Arrogant shop staff make my blood boil

[Protium]

[quote name='timloudon' post='360148' date='Dec 21 2008, 12:05 PM']I'm not sure I should! I'm sure it'll come back 'round on me somehow....

But what the hell - it was [b]Music Ground[/b].[/quote]

The one in Manchester isn't any better, at least when I was there last.

[Tinman]

[quote name='ARGH' post='360337' date='Dec 21 2008, 05:19 PM']That one with the basses upstairs..2 tiers,down a small alleyway round the corner of Natwest? All Pianosynths and sheet music downstairs?[/quote]
That's the one. Rockbox upstairs and Greensleeves on the groundfloor.

[AM1]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='360164' date='Dec 21 2008, 12:26 PM']A couple of years ago, I wasn't treated too well and was lied to, at the one in Camden. So the following week I spent £2.5K at The Bass Merchant .[/quote]

I have to disagree, in the strongest possible terms.

I have been in that shop multiple times in recent weeks, just playing different basses while trying to make my mind up. I explained my dilemma between Warwick and Fender jazz bass and the fact that I probably won't buy a new one, but will buy a used one from the shop if they have a decent one I like.

So, I have basically walked into a shop, said I won't buy a new bass there right at the moment and still, they could not have been more helpful. I have been able to spend hours in there just playing various basses, which has really helped in making up my mind.

So, even though I made it clear I'm not ready to buy a bass, all my questions were still answered, lots of useful info, help and advice given and I even got a cup of Rosie Lee!

I could not have had the chance to try loads of basses if a great local music shop, with an excellent and professional attitude, did not exist. It is therefore likely that I will buy from the shop, as opposed to the internet, as and when I am ready to.

In fact, they even offered to look out for a decent second hand bass for me. You cannot say fairer than that. A great example of someone going the extra mile.

Regards

AM

Edited December 21, 2008 by AM1

[skankdelvar]

Reminds me of the place where I was shopping like a basta*d for a guitar with cash in my pocket but was instantly slagged off for mentioning I'd just bought an amp off e-bay.

Cue eruption from manager ("Where will you go for personal service if I go out of business, eh? Eh?") and started bad-mouthing me to another (embarrassed) customer.

Wunjo's in Denmark St about 3 or so years ago.

It's easy for us to get p*ssed off. But let's try and understand the problem and address it.

Clearly there are good shops and bad shops, but our major complaint seems to be sniffy attitudes from staff. I see far fewer complaints here about stock levels, incompetence, lack of knowledge, repair turnaround times or excessively high prices.

Is that because we just write these other issues off as not interesting enough to post about, whereas we feel a heightened sense of offence about insolence, impertinence and arrogance? (Well, if we do, then so we should).

Is this "attitood" thing a problem exacerbated by the nature of specialist shops, where staff are more likely to be 'enthusiasts' or wannabes and less likely to be trained to the more rigorous standards demanded by general retailers such as Tesco? Do we also get similar lip from staff in, say, comic book stores, surf shops, outdoor goods etc? Maybe...you tell me...

Or is it that specialist stores involve more sitting around behind counters - something you rarely see these days in conventional High St shops, where staff are out on the floor with nowhere to hide and fester?

Is it the case that guitar shop staff generally can't tell the difference between a time-waster and a serious buyer? Or that they can't, after a short conversation, distinguish between a 'browser with intent' and a tyre-kicker? Have they reached the stage where anyone who walks through the door is 'The Enemy'?

I'd submit that most or all of the above apply, and this is because many guitar shops are often:

* Owned or managed by people without a traditional retail background, who see themselves as being in the music business, not the retail business.
* Lacking in time, resources and funds for staff training
* Known for hiring assistants for their specialist product knowledge, cheapness or image, not for their sales or interpersonal skills
* Places where desperate boredom alternates with peaks of stress when a punter walks through the door.

I suspect that many of the offending individuals don't even know they're being offensive, because they haven't been trained to deal with customers. They're just behaving towards you as if you were stranger approaching them on the street.

I'd offer the following suggestions to any shop owners who may be reading this - whether you're a chain or a 1.5 man band:

* The key to success is handling customers and generating sales. You are not in business to be an guitar expert. You are in business to make a profit
* Your staff are the means of generating increased turnover and profits. But you're more interested in getting or keeping a Fender agency. Why skimp on staff quality?
* Hire staff for their sales ability and interpersonal skills
* Do not hire staff for their encyclopaedic knowledge of Gibsons or the ability to shred like a mother. They should be more interested in sales than in the stock.
* Do not sit behind the counter. It's a barrier. Only go there to ring up a sale or get an item from the rack.
* Hire your staff out of places like WH Smith, Woolworth and train them in basic product knowledge - that's all they need.
* When something gets too complicated or specialist, the staff should escalate the customer to you, the expert.
* Hire more women. Hire people with a mature approach

If you're a musical instrument retailer and all this seems unreasonable or too expensive or time-consuming, let me offer a counter-view:

When did you last go into a Car dealership and find the sales reps too busy driving the cars round the lot because they all want to be Lewis Hamilton? When did you last walk into M&S, only to be insulted for not knowing the difference between Salt Beef and Corned Beef? When did you last go into PC World only to be asked "Are you going to be buying that today?"

