Help Big Poppa...Want your opinion

[Big Poppa]

As you know Guitar Center is the largest company in the music business. Let me start by this thread is not about whether you like or hate Guitar Center. I want a mature and honest evaluation of a section of their web stie...Your opinions may not seem important but they give me input that I need.

I REALLY NEED THIS>>>>>>>>

Remember...this isn't open season on Guitar Center...We will moderate anything that gets weird. Love em or hate them understand that without them we would be done. If they fall short in your views of our representation understand that there are many companies like us that could not make it without them. So if you like us.....

Simple.

Go to Guitar Center: Musical Instruments - Guitars, Bass, Drums, Amps & DJ and click on "find and expert" Let me know if this encourages you to shop. Let me know if the profile matches the 'expert' you deal with. Let me know if the stores mission and profile matches the experience (this is where we will be modding if it gets ugly) Rate this feature as a tool for you to decide where and who to shop with.....let me know what you think...Does this humanize the experience? Is it self serving for the associate? does it do anything to motivate you? Does it tell you where to go at Guitar Center if you want to talk Music Man?

The very top people at Guitar Center are watching. Show them how balanced and intelligent you are.

Thanks I appreciate it.....I have my motives which I will share with you after this runs awhile.

 

[JayDawg]

BP, since the Guitar Center folks are reading this, let me say that the Fort Collins, Colorado store earned my business back after a long hiatus due to the San Diego store mistreating me many years ago in the 90's. I'm walking out the door for work right now but when I get back home, I will go to the link you provided! Anything for a fellow knucklehead! Especially Boss knucklehead.

 

[OldManMusic]

BP - I just tried it and when I click on "Find an expert" box, nothing happend. I'll try again a little later.

 

[adouglas]

"Find an expert" sent me to a store hours away on Long Island, not my local store in Connecticut. This is not really a fault with GC... it's commonplace because of geography. Places on Long Island are closer to me as the crow flies but there's a big body of water (Long Island Sound) that you have to drive around to get there.

I reset my local store (Orange, CT) and browsed through the listings. There's nobody specifically "certified" in bass. I don't know if this means that guitar certification covers it, or if there just isn't anyone who's dedicated to the low end. (Side note: If I were searching for an acoustic guitar, I'd really want an acoustic guitar expert. Different world from the electric side.)

Store profile... okay as far as it goes but it didn't really do anything for me. We're great, we've been around for ten years, we can help you... okay, fine, whatever. Nice that it's obviously written personally and not canned marketing copy (as a marketing writer, I can tell).

As far as the profiles being motivating... personally, not really. However, that's more about me than about the outreach effort. I'm the kind of guy who does a lot of homework and tries to learn as much as I can BEFORE I go into the store. I'm rarely influenced by what salespeople have to say. This is based on a lifetime of experience with salespeople who are less informed than their customers.

I used to be too shy to ask for help at all. Now, if I need something I've got no problem walking into the store, describing my issue and asking for an answer. However, I'm not sure I'd use this tool to locate the right person to talk to. Never thought of it that way... I generally just go to the appropriate department and ask.

I did work retail a long long time ago and made a real effort to know the product and engage with the customer. Generated a lot of repeat business that way. So I do appreciate the idea of putting a human face on the organization. There are those who will really respond to that.

Once I do get to know a person and trust them I will seek out their opinion and have an open discussion with them. But for me, that takes an initial, positive experience with that person. I'm not going to trust a guy based on a photo and a brief bio.

I didn't take the time to more than skim the bios. I'm not looking for a date. This is the kind of stuff that falls into the "nobody really cares" bucket for me... kind of like the clever, funny text on my band website that i GUARANTEE nobody but me has read.

Would knowing who I'm dealing with get me to go into the store? Probably not. Is it useful information for a return visit? I think so, if only to find out more about the person I just met.

Bottom line: I think this is a good idea. I think of other big-box retailers (e.g. Best Buy) and how faceless they are. My impression is that they're like giant vending machines. So anything an organization can do to humanize itself is worthwhile in my view.

What I would respond to, I think, is having a salesperson who I've been talking to hand me a business card and invite me to call him with questions... a "high-touch" experience on the sales floor that extends beyond the immediate interaction.

Notes for demographic purposes: I'm older (52), semi-pro/hack, been around the block many times... picked up the instrument in 1978.

Hope this helps....

 

[strummer]

Tried the button, but I just came to the GC LV site, listing all the guys at the store. Thy're good guys all of them, but I lost the 'expert' lead, maybe I did something wrong?
Anyway, I get 'find an associate' and I can sort them by clicking guitars and amps or something, and I can read a little something about store and manager, but to me this has nothing to do with 'expert' in any way."

 

[five7]

No bass experts, just guitar experts and a bunch of blah, blah, blah about how they are inflenced by kiss. The definition of expert is someone who use to be a spert and is now an x-spert. Might fit these guys. I have been in the store in denver many times and have met their bass guys, one of which has an ampeg logo tattooed on his forearm. I trust his advice! I did not see him listed as an xpert though. It would be nice that when I call a store about a used bass and ask to speak to someone in the bass department that I speak to a bassist and not someone who doesn't know the difference between maple and rosewood. It would also be nice if they could get a shipping quote together and not change it when I call back to order. This has happened more than once. GC does have the largest selection of used MM basses and I appreciate that!

 

[MSilvers]

The one thing I would find the "ask an expert tool" useful for would be to ask one of them if they had a certain bass in their store that I could try. I learned that the hard way, once the GC website told me there were 4 Reflex basses at my local Guitar Center; I drove over there and turns out there were none .

