Why is Airsoft GI a Cut Above the Rest?

In the airsoft industry, Airsoft GI is a retailer who is different compared to the rest. This is thanks to its owner’s unique way of thinking and his philosophy about business. I remember when I was a rookie packer when I first started about 5 years ago. One of my first mistakes was packing the incorrect item into one of the customer’s packages. A few days later, we received an email from the customer stating he had received the wrong item. Although the tone of the customer’s email did not sound angry, the owner immediately pulled me aside and gave me a “lecture”. From that point on, I knew this was the company I wanted to work for.

One of the owner’s philosophies on how Airsoft GI must operate is a constant drive for improvement. The owner believes that there is always room for improvement. He feels that if you are not moving forward, you are moving backwards. Therefore, all Airsoft GI employees are constantly improving themselves. However, 99% of Airsoft GI employees go above and beyond their duties, not only to impress the owner; but more importantly, to better serve our customers.

Unlike other retailers, Airsoft GI’s number one priority is not profits. Instead, our number one priority is safety for the individual and the public. The owner believes that airsoft is a sport that requires a lot of responsibility, and only responsible individuals should handle airsoft guns. Look at our videos as an example. Every single video made by Airsoft GI has a public service announcement at the end. This is to educate the general public and prevent tragedy from happening. The PSA is so successful that it is currently supported by the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, which happens to be the largest sheriff department in the world.

Since safety is our main concern, it is no surprise that the owner expects his employees to lead by example. Airsoft GI expects its employees to be professional and at the same time educational. The owner expects every employee to treat an airsoft gun like a real firearm, whether it is at an event or at our own store. If we see customer violating one of the basic firearm rules, it is our job to educate them and inform them about the potential dangers of mishandling an airsoft gun. We have actually turned away customers because we felt that the customer would cause harm to society and themselves.

After knowing the owner’s philosophies and Airsoft GI’s priority, you might start to see the reason behind our website design. Our website is designed to fulfill one purpose, user friendliness. The guys in the IT department dedicated their time to making our website easily accessible. We are proud of the fact that our website is the most organized in the industry, and the search function is top notch. This allows for very precise searching when on the website. This saves you time and money.

Like I mentioned previously, we here at Airsoft GI believes “good” is never good enough. As good as the website is, we are going to be improving it even more. Currently, we are in the process of improving website in all areas. The goal of this massive operation is simple, to make the website even more user friendly for our customers.

I started my Airsoft GI career in the shipping department as a packer. Even back then as a packer, the expectation was extremely high. As a packer, we are expected to be the last line of defense, where we have to make sure the right items go into the right packages. And if a packer makes a mistake, they will have a long “lecture” after work. I know this may sound easy, but compared to other companies, their packer’s responsibilities are to just put an item into a box and slap the shipping label on it. At Airsoft GI, we go the extra mile to make sure and triple check everything being sent out.

After packing for some time, I was promoted to the puller. This led to quality control, shipping administration assistance, purchasing agent, and finally marketing. Every time I was promoted, the expectation was raised ten-fold. However I enjoy the responsibility, I feel it keeps me on my toes. Once a person enters his/her comfort zone, they become lazy. Airsoft GI has always challenged me. It requires me to utilize the education and experience I gained from my academic career at Cal State LA. This constant challenge pushes me to be greater.

Currently as the editor of Airsoft GITV Blog, my job is to post detailed reviews about a product, or any airsoft related articles on the GITV blog. My goal is to post at least 1 to 2 articles per week. This provides me with a constant challenge. My other duties as the local event coordinator means I am in charge of representing Airsoft GI at local events. This includes giving out free merchandise (swag), making sure the event participants are comfortable and having fun. I am also in charge of the S.E.C.T. (Special Events Coordination Team), which is a newly formed division of Airsoft GI. The main goal of S.E.C.T. is to provide the best possible experience for event participants and fans.

Being in the marketing department is definitely the most challenging role that I have held at Airsoft GI, but I enjoy it very much. Everyday we get to use our knowledge and experience to come up with creative ways to promote certain items. Sometimes, it can be frustrating. But at the end of the day, the marketing department is proud of what they have produced. Everyone takes pride in what they do, and they do it for the airsoft community.

Well, there it is, just a little overview what Airsoft GI is about. Next week, I am going to be doing interviews with each department’s manager and give you their views, core values, and what they expect out of their employees. Until next time, I am Andrew, stay safe, and thanks for joining.