PMT, what are they like to deal with?

[gafbass02]

Ed Byrne it was

[bumnote]

I had an issue last year when I was interested in buying a phil jones cab. Made an enquiry which I had to chase 4 times.

I wrote a letter of complaint to their MD and had call from a guy called Andy Milner who went out of his way and then some to sort the issues out. He arranged a delivery direct and kept me informed every step of the way.

When I then got a hankering for a head as well, I got superb sevice and a very good price.

Best service I have had in a music store for 40 years

[LeftyBiskit]

The staff in the Manchester Branch are particularly helpful,(a pleasant chap by the name of Tony couldnt have been more helpful)
I bought a Squier VMJ last year-got a good deal and with a price match they even took it into the guitar tech for a set up while i was there for a bit of tweaking to my taste.
I've been in a few times since,sometimes just for a mooch or a purchase.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Bought a Warwick from Romford for a good price, but when I asked to try a s/h Burns on another visit, was told they wouldn't make it playable (it wasn't!) Unless I was buying.... So Romford is a bit mixed. Tried many over the years in Southend. Bought an MIA Jazz in there. Always pretty ok, but they know me by sight now. Can't comment on the online thing, though...

[4-string-thing]

[quote name='Bass-ic' timestamp='1326792326' post='1501876']
PMT in Bristol are bloody awful.
Absolutley rubbish service. Mostly surly and unhelpful. I bought an amp from the store. The amp was price matched to the web site. I think that because the staff were sellling something cheaper than they wanted, they didnt care a rats ass about my money. I asked one of teh staff about the amp, and was told that they didnt know much about it. I was directed to another member of staff who asked me to wait while they finished talking to someone else. No problem there but once I had talked about the amp and the price match, I pretty much got ignored. Staff member wandered off and then I had to go and find him. I then got tol sthat I couldn't have the box and I had to reall hassle to get a mains lead for the amp. There was no paperwork and I had to demand a receipt. if the amp hadnt been quite so cheap, then I wouldnt have wasted either my time or my money there.
It's a real shame they dont have much competition in Bristol. I think it would be better to go to Mansons that use PMT if in the South West.
You have been warned.

Cheers
Matt
[/quote]

I had pretty much the same thing in the Birmingham branch. The staff member was more interested in telling me about his band than about the amp I wanted to buy. When I did buy the amp, I was told there was no box or mains lead, and when I asked for instructions I was told " Plug in, switch it on and turn it up" The only reason I bought it was because it was as cheap as anywhere else, and it was actually there in front of me, not advertised on a website that probably didn't have it in stock anyway!

[HMX]

[quote name='jackers' timestamp='1326794915' post='1501928']
I live right next to PMT Oxford, and they are all very friendly helpful guys. I bought my Ashdown MiBass and audio interface there, and they have been great at helping me with any questions I have (especially Fi, their bass guy). They have a pretty decent selection of bass stuff, and I have never had a problem with asking to try stuff out, even the 1600 quid MMs, lol. My only issue with them is that for some odd reason they don't keep a regular stock of short (i.e. under 10m) speakon cables, which is quite annoying sometimes.

I can't comment on the online service, as I have never had to use it, but I have ordered stuff into the store before, which has always arrived quickly.
[/quote]

I pass PMT Oxford daily and popped in there for advice regarding cleaning my frets and they were really helpful about it and gave me some free masking tape, which is always nice! They seem helpful.

[Blademan_98]

+ loads on PMT Oxford.

I have bought guitars and basses from them.

Numerous cables and effects.

They matched their own website when the store price was higher (around £30).

On my Viola bass as it was the one on the wall, they knocked £50 off list price and threw in a padded gig bag.

Nice and friendly service.

I have only bought one item from their web site (last year) and there was no problem with the service.

I do find it a lot more of a pleasant experience buying musical stuff from a shop than online

Edited January 18, 2012 by Blademan_98

[Stag]

The Norwich boys have been good to me, price matched online prices and ordered stuff in for me with no hassle. And thats back to and including from the days of it being Academy Of Sound.

[Kes]

Bought an ashdown amp from the Manchester oxford road store of academy sound back in the day and couldn't have been happier with the service.

Have been into the manchester store of PMT recently just for a wonder round with the guitarrist from my band. We had the same guy looking after both of us who admitted he was a guitarrist but 'knew enough about bass to help me out'.

