The Knowledgeable Help at Guitar Center...

[fantasticsound]

Originally posted by Phil O'Keefe Oh, one last comment - if you go into a store and spend the salesperson's time - getting them to answer a ton of questions, helping you with a demo of several products, and so forth, be fair in return. That sort of service costs time, and time is money... negotiate a fair price and buy the product from them. It is COMPLETELY uncool IMO to go into a local store (megamart OR mom and pop) and get a ton of help, and then go online and buy from someplace else just to shave a couple of bucks off of the deal. Good service (in person or via the phone) takes employee time, and costs the retailer money. IMO, I'd rather pay an extra $50 on a $500 item and get good service than just shop "lowest price is king" on everything. I KNOW that if I have a problem with something after the sale that they'll be more likely to take care of me. And besides, it's just the fair and "right thing to do IMO. Just something to think about.

Sage advice, Phil, and definitely worth saying.

As a salesman, I had certain people who would ask all kinds of questions, then undercut me down the street. After a lost sale or two like that I'd tell 'em to go down the street for their product info. Most times they'd whine the guys down the street didn't know their ass from their elbow. I'd tell 'em they get what they pay for, and my knowledge cost thousands of dollars in time, college classes, and research of my own. If they want to pay someone else for the product that's the extent of the assistance they'd get.

I've seen customers bring products to co-workers of mine to ask questions after they'd stiffed my co-worker out of the sale. Then they'd be surprised at the lack of help they'd receive.

[flemtone]

Need castinets?

Use spoons.

See? Wasn't that easy?



-Tim from Jersey

[Robman2]

Phil's ditto by me...

I've had luddites and luminaries...

I had an issue with the Salt lake GC last week, via a poorly handled defective cable...

I called the manager, gave him the warm and fuzzy why would your people walk business speech, over a five dollar item?

I told old him to call the customer back and fix it for him, he might respond to bending over backwards and buy something else, even if it's not our brand...

Then I shipped a dozen collared shirts to the manager as a meet me halfway measure.

Not a reflection on GC in SL but, if they are not driving traffic with Castenetts then one might not find them there, although it seems logical given the hispanic demographic.

That is a "C" store, one might find the little clackers in a larger location.

MTC,

Rob

[Billster]

Originally posted by fantasticsound C'mon, give 'em a break, Botch . I've been familiar with castanets since grade school. (They were among the percussion toys our music classes used from kindergarten or first grade, along with guiros, triangles and maracas.)

 

 

Doesn't that tell you something? If you had them in grade school, didn't the other kids in the class? I know I had them in grade school - coolest thing on Mrs. Johnson's music cart.

 

Point is - kids everywhere had castanets in grade school music class.

 

AHA!

 

Music isn't part of grade school anymore, is it? How old was the sales dood/drum dood?

[Rabid]

Actual conversations I have had with employees at GC in Knoxville. I stopped going to that store about 3 years ago. They

[Rabid]

Originally posted by Phil O'Keefe .... I've never really had a problem with Sam Ash, other than them seeming to be too busy to help me with something. ...

Glad to know that it is not just me. I have been to SA in Nashville and Clearwater. Never could get any help.

Robert

[Brittanylips]

"Percussion" "Drums" "Castinets" "Guitar" ....

Honestly, these are VERY esoteric terms.

I really don't see how you can expect anyone who works in a Guitar Center to be familiar with them.

Cut the guy a little slack!

-Peace, Love, and Brittanylips

[Will Chen]

There is a cool small store that I frequent and dig the guys there, and try to patronize, but I have to admit to being a Musicians Friend customer... cheap and no snickering 18 year old guitar gods to deal with.

I'm a bit ashamed to say that I buy most gear on line nowadays- usually MF, Sweetwater, Mercenary, or ebay. Good prices, free shipping, liberal return policy, and having what I want in stock is tough to beat.

