Weirdness with Altamont Grips

[Bill in Oregon]

I have bought their grips several times over the years and have been quite pleased for the price. There was some sort of change in the company a while back with the result that for a long time their grip selection contracted mightily -- and most of those shown were "temporarily unavailable," or "Notify me of next production run."
Yesterday I found a few grip sets for the Ruger Wrangler that were marked "Add to cart," and bought a set. This morning I got this email from Altamont:

The Ruger Blackhawk/Wrangler Classic Panel Super Rosewood Checkered Fleur-de-Lis that you purchased is being finished to order.
Would you like to wait 2-4 weeks?
We are also able to cancel your order and issue a full refund back to you.
Please let us know your preference by replying to this email at your earliest convenience.
If there is no response, we will continue to make your original order and you will receive tracking information by email when it ships.
Thanks,
Altamont
901 N Church St
Thomasboro, IL 61878

I told them I would wait, but it just seems an odd way to do business. They have or had a very nice, large, fully modern production facility. Anyone else buy grips from Altamont lately?

[Scott Tschirhart]

I think fold are trying to keep their employees, I know that we are having some trouble with this.

I think they are trying to be open about this and I respect that.

[2ndovc]

Scott is most likely right on target. Keeping people on the job lately has been challenging for a lot of companies, large and small. People show up for a couple of weeks, or even days, then quit and go right back on unemployment, just because they can.

The ins. co. I work for has been trying to fill the position that covers the counties south of me for over a year with no luck. This blows my mind as a staff adjuster, it's a pretty easy job w/ a lot going for it.

jb

[jeepnik]

The problem is new, read younger, employees find out they actually have to produce instead of playing in the internet all day. So, they quit and draw benefits as long as they can.

The last few years I was working we’d try to hire and applicants would apply and then tell us what they wanted to do not what the job entailed.

We found out it was best to find a 40 something male, preferably with kids to employ.

[Old No7]

I have bought their grips several times over the years and have been quite pleased for the price. There was some sort of change in the company a while back with the result that for a long time their grip selection contracted mightily -- and most of those shown were "temporarily unavailable," or "Notify me of next production run."
Yesterday I found a few grip sets for the Ruger Wrangler that were marked "Add to cart," and bought a set. This morning I got this email from Altamont:

The Ruger Blackhawk/Wrangler Classic Panel Super Rosewood Checkered Fleur-de-Lis that you purchased is being finished to order.
Would you like to wait 2-4 weeks?
We are also able to cancel your order and issue a full refund back to you.
Please let us know your preference by replying to this email at your earliest convenience.
If there is no response, we will continue to make your original order and you will receive tracking information by email when it ships.
Thanks,
Altamont
901 N Church St
Thomasboro, IL 61878

I told them I would wait, but it just seems an odd way to do business. They have or had a very nice, large, fully modern production facility. Anyone else buy grips from Altamont lately?

I don't think that's new... (For this year anyhow)... As I saw it years ago during Covid I think...

I do recall saying that I'd wait, and the grips came to me sooner than projected and with the EXCELLENT quality they're known for delivering.

Having spent 30+ years in supply chain -- and now I've been in sales for 7.5 years, ha! -- I can see both sides of this. I "think" they are a made-to-order shop for catalog items -- which means, you pick an item from the catalog but it's not on the shelf yet. Kind of a hybrid system, as you can also add grip medallions to some styles if desired.

I agree it's not worded very well, but I honestly think it's their attempt to set the "right expectations" for the customer at the start.

Lousy wording -- GREAT grips though!

Old No7

[Old No7]

The problem is new, read younger, employees find out they actually have to produce instead of playing in the internet all day. So, they quit and draw benefits as long as they can.

Gee, ya think the guv'mint got them used to be paid for sitting on their a**es?

My daughter (mid-30s) is having a heck of a time getting younger employees to... Work, and it's even harder to get them to WORK HARD -- she says they expect to stroll in after 9 or 9:30, and by 3:30 PM or so, they'll ask her if they can leave "cause they're tired"......................

Her response (which she credits me and her grandfather for ) is -- "Sure you can leave, just don't ever come back!"

Some day they'll write a book called "The UNgreatest Generation".

Old No7

[GunnyMack]

Those are pretty grips Bill, I had to look at their wares. They would look great on my brass frame 41! Send em over when you get them !!

[Ysabel Kid]

I bought a set about a year ago and got the same message. I was in no hurry, and the wait was worth it - same high quality as always.

The company I work for has the same issue with our contractor work force. That I don't blame on those employees at all. If they get a better gig, especially with medical benefits, they're crazy not to jump.

I see the same thing in our customer base, which is all focused on the construction industry. They have had to cut whole shifts because they simply can't staff them. Retaining employees, even with benefits, is a challenge. Worse, a lot of who they retain are not really that interested in working.

Times have changed. I miss the biblical adage, if you don't work, you don't eat.