Judgmental music shops

[TDM]

I had a job interview today and on my way to the train station I decided to pop into the local guitar shop. They didn't have much in terms of interesting bass gear but I saw a few very nice PRS guitars. I asked to try out a special edition Custom 24 (They didn't have a tag on it, but it's a ~3k instrument) two employees got up immediately and set up an amp for me and got me a chair to sit on. I didn't get any of the usual "Are you actually going to buy it?" attitude that you get with these chain stores. They were bending over backwards to sell me this guitar. The reason why? I was wearing a suit

On the other hand, I've had equally nice service from Electro Music and Wavelength music without having to wear a suit.

Similar experiences, anybody?

[retroman]

Electro have always looked after me as well

I've also had really good service from Real Time Music in Chesterfield. Their range of basses is a little limited, but they are very helpful

[tombboy]

[quote name='thedonutman' post='792285' date='Mar 31 2010, 06:45 PM']The reason why? I was wearing a suit [/quote]
Are you sure, or is that a presumption? Maybe they are just very good at customer service.

[TDM]

[quote name='tombboy' post='792291' date='Mar 31 2010, 06:51 PM']Are you sure, or is that a presumption? Maybe they are just very good at customer service. [/quote]

Other people in the shop didn't seem to be getting as much attention. Maybe they were just desperate to sell something expensive?

[JordanRLS]

My only experience so far with a music shop...

I went into the local guitar shop (i'm quite lucky, turns out they are the biggest specialist guitar shop in england.) They don't have a very big bass section, a few ibanez's, some fenders and some squires, and the odd epiphone or esp. it's only a small corner of the shop. nevertheless, i went in telling them i wanted to try an amp, and knew they had it in stock. they immediately went to find me an instrument cable after telling them mine was on the blink, although they made little effort to actually sell me the amp... probably because i had already said i was interested in buying it.

All with some added banter from an employee, and a new cable thrown in for free.

Edited March 31, 2010 by JordanRLS

[ThomBassmonkey]

[quote name='thedonutman' post='792293' date='Mar 31 2010, 06:53 PM']Other people in the shop didn't seem to be getting as much attention. Maybe they were just desperate to sell something expensive? [/quote]

If you went up and were talking to them, it could just be that. I work in a music shop and regardless of what people look like, if they want to come and chat to us, we'll give them more attention than someone who looks happy enough to browse (though we will ask if they want any help if they look confused/curious about something).

We don't try and force sales though, but we get more people who trust us because we're happy for people to try out things without even a suggestion of commitment. We might not make quite as many sales as people pushing stuff, but our customers are happier.

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='thedonutman' post='792285' date='Mar 31 2010, 06:45 PM']I didn't get any of the usual "Are you actually going to buy it?" attitude that you get with these chain stores. They were bending over backwards to sell me this guitar. The reason why? I was wearing a suit[/quote]
... and asking to try a £3k PRS. "Oh, ho!" they thought. "We got ourselves one of those millionaire bankers here, of which one reads in the popular tabloids! It's [i]payday[/i]!"

IME, the only way to improve on this scenario is to visit around mid-afternoon, reeking of fine wine and babbling about "clinching the Hamburg deal".

Edited March 31, 2010 by skankdelvar

[Mog]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='792325' date='Mar 31 2010, 07:25 PM']... and asking to try a £3k PRS. "Oh, ho!" they thought. "We got ourselves one of those millionaire bankers here, of which one reads in the popular tabloids! It's [i]payday[/i]!"

IME, the only way to improve on this scenario is to visit around mid-afternoon, reeking of fine wine and babbling about "clinching the Hamburg deal". [/quote]

As opposed to popping in around 5.45pm reeking of Hamburgers and waffling on about grabbing a bottle of Tescos finest????? Maybe thats what I've been doing wrong all along!
Worst service ever has to be Musicmaker in Dublin.

[AndyTravis]

I've been doing it for 7/8 years.

I personally let everyone try anything if theyre open and honest.

For example "i'm not going to buy one, but i've always loved 335's, can i sit with one?"

Not the following...

"can i have a [u]bash[/u] on that"
"scuse me mate, can i have a [u]jam[/u] on that"
or, seriously...
"Can i [u]bust a groove [/u]on that Les Paul..."

