Help Big Poppa...Want your opinion

[oddjob]

Agree that splitting bass into its own category would be helpful!

I, personally, think it is more than that. Like I said, my GC has some guys that can do bass... but no BASS PEOPLE (and haven't for a while)... it isn't enough to have the Bass tab - you have to have the people to back it up.

 

[Golem]

`

Looks like it has some potential .... I mean, so far, it's maybe
a small step in a good direction but at present, the only really
encouraging aspect is the direction. The degree of progress in
that direction is very "meh". Maybe I shouldn't even say that
it's a "step", however small, in the good direction .... just say
that it's "turning to face" in a good direction but a real/useful
step has yet to be taken.

Good intentions perhaps, but I'm so far toadally unimpressed.

BTW, this post is not a disguised or "diplomatic" veil over any
sort of negative attitude. My local GC, which I'd rate as a sort
of small backwater outpost, has always been staffed by good
folks and not the child/idiots that detractors say are staffing
the local GC where the detractor shops. My experiences with
the staff have always been very positive.

Of the dozen EBMMs listed in my sig below, I counted 7 that
were acquired from this GC .... excellent deals every one.


`

 

[Kirby]

Hi BP, I went to the site and clicked on the expert and checked the profiles after I changed my home store to Indianapolis. The only person I saw there with a mention of bass has been playing bass a little over a year now. Now, GC obviously has no control over this. However, I have never encountered a person in my local GC who had much bass experience.

I have never bought an Ernie Ball from my local GC mainly because there has quite frankly been very poor representation of the line there. I cannot blame GC entirely though. The higher end basses I do see there do not seem to move as quickly as other stores. I do not think the market supports it here.

I actually prefer to buy my instruments from more of a Mom and Pop store like Corner Music in Nashville. J.D. has hooked me up with many of my E.B's over the years. I can call him up and he knows what I like and I am always treated well. If GC had this, then yes, I would probably swing some orders through them. That being said, I do go to the Guitar Center website for smaller purchases like pedals, stands and rack equipment. I find their prices competitive and since there is a warehouse on the west side of town I usually can get whatever I need very quickly.

As said before in previous posts, I think this is a step in the right direction. However, I do not see this swaying professional musicians as most that I speak with are pretty loyal to people who have treated them well in the past and most know what they are going to purchase before they set foot in a store.

Thanks for asking for our opinions! I love that you listen to our input!

 

[Holdsg]

Clearly some things still need working on.
I clicked on guitars & amps for my home store and got 3 drum "specialists", and a couple of "drum, guitar, and amp specialists", is that an oxymoron? I am a bass and keyboard player, I don't specialize in either of those.

I go to GC stores, but I can't remember the last instrument I bought there.

 

[MattOfSweden]

Being a visitor from abroad whenever I have the pleasure of checking out cool basses at GC, I kinda like the idea of virtually getting to know the folks there at least a little bit before going there. Not so sure about the "Expert" thing though, but the bio-part about it I like.

Either way, the broad selection of nice basses (in particular EBMM's of course) and accessories is quite enough in itself to keep me visiting a GC whenever I have the chance.

 

[midopa]

at best im a hobbyist with a dwindling collection, so take the following with a grain of salt.

i see little appeal as it currently is. being a knucklehead, the few times ive ordered a bass, i typically did my research online and then ordered from a dealer on the forums or online as well.

the northridge, sherman oaks, and hollywood gcs pages dont really show what each has to offer. aside from page decoration, nothing pops out to distinguish a store. i see the "platinum room", "gc pro", etc icons, but (again, being a knucklehead) i think pictures would be better. large pictures inside (simple, really basic store tour?).

i usually just talk to whoever is around for help/info. northridge is my main gc and most staff have been cool. not as knowledgeable as id like for basses, but good attitudes nonetheless. maybe larger pics would help? i recall someone mentioning a really high turnover % in the past. does that affect the list of experts on these pages? or is 'expert' an employee who's been there for a while? [empowered_knucklehead_mode] what about the ability to rate experts? some simple, twitter like feedback (200-char max, that sort of thing)? some way to give the employees the chance to respond or provide another pov for negative reviews would be fair as well. [/empowered_knucklehead_mode] i realize this is a extreme (web resources, sheer number of gc employees), but im not feeling the small zoomed out pictures, jobtitle, and mini-bios as a means to connect.

 

[JayDawg]

Hmm, weird. I clicked on to find an expert and it took me to the Tacoma, Wa. store even though I live in Sterling, Co. I tried to switch stores but it would not let me?

 

[JayDawg]

Okay, I got it to work. I entered my home address before I clicked on finding an expert and chose the Fort Collins, Colorado store and made it my home store. As far as the Sales Associates go, it appears to be accurate. They don't have the name or picture of the guy that does repairs though but I have dealt with him on my non EBMM stuff and he is very knowledgeable.