There's a reason why they don't do it. It's unprofessional and counter-productive and puts you out of business. And they realise that the customer is King / Queen. Fact.

But if you, the shop owner, read this thread and think "Same old moans; we offer a local service, ten timewasters for every serious punter, grubby fingers, stupid questions, etc etc" well, don't worry, we won't trouble you for much longer.

There will be less threads like this in the future because your business will go t*ts-up and we'll be shopping at the 30% or so that get it right.

Edited December 21, 2008 by skankdelvar

[Tee]

[quote name='ashgeezer' post='360130' date='Dec 21 2008, 11:48 AM']According to the girlfriend, she was looking for a bass dvd and picked up a guitar dvd, when she asked the fella at the counter he just said to her, [b]"cant you read, this is for guitar not bass"[/b][/quote]


Sounds like a missed opportunity. I would have said "Sure i can read. I see the word C*NT on your forehead."

Any shop assistant being deliberatley rude to me will get it back in spades.

Edited December 21, 2008 by Tee

[lemmywinks]

[quote name='Tee' post='360398' date='Dec 21 2008, 06:49 PM']Any shop assistant being deliberatley rude to me will get it back in spades.[/quote]

Reminds me when i was in Tesco and was struggling with the scanner on the self service checkout. Saw a Tesco employee sniggering at me so when i had scanned it i turned to her and said
"See, i could do your job...... I just don't want to".

Wiped the smirk off her face pretty sharpish!

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Glad I have the top gear I need I went to one or 2 shops in Tin pan Alley when I was bored waiting
for somebody. I don't think there is much there now that's worth buying anyway.

If I want something else, I'll try here or the fantastic Bass Merchant.
Customer service doesn't exist,whether it's in a pub or coffee shop.
If somebody is nice (or just being a professional people handler in their job),
then I am amazed and pass comment to my circle of friends etc.

If you don't like it vote with your feet, and hope the offending people die an early death

[mewsie]

poor service does my head in. so often in my industry i experience my colleagues speaking to patients/customers like they are stupid just because they don't happen to know the intricacies of an eye test or spectacles - no need.

re: basses etc: i've always been delighted with t'gallery, and would rather trust my sale in them, and make any number of journeys down there... i've found somewhere i like, so i'll stick with 'em.

good service deserves loyalty, and even though there is a lot of distance involved, its worth it. turns it into a bit of an adventure, too.

x

[thegallery]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='360164' date='Dec 21 2008, 12:26 PM']A couple of years ago, I wasn't treated too well and was lied to, at the one in Camden. So the following week I spent £2.5K at The Bass Merchant .[/quote]


I'm sorry you had a bad experience at the shop, i'm sure we wouldn't have lied to you intentionally, Could you tell, or email me the specifics, so we don't make this kind of error in future.

alex

[Musky]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='360391' date='Dec 21 2008, 06:40 PM']Reminds me of the place where I was shopping like a basta*d for a guitar with cash in my pocket but was instantly slagged off for mentioning I'd just bought an amp off e-bay.

[snip][/quote]


Really good points in that post, but I can't imagine that some of the worst offenders will ever change. I think they're too stuck in their ways.

Surprised to hear that about Wunjo's though - I'd found them to be one of the better retailers about...

[Deep Thought]

One of my local music shops refuses to even let me try a bass any more, because I made the mistake of telling them I bought something off GAK after asking them a question about it. I refuse to set foot in there again, and I try to make sure nobody I know does.

[thepurpleblob]

I was once a shop manager in a specialist shop (car audio). I must admit that I've told one or two punters to "get the f**k out my shop" but on the whole being nice is kind-of important. Even when you're explaining that a 250W speaker isn't louder than a 100W one for the 50th time that day you have to keep smiling Thank God I don't do that anymore though - if you think sales staff are bad you should see what the Public are like

PS. Everybody's great (so far) in the stores in Glasgow. I can't say I've had a bad experience anywhere... although one well known one in the town centre is a bit sub-standard generally

[misrule]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='360391' date='Dec 21 2008, 06:40 PM']When did you last go into a car dealership and find the sales reps too busy driving the cars round the lot because they all want to be Lewis Hamilton?[/quote]

I agree totally with your points -- but I used to hang around in Audi forums, and car fans moan about dealerships in exactly the same way we do about music shops.

One 21-year-old son of a millionaire told me how a salesman shouted at him across the floor: "Get away from the car, you can't afford it." He strolled over, showed the bloke his bank statement then replied: "I was going to buy a car today but I'm not now."

Cheers

Mark

[AM1]

[quote name='misrule' post='360542' date='Dec 21 2008, 10:29 PM']I agree totally with your points -- but I used to hang around in Audi forums, and car fans moan about dealerships in exactly the same way we do about music shops.

