Guitar Center - Is it me?

[DKWilkins]

I have a few things I require....

1. Make eye contact with me.
2. Mention a few pleasantries.
3. Give me a name so if I have questions I'll have something to refer to you by other than "hey, Dude...".
4. Leave me to my own devices.
5. Keep an eye on my progress from afar and be poised to spring in with quality info when I have a question forming upon my lips.
6. And most important, "pressure me, not".

If the GC zombies can comply with 4 of the 6 I will be most happy. If they can comply with all 6, I'm buying something heavy.


-David

 

[bdgotoh]

I don't know about #5 David. I'm all for poised but I don't like people springing at me.

 

[phatduckk]

i could care less. if i want a bass now im gonna get it. ya, its better when they're cool and you chat a bit but i just want a bass. especially if what im looking for is not too easy to find. im not gonna scour the web, deal with agony of waiting for the UPS truck and hoping UPS doesnt drop my new bass.

the satisfaction of having it within 10 minutes outweighs how annoyed i feel at the sales dude.

 

[Surly]

I guess it's the same everywhere. Since I've known many an employee at Sam Ash or Guitar Center, I can tell you that they were working there only to buy gear cheap and never really cared about anything. I doubt this is EVERY music store employee but I did always figure that was the reason for being ignored at these stores, or at least part of it. Personally I always have to chase someone down just to ask a question, it's horrible. Also you can't help but to think some of the employees aren't the brightest people on the planet .So now I am thinking that this must be the nature of the business, to leave the customer alone to play the instument of their choice, tinker around, and not have someone over their shoulder.

 

[glockaxis]

I don't like being bothered either. If I need a staff member, I'll hunt one down.

 

[Sweat]

I prefer someone to acknowledge I am in the store and ask if I need help, and then leave me alone until I am ready to buy or ask a question,, certainly do not want a salesman to follow me around like a lost puppy, I fit the middle aged no tat profile as well, a prime example happened to me a couple of weeks back, went into the central Dallas GC and the intent was to buy or order a Mesa, walked in and noone greeted me stood around looking at the in stock Mesa`s for 1/2 an hour no one asked if I needed help etc., so I just walked on out, two days later went to the north Dallas store and a nice salesman came right up greeted me asked what I was looking at, showed me the stock and then left me alone to test the amps 1/2 hour later I am walking out the door with a new Mesa, the experience was as it should be

 

[philiprst]

I haven't experienced any lack of acknowledgment in any of my local GC. In fact they do exactly what I want which is to say "Let me know if you need any help" and then leave me alone to try whatever I like. At very busy times it is sometimes tough to get a salesguy's attention but that true almost everywhere on a Saturday afternoon .

 

[Headstock]

I haven't experienced any lack of acknowledgment in any of my local GC. In fact they do exactly what I want which is to say "Let me know if you need any help" and then leave me alone to try whatever I like. At very busy times it is sometimes tough to get a salesguy's attention but that true almost everywhere on a Saturday afternoon .

Same here, my store is pretty consistent with this. "Let me know if you want to plug something in"

 

[oddjob]

GC has been great to me. 9 times out of 10 I go in knowing what I want before hand (and have researched it before hand). I go in to check and see if reality meets what I "think" I know. Rarely to I do that impulse buy thing. I go in, my pressence is acknowledged, they let me alone but keep an eye on things, and sell me stuff when I'm ready.

While I have had some bad experiences, I have had them everywhere, not just at GC. Poor service is more a reflection of pockets of today's society as a whole and not on a buisness (I am not letting buisness off the hook here, but look at the underlying problems first).

 

[Ken Baker]

I1. Make eye contact with me.

Always happens in Cerritos for me.

2. Mention a few pleasantries.

To continue the above; a smile, a "How ya doin'? You need anything?"

3. Give me a name so if I have questions I'll have something to refer to you by other than "hey, Dude...".

Not so much, but usually, "I'll be right over there if you need anything."

4. Leave me to my own devices.

Absolutely!

5. Keep an eye on my progress from afar and be poised to spring in with quality info when I have a question forming upon my lips.

I've heard stories about your facial expressions...