 

[MadMatt]

I think an "Expert" is someone who has specific product knowledge. The "find an expert" feature only lets me find a store and see there staff. (Yawn!) I was expecting to be asked a series of questions to help determine the expertise I am looking for and then get the contact details to that person where ever he is.

GC execs... please think about this... One of GC's features is your ability to have equipment sent to a store anywhere. I think it would be cool being able to look up a product specific, or product group specific, expert using a wizard and then be able to contact that person, irregardless of there location. Once he/she finds me what I am looking for it is sent to my local store. Alternatively if I am looking to have a problem solved, he/she explains to my local store what needs to be done to resolve the issue (like "order this part number", ect). GC has a lot of smart people spread across the country, many of them with real expertise. The customer needs to be able to tap into that from anywhere. That would help make the quality of service less dependent on the staffing of an individual store and give you something that online retailers can't provide.

Lastly, having product experts mapped out would also help the staff better support the in store customers... No one has a problem hearing the following: "I am not sure about that but if you give me a minute I'll see if I can get our expert on the phone".

Ok, stepping of my soapbox now.

 

[tunaman4u2]

I'd never use it... in Boston all we have is GC, NOTHING else. I tried out a reflex HSS the other day there

I've done so much research on TB & here... IMO theres nobody thats more of an expert than you being well informed.

Find an expert? Sounds like middle management finding something to do with their time... in reality very little will use it. Thats no knock on the store or the people... its just not a game changer.

 

[KevinM]

I think it would be cool being able to look up a product specific, or product group specific, expert using a wizard and then be able to contact that person. Once he/she finds me what I am looking for it is sent to my local store. Alternatively if I am looking to have a problem solved, he/she explains to my local store what needs to be done to resolve the issue (like "order this part number", ect). GC has a lot of smart people spread across the country, many of them with real expertise. The customer needs to be able to tap into that from anywhere. That would help make the quality of service less dependent on the staffing of an individual store and give you something that online retailers can't provide.

^^^ I think that's a fantastic idea.

Here's mine,

They could modify the “Guitars and Amps” tab to “Guitars, Bass, and Amps” or make a separate “Bass” tab.

This looks like a good resource if you want to research the store associates before going to the store and then calling to talk with that salesperson for information or find out when they’ll be in the store. I checked the two stores I’ve done business with in the last year and saw the managers that I worked with from each.

If I’m buying accessories I’ll usually just go down and find what I want. Sometimes I’ll check their website to see what products they have available. If I’m making a big purchase I’ll do more research and take the time I need to make sure I’m getting what I’ll be happy with.

 

[Big Poppa]

we are getting very very good input...it can be critical as long as its constructive....you guys are pretty smart!

 

[T-bone]

Even though I'm pretty much invisible when I walk into GC (56 year old male), I shop there all the time and am finding their CS has improved greatly over the past few years. Here's my comments:

Find an Expert
Boom - straight to the Beaverton Oregon store listing the manager and all associates. Each associate has a picture, their competencies, and a quote. I like it! Let's me drill down on who I want to deal with when I call or walk in.

Does store mission and profile match experience
I'm in this store approximately once a month. I would say yes.

Rate feature as a tool for my decision process
I've never used this feature in the past and will now start using it. Especially when I travel and want to enter a new store. So this is a useful tool.

What do I think
This absolutely humanizes the process. It allows me to know a little something about the manager and associate before I enter the store. As we all know, people buy from people they like (no. 1 rule of sales) and this tool allows me to choose who I want to like first.

Does it tell me where to go
As a bass player, the answer is no. It lumps guitars and basses together and refers to them all as guitars. I don't see anyone "certified" in bass, only in guitars. And nothing points me to MM. Might take a little more searching on my part though.

All in all I think this is very positive. Thanks for pointing out this feature.

tbone

 

[LawDaddy]

Interesting seeing backgrounds of some of the people I have dealt with for some time. Any attempt to make the shopping experience more personal would be a good idea.

While many on this site are undoubtedly more 'expert' than the younger demographic staffing the stores, I could see this pre-screening capability being helpful to new shoppers, and especially parents who don't play buying their first instrument.

 

[drTStingray]

Interesting but it's a pity they don't split bass from guitar as a category - after all we have bass magazines and bass shows even. I didn't see any bass experts there.

Would love to see them set up some outlets in the UK.

 

[OldManMusic]

I got into the Denver store "expert" area. The Englewood store isn't working and may not be completed yet, which is why it failed for me earlier. I like being able to see the associate's profiles. It does add some familiarity, and that usually means a better experience for me as a shopper.

 

[TommyK-Stingray]

Interesting but it's a pity they don't split bass from guitar as a category - after all we have bass magazines and bass shows even. I didn't see any bass experts there.

Would love to see them set up some outlets in the UK.

+1 to all this.

 

[oddjob]

BP, clicked on it and got 6 "guitar experts" at the Cincy store. I know most of them on sight (read as they usually run from me on sight ) and they... for the most part know their stuff... when it comes to guitars. The bass population at the Cincy store is sorely lacking and while these guys can talk bass I normally know more than they do. To me it is very off-putting that there is no "BASS" tab. I know it is a "guitar" but we are very different breeds with VERY different wants and needs. So does it motivate me... no, but I can see where this could go if handled right. Is it self serving... yeah but I think it has to be to a degree. I think you need to know the experience level and equipment to see who you are involved with but I think it is a bit OVER baked. I think what would be cool is not only having this but also the ability to "live chat" with some of the experts to get those "right away" answers rather than have to wait for email.

 

[Oldtoe]

Ritch would have to change his username every time he wanted to chat.

 

[oddjob]

They tremble when I walk in

 

[nurnay]

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