The guy kept wondering round checking up every now and then after giving me a lead and saying to just take stuff off the walls and plug into whichever amp was on. (continuing when i asked about actives to say if they don't have a screw on the back feel free to swap batteries from one bass to another. guy was nice enough when i'd stated my intentions (i.e. to try a load of basses to get a feel for what i'd like to get in a month or two). no pressure for a sale, no pissing around left me to it witout hovering over my shoulder every 3 miniutes.

when i was done, went to check on my mate and could over hear the same guy being condescending and trying to force a sale on him.

i'd say the stiff until you get to know them rule applies. in the same way that if you say exactly what you're after and why they're probably more helpful as they know if they're going to get a sale or not and how much they could pressure you (which doesn't work on me).

[Muzz]

[quote name='LeftyBiskit' timestamp='1326843240' post='1502828']
The staff in the Manchester Branch are particularly helpful,(a pleasant chap by the name of Tony couldnt have been more helpful)
I bought a Squier VMJ last year-got a good deal and with a price match they even took it into the guitar tech for a set up while i was there for a bit of tweaking to my taste.
I've been in a few times since,sometimes just for a mooch or a purchase.
[/quote]

Tony's a great bloke, always helpful and cheerful, which, as has been said before, can't be easy to maintain in the face of the general public day, day out...

The tech is Steve, and he's done some great work for me before now, and will again shortly...

[pete.young]

I've been into the PMT store in Birmingham a few times, tried a few things out, bought a reasonably expensive electric piano and a few other bits and pieces.

I found the staff to be always friendly, helpful, attentive and happy to leave you to try things out without getting in your face every 2 minutes - couldn't be better really.

[Marky L]

It's a pity I don't have a local store that I could go into and try and do the deal there. Still not sure what to do. I'd buy from the place I want to use as the price match if only they did Sat delivery. My work at the mo means there is no chance of a week day delivery, nor can I think of someone I could hassle to take the delivery for me either. Maybe I should look at trying to arrange my own delivery but I'm sure that'll bite me in the wallet!

[ern500evo]

[quote name='DoesThisBassLookBigOnMe' timestamp='1326793750' post='1501911']
Regarding PMT in Bristol: Although now trading as a PMT store, they are basically the same bunch of people who's business has gone under many times in recent years (I'm not so certain this has anything to do with the recession either!) and each time the store returns like a phoenix from the ashes. They have an OK selection of equipment (not so much for bass players though) but never once have I been satisfied with the staff at their store. To be fair I have noticed a slight improvement in attitudes since they have become PMT though I recognise many of the faces from previous incarnations and I guess this may be where things are going wrong. In a previous incarnation of their store I asked to try some equipment out and was told they don't allow demos anymore because people try their equipment out and then go home and buy it online. Never once have I personally done this to them - instead I have spent thousands in their store on equipment for a home studio. Recently I parked near their entrance with the intention of nipping in and literally spending about £1000 in their store as I knew they had something I wanted. Unwittingly I contravened some unsigned rule about health and safety by parking near their entrance. The manager came out and asked me to park elsewhere. Lucky for him he gave me a b****y good discount so retained my custom. I go there regularly enough to know that there is basically no parking space in their store and most of the spaces that exist are taken up by their staff. In short, not a very professional bunch.
[/quote]
I bought my Spector from them when it was sound control about 11 years ago. Useless!! I tried it out and decided i wanted it, said to the guy i'd take it and i wanted to also buy a hard case for it, " i don't think we have any, i'll just go check". He came back an eternity later with the biggest flight case i'd ever seen, so i said jokingly "I wanted the case for this bass not for a piano"! I put the bass in and there was about 6 inches of space either side of the body, so i said "that's no good, it's obviously for something else" the reply was amazing, "no thats how it's meant to be, it's so you can get your leads and stuff in it as well"!! As i looked at him in disbelief an older guy appeared, pointed at the case and said to him "what are you doing with that, thats a case we ordered in specially for someone for a flying v bass"! The young guy just looked at me embarassed and said "sorry i'll just take the bass to the till". I said ok, i'll just take it in it's box, "oh we don't keep the boxes, you can just take it like this and i'll order you a case" which is just what you want to hear when you're parked half a mile away and it's p**sing down with rain. I also tried to buy a USA P bass from them in '05, i said i wanted a USA standard in sunburst with white scratchplate and maple neck, he shook his head and made that noise that builders and mechanics make when they're about to attempt to financially rape you "I'd have to order that in, so it would be full rrp" i asked how much that was "£949, you won't get a better price" was the reply, i looked at him and said "funny i've just got off the phone with GAK and they can get one to me by the weekend for £749". He basically called me a liar, and said there was no way they could do it for that price, and that GAK were known for these sort of tactics, showing stuff online when they don't actually have it in stock. He even looked on GAK's website, i said i'd get them on the phone so he could hear it for himself. He then got all pissy and said i'd have to wait while he served someone else. I went straight home and ordered ir from GAK. Seems like any PMT's which are Sound Control shops which were bought out are the same. If they were existing PMT stores the reports seem all good.