6. And most important, "pressure me, not".

Yup. Any musical instrument salesperson with half a brain should know by now that we're generally a bunch of GAS-addled fools with more disposable income than we ought to be let out of the house with. If the combination of GAS, glazed eyes, and a brand new shiny doesn't guarantee a sale, then nothing was going to happen anyway.

Ken...

 

[T-bone]

Some great responses here. We all have our differences in how we like to be treated as customers, with no right or wrong answer. It's all very subjective, and just might (dare I say it) be a generational thing.

With the possible exception of:

Other than that, quit being such a Sally and be a little more assertive.

You know, that really hurt my feelings. I'm calling your Mom!

tbone

 

[Big Poppa]

mynan means well sometimes he doesnt translate well....

 

[PzoLover]

Don't leave me alone

I kind of like it when no one approaches me. I don't like having someone check on me every few minutes. I'd rather not be bothered.

Isincerely hope thatyour life insurance is paid up and that you never land in a hospital and find yourself constipated
and may GM Onstar be always onlya pushbutton away from you.
/PL
gettingback to the original topic, I'm with you if you're referring to overly aggressive sales approaches, but some of the best minds and personalities of business emphasize the importance of a timelyandfriendly welcome greeting to visitors / clients and always a service based openingcomment ie. "can I help you look at something in particular today"?as opposed to "is there something in particular you want to buy today"?

any training I've had also avoided something as sleezy as " just looking today ? are we???"

One of the main reasons I've avoided the local L&M opposition was my reaction to their customary anti -panhandler slap- wank security guard on duty approach but tin fairness to them, they work in a tough section of town and have to beat on the intruders and they do try to keep the products close at hand and in good shape.

 

[petch]

I have been in retail more than 20 years, and have managed both an audio/video store and (currently) a bicycle shop. The best retailers train their people to recognize the four basic different social styles of customers and then treat them the way the customer wants to be treated. It is fashionable to say "treat people the way you want to be treated" but this is incorrect. The successful salesperson recognizes which customers want to be helped or engage in conversation vs. those who need space by analyzing their body language, speech, demeanor, and level of assertiveness. Just my .02...

 

[mynan]

mynan means well sometimes he doesnt translate well....

Tru dat...that's why I said "I had to do the same thing".

This is what it took for me...

I went in to order an amp. In the middle of the negotiation, the salesman excused himself...didn't return for almost 20 minutes. I found out that he had gone out to have a cigarette. I left without buying the amp, thinking that I was sticking it to GC...I realized later that I was the one who lost out.

Now I walk into GC like Marty is my uncle and I'm their best customer. I only deal with an asst. manager on major purchases and I'm not afraid to grab a salesman when purchasing accessories and have him run around and get the things on my list. Mix that with a little bit of patience and I have been a much happier GC customer since...

 

[Big Poppa]

Mynan

Now is as good of time to break the news to you.........Marty is your uncle.

great way to go about it!

 

[bovinehost]

Now is as good of time to break the news to you.........Marty is your uncle.

great way to go about it!

And Luke.....I am your father.

You know, I take the exact opposite approach. I've been to GC plenty over the last few years, and am careful to not act like I have some special status.

Funny, though - I was in the Lewisville store with Jeremy one day and the salesman was loitering in the general area, and Jeremy said, "Hey, that's a Bongo!" This got the sales guy's attention. Then Jeremy says, "Sterling makes those for you!"

I could see the guy had a lot of questions, but I wasn't about to invite him to ask me.

 

[Big Poppa]

Jeremy has a lot of class

 

[roburado]

Isincerely hope thatyour life insurance is paid up and that you never land in a hospital and find yourself constipated
and may GM Onstar be always onlya pushbutton away from you.
/PL

Well, obviously being in a hospital is another situation entirely.

 

[sloshep]

I have frequented many a GC in California and each store has its own vibe. Some better than others. One thing I have found to be universal in all of them. If you want to get a salesman attention stand around look at the equipment without playing it. That sort of uncertain look seems to attract them quickly, especially when they are not busy. Also try to personable when you interact with them. If you don't put off a defensive vibe salespeople seem to work better with you. It seems to work for me.