We had a lady very upset with a less thoughtful member of staff on Tuesday...
Lad of 11/12 says 'can i have a go on a guitar' - pointing to a £40,000 wall of Gibsons...
My colleague didn't understand his intent and asked 'which one are you looking at buying...' Probably not the best wording, but still innocent enough.

Mum "How dare you imply my son can't afford a Gibson..." etc.

Thing is, customers have to accept the gear in the shop has to be sold, and there has to be a system in place to make sure all of that gear is [u]New[/u] and unmarked when it's sold - not demoed by everyone in the town.
It's a tricky subject to approach for staff, i've known some rude guys (luckily long gone) 'if you don't show me the money, you ain't tryin it'. I also think if you try to explain it too much, it becomes awkward.
And still, guys i work with find it hard to deal with and end up looking like arseholes.

I usually let people sit with stuff, and gauge what they're up to - Experience sees a potential sale (for now or later), inexperience and impatience sees a timewaster.
If you don't let the guy feel the USA standard Jazz, how will he ever aspire to one?

Think the golden rule on both sides of the counter is - Don't be a dick. And respect; treat people as you wish to be treated.

[hellothere]

The Soundcountrol in Derby (and whatever it was called before that) allways let people try things no hassle, me and my mates used to go in every weekend and they let us try out pedals, amps, basses/guitars except anything rare. Bearing in mind this was about 5 years ago when i was 15ish and was just with mates so it was pretty obvious we wern't gonna be buying most of the gear that was tryed out.

That's all by the by anyway as it is now closed down

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='792439' date='Mar 31 2010, 08:44 PM']"Can i [u]bust a groove [/u]on that Les Paul..."[/quote]
Good Lord! Does [i]anyone[/i] really talk like that in a non-ironic sense?

I'd give them a playful clip round the ear with a keyboard stand and send them off for English lessons.

[hagguy]

got to say, i've not had many problems trying gear in shops.
most guys in the shops play themselves, if not all. they know the
script, most people in line for a top end bit of gear will talk in the
right way about what they are after before asking to try it. i have
been refused a go at a PRS myself but they couldn't have been nicer
about it, and it was in a display case, what was said above is totally
right, if you act like a dick, you will be treated like one. all the gear
in the shops are for sale, people seem to forget that, if you damage
it they still have to try and sell it. might try sticking my suit on when
i go shopping next see for myself see if it makes a difference i do
look good in a suit

[Pete Academy]

I'm going to be totally honest here.

Kids seems to be more disrespectful than ever when it comes to music shops. They come into our shop on Saturdays in hordes. One particular day, there were about 20 gathered in the hi-tech area, playing on the electronic drumkits at the same time, sitting three to an electronic piano and keyboard and pounding out different tunes, and banging on the percussion instruments. I tried telling them to behave, but was totally ignored. It was pure mayhem. We had no choice but to switch off the whole shop's power. They left in a mass exodus, moaning out loud about how crap we were.

We have been forced to put 'please ask before trying' signs on virtually every guitar. A ding on a Les Paul means a loss of at least £150.

We have had countless drum pedals broken through misuse.

I know people will disagree with this, but it's the sad truth. I have no problem with people trying instruments, as I know youngsters are the customers of the future. But please ask first.

[AndyTravis]

kid of four or five runs into a wall of taylor acoustics *CRASH/BANG/WALLOP* we asked the parents to 'keep a closer eye on the little'uns' in all good nature.
"what does it matter, they're all insured?" 'yes ma'am, and by the same token, i'll be round later to burn your house down, after all; it is insured, isn't it?'.
The saturday kids get a bit silly, and i'm not to arsed about their protestations when we bin them out.
It's still a bloody brilliant job.

We joke at work 'i'd be able to do my job if it wasn't for the customers...'

And remember, if we end up bitter about things, we'll all end up like Music Ground.
My missus used to be a manager at Selfridges, now there's a tosspot magnet.

[throwoff]

I have never really had a problem in a shop, perhaps thats because my dad brought me up well and took me to instrument shops and taught me the ettiqute-

ALWAYS ask before playing anything. (and ask properly! eg- I have never even seen one of those before is it ok just to give it a quick play?)
If wearing a belt remove it or cover it.

Am I the only person who when in a shop see's someone pick up a guitar without asking wants to say something?! It's not my shop but it really gets my back up!

The only place I ever had a problem was sound control Denmark street, I wanted to play an EBS 810 (I was 15 and believe me or not I could of obtained the funds to buy one) they wouldn't let me. So I called my dad who worked in the city and when he got out of work came down in his suit and suddenly I'm handed a bass and cable and plugged in.. !

