CornFlakes
I’m not going to say any names or anything but holy crap. The only thing they good at is to confuse you.
The thing is I want to resolve my bass problem I’m having or just replace my bass with another one.
Is this only me or are there other people that have the same problem or complaint about muso stores or, is it that Cape Town people don’t have good service skills? >☹
AlanRatcliffe
Shops don't pay well (at all), so if they do get someone who knows what they are talking about, they move on to something better paid fairly quickly (usually shortly after they have bought and paid for everything they need at staff discount ?). There are a few shops in JHB where they are entirely commission driven, so you end up with guys more interested in moving product than selling you what you really need.
Renesongs
I have learned to build a relationship with the main senior person at each store so when a salesdude offers to help me I ask to see X if his busy I wait and start fiddling with the most expensive piece of equipment in the store and if his out so am I ?
Martyr
i know 2 of the guys at my main music store in PE and at the other i know the owner...maybe it's just cape town,but most people i talk to know what they talking about,but then again their is this one guy there that is a complete and utter IDIOT,if he answers the phone or i go in and he comes to me i ask for another salesman ?(he's the guy that says the behringer Hellbabe wah is better than a Dunlop Crybaby ???)
Manfred-Klose
Yes it is cape town, laid back and on vacation.......
I dont listen to whatever they tell me, because it useally is a lie, and i can smell bull crap a mile away.
If i have have a question, i ask one of the senior staff.
Sometimes i like testing them, and ask them qeustions, here is some of them:
1.Q:Can you find out what the price is on a jim dunlop crybaby?
A☹laughing)Are you making a joke,what is a crybaby? never heard of it before!!!
(only 2 out of 5 staff members know what a crybaby is,sad...)
1.Q:Wont that be out of phase then?
A: HUh???
I rely on these for correct answers:
1.guitarforum
2.library
3.google
4.commom sense
hey cornflakes, can you PM me the name of the shop, maby we are shopping at the same place.
CornFlakes
@ Manfred Klose: Check your PM!
The other day I was at “won’t say” I asked a “guy” for some help on new pick-ups for my tele I have done quite some reading online and listened to a few examples of different pick-ups anyway so asked him if they have Duncan Seymour pick-ups in stock? Then he said “ill have to go look if we have in stock” in the mean while I was browsing around in the shop and found them in a cabinet in the shop. He comes back to me and says “sorry we don’t have any in stock!” I’m not going to carry on about this because I’m going to break my keyboard…
Squonk
Have you tried asking for advice in "the Incredible Connection"? It's the same thing. The guys at Andy's are quite friendly though.
CornFlakes
Squonk wrote
Have you tried asking for advice in "the Incredible Connection"? It's the same thing. The guys at Andy's are quite friendly though.
HAHA! We call it "Incredible Corruption". True the guys at Andy's are friendly!
Renesongs
I sometimes wonder through Incredible deceptions when I have time to kill - their prices are worth a damn good laugh -the staff know me as the lunatic that wonders through the shop chortling to myself and leave me alone.
Riaan-Combrink
Renesongs wrote
if his busy I wait and start fiddling with the most expensive piece of equipment in the store and if his out so am I ?
Ha he - what strategy!! ?
I've also found its a hit and miss thing, depending on the store. I think Alan's right regarding the staff turnover thing, but there are notable exceptions. Staying away from store names to avoid GFSA getting sued ?, one of the major natonal stores built incredible brand loyalty with me by a simple act of hyper proffessionalism. I sent an online query to their standard website "contact us" number, and the next day received a comprehensive reply with great advice from the
owner of the store. I had cited my budget, and he gave me two options based on that budget. Then he gave the name of the guy who would deal with me if I as was interested (who BTW did know everything about the deal when I pitched unannounced the next day), and gave his cell phone number for me to reach him if I was unhappy with the salesperson. I ended up buying the product AND everything else I needed after that from them after this incident.
By way of contrast, I ended up in one of the branches of THE national superstore, and the salesguy answered every one of the three questions I had about a crossover unit with "I'm sure its covered in the manual!!!". ???That's the gospel truth. I bolted like a bullet and cursed myself for even thinking of buying from anywhere else than the first store I spoke of!! Sometimes you need to stray to realise how good it is at home, I suppose... ?
AlanRatcliffe
hey cornflakes, can you PM me the name of the shop, maby we are shopping at the same place.
Guys, I see no harm from posting the names of the guilty parties and the store it happened in. Maybe with some bad publicity, the stores will do something about it. A manager who is worth his salt will take action if he hears of things like this, much like he would if a letter were printed in a newspaper.
Just make sure anything you post is true and don't post "friend of a friend" type incidents, which might turn out to be untrue (or unverifiable at least).
I can't always post the "who", due to professional affiliations, and the hope that these stores will carry my next book, but that's my issue not yours. I do however, usually take it directly to a manager if I see/hear his staff do anything really stupid.
