Local music shop that I DON'T like for some reason...

Mannemarak

It is weird...I want to buy an acoustic guitar, and since I don't have the budget that I would like I try and search for bargains on the forum here or wherever. My problem however is that I NEVER go into our local music shop. I had an experience where the one oke there was VERY unfriendly and I got the feeling I was wasting his precious time.
I do not play guitar that well at all, I play maybe 5 hours per month....yes I know, sacrilege, but now I feel that to buy a guitar there I must play the damn thing first to test and since "Guitargod man" will most likely help me (or not help me... ???) I will get that useless feeling again and be discouraged...

If the shop was like this forum, I'd propably be in it every 2nd day just to look at gear etc. Dang I hate living in a 'dorp' and not being close to more music shops ☹

arjunmenon

I feel for you man. That does sound like a bad experience.
If you feel explicitly antagonized by the guy, you need to tell him straight up that you don't appreciate his attitude.
However, most people do consider the customer king and try to help as much as possible.

On the flip side - I had an interesting chat with a forum member and he said that people who aren't actually looking to buy, take up a lot of their time. And it's their livelihood that's affected. Lets say, while giving a non-buyer the attention non-buyers demand, a buyer walks through the door and thinks, "Gee, i really am not getting the attention i want and i'm here to make a purchase...I think i'll take a look elsewhere and if i don't find what i want, i'll come back".

It's a catch 22 unfortunately.

brett_pretorius

Hey Dude,

Sorry to hear that.
That guy should be ashamed of himself if he is like that with people.

Listen (or rather, read), I know Jhb is one helluva drive for you, but if you come through one Saturday I will go with you to a music store or three to look for a nice guitar. There are some really nice guys that I have met in various music stores across Jhb.
I'm sure one or two of the other forum guys would also be keen to assist (seeing as my knowledge is pretty limited compared to most on here).

PM me if you are keen, we will work something out!

Mannemarak

Arjun Menon wrote: On the flip side - I had an interesting chat with a forum member and he said that people who aren't actually looking to buy, take up a lot of their time. And it's their livelihood that's affected. Lets say, while giving a non-buyer the attention non-buyers demand, a buyer walks through the door and thinks, "Gee, i really am not getting the attention i want and i'm here to make a purchase...I think i'll take a look elsewhere and if i don't find what i want, i'll come back".

It's a catch 22 unfortunately.

I understand that, but the shop as at least 2 guys doing the floor on sales, once I saw 3 there...was a while back. There was a guy working at the store, played for the band 'piksteel' and I like going to the store since he knew I didn't always come to buy, but tried selling me nice guitars by playing it himself and letting me 'TRY' and play. Made me as client feel appreciated, he also did tell me when another client walked in to hold on and then helped them straight away...main thing, he was friendly

brett_pretorius

I hear what you are saying Arjun, I can imagine a music store salesperson probably often has his time wasted by people who are not going to buy.
My thoughts are:

1) If you know I am wasting your time, then when someone walks through the door ask," Do you mind if I quickly let this person know I have seen them and will help them shortly?" It's good for the new person as they have been given attention and the promise to return. The current (possibly timewasting) client should not be offended. The shop is busy. A reasonable human being will understand. You are coming right back anyway.

2) The timewaster may become a buying client at any time. There was a time when I was just "window shopping" at our local music store. The salesperson (Jannie) still always made time for me. Now I buy supplies fairly regularly and will eventually get that amp that's got my name written all over it. Jannie is the only person I deal with when I go there.
Sales people need to realise that "time wasters" can quickly become "money spenders"
Of course it's not always true. Some guys just camp out at the guitar displays for the fun of it ?

I sympathise with music store employees, but I have found it pays for them to think relationship instead of sale.

flatfourfan

There is a local place to me that I took my old jackson in for a set-up and the guy had one look at the flloyd rose and said that he's going to have to send it away to be set up..R500-00. Found out that he'd send it to Barry at music mate and that Barry charges R200 something for a restring and set up........

Norman86

Well i guess you wont be going there again either hey FFF?!

flatfourfan

Norman86 wrote: Well i guess you wont be going there again either hey FFF?!

I went there once after that................everything was about 20-30 rands more expensive........the knowledge is minimal and the guy hates metal. I heard that he's struggling and it's no surprise.

Norman86

Well, things dont stay secret...
Dodgy or scaly ways of doing business leads to struggling businesses.

People are always willing to buy when the price is right!
Even if its slightly more and i know im paying for the convenience, thats awesome too!
But if im gonna get ripped a new one, i will make another plan!

Case in point - yes, i know its not guitar related, but it is still related as it still applies!