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='792921' date='Apr 1 2010, 08:46 AM']kid of four or five runs into a wall of taylor acoustics *CRASH/BANG/WALLOP* we asked the parents to 'keep a closer eye on the little'uns' in all good nature.
"what does it matter, they're all insured?" 'yes ma'am, and by the same token, i'll be round later to burn your house down, after all; it is insured, isn't it?'.
The saturday kids get a bit silly, and i'm not to arsed about their protestations when we bin them out.
It's still a bloody brilliant job.

We joke at work 'i'd be able to do my job if it wasn't for the customers...'

And remember, if we end up bitter about things, we'll all end up like Music Ground.
My missus used to be a manager at Selfridges, now there's a tosspot magnet.[/quote]

Who, the missus?

[Pete Academy]

Almost everyone in Hanley wears a suit. Shell suit, that is...

[theosd]

When I was 17 I went into the Bass Cellar (Denmark St.) very willing and eager to try a musicman bass but they refused to let me without seeing the money (of which, of course, I hadn't got - but I still asked politely). I was directed to a second hand woefully set up SUB which put me off the midrange stuff for years until I was able to spend my student loan on my (albeit soon not to be) SR5, when I figured out that the bass just wasn't for me. Now I have my Schecter Custom 5 which is perfect for my needs and set me back a *fraction* of the SR5, which is being moved on to fund a couple of new pieces of kit!

If only the bass cellar hadn't been so pompous I would perhaps have been able to discern which instrument was best earlier. As such I refuse to go there; Basschat's cheaper with a wider range anyway

[theosd]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='792929' date='Apr 1 2010, 08:56 AM']Who, the missus? [/quote]

This site's offered me a few genuine 'lol' moments in recent days. Here's another. Keep it up BCers!

[AndyTravis]

well, she's marrying me, so my theory is sound.

Well spotted.

[Bilbo]

Years ago, in Fleet in Hampshire, I tried out an Epiphone Joe Pass. I was in the market for a hollow body jazz guitar and, whilst I loved the sound of an ES175, I thought to myself, I'm not good enough a player to justify that amount of outlay. So, I tried the Epihone and thought, yeah, that's cool. I'll get the money together to buy it. Whilst doing so, I got to try the real thing; a Gibson ES175. The difference, even to a lightwieght guitar player like me, was staggering and I had to have one. The local shops were asking £2,200. I got mine from GAK in Brighton for £1, 499.

Buying gear is a complicated process and if I am shelling out between £1k and £3k (or more) on an instrument, I want to look at a few, and try some out. Odds are that I am NOT going to buy most of those I try but, if the deal is good and the instrument I WANT is available, I will buy. It is not MY role to support my local music shop! If that was the case, I would have to spend my life playing cheap nasty pointy guitars covered in flames. Its a myth - its their role to sell me stuff not my place to buy it, whatever it is. If they don't have what I want at a good price, I reserve the right to go elsewhere.

Like most professionals, my 'tools' are not available in the high street. The problem is that there is no effective infrastructure for musical instruments over and above the beginner level (and even that is poorly catered for if you want to play anything other than trumpet, violin, viola or guitar. You want to play sax? - the local shops will have a choice of 2). If you need something unusual, you have to travel. OK, so we all go to Denmark Street. But if what we want is not there, where do we go next? Yes, we can spend days and weeks, even months travelling around the UK spending hundreds of pounds on FARES trying to find the instrument we want. Eventually, we commit to something, parting with the biggest sum of money most of us ever pay for anything other than a car or house, before realising that there was something else available that was better; if only we had known!! We then kick ourselves and live with the resulting GAS until we can get the money together to get the new bass/amp of our dreams.

I understand the frustration music shops feel at the stream of people NOT buying their wares but, get real, why would anyone just go to their local provincial music shop and spend thousands on something without looking outside of their postcode area? Music fares are the best place to go to try gear. Everything under one roof

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='793042' date='Apr 1 2010, 10:26 AM']Years ago, in Fleet in Hampshire, I tried out an Epiphone Joe Pass. I was in the market for a hollow body jazz guitar and, whilst I loved the sound of an ES175, I thought to myself, I'm not good enough a player to justify that amount of outlay. So, I tried the Epihone and thought, yeah, that's cool. I'll get the money together to buy it. Whilst doing so, I got to try the real thing; a Gibson ES175. The difference, even to a lightwieght guitar player like me, was staggering and I had to have one. The local shops were asking £2,200. I got mine from GAK in Brighton for £1, 499.