With this store BP, everyone there is great to deal with. I have had nothing but good experiences at this store. On the site it does not say who the bass experts are, only the guitarists but from personal experience I know it is Alan who is the bass expert. There is also one other guy but his name escapes me at the moment. I know at least one of them plays a Music Man Stingray Classic because we talk about the Music Man products whenever I stop in. He also drools over my Bongo's when I bring them in. Not that that is a bad thing.

The only other Guitar Centers here in Colorado that I have experience with are 2 more in Denver. One is one Colorado Blvd. and unfortunately, it is one of the Guitar Centers that will give GC a bad reputation as the staff every time I have been in there is very in experienced and are down right rude in many circumstances. A lot of the gear is also kept in really poor shape at that store. The other Guitar Center in Denver that I have been too is actually also very good like the Fort Collins store. It is in Englewood on East County Line Rd. and the sales people are all very professional in there and there gear is kept in really good shape. I bought an acoustic bass there about a year and a half ago and they treated me great. They are also very knowledgeable on the Music Man products. Last May a friends band came through on tour and they had me sit in with them with the Breast Cancer Awareness bass and share our story. I stopped in that store to buy some strings and a few other things and 2 of the sales associates recognized the bass from seeing it on talkbass. Coincidentally, they were showing 2 different customers some Stingray Classics that I think were 5 strings. They ended up asking about my bass and I shared with them the back story too it and told them how touched we were by what you did for us. They then asked how I had liked the bass since I purchased it new and I told them it still plays just as good as the day I got it and the quality was top notch. They left very impressed with the Music Man company and I think both guys ended up buying a Stingray Classic each. The 2 sales associates that were dealing with these guys though really impressed me because they really knew a lot about the Music Man product and spoke very highly of it.

 

[TheAntMan]

This whole "certified" thing reminds me of some of my martial arts experiences with instructors who claimed to be "masters", "founders","Doctors","Professors" and other such self-appointed classifications. It eventually turns out to be a lot of smoke and mirrors. A simple question is, what are the "certification" requirements used to gain the "expert" status at GC?

This does not encourage me to shop. It actually makes me leery of the whole thing. It feels like a sales and marketing ploy. It does not match my experiences with the couple of "certified experts" I have dealt with. I will not go into the details, but it is way off mark. I had a friend who worked at my local GC and she had no clue as to the equipment and was basically a kid in college, yet I was referred to her for help with some effects I was interested in. My wife and I were pleased to see her again, hugs and kisses all around, but she could not help answer any of my questions. Things may have changed but as of November of 2011 I had a negative experience at my local GC when looking to buy my new Ray34 by one of the listed "experts".

Does this humanize the experience? Does it do anything to motivate me? If I was a new player and didn't have any experience then it might be a nice touch. I might later on feel like I got the "bait and switch" treatment but only time would tell. As I said, I will not get into the details, but some of these listed "experts" had no clue when I've dealt with them.

Is it self serving for the associate? BP, did you really ask that? -- No comment!

Does it tell you where to go at Guitar Center if you want to talk Music Man? Nope. Seems like everyone is an expert at everything based on the info provided. That in itself makes it not work. I have had these type of things at my job and everyone is doing CYA to "make the cut".

--Ant

 

[gtrojan]

thanks to you all for your feedback. this is greg trojan, ceo of GC. we are just getting started with microsites and are looking at improving the functionality with features such as nationwide search/access to associates etc. love your passion and helpful thoughts. keep them coming!

 

[JayDawg]

thanks to you all for your feedback. this is greg trojan, ceo of GC. we are just getting started with microsites and are looking at improving the functionality with features such as nationwide search/access to associates etc. love your passion and helpful thoughts. keep them coming!

Hey Greg, welcome to the site. Can you clarify something for me. I have been told by numerous stores that Music Man Bongo's and Big Al's are only sold online. I am also yet to see a Reflex in an actual Guitar Center. What are the chances of the stores carrying these? Every time I bring in one of my Bongo's, the comments are the same, "Man I wish we stocked these" or customers saying the same things, "Man I wish they stocked those in the stores." In fact, me bringing in my own personal Bongo's is sometimes the only exposure that customers have ever had with them but every one I have talked to or showed my basses too has been very impressed with them. Thanks again for your time!
Jay

P.S. Your Fort Collins, Colorado store really is a great store and they busted their butts earning my business back.

 

[Big Poppa]

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.


Jay lets not ask him stuff like that right away! lets lets him get accoustomed. The fact is that we are a very very small part of guitar center and to get Greg here is special....I do know that this thread is circulating through upper management so someone will see it.

Im not brown nosing...Greg loves music and cares....I hope you guys treat him right!
Greg feel free to ask any questions you may have....nice people here!

