- Thread starter Big Poppa
- Start date
Big Poppa
Well-known member
Welcome to Greg Trojan....
A little info. Guitar Center is the largest company in our industry....bigger than Fender Gibson Martin Marshiall Yamaha Music Korg Ernie Ball Daddarrio Boogie combined and then some. I am honored that Greg has thought enough of your contributions to post here...welcome
Greg was CEO of California Pizza Kitchen and House Of Blues...He is a guitarist and a fan of music and providing tools for ytou musicians...many of you who knew Marty need to know that Marty retired but Greg was handpicked out of thousands to replace him.
Greg feel free to ask any questions you may have....nice people here!
A little info. Guitar Center is the largest company in our industry....bigger than Fender Gibson Martin Marshiall Yamaha Music Korg Ernie Ball Daddarrio Boogie combined and then some. I am honored that Greg has thought enough of your contributions to post here...welcome
Greg was CEO of California Pizza Kitchen and House Of Blues...He is a guitarist and a fan of music and providing tools for ytou musicians...many of you who knew Marty need to know that Marty retired but Greg was handpicked out of thousands to replace him.
Greg feel free to ask any questions you may have....nice people here!
SteveR
Well-known member
First, let me start by saying that I am a former employee of GC and in fact have had 2 tours of duty with them (Ops Mgr at Covina & Inv. at Hollywood). I have purchased most of my guitars from them, (before, during, and after my employment with GC) but almost all of the legwork was done on my own prior to making a purchase. Having been on the "inside" I know how much training each employee has to go through in their specific department to be able to provide helpful knowledge. So if I was a beginning to average player looking for advice on a certain brand like EBMM, I would feel comfortable in Asking an Expert.
I like that the GC site has that feature and like with most things, will continue to be modified for a better experience. The experts at my local stores are for the most part certified in other areas aside from guitars. This helps the employees in versatility amongst customers, but could also be a downfall in some areas. Maybe each department sound have an employee well versed in all things guitars, a guitar guru or drum guru if you will. I know that while some employees do have that kinda of guru level knowledge, I'm just not sure if there is an employee like that at all the stores, especially ones in smaller markets.
I'm pleased to see that GC is interested in improving things and even having someone such as Greg Trojan register on this board to not only provide some insight, but also take interest in what we have to say. I look forward to reading some other responses and seeing where this process takes not only GC, but also their affiliation with EBMM.
Had it not been for this message board and the knowledgable feedback by owners and players of these fine instruments, I never would have found the perfect guitar for me.
I like that the GC site has that feature and like with most things, will continue to be modified for a better experience. The experts at my local stores are for the most part certified in other areas aside from guitars. This helps the employees in versatility amongst customers, but could also be a downfall in some areas. Maybe each department sound have an employee well versed in all things guitars, a guitar guru or drum guru if you will. I know that while some employees do have that kinda of guru level knowledge, I'm just not sure if there is an employee like that at all the stores, especially ones in smaller markets.
I'm pleased to see that GC is interested in improving things and even having someone such as Greg Trojan register on this board to not only provide some insight, but also take interest in what we have to say. I look forward to reading some other responses and seeing where this process takes not only GC, but also their affiliation with EBMM.
Had it not been for this message board and the knowledgable feedback by owners and players of these fine instruments, I never would have found the perfect guitar for me.
dgainer
Active member
Since my local EBMM dealer closed a while back I have been patronizing 2 different GC's within an hour of where I live. I like the idea of the experts if you are eventually going to expand the program to include most of your stores. It would be great to be able to email or talk to an expert before make ing the trip to find out what recomendations or stock may be available. It would also help if they could have examples of gear ready for me to check out upon arrival and be able to set up maybe an appointment to get more personalized service. Good luck with the program.
Dave
Dave
I lurk almost infinitely more than I post on this board (as evidenced by my extremely low post count). I own an EB Wah and a 25th (and am actively looking for a pink Axis or EVH).
That aside, the closest GC to me is Hollywood, with the Westwood store being not much farther away. In terms of the website questions, I can say, like others, that I get most of my information about EBMM from this very forum. I don't consider myself an expert by any means, but I'm much more informed about EBMM than the average GC customer that doesn't frequent this board. I would hope that someone that's an expert in the EBMM line would know about limited editions, GC specials, and other options available that wouldn't necessarily be what's seen on the shelf. I'd like for someone with the title of "expert" to be able to tell me things beyond "hey, that's a rosewood neck." If this were the case, I would totally be more encouraged to shop there.