[Osiris]

I've had mixed experiences with PMT in Northampton over the years, it all depends on who you deal with on the day. They have had some genuinely helpful and knowledgeable staff work there since it opened a few years ago.
Ben, who used to look after the drum section was a great bloke, as was ginger Jay who used to handle the bass shop - he was prone to talking out of his exhaust from time to time, but he was friendly enough and would always offer a sizeable discount - and seemed genuinely keen to help you out.

The current line up of staff, however, are a disinterested and less than helpful bunch.
Arrogant bald bloke spends much of his time being bald as well as arrogant.
Emo boy seems to serve no other purpose than to stand about, constantly furrowing his brow a little, while simultaneously practising his pensive, moody expressions.
The 2 of these wonderful people combined have the collective charisma of a radiator.
The rest of the staff are instantly forgettable and seem to be as unhelpful as they are lacking in any real knowledge about what they're supposed to be selling.

[12stringbassist]

PMT on Regent Road in Salford (used to be one of the Sound Control chain) is an excellent store and I've bought a number of things there.
The manager is an absolute gentleman. Staff have never hassled me at all and are always helpful.

One recent bass I bought they wouldn't price match for me, so I drove to Liverpool and bought it from Dolphin instead.
I'd give them 8/10.

[Jellyfish]

I thought i'd chip in with a little anecdote on the subject.

In July 2010 I bought a 'new' Ibanez BTB 475 for £400 from PMT Birmingham. I got £50 off because it had a paint chip at the base of the neck which was actually only visible if you looked for it. So I was happy, for a while . I didn't actually play it much for the first few months, but then towards the winter I started to play it and noticed an earthing problem. I took it in, they took it off me on the same day and said they'd send it off for repair. A month later (after being told 1-2 weeks) it arrived back. I got it home, got it out and found it had the same problem. So a couple of months later (around June time) I took it in and, again, they took it off me and said 1-2 weeks. So a month later.. I got it back.

I was happy for a while but then when I unzipped it out of its bag once I got it home (I should have checked it at the store but I was reassured by the guy handing it to me that it seemed fine). It had a really deep chip on the bottom edge of the body. Now, this is a really really glossy bass and the chip went all the way through to the wood. And it wasn't one chip, it was about 4 or 5 small chips in a line. So, obviously, I took it back to see what was up. Now when I took it back it was towards the end of July 2011.

Turns out that it got damaged by a courier on the way to the repair place and the repair place didn't mention it until quizzed about it, which meant a claim couldn't be sorted (because the time had passed). Anyway, fast forward to today.. I STILL don't have a new bass. Yep, it's been almost 6 months. I don't 100% blame PMT for this, and I have been chasing it up constantly, but they are at least a bit to blame for the long wait. It would take too long to explain what has been going on but needless to say, PMT were f***ing around for a bit and my bass got lost at another store for like 2-3 months which it shouldn't have.

So would I recommend PMT? Well for me, I buy from the cheapest place and PMT has always been on par with its competitors (at least for the items I want). And despite all this mucking around, I would still use them again.

[Matt_Arlita]

[quote name='Stag' timestamp='1326931303' post='1504092']
The Norwich boys have been good to me, price matched online prices and ordered stuff in for me with no hassle. And thats back to and including from the days of it being Academy Of Sound.
[/quote]

+1 for Norwich. When I wanted a Rickenbacker they sourced one for me at a time when new ones were very hard to come by in the UK. They also always do money off and throw in free stuff as well. Top marks!

[Oopsdabassist]

[quote name='Osiris' timestamp='1326976949' post='1504539']
The current line up of staff, however, are a disinterested and less than helpful bunch.
Arrogant bald bloke spends much of his time being bald as well as arrogant.
Emo boy seems to serve no other purpose than to stand about, constantly furrowing his brow a little, while simultaneously practising his pensive, moody expressions.
The 2 of these wonderful people combined have the collective charisma of a radiator.
The rest of the staff are instantly forgettable and seem to be as unhelpful as they are lacking in any real knowledge about what they're supposed to be selling.
[/quote]

Aw man with a review like that I gotta go over there now and see if I can spot the Emo boy and wind up Mr Arrogant!!

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

I would imagine the people to be very bitchy
And aggressive. Oops , wrong pmt .)