You guys do know that MF and GC are the same company right? Any non-inventory releted benefits you have through Musician's Friend (price, return policy, etc) can be had at Guitar Center. And you actully get to try before you buy (well...most of the time;) ). Just steer clear of the weekends

[fantasticsound]

Originally posted by Billster Doesn't that tell you something? If you had them in grade school, didn't the other kids in the class? I know I had them in grade school - coolest thing on Mrs. Johnson's music cart. Point is - kids everywhere had castanets in grade school music class. AHA! Music isn't part of grade school anymore, is it? How old was the sales dood/drum dood?

 

 

First, you're absolutely right that music education has changed a lot since I was a kid, and they may not have castanets.

 

But even assuming we're talking about musicians, I could hardly expect every drummer, let alone every kid in class, to remember what castanets are into adulthood.

 

Do you really think you remember every esoteric item you used in grade school? I'm sure there's something you've forgotten that someone else, having a background that employs that item, might think, "Everyone knows what that is."

[fantasticsound]

Originally posted by Rabid Glad to know that it is not just me. I have been to SA in Nashville and Clearwater. Never could get any help. Robert

I'm surprised when I hear this kind of comment.

I live about 2 miles from the Nashville SA store, but I'm hardly known to any of the salespeople there, other than one buddy who used to work at MARS when I was there.

Whether or not he's working, I've never had any difficulty getting assistance, and have been asked by several salespeople if they can assist me, when I'm looking around the store.

Now I will suggest to anyone; Avoid these stores on Saturdays. It's their busiest day of the week. You won't get the individual attention you crave unless you have established a relationship with a good salesperson. Even then, they have to keep moving to feed their families. If you need their time, come in during slower, weekday hours or Sundays.

And if you don't like their business model, stop whining and go somewhere else, buy through the 'net or catalog sales. You have so many choices, something that wasn't possible for those of us over 35 when we were teenagers. At least GC, SA and the other big stores offer you the ability to see more gear, up close, than was available before. They're far from perfect, but deal with it or move on.

[BLAblablah]

While I love the independent stores, one thing that has changed because of the Big Box/Online stores is that the lowest price is usually quoted up front...no used car style haggling like a few years ago. Some stores didn't even post their prices, and if they did...it was the MSRP. I remember a friend buying a bass for his kid at a local store, and because he didn't know the drill...paid full list. I really don't miss that...and hopefully the auto industry will soon follow suit. But whenever possible, I am glad to pay a little extra for the service I receive at the smaller store. After all, I know they have less buying power than the chains, and probably a higher overhead per/sales dollar. They will just have to be creative to survive in the long run.
Barry

[Billster]

Originally posted by fantasticsound Do you really think you remember every esoteric item you used in grade school? I'm sure there's something you've forgotten that someone else, having a background that employs that item, might think, "Everyone knows what that is."

OK, but the guy is working in a music store. Is that not related to music? So maybe a guy working in a music store could remember the castanets from third grade.

Maybe the guy remembers every type of drawing media from his art class and can explain the difference between charcoal, chalk and conte crayon.

Perhaps there's a guy working at the art supply store who knows all about hand percussion.

[fantasticsound]

But my point is maybe there is a guy who remembers, but more than likely there are 10, 100 or 1000 times as many who don't remember because first grade was the last time they heard the word, "castanets".

In the larger scheme of things, I'm a lot more worried by the seemingly endless supply of dolts for "Jaywalking" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno or Street Smarts. Many of whom don't have a clue who the president is, etc.

[Anderton]

I was scheduled to do a seminar at a store once (can't remember which one, it was a chain though) and was setting up. We had your basic equipment list -- needed a table, mixer, powered speakers, and projector.

 

So it was about 2 hours before the seminar was scheduled to start. I was all set up. The guy doing the seminar tour with me, Bobby Frasier, asked where the chairs were.

 

Salesdude: What chairs?

BF: You know, chairs so people can sit down during the seminar.

Salesdude: You didn't mention chairs in your equipment list.

BF: Well, we didn't mention a roof either, but we kind of assumed you'd have one...