That said, I was just in the Hollywood GC earlier tonight, which is why I was compelled to post. I don't want to flame GC, it's my go-to place for trying out new stuff and for purchasing accessories. There were about 15 EBMM guitars there, and only 1 of them was in playable condition - a black Axis BFR with a rosewood board. I really wanted to play an HH AL, and they had about 4 or 5, but they were all set up so poorly to the point of being disgraceful. The bow on the neck of one them was so bad that the action was almost a half inch off the fretboard. A pink one had about two weeks worth of dust on it. I didn't try the JPs, but all of the ALs were unplayable as were all of the Axis models except for the BFR, which had strings that were worn way past what a floor model guitar should have. I realize the Hollywood GC is a nightmare from all the tourists and newbs that come in there and abuse the stuff off the racks, but guitars as great as EBMMs should be treated with a lot more care and respect than what's on display there. I could easily see the uniformed player thinking they weren't good guitars because of the condition they were in.
Beyond that, the sales guy asked me how is was "digging that Van Halen" model. Now I realize the history of this model, but seriously, a GC employee should know that the Axis isn't EVH's guitar any longer, especially in light of the fact that there's an EVH line of guitars that resides right next to the EBMMs on the wall. I just smiled and kept playing as I'm not the type to get in a dispute. The reason why I bring this up is because I feel it's relevant to the GC "expert" thing. Clearly this guy wasn't an expert in the EBMM, and it would have been awesome if the guy came over and said something to the effect of "Hey, do you know about those BFR models," or "That Axis is a pretty cool one, they do a really nice job with those BFRs." Instead, I was playing a great guitar with awful strings with a guy that thought it was an EVH model.
I don't need an expert from GC to encourage me to buy an EBMM or any EB product. I already know they're great. An "expert" from GC would encourage me to shop more at GC for non-EBMM products that I don't take an active approach to researching.
All this said, I saw all the familiar faces when checking out the bios of the guys from my local store. There didn't seem to be anything too specific about their expertise, but perhaps that will change as this section of the site evolves.
Again, I totally don't mean to flame GC. I get a lot of my stuff there and the staff there is always eager to help or answer a question if I have one. I just feel that the Hollywood store does a major disservice to the EBMM line by not taking better care of their instruments.
That aside, the closest GC to me is Hollywood, with the Westwood store being not much farther away. In terms of the website questions, I can say, like others, that I get most of my information about EBMM from this very forum. I don't consider myself an expert by any means, but I'm much more informed about EBMM than the average GC customer that doesn't frequent this board. I would hope that someone that's an expert in the EBMM line would know about limited editions, GC specials, and other options available that wouldn't necessarily be what's seen on the shelf. I'd like for someone with the title of "expert" to be able to tell me things beyond "hey, that's a rosewood neck." If this were the case, I would totally be more encouraged to shop there.
That said, I was just in the Hollywood GC earlier tonight, which is why I was compelled to post. I don't want to flame GC, it's my go-to place for trying out new stuff and for purchasing accessories. There were about 15 EBMM guitars there, and only 1 of them was in playable condition - a black Axis BFR with a rosewood board. I really wanted to play an HH AL, and they had about 4 or 5, but they were all set up so poorly to the point of being disgraceful. The bow on the neck of one them was so bad that the action was almost a half inch off the fretboard. A pink one had about two weeks worth of dust on it. I didn't try the JPs, but all of the ALs were unplayable as were all of the Axis models except for the BFR, which had strings that were worn way past what a floor model guitar should have. I realize the Hollywood GC is a nightmare from all the tourists and newbs that come in there and abuse the stuff off the racks, but guitars as great as EBMMs should be treated with a lot more care and respect than what's on display there. I could easily see the uniformed player thinking they weren't good guitars because of the condition they were in.
