Steve Dude Barr
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Not to BP....
- Thread starter Father Gino
- Start date
Not to BP....
tommyindelaware
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Steve Dude Barr said:Not to BP....
Father Gino
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OK, color me impressed that there's a reply from GC. I do realize that those poor instruments probably get tortured by the shredding masses. But it does seem that I've found a lot of basses in the uber secret high end bass room at that store in some sort of unplayable condition. Some of the problems (the Bongo jack for instance, or unplayable set-ups) would not take a lot of effort to fix. I know you've got a lot of instruments in that store, but I'd think the several dozen in that room would rate some constant attention. I do appreciate that I can play those basses without the hassle of finding a salesman. I was just so disappointed that the two I was most interested in didn't work right.
I guess I didn't notice the Sterling there and if it was a dual pickup model, I'll eat my hat (one of my old smelly ones that I use for lawn work in August). The first time I saw a fretless Sterling was at GC. It did function properly and was set up fine. Had it not functioned, I might not have one today. I did not however, buy the one I own now there. I'd love to see a HH or HS fretless Sterling, but sadly I'm in no position to buy a new one from anyone at this moment. Don't bring one there on my account, but if you do get one there, let me know.
BTW, it wasn't a total loss for GC. I did buy a goose neck while I was there I would've bought a mic cord with a built-in on/off switch too, but they didn't have one
I guess I didn't notice the Sterling there and if it was a dual pickup model, I'll eat my hat (one of my old smelly ones that I use for lawn work in August). The first time I saw a fretless Sterling was at GC. It did function properly and was set up fine. Had it not functioned, I might not have one today. I did not however, buy the one I own now there. I'd love to see a HH or HS fretless Sterling, but sadly I'm in no position to buy a new one from anyone at this moment. Don't bring one there on my account, but if you do get one there, let me know.
BTW, it wasn't a total loss for GC. I did buy a goose neck while I was there
I would've bought a mic cord with a built-in on/off switch too, but they didn't have one 
bovinehost
Administrator
This place is just unbelievable sometimes.
adouglas
Well-known member
HALLELUJAH! The corporate retail giant really DOES have an ear!
Enzo, please PLEASE visit us on at least a semi-regular basis. You really do need to hear, first-hand, what YOUR CUSTOMERS have to say!
You will find that we treat the dealers who actually pay attention to us by engaging us in dialouge VERY well (we must...Steebo just bought a Mercedes!). The dealers who participate in this forum are the PREFERRED dealers for us.
You will also find that we are a straight-shooting lot, by and large. We don't complain unless there really is something to complain about.
FWIW, I've been in the Manchester store since I, too, live in CT. The instruments were in better shape when I was there (last fall). I did have an unsatisfactory experience, though...I asked them how much/how long it would take to get the bass I was looking for...spent time specing it, gave the sales guy my card....and never heard squat. I chalked it up to a sales guy who wasn't motivated enough to make the sale and didn't consider it a failing on GC's part. Sale lost.
I've found that the staff of GC is very accommodating and willing to please, as long as they're not presented with a challenging situation. I had a very positive experience buying a Bose PAS from the Orange, CT Guitar Center. The only thing the guy did that annoyed me was try to stroke my ego ("Man, you've got the chops!" Puhleeeeze.). They gave me good value for my used gear, were very transparent about setting the value for it and generally made the purchase painless. Having said that, I made their job fall-off-the-log easy. I walked in, found the likely guy and straight-out told him that I was there to buy the gear, period. All he had to do was pull it out of stock and write it up.
I worked in retail many years ago, so I'm well aware of the disconnect between corporate policy and the guys who get hired to actually staff the stores. I do believe that GC corporate has the best intentions, seekes to create good value for its customers and is committed to being a top-flight music equipment retailer. However, I do not believe that all of the employees necessarily share that corporate vision. I know darned well that when I was 20 and working at Herman's World of Sporting Goods I could not possibly have cared less about what the company wanted me to do.
Father Gino, consider this: When I was in retail I made about 25 cents an hour over minimum wage (and I was in a union!). That was 25 ears ago. Figure that today it'd be, say, $3 over minimum. I don't know what the GC folks get, but it's probably not far from that. I'd be surprised if the Manchester employees get more than ten bucks an hour or thereabouts.