@Rene - I LOLed, I really did...
CornFlakes
Alan Ratcliffe wrote
Guys, I see no harm from posting the names of the guilty parties and the store it happened in. Maybe with some bad publicity, the stores will do something about it. A manager who is worth his salt will take action if he hears of things like this, much like he would if a letter were printed in a newspaper.
I think this is a good idea!
Heath
i agree completely .
Riaan-Combrink
Alan Ratcliffe wrote
Guys, I see no harm from posting the names of the guilty parties and the store it happened in.
My great experience in my post above was with Marshall Music in Cape Town CBD, and the terrible one at Bothners N1 City.
Alan Ratcliffe wrote
@Rene - I LOLed, I really did...
+1. I can't get this image out of my head! ? It's going to strike me everytime I see their logo somewhere, I know ?
CornFlakes
Marshall Music awesome shop but the one guy there can’t remember his name but he think he knows but he has no idea! Then I have had okay service at Bothners but it depends what shop I go to, Plumsted has good service I must say..
Explorerlover
TOMS here in Braamfontein is my first stop for anything I need, I have 2 connections there that I deal with and them only. I've tried Marshall Music, but again, a guy that doesn;t play guitar tries to sell you a guitar. Music Connection isn't bad either, nice variety and the guys won't bulls#$% you.
FenderBender
Renesongs wrote
I sometimes wonder through Incredible deceptions when I have time to kill - their prices are worth a damn good laugh -the staff know me as the lunatic that wonders through the shop chortling to myself and leave me alone.
Ok so there are two of us then ?
AlanRatcliffe
CornFlakes wrote
Marshall Music awesome shop but the one guy there can’t remember his name but he think he knows but he has no idea!
I have to agree. I was in there for the first time a few months ago to meet up with Gareth (VV) and I really like the way the shop is laid out - the seating near the guitars was really nice and I actually ended up playing a few classics (I very rarely bother playing stuff in shops - I'm fairly happy with what I've got). The manager (somehow I
knew it was the manager) made the effort and greeted me warmly as he staggered past carrying something big ...then his staff basically ignored me for the next 20 minutes until Gareth got there - no-one else even said hello, let alone asking me if I needed anything. Gareth had warned me about the "empty vessel" salesman, and sure enough, I overheard a few choice "facts" from him while I was there.
dee
A while a ago I was inquiring about getting an Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty here at a local music shop in Pretoria. The shop is literally just round the corner from where I work, which was really convenient, so I figured I'll give them I try.
I won't bore you with the details, but the manager basically gave me a "why should I bother with you" attitude, while just sitting there. Needless to say I have not gone back to that store again...
Fortunately, there are two other shops I frequent (Oosthavens and Music Mate in Zambezi) who have very helpful and friendly staff who seem to know their stuff most of the time. The times when they can't help me with something, they will ask someone else or call around to get me an answer, even though I don't always buy something at that time.
Never underestimate the power of good customer support... If you are good to me today, chances are I'll come back to you next time I'm looking for something.
AlanRatcliffe
Owner/operator music stores are usually quite good with their level of service, but does anyone remember Mister Music in Long st. Cape Town? George Kouba (SP?) was the owner and renowned for his complete lack of people skills. Legend had it that if his dog liked you (it was always with him in the shop), you would be OK, but I guess the dog was an ornery beast, because George was surly with everyone. Strangely enough, his shop walls were covered with an array of photos of a who's who of 70's and 80's SA rock - all signed to George, many even thanking him. I suspect from this that Trevor Rabin and the others must be masochists.
When I came to Cape Town in the mid-80's we had to sell off a lot of stuff to be able to fit everything into the removal truck - including my Strat. So shortly after getting here and getting settled in, I started touring the shops with R1,100 in my pocket (a lot of money then) to find another guitar.
Mister Music was one of my first stops as it was in the city itself, along with Heuer's and Sunny's music. Anyway I walked into the shop and saw George, said "hello", got a "hello" back and proceeded to look around. You couldn't touch anything in this shop - most things were hung out of reach or had large "Do NOT touch!" signs on them. Almost immediately, I saw an Ibanez Roadstar hanging on the wall and liked what I saw - instantly deciding I wanted it. I think it was priced at R799 or R850, so well within my budget.
I turned to George, and asked him "What's the Ibanez like?"
George lifted his eyes from his newspaper, looking over the top of his glasses, and said simply: "Good". There followed an (for me) awkward silence, while he just looked at me as you regard a cockroach you have just found in the bottom of your empty milkshake glass.
"So... can I try it then?" I asked hesitantly.
"No." Was the response. No emotion, just a flat negative.
After another awkward moment, I just turned and walked out, only returning once in the next 10 years to buy a Tune-O-Matic bridge that no-one else had in stock.
The kicker was, he had that shop in Long street for decades, but I don't know how he survived even a year with that charm and magnetic personality. Actually, he might still be there.