Beyond that, the sales guy asked me how is was "digging that Van Halen" model. Now I realize the history of this model, but seriously, a GC employee should know that the Axis isn't EVH's guitar any longer, especially in light of the fact that there's an EVH line of guitars that resides right next to the EBMMs on the wall. I just smiled and kept playing as I'm not the type to get in a dispute. The reason why I bring this up is because I feel it's relevant to the GC "expert" thing. Clearly this guy wasn't an expert in the EBMM, and it would have been awesome if the guy came over and said something to the effect of "Hey, do you know about those BFR models," or "That Axis is a pretty cool one, they do a really nice job with those BFRs." Instead, I was playing a great guitar with awful strings with a guy that thought it was an EVH model.
I don't need an expert from GC to encourage me to buy an EBMM or any EB product. I already know they're great. An "expert" from GC would encourage me to shop more at GC for non-EBMM products that I don't take an active approach to researching.
All this said, I saw all the familiar faces when checking out the bios of the guys from my local store. There didn't seem to be anything too specific about their expertise, but perhaps that will change as this section of the site evolves.
Again, I totally don't mean to flame GC. I get a lot of my stuff there and the staff there is always eager to help or answer a question if I have one. I just feel that the Hollywood store does a major disservice to the EBMM line by not taking better care of their instruments.
TNT
Well-known member
In my opinion:
It's worthless and adds nothing to the buying experience. There's so much more and so many other ideas that can be implemented - it's a complete waste of time.
When I am looking for guitars and gear, I am not looking for "new' friends" or aything else that will take up my time.
I don't want people's names or anything other than MY QUESTIONS answered by whoever is available. I'm not there to meet anyone, I have a schedule and my time is important - I just want to BUY something - don't complicate it!!
It's selection and price - that's it. Everything else is just a gimmick.
1. Here is what I want at GC or any other store: I want simplicity, clarity and easy on the eyes when I view their web site.
2. I would want a direct tab for EBMM instruments so I could easily go right to it. Make a selection of exactly what I want (whether in stock or not), and then get an immediate price.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY MUSICIAN FRIENDS SHOP "PRICE". From guitarist, drummers, vocalist, etc. . . anytime some one tells me of a new piece of gear, they ALWAYS tell me (boast) of the great price they got it for!
That's why Musicians Friend does so well:
1. Best prices around
2. No pressure or "hi"s from everyone that works there.
3. Extremely easy "in and out."
3. Easy returns.
(all they need now, is a "custom" order form to choose the "exact instrument you want)
Again, give the customers EXACTLY what they want and they will buy from you: I just summed it up - you can skip everything else.
It's worthless and adds nothing to the buying experience. There's so much more and so many other ideas that can be implemented - it's a complete waste of time.
When I am looking for guitars and gear, I am not looking for "new' friends" or aything else that will take up my time.
I don't want people's names or anything other than MY QUESTIONS answered by whoever is available. I'm not there to meet anyone, I have a schedule and my time is important - I just want to BUY something - don't complicate it!!
It's selection and price - that's it. Everything else is just a gimmick.
1. Here is what I want at GC or any other store: I want simplicity, clarity and easy on the eyes when I view their web site.
2. I would want a direct tab for EBMM instruments so I could easily go right to it. Make a selection of exactly what I want (whether in stock or not), and then get an immediate price.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY MUSICIAN FRIENDS SHOP "PRICE". From guitarist, drummers, vocalist, etc. . . anytime some one tells me of a new piece of gear, they ALWAYS tell me (boast) of the great price they got it for!
That's why Musicians Friend does so well:
1. Best prices around
2. No pressure or "hi"s from everyone that works there.
3. Extremely easy "in and out."
3. Easy returns.
(all they need now, is a "custom" order form to choose the "exact instrument you want)
Again, give the customers EXACTLY what they want and they will buy from you: I just summed it up - you can skip everything else.
Big Poppa
Well-known member
underatnd that mf is owned and managed by gc...
I will make sure someone gets into hollywood and check out those al's!
I will make sure someone gets into hollywood and check out those al's!
aleclee
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2004
- Messages
- 252
I think the feature is interesting but I'm unclear about the target user. It's probably not us as we're less likely to seek out advice from GC staff. I could see it being useful for novices or gift buyers but it needs to be much more prominent to work for that. It helps to humanize GC but could be frustrating when the expert you want to talk to isn't there when you visit the store.