Buying gear is a complicated process and if I am shelling out between £1k and £3k (or more) on an instrument, I want to look at a few, and try some out. Odds are that I am NOT going to buy most of those I try but, if the deal is good and the instrument I WANT is available, I will buy. It is not MY role to support my local music shop! If that was the case, I would have to spend my life playing cheap nasty pointy guitars covered in flames. Its a myth - its their role to sell me stuff not my place to buy it, whatever it is. If they don't have what I want at a good price, I reserve the right to go elsewhere.

Like most professionals, my 'tools' are not available in the high street. The problem is that there is no effective infrastructure for musical instruments over and above the beginner level (and even that is poorly catered for if you want to play anything other than trumpet, violin, viola or guitar. You want to play sax? - the local shops will have a choice of 2). If you need something unusual, you have to travel. OK, so we all go to Denmark Street. But if what we want is not there, where do we go next? Yes, we can spend days and weeks, even months travelling around the UK spending hundreds of pounds on FARES trying to find the instrument we want. Eventually, we commit to something, parting with the biggest sum of money most of us ever pay for anything other than a car or house, before realising that there was something else available that was better; if only we had known!! We then kick ourselves and live with the resulting GAS until we can get the money together to get the new bass/amp of our dreams.

I understand the frustration music shops feel at the stream of people NOT buying their wares but, get real, why would anyone just go to their local provincial music shop and spend thousands on something without looking outside of their postcode area? Music fares are the best place to go to try gear. Everything under one roof [/quote]

Fair point. But I think you are being a bit pointy-guitar-covered-in-flames-ist.

[Rosh]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='792931' date='Apr 1 2010, 08:57 AM']Almost everyone in Hanley wears a suit. Shell suit, that is...[/quote]


[quote name='Pete Academy' post='793073' date='Apr 1 2010, 10:58 AM']Fair point. But I think you are being a bit pointy-guitar-covered-in-flames-ist. [/quote]



Two classic posts, Pete -- well done that man!

[4 Strings]

"The local shops were asking £2,200. I got mine from GAK in Brighton for £1, 499"

There lies much of the problem. Local shops providing free hire for trying out gear before buying on-line or for bigger discount shops to make the sale. £700 difference is a big call (might the local shop have had a go at matching?) that sounds unbeatable, but I always try to buy local as I don't mind paying to have a local music shop in which I can try things etc.

We have 4 local drum shops - well, one is upstairs at PMT - didn't know drums were so popular. My lad is a drummer and we have a great relationship with Gary at Drums Inc in Hornchurch, our most local, all sorts of favours, advice and discount etc and we're very happy to let them have our money for such premium and personal service.

[Bilbo]

[quote name='4 Strings' post='793097' date='Apr 1 2010, 11:15 AM']"The local shops were asking £2,200. I got mine from GAK in Brighton for £1, 499"

There lies much of the problem. Local shops providing free hire for trying out gear before buying on-line or for bigger discount shops to make the sale. £700 difference is a big call (might the local shop have had a go at matching?) that sounds unbeatable, but I always try to buy local as I don't mind paying to have a local music shop in which I can try things etc.[/quote]

I get that, I really do, but, in reality, I almost never try anything in music shops - haven't for at least 10 years. They almost never have anything I am interested in. I tried a Markbass amp/cab in Bass Merchant in Essex recently because I wanted to know if I could get a sound that could compete with my Eden without the weight. The answer was I couldn't so I walked away. Not their fault but certainly not mine. If I couldn't have tried it, I certainly wouldn't have bought it elsewhere. But, if I could save £700 by buying it elsewhere, I would have. Not because I am disloyal but because I can't AFFORD to throw away that much money to be 'loyal' to a perfect stranger. A tenner maybe, even £20 but £700? Not a chance.

To be blunt, if they closed every music shop in East Anglia, I wouldn't notice. They have closed every cd shop except HMV (who I never go to) and it had no consequence for me at all and I buy upwards of a hundred cds a year. If they didn't cater for me (no jazz) and only catered for 12 year old girls, why should I worry? Virgin et al had forced me onto the internet years before they collapsed.