 

[Colin]

Welcome Greg! Bring GC to Australia

 

[JayDawg]

Sorry about that BP! I appreciate him joining the site and look forward to his contributions.

 

[Freddels]

I clicked it and the link brought me to my local store. My friend is the manager of the guitar department there and he's very knowledgeable. It's nice to have pics of all the people that work there and their bios but I wouldn't consider most of them "experts". I have been fortunate to have a few good people at some of the local GC's that have been good to me. Once I figure out who knows what they're talking about and the one's that don't, I like to deal with the knowledgeable ones. They also know that I don't usually need a lot of low level info so it's all good.

GC really does need someone to keep up with all the instruments and their condition/set ups though. A well set up instrument just about sells itself.

 

[zuma]

Here you go Big Poppa!

1. click on "find and expert" Let me know if this encourages you to shop. - I could only find "Store Experts" so that's what I clicked. Had to change my store to Pasadena, no big deal. I wouldn't say it encourages me to shop at this stage. It might take 5 minutes face to face with an associate to really get a feel for what they know. I don't think a paragraph or two about someone comes remotely close.
2. Let me know if the profile matches the 'expert' you deal with. - I only see one guy that I know and the answer is no. He is a seemingly humble, gentle guy and his profile is almost boastful. Perusing the other profiles...while I appreciate the leeway given to the associates I don't like the "Facebook-ness" of some of the descriptions and I don't like the Recent Activity feed. Again, too Facebook. I prefer a more professional description. I also would like to see larger thumbnails in the main page. I don't like having to click on each person to see their face. I want to see them all at once.
3. Let me know if the stores mission and profile matches the experience - Yeah, I mean it's a rather generic description of any GC but it's factual and pretty accurate.
4. Rate this feature as a tool for you to decide where and who to shop with - I don't see it as a shopping feature at all. I see it as something I go when I forget my associate's name or when I want the name of the person I just spoke to in the store. For that I think it's great but a simple store directory would accomplish the same with a lot less mess.
5. Does this humanize the experience? - Sort of, eh. Like I said, a simple store directory is all the humanizing I care for. I don't want to know what my salesperson does on his off time or how clever their profile is. I just want him/her to be extremely knowledgeable about the products they sell. As someone else mentioned, those certifications don't inspire a lot of confidence. Skip the fluff I say.
6. Is it self serving for the associate? - Yes, but it doesn't have to be a bad thing. It could direct you to who you'd rather connect with perhaps. For me, I would skip the people that sounded like used car salesmen or Facebook fanboys and go with the direct and to the point ones.
7. does it do anything to motivate you? - Not in the least. Sales motivate me. Beautiful instruments motivate me.
8. Does it tell you where to go at Guitar Center if you want to talk Music Man? - Nope. If I wanted to talk Music Man I would walk straight to the bass department and wait for somebody to approach me. It may be a sad thing to say but I don't rely on associates for knowledge anymore. I research the crap out of something before I get there and they are more or less there to help me pay. I know what I want.

Me - 38 year old male. Been a musician for 25 years. Mostly record in my home studio nowadays. Gigging is pretty seldom. I still love going to Guitar Center after all these years. Sometimes I go just to hang out and look around. I'm not in to sports so it's kind of one of my "man" activities I have fun with.

 

[sloshep]

It took me a couple of clicks to link to my closest store - Visalia, Ca. The person I deal with is Michael V. I did a search for bass in the "find a associate" and he did not show up. This is because no where in his profile does the word "bass" show up. Michael is the first associate to EVER call me back when the store got some new Music Man basses in. This includes multiple stores all over California. (I travel for a living). I tend work with a someone I can connect with in person. It usually doesn't take me long to figure out if this person is worth my time or not. I don't think the find an expert would inspire me to go to a store and ask for that person. Most associates at GC know guitars 1st and basses a distant 2nd. Their knowledge is usually "Music Man basses are cool" and that is about it. I have met a few over the years that did know their stuff. I did a search on the expert page for inventory at Visalia and nothing came up under stingray. This not good considering they have quite a few in stock right now. The find an expert may impress a novice, but not me. I am not out to bash GC. I have bought a lot of equipment over that last 8 years from them. Including three Music Man basses.

 

[LawDaddy]

Welcome, Greg!

 

[adouglas]

Some great responses here…

Something to bear in mind, though, is that we're far from typical as a group. There's a lot of self-selection bias here. We're engaged, enthusiastic and knowledgable enough to really pay attention to our gear. Plus we're so devoted that we take part in a manufacturer forum and take the time to do this thing for BP.

Cayenne pepper, right?

 

[Big Poppa]

Greg the Cayenne pepper is a term I use for the diehards...they are intense and dont represent the average buyer .....a little bit of this is essential too much and you have a dish that only a few can handle. I tell them that if I only made wht at they wanted I would be selling hot dogs....