 

Bottom line was Bobby hit the Yellow Pages and rented a bunch of chairs, just in time for the seminar.

[MorePaul]

Man, that seminar was standing room only
sure, there were only 7 guys that attended, but it was still standing room

You and your cheap tricks!

[Billster]

Originally posted by fantasticsound But my point is maybe there is a guy who remembers, but more than likely there are 10, 100 or 1000 times as many who don't remember because first grade was the last time they heard the word, "castanets". In the larger scheme of things, I'm a lot more worried by the seemingly endless supply of dolts for "Jaywalking" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno or Street Smarts. Many of whom don't have a clue who the president is, etc.

The 10, 100, or 1000 who don't remember castanets are working as accountants.

The guy who can't do math is working in Guitar Center...

[fantasticsound]

Originally posted by Anderton I was scheduled to do a seminar at a store once (can't remember which one, it was a chain though) and was setting up. We had your basic equipment list -- needed a table, mixer, powered speakers, and projector. So it was about 2 hours before the seminar was scheduled to start. I was all set up. The guy doing the seminar tour with me, Bobby Frasier, asked where the chairs were. Salesdude: What chairs? BF: You know, chairs so people can sit down during the seminar. Salesdude: You didn't mention chairs in your equipment list. BF: Well, we didn't mention a roof either, but we kind of assumed you'd have one... Bottom line was Bobby hit the Yellow Pages and rented a bunch of chairs, just in time for the seminar.

We had about 40 chairs at the ready when I worked at MARS because they assumed we'd be using the built in stage for clinics, etc. Never regretted having them on hand.

[Rabid]

Originally posted by fantasticsound I'm surprised when I hear this kind of comment. ....

It has been a while since I was last there. I drove 4 hours to look around and buy some top of the line headphones. My choice was HD-600's and I assumed a Nashvill store would have them. I first stopped at Mars. Easy to find. I had been there before. And, I like going through the model railroad display in the little mall next door. Mars did not have any high end headphones, though I did almost buy a floor model K2600.

Went to Sam Ash, which was hard to find for someone out of town. Walked in the door and a lady in that center island asked what I was looking for. I told her "headphones" and she directed me to the room with headphones and recording equipment. I looked around 15 minutes, went to the keyboard section, went back to headphones, went back and tried a Korg piano that had a Roland pedal attached so that the sustain worked backward, went back to headphones, walked around the front, back to headphones, back to keyboards where I wondered how someone managed to bend a Triton in the middle, back to headphones, and then out the door. Over one hour and no one ever offered assistance.

I have not been back to that store or the one in Clearwater.

Robert

[fantasticsound]

You mean to tell me you came down here and didn't say "Hi!"?!? No wonder you were given the cold shoulder!

If you went to MARS, that was a while ago. They've been out of business for almost 2 years, IIRC.

Needless to say, going to MARS at that time would've offered few options. They began dumbing down their inventory not long after I left, in early 2001. As a knowlegable musician, I could see them falling into the pit that eventually claimed them by the gear they displayed.

As for Sam Ash, I don't know what to tell you. I do think their recording department is and has always been poorly staffed, in Nashville. I have been ignored in the recording equipment room on several occasions. I just don't shop there for my recording needs. The guitar guys never miss a chance to say, "Hey" and make sure I'm covered. They want their commission.

I wouldn't say Ash is difficult to find in Nashville, but it is 10 miles north in the suburbs as opposed to MARS' (and now, GC's) location next door to Berry Hill (Music Row Jr.), 65 South and a mile or two from Music Row proper. You could see MARS very well from I-65. I don't know if GC is visible from the opposite end of the mall. Sam Ash is not visible from the highway due to its' location, a mile or so off said roadway. But really.. all you have to do is exit I-65N at Rivergate Pkwy, head past the mall of the same name and turn right at either Gallatin Rd. (major intersection) and left into the strip mall entrance at the next light. How hard is that?