If YOU were paid that much, would you treat the stock with tender loving care? Would you take time that would otherwise be spent trying to find the next commission (or, at whatever-an-hour, getting the effin break you've got coming to you) fixing the wonky jack that some wanker caused? Would you go fondle all 35 basses in that room on a regular basis to even discover problems in the first place?
I see crappy setups and equipment problems at GC all the time. If I ran the business I'd hire a full-time tech for every store whose sole job it would be to constantly inspect ALL the instruments and keep them in good shape. IMHO that would elevate GC's reputation amongst knowledgable customers immensely.
Enzo, please PLEASE visit us on at least a semi-regular basis. You really do need to hear, first-hand, what YOUR CUSTOMERS have to say!
You will find that we treat the dealers who actually pay attention to us by engaging us in dialouge VERY well (we must...Steebo just bought a Mercedes!). The dealers who participate in this forum are the PREFERRED dealers for us.
You will also find that we are a straight-shooting lot, by and large. We don't complain unless there really is something to complain about.
FWIW, I've been in the Manchester store since I, too, live in CT. The instruments were in better shape when I was there (last fall). I did have an unsatisfactory experience, though...I asked them how much/how long it would take to get the bass I was looking for...spent time specing it, gave the sales guy my card....and never heard squat. I chalked it up to a sales guy who wasn't motivated enough to make the sale and didn't consider it a failing on GC's part. Sale lost.
I've found that the staff of GC is very accommodating and willing to please, as long as they're not presented with a challenging situation. I had a very positive experience buying a Bose PAS from the Orange, CT Guitar Center. The only thing the guy did that annoyed me was try to stroke my ego ("Man, you've got the chops!" Puhleeeeze.). They gave me good value for my used gear, were very transparent about setting the value for it and generally made the purchase painless. Having said that, I made their job fall-off-the-log easy. I walked in, found the likely guy and straight-out told him that I was there to buy the gear, period. All he had to do was pull it out of stock and write it up.
I worked in retail many years ago, so I'm well aware of the disconnect between corporate policy and the guys who get hired to actually staff the stores. I do believe that GC corporate has the best intentions, seekes to create good value for its customers and is committed to being a top-flight music equipment retailer. However, I do not believe that all of the employees necessarily share that corporate vision. I know darned well that when I was 20 and working at Herman's World of Sporting Goods I could not possibly have cared less about what the company wanted me to do.
Father Gino, consider this: When I was in retail I made about 25 cents an hour over minimum wage (and I was in a union!). That was 25 ears ago. Figure that today it'd be, say, $3 over minimum. I don't know what the GC folks get, but it's probably not far from that. I'd be surprised if the Manchester employees get more than ten bucks an hour or thereabouts.
If YOU were paid that much, would you treat the stock with tender loving care? Would you take time that would otherwise be spent trying to find the next commission (or, at whatever-an-hour, getting the effin break you've got coming to you) fixing the wonky jack that some wanker caused? Would you go fondle all 35 basses in that room on a regular basis to even discover problems in the first place?
I see crappy setups and equipment problems at GC all the time. If I ran the business I'd hire a full-time tech for every store whose sole job it would be to constantly inspect ALL the instruments and keep them in good shape. IMHO that would elevate GC's reputation amongst knowledgable customers immensely.
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Aussie Mark
Well-known member
Father Gino said:
+1
I've never received any replies from GC sellers on ebay regarding questions on instruments they have listed for auction.
bovinehost
Administrator
Way better than the opposite experience, though.
Dr Stankface
Well-known member
So you guys want to put a GC in Columbus, Georgia?
Guarantee you that you'll make a killing and put the local store out of business with ease.
I'm looking forward mostly to the 2nd part.
Guarantee you that you'll make a killing and put the local store out of business with ease.
I'm looking forward mostly to the 2nd part.
adouglas
Well-known member
bovinehost said:
LOL!!!!
He would have won my respect for honesty, though. I can't do the GC riff-wank thing at all. Your average zit-faced kid will sound way more impressive from a standing start.
