Any trip there was amazing. A visit to pick up new guitar strings became “I’ll just poke around a little,” and then next thing I knew I was messing around with equipment that I could never afford in two lifetimes.
But ever since I’ve gone away to college, I’ve had to go to the store around here. It’s part of a retail chain, and I can’t go 30 seconds in there without being hassled by one of their employees. And they always go for the big sell, no matter how clear you make it that you’re not interested. Last time I was there this one guy tries to sell me a $1k amplifier when all I wanted a $5 set of strings (the fact that he looked like an uglier version of Gene Simmons without the makeup on certainly didn’t help his cause).
How much extra are you prepared to pay at that local ship that let’s you try stuff out to your heart’s content when the chain store has it for a lot less down the street or online?
Is that going to be the best use of your limited fundage you think?
if they feel that the value of the local stores service and possibly their follow up service is worth more than the difference in price then yes that would be the best appropriation of funds. Someone who will try to get you the best product for the money you have and will genuinely try to help you and not try to upsale you the $4k authentic sixties stratocaster when you only came in for the $500 taylor is worth the extra money for the least amount of hassle. If you feel you know exactly what you want and are confident in your decision then the cheaper retail store may be the best decision.
Exactly my point. You are struggling musician/student. You hang t the local store, try stuff out, fall in love with something, and then it is time to buy. You know full well the local store has the item for $x, the chain store for .8x, and online for .7x.
Which are you going to choose given that no matter what, this is a major purchase for you?
Time was, you couldn’t walk ten blocks without bumping into a used CD shop. Now, they’re all gone…all except two shops on Ventura Blvd., and one of them (Second Spin) does it’s lion’s share of business online. Heck, even the chains which catered to brand new releases (The Wherehouse, Sam Goody, etc.) are all but extinct now.
I went to a music shop the other day to buy some patch cables for my guitar effects board and to maybe pick up some strings and picks. I’m new to the area and hadn’t been to this place before. I looked through the store and couldn’t find any cables long enough with right angle plugs. I also had a look at their little make-your-own-cable section and they were all sold out of right angle plugs, their cable was also very expensive. So I go to the counter and tell the guy what I want, some patch cables around 50cm to 1m long with right angle plugs. He looks at me like I’m daft and says those cables don’t exist and that I’d have to put them together myself. I say, “alright, I’ll need some right angle plugs and a couple of metres of cable”. He points in the direction of their cables and plugs so I tell him I couldn’t find any with right angle connections and ask if he could show me exactly where they are or order some in if they don’t have any. He insists they do have them and they’re over there and I tell him again that I couldn’t find them. Then he checks the computer and says, “oh yeah! We’re all out of those.” When asked if he could order some he says they’ll be on order but he doesn’t know when they’ll arrive and that I could pop in next week to check. No thanks, I think to myself, I might have a look elsewhere.
Now this dude wasn’t particularly rude or anything but he did absolutely nothing to help me at all. He offered no useful information and I had to constantly question him to get the information I required. The thing is that I spend $1000 - $2000 every now and then on musical things and there’s absolutely no way I’ll be buying from that shop now and all because he couldn’t be bothered with someone who wanted $50 worth of cables.
Of course once I got onto eBay that afternoon I found exactly what I was looking for at a very good price. My arse they don’t make 1m patch cables with right angle plugs!
Actually, when I bought a guitar the local place gave me a huge discount for no particular reason. It may even have been lower than the sale price online. No idea how they stay in business.
I get that (what the OP described) at Guitar Center all the time.
I recall a time I was in looking for a chord-book for my son, and the guy tried to sell me the Gibson Robot that had just come out at the time … something like $3000.
My local shop is the balls though. They encourage you to play any and all of the instruments they have on stock, from used Fender Squiers to Martins.
A couple of years ago I went into Guitar Center, hundred dollar bills in my hot little first, and a flashing neon sign above my head that said “Paying Customer.” I couldn’t get help from anyone.
They did that just for the cashflow., to pay their bills. Maybe break-even or a small profit, but better that then letting you go elsewhere when you have money to spend right now. in the long term, that is unsustainable though on their part.
Well, they might have been thinking “sell a girl a starter guitar, make a lifelong customer and charge through the nose for strings”. I haven’t played it in a while, though, so I don’t know what they charge for strings.
I wonder if the floor staff there make money on commissions. Because if they don’t, they really don’t have any motivation to do anything but make it through the day at their shitty minimum-wage job without getting fired. Why would they give a shit if the store makes money or not?
A good salesperson doesn’t need direct financial compensation in order to do a good job. Pride in their work, their work place, and a desire for the business they work for to do well should be enough.
WTF? Why wouldn’t a salesperson deserve to be compensated for the value he or she brings to the company, compared to other employees? What is special about being a salesperson in that regard?
What makes a salesperson special in that regard, in that s/he shouldn’t share in a decent compensation plan, let alone a traditional one for salespeople, and should be happy about it, simply because his or her role is “salesperson”?