hoping this is a bad posting and that Sprint is not wishing to be inhospitable and openly judgmental to a significant portion of its customer base.

Anthony P: Though I will be escalating your feedback.
Anthony P: Of course not, we are not trying to be biased but we need to take care of everybody's concern and safety.

You: Perhaps, but as Martin Luther King even asked, people should be judged upon the content of their character (their actions) and not simply based on a simple sight.

Anthony P: I am sure you were carying it fdor your own safety with all good intenstion
Anthony P: BUt, other customers may not understand that.
Anthony P: Others may feel uncomfortable with this.

You: Understood. I recognize that Sprint has to balance their own considerations, and I am not asking for preference in dealings, just simple accommodation the same way that Sprint may accommodate Muslims and Christians, African Americans or those of European descent, or even Verizon customers. :)

Anthony P: I will make a not of your feedback and escalate this to the concerned team to look into it.

You: With both political parties raising awareness of violence against women, it seems silly to believe that a store manager would ask its patrons to set aside their means to self defense to come do business, with someone the store would generally trust as a customer otherwise.
You: I appreciate your assistance.

Anthony P: Thank you, though I would like to inform you that you do not need to worry about your safety inside the Sprint Store.

You: As I said before we've been pleased with Sprint, but if Sprint thinks we are not responsible people worthwhile to do business with after a decade, we can go elsewhere.
You: Well sir, that sounds particularly nice, but I have yet to ever see TSA like pat downs and devices at Sprint's front doors to ensure all who enter abide by the same rules. Signs may deter me, but sadly as I've seen again and again, they don't deter those bent on causing criminal harm and mischief. Otherwise laws would work to prevent crime.
You: Heck if the signs worked, the store wouldn't have locks, but just a sign that said "No Stealing".

Anthony P: Iam not saying that, I will escalate your issues, I have tried to explain the reason why guns are not allowed inside the store, hope you will understand that as well.
Anthony P: We have to be responsible for everyone's safety and point of view.

You: So you are saying then that it is Sprint policy to bar its customers from possessing sidearms and Sprint is taking full responsibility for those actions?
You: Seems to be a gigantic amount of liability there.

Anthony P: I have already told you that I will escalate your concern, I was trying to give you a logical explanation why guns are not allowed inside a store or a shopping mall. This explanation was given to answer your question that we are not discriminating against you.

You: Sorry, I don't mean to be badgering. Thank you for escalating the issue to the right folks.
You: I will look forward to Sprint's reply regarding its customers.

Anthony P: Sure, I appreciate that

You: We are fortunate to live in an area where nearly no one makes such a distrustful request of its potential customers, including Verizon and AT&T, so it was a very rare sighting.

Anthony P: I am escalating it, hopefully it should get resolved to your satisfaction.

You: I certainly hope so. Thank you for your time and efforts!

End.
 
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