I wanted to buy an iron gym pull up bar, the type you hang on your wall...

Verimark charges R350 for the thing... no ways im gonna pay that!

Tevo sell the same thing at R150 or R160... Sweet... But where the hell is my makro card again? and the schlep of getting another card and the cues and having to actually need a stupid makro card just to shop there...

So i found that game sell the trojan brand one... R200... Im there, saves me the hassle of everything with makro... and the petrol and time saved... Sweet, i'll pay for the convenience!!

Had it been more expensive, i would have rather gone through the schlep of finding my makro card or re applying for one!

My point? i said it above but i will say it again:

People are always willing to buy when the price is right!

deefstes

Arjun Menon wrote: On the flip side - I had an interesting chat with a forum member and he said that people who aren't actually looking to buy, take up a lot of their time. And it's their livelihood that's affected. Lets say, while giving a non-buyer the attention non-buyers demand, a buyer walks through the door and thinks, "Gee, i really am not getting the attention i want and i'm here to make a purchase...I think i'll take a look elsewhere and if i don't find what i want, i'll come back".

That's a very good point and indeed a catch 22. I do think though that shop assistants should learn how to manage that gracefully though. At the risk of sounding condescending, it's not like shop assistants have (or need) a particular skills set in order to be shop assistants but if there is one thing they need to be good at it is dealing with patrons (and by patrons I mean buying and non buying customers). If a shop assistant doesn't know how to deal with patrons properly he needs urgent training or he needs to be fired but his ineptitude will cost the shop sales.

The thing is, how exactly do you define a non-paying customer. If I'm looking at buying a guitar, especially one that I'll be forking out a substantial amount of dosh for, I will be a non-paying customer 20 times and a paying customer once. You can be sure that when I put on my paying customer hat, it won't be at the shop that gave me crappy service when I was a non-paying customer.

arjunmenon

deefstes wrote:
Arjun Menon wrote: On the flip side - I had an interesting chat with a forum member and he said that people who aren't actually looking to buy, take up a lot of their time. And it's their livelihood that's affected. Lets say, while giving a non-buyer the attention non-buyers demand, a buyer walks through the door and thinks, "Gee, i really am not getting the attention i want and i'm here to make a purchase...I think i'll take a look elsewhere and if i don't find what i want, i'll come back".
That's a very good point and indeed a catch 22. I do think though that shop assistants should learn how to manage that gracefully though. At the risk of sounding condescending, it's not like shop assistants have (or need) a particular skills set in order to be shop assistants but if there is one thing they need to be good at it is dealing with patrons (and by patrons I mean buying and non buying customers). If a shop assistant doesn't know how to deal with patrons properly he needs urgent training or he needs to be fired but his ineptitude will cost the shop sales.

The thing is, how exactly do you define a non-paying customer. If I'm looking at buying a guitar, especially one that I'll be forking out a substantial amount of dosh for, I will be a non-paying customer 20 times and a paying customer once. You can be sure that when I put on my paying customer hat, it won't be at the shop that gave me crappy service when I was a non-paying customer.

costafonix

Utlimately,,,, the same guy that walks into the place to buy a plectrum could very well be the same guy that will come back tomorrow and buy a R20 000 pa system and that all depends on how well he was treated when he was sold the plectrum, don't forget, word of mouth travels very fast (and even faster on this forum ? )...

Norman86

CostaFonix wrote: Utlimately,,,, the same guy that walks into the place to buy a plectrum could very well be the same guy that will come back tomorrow and buy a R20 000 pa system and that all depends on how well he was treated when he was sold the plectrum, don't forget, word of mouth travels very fast (and even faster on this forum ? )...

Aint that the truth ?

aubs1

I can relate to your experience man. There are stores in JHB like Any McGibbons, and Toms where they really make you feel so welcome and important as a potential customer. You even get offered coffee, etc. And it makes you wanna buy anything, even just strings or picks ........

However, there are stores I just don't wanna go to, will not mention them, where for eg. the other day, I could not find Elixer Nano webs, (9-42s), and they were the only store that had them. I asked the guy (main honcho, I think) for 5 sets, he looked at me and asked me: "Why do you need 5 sets?" I just looked at him and said: "can I just have them please!!" I actually hate going to that store. I think they look at people, and "decide" ........ not a potential buyer!!

costafonix

Aubs1 wrote: he looked at me and asked me: "Why do you need 5 sets?" I just looked at him and said: "can I just have them please!!" I actually hate going to that store. I think they look at people, and "decide" ........ not a potential buyer!!