Glen
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2009
- Messages
- 301
"As far as constructive criticism goes, I think that an even better website enhancement would be to list store inventories. I understand that would probably be a huge undertaking but I can share a real life example. On the website, I can order a candy red Silhouette, with no trem and a maple board. I know that GC stocks many more guitars than that. I think it would be a help if I could see where those items might be to either make a trip or call up the store, after checking who the resident Music Man expert is."
Jason[/QUOTE]
Hi, there is a section on the GC website called Platinum that houses almost the entire GC Music Man inventory by store with high res photos and descriptions. The site originally had a tab on their home page so you could stumble on it easy enough. A few months ago they reorganized the site and the Platinum section has become a bit harder to find in the product drop down menu. If you click on this it will take you to an example...
http://platinum.guitarcenter.com/search/view_listing.cfm?prodId=16228
Jason[/QUOTE]
Hi, there is a section on the GC website called Platinum that houses almost the entire GC Music Man inventory by store with high res photos and descriptions. The site originally had a tab on their home page so you could stumble on it easy enough. A few months ago they reorganized the site and the Platinum section has become a bit harder to find in the product drop down menu. If you click on this it will take you to an example...
http://platinum.guitarcenter.com/search/view_listing.cfm?prodId=16228
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ozzyrules
Well-known member
Hi, there is a section on the GC website called Platinum that houses almost the entire GC Music Man inventory by store with high res photos and descriptions. The site originally had a tab on their home page so you could stumble on it easy enough. A few months ago they reorganized the site and the Platinum section has become a bit harder to find in the product drop down menu. If you click on this it will take you there....
http://platinum.guitarcenter.com/search/index.cfm[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately, when I use the search window & input "axis super sport" this message appears:"no records matched your search criteria". I know, in fact that there are some super sports available. It's not very good at finding things....
musikarero
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2004
- Messages
- 594
I can understand this may help with allowing local GC stores to become more personal with their consumers, but not sure how this would help potential EBMM guitar buyers. Most who are interested in a MM guitar are probably at a skill and knowledge level to already understand what they are buying. Needing an experts advice wouldn't serve much help in that regard. First time guitar buyers or parents of childern interested in a particular product would benefit from the "store expert", but probably not much else.
FantasyMetal
Well-known member
I just want to chime in here, and mention something that I don't think has been mentioned (I have a short attention span, so I didn't make it through all 4 pages of this thread, so if someone has mentioned it I apologize for infringing on your idea!). I had an occasion where a feature like this would have been useful when I was first getting in to Music Man guitars. I have already expounded upon the fact that the Portland, ME store has no MM knowledge, so it was left up to me to do my own research (which I kind of enjoy anyway). However, I was looking at Petrucci models on a variety of different websites and I had no idea what to expect from one. So I used a feature on the AMS (ugh!) website to "talk to a representative" about the product I was curious about. Unfortunately, this "representative" knew less than I did. But to get to my roundabout point, a feature that implemented a link directly on a product page to either "chat" or "call" an expert would be hugely invaluable for those of us without a knowledgeable staff in the area. Now, I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but I wouldn't probably use this feature since I know about the MM forum and everyone on here is super helpful. However, for someone first discovering these guitars in a remote Northern wasteland, it would be very useful I think. It might also spark some interest for people to try new guitars if all of their questions could be answered a "click" away. Just my two cents!
Jimmyb
Well-known member
With the caveat that I can't access the expert feature (probably due to location), I think on the whole it is a good idea.
In a previous life I have acted as a 'Product Champion' for a couple of system types offered by my former employer. This consisted of additional manufacturer supported training and testing. Whenever a customer had a need for the particular system, we would talk through all of the options etc to ensure that they got the right solution.
With a company such as Guitar Centre, their customer base is really diverse, ranging from those such as ourselves, who know the EBMM product line really well, through to Grandparents who know nothing about guitars and are buying a gift for their Grandchildren. Catering for this type market is never gong to be straightforward.
At present, from my understanding of the posts previous, it seems as though the biographies of staff are listed, which will go some way to helping people identify who, in their local store, will be the right member of staff to approach. For the novice, or 'non-expert' customer, I think that this will prove to be invaluable, as it creates a familiarity with the store, before even entering. For us die-hards, this will be of less value, as we know what we want and have probably researched the options to death.
I would be interested in seeing how the ask the expert function is intended to plan out, are they intended to cover a specific instrument type, as in guitars, or are they going to focus on brands, where with EBMM (and many others) you have both guitars and basses coming from the same family.
