This one comes with a story.
Two weeks ago a new customer came in with a 6.5 Swede rifle that had been to 3-4 other smiths, in hopes of getting all the needed tasks completed. For various reasons he'd been tossed back and forth before he finally got to me. Unfortunately I had to deliver more bad news a couple hours after he had left. The previous smith did not complete the commissioned tasks correctly and I informed him of this after consulting with my friend Thomas Ryder of SPR Industries LLC. So he came back the next day and then took the rifle back to that "other guy" to have him fix it.
Another day goes by and the rifle is back in my hands. To make the matter even more convoluted, he had his wife pick up the rifle from "other guy" and bring it to me. In the world of required background checks, he would not be able to pick up the rifle without a background check since his wife brought it in, and, his wife was having surgery "soon". It's three days before deer season opens and I know he's trying to get out early in the season with his brother to hunt. This customer always gets delayed in background checks, so for him to pick up his own gun, it would add another 2-3 days to my normal turn around time of two-four weeks. I'm feeling bad for the guy and I'm biased...he puts on a blue uniform, always answers the the call of duty, and puts his life at risk everyday for the rest of us. He's earned a break. It was time to crank up the customer service level and crush the competition. 15 hours later his rifle was ready for pickup. Come to find out, his wife was having surgery that day and for him to get his rifle back sooner than later, she would have to be present.
Apparently his wife is the G.O.A.T. because that evening he called and his wife was feeling up for a ride so he could pick up his rifle. She stayed in the vehicle while I verified her ID as required by law, and he was able to pick up his rifle. To say he was very happy about it all is an understatement and a few days into deer season I received a text from him.
