Dealery Snobbery..... (1 Viewer)

[MikeLi]

It's really to bad too. I had a similar experience not long ago and we only have several audio stores left in the Portland, OR area. I was ready to spend some big bucks on a new Pre/Pro and Amp. Well not the 20K type of big bucks but you know what I mean.

Very rude and just like they didn't care, they showed me this and that but would run off every few seconds to the back room for something. I dunoo maybe he had his girlfriend back there and the timing for me was bad or something. Anyway the shops are a dying breed.

I wound up buying my gear off the internet after a discussion on the phone with a sales guy at the company where I got the stuff.... And you wonder why their business is down and they talk bad about buying stuff on the internet...

 

[Leo Kerr]

I recently went to a Magnolia@Best Buy installation. It was kind of interesting the... variety of salespeople I met within the half hour.

The guy working the DLP RPTVs was okay, but just mildly clueless.

The guy working the audio room was not only clueless, but ignored the comments I had made, trying to press the importance of wires on me (just a mere 30 seconds after we had discussed how wires were nothing but a major profit center for installers.)

Neither of them really knew anything about the products that they were hawking... I'm always kind of amused when they're pointing to a pair of displays: "this one's 1080p, that one's only 1080i, but the new one should be coming out soon," never mind that both had 720 chips in them.

My local Tweeter (formerly Bryn Mawr) is a mixed bag. Now me, I always wear a white button-down oxford shirt and black jeans. It's a good compromise - at least to me. Plus, I usually do my shopping or browsing on Mondays or Fridays (given that I work every other weekend; it cuts down on the riff-raff at the stores.) I look around a bit; it's part of my job, really - keep up with the technology. Some people want to talk. Some don't. One guy who wanted to talk ended up selling a Yamaha DSP-A1. Might have been some other guy.. (this was a few years ago; the A1 had only been out for a a couple of months.)

In general, I've decided that it's best to be... mildly amused. I can't imagine why any salesman would be stupid enough to insult a customer's set-up. Make suggestions, yes, if the customer asks how to improve it, but never insult the customer! (Well, maybe if they've got a Bose system... )

Ah, well..

Leo Kerr

 

[AlbertD]

I won't defend bad salepeople or snobish stores, but there is another side to the coin. I have often times walked into a store looking to make a purchase, and can't find anybody to assist, not due to the fact that they won't pay attention to me, but do to the fact that they are busy showing off all the "stuff" to people who never buy anything. You sit or stand patiently for a long time waiting for somebody to free up and after what seems like a life time of showing off the features of that TV or receiver, the potential buyer walks out without buying anything. Like most of you I have, in fact, walked out of many stores simply because everyone was too busy to assist. I don't think it was how I was dressed, it was that they were too busy. So, its a coin toss. Who do you work with? Who is really buying and who is really looking? It's a judgement call and I might not like it, but sometimes, just sometimes, I wish there was more of the behavior that most of you are describing than less. Perhaps that would mean I might get some attention once in a while.

 

[Jeff Weight]

Nice Sarcasm Albert... If the dealers where that busy, there'd be more of them, not less.

 

[John S]

Horror stories.. I have a recent one as well, a sales guy said all sorts of horrible things to me, when I sated I didn't think the Velodyne DD-12 offered enough bang for the buck that it costs.

I find sales people in general to be very threatened by the informed consumer these days. I fear for the brick and motor stores future.

I think most all internet dealers will be offering at least 30 day no questions asked return policies, now and in the future. With policies like that, you only risk the cost of shipping to try out any product in your home, and it is deleivered to your door.

 

[MikeLi]

And for something that your going to spend some pretty serious cash on anyway whats a few bucks for shipping and if you don't like it sending it back. Much rather do that I think anymore. At least you get to try it at home with your surroundings and with your own other gear. But I agree.. I think times are changing and the good old audio stores are going to fall by the wayside except for in places where there are very rich people.

 

[AlbertD]

Actually I wasn't being sarcastic. I really have gone into specialty electronics stores to make purchases and had to either walk out after a while or wait quite a while before someone could get to me. In most every case, I noticed that the people that were being waited on never bought anything, and in the cases where I walked out, I went on line and purchased. The only exception was when I bought my 65" HDTV. Yes I had to wait, but I did as it was important to me that I get local service. May be I just go at bad times.

