Gunner Gear Customer Service: Professional Operations Guide

Contents

1 Gunner Gear Customer Service: Professional Operations Guide

Executive summary and scope

This document describes a professional customer service operation for Gunner Gear — a manufacturer and retailer of high‑performance hard cases and accessories for firearms, optics and outdoor equipment. The guidance focuses on operational metrics, process design, practical scripts, return/repair workflows and safety/compliance considerations that an expert team would use to deliver fast, traceable and legally compliant service for high‑value gear.

Target outcomes: reduce friction for customers, protect high‑value inventory, and keep average repair turnaround under 21 business days. Recommended business targets: First Contact Resolution (FCR) 75–85%, Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) ≥90%, Net Promoter Score (NPS) ≥50, and defect/return rate ≤2% on new product shipments.

Service channels, hours and SLAs

Operate multi‑channel support: phone, email, web portal, live chat and dealer in‑person support. Standard hours should match customer shopping behavior—recommended 7 days/week coverage 08:00–20:00 local time for phone/chat (12 hours), and 24‑hour ticket intake via email/portal. For a premium brand, provide an out‑of‑hours escalation phone with a guaranteed callback within 2 hours for critical issues.

Key SLAs to implement and measure weekly: phone answer time ≤30 seconds, chat initial response ≤60 seconds, email/portal first response ≤4 business hours (max 1 business day), RMA acknowledgement ≤2 business days. Track these in your CRM and publish them on the support page to set expectations and reduce inbound escalation.

Channels + SLA examples: Phone (support line; sample format (555) 123‑4567) — answer ≤30s, Email ([email protected]) — first response ≤4 business hours, Web portal (https://support.gunnergear.example) — RMA ack ≤2 business days, Live chat — response ≤60s.

Hours & staffing: 3‑tier model — Tier 1 (inbound triage, 6 FTEs per shift), Tier 2 (technical diagnostics, 2–3 FTEs), Tier 3 (engineering/escalations, on call). Use 15% extra headcount for peak seasons (Nov–Jan) when returns and inquiries increase 30–50%.

Returns, repairs and warranty handling

Design a single RMA flow that enforces documentation: customer name, order number or dealer invoice, purchase date, product serial number, and 3 photos (front, back, damage close‑up). For warranty validation require proof of purchase within the warranty period; recommended standard is a 5‑year limited warranty for cases and a 1‑year warranty for electronics or integrated locking mechanisms.

Turnaround times and fees (sample operational policy): warranty diagnostics: 3–5 business days; warranty repair/replacement: 7–21 business days; out‑of‑warranty diagnostics: $49 flat fee (waived if repair >$150). Out‑of‑warranty repairs: labor $60/hr plus parts; common service items like hinge replacement $79–$139, full recore/lock rebuild $149–$249. Expedited service (diagnostics + repair within 5–7 business days) +$99.

RMA workflow and recordkeeping

Consistency and traceability are essential for high‑value goods. Issue an RMA number immediately upon acceptance; use a predictable format such as RMA‑YYYY‑NNNNNN (e.g., RMA‑2025‑000321). Require customers to ship with insurance equal to invoice value and to use carriers that provide signature on delivery for shipments >$500.

Maintain a searchable ticket history per serial number in your ERP/CRM and attach photos, test results and technician notes. Archive all completed RMAs for 7 years to support warranty adjudication and product reliability analytics.

RMA steps (practical checklist): 1) Customer submits portal ticket with photos and proof of purchase; 2) Tier 1 validates eligibility and issues RMA within 2 business days; 3) Customer ships to company address (sample format: 100 Industrial Park Rd, Anytown, ST 12345 — use carrier label provided); 4) Tier 2 receives, logs serial, performs diagnostics in 3–5 days and updates ticket; 5) Repair or replace per policy; 6) Ship back with tracking and require signature on delivery.

Compliance, shipping and safety considerations

When servicing gun cases and firearms‑associated gear, follow safe handling and transportation rules: state and carrier restrictions prohibit shipping live firearms and ammunition to service centers without proper licensing. Explicitly instruct customers not to ship weapons or ammunition in returns — accept only empty cases. Display this policy prominently at order, on packing slips and in the RMA email.

For international returns, document export compliance, include commercial invoices, and confirm local import/export restrictions. Insure every international shipment for 100% of declared value and add an extra 1–2 business days to expected turnaround for customs processing. For domestic high‑value items (> $1,000), require signature upon delivery and keep GPS/scan records for chain of custody.

Quality assurance, metrics and contact scripts

Measure quality continuously: weekly KPI dashboard should include CSAT, NPS (survey after ticket close), FCR, average handle time (AHT) and RMA turnaround days. Target AHT 6–8 minutes for phone, 12–20 minutes for chat, and maintain FCR at 75–85% through better diagnostic tooling and knowledge base expansion. Use monthly root‑cause analysis to reduce recurring defects and update product design or packaging when pattern failures appear.

Sample opening script for phone: “Thank you for calling Gunner Gear Support, this is [Name]. May I have your order number or product serial number to look up the case and verify purchase date? We’ll validate warranty eligibility and, if needed, issue an RMA within 48 hours. Can you briefly describe the issue and send three photos to [email protected]?” End calls with a clear next step, SLA and RMA number if issued to build confidence and lower repeat contacts.