There may also be some value (how easy it would be to implement I'm not sure) of having an 'on-line expert' who can offer some guidance on selection, in a similar manner to that used by Adobe. I have recently looked at some photoshop stuff and they were realy helpful in assisting me make my choice.
There will always be the type of shopper who knows exactly what they want and go for the lowest price they can find, this is the same whatever is purchased. Similarly, there are always customers who value that little extra advice and guidance.
In a previous life I have acted as a 'Product Champion' for a couple of system types offered by my former employer. This consisted of additional manufacturer supported training and testing. Whenever a customer had a need for the particular system, we would talk through all of the options etc to ensure that they got the right solution.
With a company such as Guitar Centre, their customer base is really diverse, ranging from those such as ourselves, who know the EBMM product line really well, through to Grandparents who know nothing about guitars and are buying a gift for their Grandchildren. Catering for this type market is never gong to be straightforward.
At present, from my understanding of the posts previous, it seems as though the biographies of staff are listed, which will go some way to helping people identify who, in their local store, will be the right member of staff to approach. For the novice, or 'non-expert' customer, I think that this will prove to be invaluable, as it creates a familiarity with the store, before even entering. For us die-hards, this will be of less value, as we know what we want and have probably researched the options to death.
I would be interested in seeing how the ask the expert function is intended to plan out, are they intended to cover a specific instrument type, as in guitars, or are they going to focus on brands, where with EBMM (and many others) you have both guitars and basses coming from the same family.
There may also be some value (how easy it would be to implement I'm not sure) of having an 'on-line expert' who can offer some guidance on selection, in a similar manner to that used by Adobe. I have recently looked at some photoshop stuff and they were realy helpful in assisting me make my choice.
There will always be the type of shopper who knows exactly what they want and go for the lowest price they can find, this is the same whatever is purchased. Similarly, there are always customers who value that little extra advice and guidance.
straycat113
Well-known member
I just clicked onto the Brooklyn NY GC web page, and honestly if it was not brought up by Sterling to check out the "Store Experts" link I would never of noticed it. After clicking on I get the mini bio's of 6 store employees (two who mention a few guitars they play), and after reading them all I find the function totally useless for my needs. It would play no role in any purchasing of equipment as far as I am concerned.
I am also a big fan of Musicians Friend and always have been, and for the record it is owned and a sister company of Guitar Center. But there is a difference in going on line and knowing exactly what you want and ordering it, compared to the live purchasing experience. I personally enjoy looking through GC's Platinum Room and believe that it should have it's own tab/link like the one that says (Store Experts)on the top boarder. You would be amazed at how many guys do not even know it exist? Also as far as EBMM goes that is where you want to be looking. Also there are only a dozen companies that have guitars in the Platinum Room, and out of those only 4 have inventory that number in the hundreds with EBMM being one of them.
More than anything the biggest change that I personally would like to see is the GC stores nationwide more evenly stocked when it comes to EBMM guitars. Now I believe that is up to managerial preference. But you will see guys post pics of their GC's inventory such as the Hollywood store, or GC in Dallas and they are loaded.Then on the flip side a lot of guys complain that their stores have hardly anything. I am not saying that they all have to be fully loaded with BFR guitars, but when you walk into a store of that size you should be able to find at least one of each Standard model.
I am also a big fan of Musicians Friend and always have been, and for the record it is owned and a sister company of Guitar Center. But there is a difference in going on line and knowing exactly what you want and ordering it, compared to the live purchasing experience. I personally enjoy looking through GC's Platinum Room and believe that it should have it's own tab/link like the one that says (Store Experts)on the top boarder. You would be amazed at how many guys do not even know it exist? Also as far as EBMM goes that is where you want to be looking. Also there are only a dozen companies that have guitars in the Platinum Room, and out of those only 4 have inventory that number in the hundreds with EBMM being one of them.
More than anything the biggest change that I personally would like to see is the GC stores nationwide more evenly stocked when it comes to EBMM guitars. Now I believe that is up to managerial preference. But you will see guys post pics of their GC's inventory such as the Hollywood store, or GC in Dallas and they are loaded.Then on the flip side a lot of guys complain that their stores have hardly anything. I am not saying that they all have to be fully loaded with BFR guitars, but when you walk into a store of that size you should be able to find at least one of each Standard model.
morsecode
Well-known member
Being from Canada, the site provides no real benefit for me; however, I think the Guitar Center site and Ask an Expert are good in principle but I don't think it will serve every buyer or potential buyer in the same way.