 

[Dick Knisely]

Rarely had that happen in a specialty shop but it happens all the time at any of the big box stores. Like I commented above I really do "grab a salesperson". I walk up to one or the person at the checkout area and at the first possible instant inject, "Excuse me for interrupting but I'd like to make a purchase, can you get someone to help?" Only once did that fail to get a prompt response and I did leave.

 

[Jerome Grate]

Unfortunately, that's the way customer service is going. Can't get anyone to treat you like a person anymore and sometimes it's almost worth going on line for some of the purchases. Return policies are good, they don't ask questions on why you are returning them and they treat you with respect.

 

[Leo Kerr]

On the other side, when I'm browsing, I'll tell 'em out-right. And when I'm browsing for something that I'd never buy, but might be interested for a work-related project, I also tell 'em the bad news: federal government purchasing.

Leo

 

[Dick Knisely]

Wasn't in the Magnolia part of the store today but we adjacent to the room in a BestBuy looking for an upgrade TV for the bedroom. I liked the $200 flat tube 20 incher but wife decided she wanted a smaller version of the new one downstairs. So, we picked a Toshiba 20" HD LCD at $799. Then spent 15 min looking for a sales person. One person: "Uh, gee, that's not my dept." Another: "well, I look for someone." Gave up and left telling one sales person and one guy at the front that they'd just lost an $800 sale simply because no one would help us. Neither person seemed to care in the slightest. Proceeded to Costco and got the same unit for $150 less--so in the end I'm glad we couldn't find anyone at Best Buy. I really don't like going there at all but it's close; still you'd think I'd learn not to bother.

 

[steve:)g]

I had a similar situation in Lake Forest CA. After reading about the paradigm studio 60's and researching on the net. I found out there was a dealer 10 mins from my house not a chain store but a owner operated sellerinstaller home audio. I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt and when I walked in the owner who works behind the counter looked as if I missed the wrong door and should have been walking into best buy. I asked if he sold Paradigm speakers he said yes I then asked if he had the studio 60's. He went on to say yes he had them but they were 1600 dollars a pair. I asked for a demo and he again replied they were 1600 dollars and did I still want to hear them. Well of course I said , he then had to physically move the speakers and attached the speaker wire. I went thru a 15 min demo asking questions which he seemed not so eager to answer then when I was done the demo he asked me what I thought. Since he allready judged me as a non customer walking in I said they were ok but Klipsch makes a better speaker and walked out. That guy lost a 1600 dollar sale I would have bought those speakers after hearing them if it wasn't for that a-hole. He did not sell Klipsch that's why I said what I said.

 

[Jeff Weight]

Ah yes, Genisis Audio..... Been there done that!

 

[MikeLi]

I have never condisered Magnolia a really high end store but I guess they do have access to high end stuff if you need it for a custom job. Here where I live they rarely have anything of the expensive stuff out for viewing even in their big and nice viewing rooms. I know they have to show what sells the most. But the days of the smaller shops that dealt in very high end or unique type items I think are long gone and if they are not they are going to be if they don't start changing their ways and get with the 21st. century.

 

[Scott_N]

The shop I go to here in KC is one of the finest audio salons in the country with some of the most expensive brands out there but the dealer is very down-to-earth and treats everybody in a classy manner no matter if they are shopping for a $500 receiver or a pair of $20,000 speakers.

 

[steve:)g]

Hahaha Thanx Jeff forgot the name of the place.

 

[Mark M. Smith]

While there are definitely a lot of well-informed buyers today doing research on the Internet I'm willing to bet that there are even more totally clueless people out there. Admittedly most of them are probably going to go to Best Buy/Circuit City or some other big box retailers that don't really carry much in the way of quality HT and will be quickly loaded up with Monster Cable and Bose. I really fear for those who think that they're going to go to a real A/V shop and put down some serious cash on a good product getting driven to whatever the dealer wants to sell to jack up his own commission.

While I don't want brick and mortar stores to die entirely, there are excellent products these days that are only available online (e.g. my Axiom and Outlaw system) and wisely these companies tend to have excellent customer service.

 

[John_Lee]

Audioport? If so, I agree.

 

[Patrick Young]

Well I actually have a good story about a dealer. I had been going to my local dealer for about 4 years just looking. The salesman would always take his time with me and treated me very well.
When I finally went to buy something there he had left for an even more high end store. But I was still lucky in that I have dealt with two other salesman at this store and am still treated with there respect and time. Which is good for them as I have dropped about 1500. so far and probably will drop some more.