I once took a mate (he had R10 000 cash in his pocket) to a music store and asked the sales guy to demo a 2ndhand Les Paul for him,,,, the sales guy spent the whole time bitchin' about how he hated Les Pauls??? go figure,,,,,,,,, needless to say my mate bought his guitar from somewhere else,,,,,

Norman86

Aubs, you should have told him you need the box of 10 instead, just to grate him some more ? lol!

But yeah...
I was once told i should get a better guitar because a MIM Fender strat isnt anywhere near as good as an american standard, and that its actually just a crappy guitar.

Needless to say, i dont regard this person as highly as other people on this forum!

louwd123

Arjun Menon wrote:

The thing is, how exactly do you define a non-paying customer. If I'm looking at buying a guitar, especially one that I'll be forking out a substantial amount of dosh for, I will be a non-paying customer 20 times and a paying customer once. You can be sure that when I put on my paying customer hat, it won't be at the shop that gave me crappy service when I was a non-paying customer.

Fair point DS. A non-buyer can become a buyer 1 out of 20 times.
And true, sales guys in shops need some amount of training in people skills.
I am never disappointed by the guys at Marshall Music (both Tokai and CBD branches) and Bothners in Claremont.
Though Bothners at N1 city have a little bit of BA.
[/quote]

I think there's no excuse for poor treatment. I visited the above mentioned shop in claremont last friday, and coming from a meeting in my business clothes(in other words not looking like I a "real" guitarist) on the way out of the city, trying to find parking nearby and all in all a hectic driving experience for me coming from a small "dorp" in the south cape that doesn't even have a robot, hehehe, BUT!!! I'll drive there anytime again just because the bloke on the other side of the counter was willing to listen to me and even give me very thorough advice after I said that the options he have for me are out of my budget. Friendly, not "looking for a sale" and helpfull. There are no excuses for anything other than this quality of service. Anything below it, doesn't deserve a deal in my books.

On the issue of the specific shop, if you get helped by "the" salesman, just tell him you'll wait for the other to be available or ask specifically for the bloke with whom you are comfortable. I've experienced the same thing in a few shops here in the "platteland" where shops get a "young" salesman in to "bring in the cool factor" and in the end it is a guy that memorised a ton of tabs and try to impress the clients more with his "talent", to prove that the guitar he is selling to you is a super deal. If i see that I just walk out or ask for another salesman that can talk sense.

aubs1

louwd123 wrote: On the issue of the specific shop, if you get helped by "the" salesman, just tell him you'll wait for the other to be available or ask specifically for the bloke with whom you are comfortable.

I think it takes only ONE salesman to piss one off with the whole store ...... but yes, it does help a lot to get to know one salesman, and deal with him only ......

Ray

I just been to a store in Woodmead. What I wanted to do was loook at SG's because I really like them and will get one to do what with I dont know. When I walked in everyone was friendly and said hi so I said hi. But I looked at SG's and noone there seemed to give a darn that I was looking at SG's. So I thought maybe if I go over to the counter and buy a set of strings or a slide or half a pocket of gem squashes or something then someone will catch on that I mean business here. Now, as I stood at the counter just to the left behind me was a sort of cove with a full welcoming party shooting the breeze there. And also behind me, but just to the right was like a desk and some oke was writing in a book. But time was few and I had to do some other things so I walked past all these people and said bye and they all said bye. So I'll go and get the SG another day or somewhere else where they want to sell one becasue these guys only had two RH ones and one LH one on the wall and maybe they wanted them to stay there. Ag I suppose I've still got the money hey.

Warren

Ray wrote: I just been to a store in Woodmead. What I wanted to do was loook at SG's because I really like them and will get one to do what with I dont know. When I walked in everyone was friendly and said hi so I said hi. But I looked at SG's and noone there seemed to give a darn that I was looking at SG's. So I thought maybe if I go over to the counter and buy a set of strings or a slide or half a pocket of gem squashes or something then someone will catch on that I mean business here. Now, as I stood at the counter just to the left behind me was a sort of cove with a full welcoming party shooting the breeze there. And also behind me, but just to the right was like a desk and some oke was writing in a book. But time was few and I had to do some other things so I walked past all these people and said bye and they all said bye. So I'll go and get the SG another day or somewhere else where they want to sell one becasue these guys only had two RH ones and one LH one on the wall and maybe they wanted them to stay there. Ag I suppose I've still got the money hey.

Sounds like that store I know. ?

I've found the guys there generally helpful, but I usually have to go and ask a sales chap for help once I've decided what I want to try out. Make no mistake, once you've asked for assistance, they're happy to take any guitar / amp combo you want and slap it together for you in the play room to make as much noise as you want. I personally really like their "hands off" approach.