Most buyers on this forum (maybe 90-95%) I would say are already very familiar with what they are looking for or at least have a good idea. They are more likely concerned about availability and price rather than listen to an "expert's" opinion. A few perhaps but I sense many here are more familiar with the products than most Guitar Centre sales associates. Having brand-specific experts, whether local or not, is where I can see they some benefit. From that perspective, I don't feel there is much value....at least there wouldn't be with me.
For the novice or someone who is unfamiliar (i.e. new to MM), I think there could be value. But the real question is how much are Guitar Center reps going to really promote MM to potential buyers? I would be doubtful that you will see much of that. I believe the opposite will happen. Our local Long & McQuade does not stock any MM largely because from their perspective they don't sell and they have only so much space. They don't know much about MM and when you ask them a question they pull up the MM website which I can easily do myself. There is another smaller guitar store and they do stock a few MM's at any given time and they are pretty knowledgeable about the product. However, because this is a small remote market and because they don't push as much volume as a large retailer, they are inflexible on price.
Most buyers on this forum (maybe 90-95%) I would say are already very familiar with what they are looking for or at least have a good idea. They are more likely concerned about availability and price rather than listen to an "expert's" opinion. A few perhaps but I sense many here are more familiar with the products than most Guitar Centre sales associates. Having brand-specific experts, whether local or not, is where I can see they some benefit. From that perspective, I don't feel there is much value....at least there wouldn't be with me.
For the novice or someone who is unfamiliar (i.e. new to MM), I think there could be value. But the real question is how much are Guitar Center reps going to really promote MM to potential buyers? I would be doubtful that you will see much of that. I believe the opposite will happen. Our local Long & McQuade does not stock any MM largely because from their perspective they don't sell and they have only so much space. They don't know much about MM and when you ask them a question they pull up the MM website which I can easily do myself. There is another smaller guitar store and they do stock a few MM's at any given time and they are pretty knowledgeable about the product. However, because this is a small remote market and because they don't push as much volume as a large retailer, they are inflexible on price.
guitardan
Well-known member
Welcome !
I am in retail management and my company also has an online presence that does $3 million annually. People come to me because they like me and they like the way they are treated when in my store...not because I am an "expert" in my field. I would say it's based as much on personality and comfort level as it is on knowledge.
I have to be honest, I had a bad experience with a salesperson in my local GC a few years ago and it has soured my taste in wanting to buy a guitar from my local GC....I haven't and I'm not sure that I would. I do buy my accessories from them though and I did buy my 25th through the GC Platinum sight (which is an upgrade from the regular GC sight).
I appreciate that GC is looking to improve their customer service experience and "humanize" the web presence. My opinion is that, in it's current format, it doesn't enhance the buying experience for most buyers....certainly not for me. It doesn't make me want to shop at my local GC anymore than I already do.
When I click on the "find expert" link for guitar in my local GC, there are three people that I recognize....one of them is the store manager and another is a good salesperson that I would say is an expert in acoustics (not electrics). None of them list a brand that they prefer or that they are extra knowledgeable about.
I'd rather see a page that goes into detail about the major differences between each EBMM model and possibly what type of music that each particular guitar is geared toward (lame example would be someone interested in country music probably would not be looking for a JP or an Axis). There would also be a listing of current stock for that brand at my 3 nearest GC stores.
The reasons that many people choose to use a website for purchases (over a brick and mortar store) are simple.
1. pricing
2. selection
3. convenience
4. no salesperson interaction
5. liberal return policy
#4 might seem strange, but I think many people would rather gather their information from their friends or buddies or a good helpful forum (like this one).
I have to be honest, I had a bad experience with a salesperson in my local GC a few years ago and it has soured my taste in wanting to buy a guitar from my local GC....I haven't and I'm not sure that I would. I do buy my accessories from them though and I did buy my 25th through the GC Platinum sight (which is an upgrade from the regular GC sight).