One 21-year-old son of a millionaire told me how a salesman shouted at him across the floor: "Get away from the car, you can't afford it." He strolled over, showed the bloke his bank statement then replied: "I was going to buy a car today but I'm not now."

Cheers

Mark[/quote]

I had a similar experience when I bought my first 911.

Highly amusing.

Regards

AM

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='thegallery' post='360465' date='Dec 21 2008, 08:38 PM']I'm sorry you had a bad experience at the shop, i'm sure we wouldn't have lied to you intentionally, Could you tell, or email me the specifics, so we don't make this kind of error in future.

alex[/quote]

PM'd

[niceguyhomer]

The world is full of c*nts, you just have to learn to deal with 'em. A punch often helps.

[misrule]

[quote name='AM1' post='360545' date='Dec 21 2008, 10:35 PM']... my first 911.[/quote]

You've owned more than one 911? Nice.

Cheers

Mark

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='misrule' post='360542' date='Dec 21 2008, 10:29 PM']I agree totally with your points -- but I used to hang around in Audi forums, and car fans moan about dealerships in exactly the same way we do about music shops.

One 21-year-old son of a millionaire told me how a salesman shouted at him across the floor: "Get away from the car, you can't afford it." He strolled over, showed the bloke his bank statement then replied: "I was going to buy a car today but I'm not now."

Cheers

Mark[/quote]

I once got in a taxi and told the driver where I wanted to go. He said 'It will be six pounds'. I said 'OK'. He said 'Can you afford it?'. I must have looked bad.

[mewsie]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='360563' date='Dec 21 2008, 10:55 PM']I once got in a taxi and told the driver where I wanted to go. He said 'It will be six pounds'. I said 'OK'. He said 'Can you afford it?'. I must have looked bad.[/quote]

awesome!

i once went out with a friend and his friends, and i explained to one of them that i don't have a tv. when i went to the loo she whispered to my friend 'is she really poor that she doesn't have a tv?'. brilliant!

[Protium]

[quote name='AM1' post='360545' date='Dec 21 2008, 10:35 PM']I had a similar experience when I bought my first 911.

Highly amusing.

Regards

AM[/quote]

Me too when I bought my fourth Aston :spiffing:

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='360548' date='Dec 21 2008, 10:39 PM']PM'd[/quote]
my previous post has been edited.

[budget bassist]

[quote name='misrule' post='360542' date='Dec 21 2008, 10:29 PM']I agree totally with your points -- but I used to hang around in Audi forums, and car fans moan about dealerships in exactly the same way we do about music shops.

One 21-year-old son of a millionaire told me how a salesman shouted at him across the floor: "Get away from the car, you can't afford it." He strolled over, showed the bloke his bank statement then replied: "I was going to buy a car today but I'm not now."

Cheers

Mark[/quote]
According to the man himself when interviewed on topgear (i use the term interview fairly loosely), Lionel Ritchie once went into a merc dealership to buy 9 Mercs for family and friends when he had just made a good bit of dosh, and the salesman pretty much told him to get out. He then got on the phone to Ritchie's bank manager, and i'm sure you can imagine where that went....

I try not to judge a book by it's cover, and that's so important in retail, particularly the fairly unstable world of musical instrument retail. You'd think they would be doing all they could to stop people buying online, and let's face it, it shouldn't be THAT hard, should it? Online, you can't try basses out, you can't have a cup of tea and a bass related chat to a shop assistant. I'm sure if places like the bass cellar improved their customer service, their income would dramatically increase. Let's face it, there's thousands of pounds on here waiting to be spent or that could have been spent in there owned by people on this forum, but their PR on here has been so bad, they aren't going to see much, if an of that, particularly after what our mr 57 basses experienced there. You'd think they would treat someone like that fairly well, because (not to make any assumptions on your finances) he's obviously not low on cash and knows what he's talking about.

I for one would much rather spend my hard earned money in a shop that treats me well, than an online store.

Edited December 22, 2008 by budget bassist

[AM1]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='360164' date='Dec 21 2008, 12:26 PM']EDIT I've had pm's with Alex from the Bass Gallery. His concern is genuine, and I would not want to dissuade anyone from going to The Bass Gallery in Camden.[/quote]

That almost sounds like an apology.

Your initial post was very strong. Would you care to share the details of what happened?

It is not acceptable to damage the reputation of a small business, upon whom, as musicians, we all depend, if potentially damaging comments have no proper basis.

We are all too quick to criticise poor service and far too slow to praise good service.

I have nothing but praise for the Bass Gallery, as already stated, they always go the extra mile and have a great selection of equipment.

Regards

AM

[ARGH]

Budget B

It was Lionel Ritchie.......

[Huge Hands]

[quote name='budget bassist' post='360615' date='Dec 21 2008, 11:46 PM']According to the man himself when interviewed on topgear (i use the term interview fairly loosely), Wyclef Jean[/quote]

Sorry to be pedantic, but wasn't it Lionel Richie who told that story on Top Gear?

I know it doesn't make much difference to the story, but..

EDIT: Beat me to it ARGH! Aaarggh!

Edited December 21, 2008 by Huge Hands