I've NEVER been a "jamming" musician. I find that random jams always devolve into three-chord wankfests that peter out once everyone has exhausted their repertoire of licks. Give me a fistful of actual songs to learn and a week to work on 'em and I'll do just fine.
BTW, the bit I was playing when he said that was a classic Levin riff from the end of Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up." Not even complicated, which made the comment even more lame. I wish I had the ability to raise one eyebrow, Spock-like.
Steve Dude Barr
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Soooooo..what is the point of this thread again???
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syciprider
Well-known member
Enzo
Here's something for the good folks @ GC San Marcos CA.
The guys there really take care of me. Gaetano and Flock (he has a flock of seagulls haircut) go above and beyond to keep this loyal customer happy and that is why I don't go anywhere else for my musical needs.
Furthermore I appreciate the fact that GC has a petting zoo environment where ANYONE can pick up thousand dollar basses and plug them into top dollar rigs even if they don't buy anything.
Frank
Here's something for the good folks @ GC San Marcos CA.
The guys there really take care of me. Gaetano and Flock (he has a flock of seagulls haircut) go above and beyond to keep this loyal customer happy and that is why I don't go anywhere else for my musical needs.
Furthermore I appreciate the fact that GC has a petting zoo environment where ANYONE can pick up thousand dollar basses and plug them into top dollar rigs even if they don't buy anything.
Frank
SteveB
Well-known member
One time I found an EBMM Axis with a broken string in the GC at Pittsburgh (Park Manor Drive). I mentioned it to an employee who was working on another guitar at the front of the store, and he IMMEDIATELY located the Axis and took care of it.
If you (plural) find something wrong with a guitar, at least let the staff know. I'd only criticize a store if they knowingly left something in bad shape.
If you (plural) find something wrong with a guitar, at least let the staff know. I'd only criticize a store if they knowingly left something in bad shape.
Big Poppa
Well-known member
Steve Dude Barr said:Not to BP....
steve my spelling is a result of running multi million dollar businesses and haste to get to everyone....yours are due to........Overs and unders anyone?
Big Poppa
Well-known member
Ok Guys
If gc didnt let the customers play the stuff they would sell fewer but you would always have a perfect instrument. At what point are the customers responsible for treating great instruments with comensurate respect? I have been in many GC's and watched guys scratch it with their jacket or chain, turn around and smash the headstock into the amp and dont give a hoot.
If gc didnt let the customers play the stuff they would sell fewer but you would always have a perfect instrument. At what point are the customers responsible for treating great instruments with comensurate respect? I have been in many GC's and watched guys scratch it with their jacket or chain, turn around and smash the headstock into the amp and dont give a hoot.
SteveB
Well-known member
Big Poppa said:
Amen.
I always take my jacket off and rotate my belt buckle off to the side before I pick up a guitar in a store. I wish everyone did the same.
Mobay45
Well-known member
Big Poppa said:
It's a real catch-22, isn't it?
Let them play and they get damaged. Guard them and they're hard to sell. In the long run, it would probably cost more to have the amount of employees it would take to monitor the customers with the instruments than you would ever lose on the instrument damage that is caused now. With the benefits that most companies provide you can just about take an employees salary and double it to find what they really cost the company. Someone making $25K per year ends up actually costing a company about $50K. That will buy a lot of instruments at cost.
Father Gino
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Steve Dude Barr said:
Steve, you're so cold!!!! I'm working to improve my financial situation. I gotta hope I will be in a position to buy something in the future. Even now I buy strings & goose necks ya know.
adouglas
Well-known member
Big Poppa said:
Dammm...you made coffee come out of my nose. Again.
maddog
Well-known member
Mobay45 said:
Not so sure its a Catch-22 Larry. Don't put all the stock out on the floor and provide a spankin' new one if asked for but with no haggle room. Otherwise, sell floor stock as is but be ready to haggle or blow it out as a demo at the next sale. Reasonable?
Steve Dude Barr
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Father Gino said:
Oh I know but I was just saying that I don't think this type of situation is unique to GC. I think this is a dilema faced by every brick & mortar large or small. Same thing with a somewhat limited selection of color/model selections. How could they stock every possible combination of every EBMM bass in every store at all times, let customers try them out, keep them in pristine factory setup condition at all times??