I appreciate that GC is looking to improve their customer service experience and "humanize" the web presence. My opinion is that, in it's current format, it doesn't enhance the buying experience for most buyers....certainly not for me. It doesn't make me want to shop at my local GC anymore than I already do.
When I click on the "find expert" link for guitar in my local GC, there are three people that I recognize....one of them is the store manager and another is a good salesperson that I would say is an expert in acoustics (not electrics). None of them list a brand that they prefer or that they are extra knowledgeable about.
I'd rather see a page that goes into detail about the major differences between each EBMM model and possibly what type of music that each particular guitar is geared toward (lame example would be someone interested in country music probably would not be looking for a JP or an Axis). There would also be a listing of current stock for that brand at my 3 nearest GC stores.
The reasons that many people choose to use a website for purchases (over a brick and mortar store) are simple.
1. pricing
2. selection
3. convenience
4. no salesperson interaction
5. liberal return policy
#4 might seem strange, but I think many people would rather gather their information from their friends or buddies or a good helpful forum (like this one).
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kimonostereo
Well-known member
While we don't have Guitar Center here in Hawaii, I have shopped there on my many visits to the mainland. I have also used the website often to check prices and reviews and also to look at the used instruments selection.
The "experts" idea really wouldn't do much for me (for obvious reasons) but I wanted to touch on something that I found frustrating when shopping on the GC website.
There have been more than a few times that I've been interested in a used instrument at one of the many locations. I've sent inquiries via the forms on the website but I've never once received a reply on any of the instruments I've inquired about. I realize there is a phone number to call if I was "serious" about purchasing the instrument, however, because of the time difference here, most of the time GC is closed when I'm browsing.
For me, responsiveness to customer inquiries would probably be placed higher than making friends with a GC expert, at least on the website.
The "experts" idea really wouldn't do much for me (for obvious reasons) but I wanted to touch on something that I found frustrating when shopping on the GC website.
There have been more than a few times that I've been interested in a used instrument at one of the many locations. I've sent inquiries via the forms on the website but I've never once received a reply on any of the instruments I've inquired about. I realize there is a phone number to call if I was "serious" about purchasing the instrument, however, because of the time difference here, most of the time GC is closed when I'm browsing.
For me, responsiveness to customer inquiries would probably be placed higher than making friends with a GC expert, at least on the website.
BUC
Well-known member
I think it's probably a good idea. I'm a keyboard player and guitarist and I have my "guys" at guitar center.
The keyboard "guy" is great, knowledgeable and helpful. His bio reflected that. It's succint, lucid and relevant. His name is Chris Nunley (if anyone's interested) and I recommend him.
The guitar dudes at my local GC aren't the brightest and ironically, their bio's seemed to reflect that also. They're rambling and don't build the case they they're experts.
It's almost impossible to find anything but a Petrucci at my GC and I don't think the guitar guys know anything about any of the non-artist-endorsed guitars.
I used to have a guitar dude at GC who was a killer salesman. Always knew my name and could always get me a great price. I funnelled a lot of business to that guy, especially at christmas, and he always remembered me for it. He parted ways with GC and now works for Sam Ash and I've called him on occaision but he doesn't have the ability to deal there that he had at GC.
Bottom line is for a guy like me, I value a relationship with a salesman who is knowledgable but I expect him to value my money too. I can get treated like just any dude anywhere. Then I might as well buy my stuff from Amazon.
The keyboard "guy" is great, knowledgeable and helpful. His bio reflected that. It's succint, lucid and relevant. His name is Chris Nunley (if anyone's interested) and I recommend him.
The guitar dudes at my local GC aren't the brightest and ironically, their bio's seemed to reflect that also. They're rambling and don't build the case they they're experts.
It's almost impossible to find anything but a Petrucci at my GC and I don't think the guitar guys know anything about any of the non-artist-endorsed guitars.
I used to have a guitar dude at GC who was a killer salesman. Always knew my name and could always get me a great price. I funnelled a lot of business to that guy, especially at christmas, and he always remembered me for it. He parted ways with GC and now works for Sam Ash and I've called him on occaision but he doesn't have the ability to deal there that he had at GC.
Bottom line is for a guy like me, I value a relationship with a salesman who is knowledgable but I expect him to value my money too. I can get treated like just any dude anywhere. Then I might as well buy my stuff from Amazon.
