Another reason to hate GC.........

jady · #1 02-23-2008, 01:06 PM

I was in Guitar Center today looking for a Gigskinz bag for my Ashdown Superfly and Boss VF-1. I was chatting with a new guy (they came through and fired a bunch of people when they changed hands) and he told me that they are changing to "hard pricing" which means that the tagged price is it, no deals, no negotiations.

Screw them, I had all buy pledged my allegiance to the local chain but now they have 100% of my business!!!!!!!

Just wanted to let you all know.

Eublet · #2 02-23-2008, 01:08 PM

That's probably the only way they can guarantee a certain profit margin, and those hard prices will probably be pretty low and very difficult to match from the local mom and pop shops.

fenderhutz · #3 02-23-2008, 01:10 PM

I just had a good experience where they gave me an extra 50 bucks on a 200 trade on a piece of gear.

If anyone knows Han at the Rockville MD store give him props. He's a good dude.

Big Hungry · #4 02-23-2008, 01:25 PM

I have been dicked around for nearly a month by sam at the Rockville store. I ordered a Sansamp RBI used form him on the 1st. On the 13th when it hadn't showed I called to ask him what was going on.

He says "let me find out I'll call you in an hour" Next afternoon rolls around and no call yet so I called him. Again "let me go down to the warehouse and see what going on and I'll call you right back"

Nothing

So I call him

He says "oh yeah so it looks like there was a mix up at the warehouse and your Sansamp hasn't shipped yet, so I'll get it in the mailbox and call you with a tracking number tomorow.

Nothing.... Big Suprise

That was the 14th

I called on the 21st to figure out what the hell is going on and bitched out some poor pimpley faced high school kid who really had nothing to do with this at all. He says I'll have sam call you as soon as he gets back from lunch.

4 God damn hours later I call back and he answers the phone "whats up buddy?" "Oh just calling for that tracking number you were supposed to get me last week" I finally get it and track the package. It shipped out on the 19th.

Sam is completly incompetent. How can a salesman have such a complete lack of follow through.

Obviously I am pretty pissed.

Pilgrim · #5 02-23-2008, 01:52 PM

Hmmm...a store puts a discounted price on their goods.....and actually charges that price!

HOW DARE THEY!!!

I am "shocked, shocked" to learn this is going on.

Nino Valenti · #6 02-23-2008, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jady

I was in Guitar Center today looking for a Gigskinz bag for my Ashdown Superfly and Boss VF-1. I was chatting with a new guy (they came through and fired a bunch of people when they changed hands) and he told me that they are changing to "hard pricing" which means that the tagged price is it, no deals, no negotiations.

Screw them, I had all buy pledged my allegiance to the local chain but now they have 100% of my business!!!!!!!

Just wanted to let you all know.

Do you go to the supermarket and negotiate the price of a full shopping cart?

No, you pay the price tagged on the item...

jady · #7 02-23-2008, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Hmmm...a store puts a discounted price on their goods.....and actually charges that price!

HOW DARE THEY!!!

I am "shocked, shocked" to learn this is going on.

Their prices are not THAT great (no less than any other large store) and when you couple that with ignorance of the product, a condescending attitude and generally shoddy customer service then I have no reason at all to go there. My local store (Skip's Music) will match GC's price to the dollar and their service and staff is great!!!

It used to be where I had a few guys at GC that i bought from and I was confident I got the best price they could give me due to the volume I have purchased from there. I still get that deal from Skip's so they will have all my business.

When I was in Skip's 2 employees were checking out a telecaster that was on the wall and the Asst Manager said "This guitar is set up bad, it needs to be set up to our standards" something you would NEVER hear at GC!!!!!!

jady · #8 02-23-2008, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nino Valenti

Do you go to the supermarket and negotiate the price of a full shopping cart?

No, you pay the price tagged on the item...

Then why have I never paid the tagged price since the store opened? I always got a price break usually without even asking because they knew me and how much I would buy from there.

Eublet · #9 02-23-2008, 02:20 PM

The problem is that the have such high turnover on the floor that it's hard to keep people trained. Most of the serious deals go through the manager, and sometimes that takes too much time when they're busy. If the stickered prices are fairly low, then I'm fine with them sticking with them. No big deal at all to me. I don't go to GC for service, and don't expect to get much of any. I could care less if an instrument is setup or not cause I'm going to set it up myself when I get it home. It may not be the most musician-friendly place in town, but I don't know that I could make myself hate the place.

bigfatbass · #10 02-24-2008, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Sam is completly incompetent. How can a salesman have such a complete lack of follow through.

Seems like he followed through fine, you still bought the item didn't you?

beyondhairy · #11 02-24-2008, 08:03 AM

i think it all boils down to the people... reading one of the above stories about the dude not calling back after a month... has been the completel opposite, my local GC has called me back more then promptly and more then often, and if i request something once and they dont have it, they make a note of it and call me back the moment they get it in stock...

Munjibunga · #12 02-24-2008, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eublet

That's probably the only way they can guarantee a certain profit margin, and those hard prices will probably be pretty low and very difficult to match from the local mom and pop shops.

Naw. Their "hard prices" will be MAP, exactly the same as any on-line store (except the ones you have to call to get prices, like RMC Audio and Northern Sound and Light).

Munjibunga · #13 02-24-2008, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jady

Then why have I never paid the tagged price since the store opened? I always got a price break usually without even asking because they knew me and how much I would buy from there.

Ditto.

Munjibunga · #14 02-24-2008, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Hmmm...a store puts a discounted price on their goods.....and actually charges that price!

HOW DARE THEY!!!

I am "shocked, shocked" to learn this is going on.

MAP price is not a discounted price, it's the selling price for people who don't negotiate. List price is an inflated fantasy number, and has absolutely no meaning in the musical equipment business.

ElDunco · #15 02-24-2008, 10:16 AM

Han is the man for sure! If you ever need anything guitar related at all. Talk to him.

I know especially in rockville, if you who to talk to, you can get killer deals.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

I just had a good experience where they gave me an extra 50 bucks on a 200 trade on a piece of gear.

If anyone knows Han at the Rockville MD store give him props. He's a good dude.

Big Hungry · #16 02-24-2008, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigfatbass

Seems like he followed through fine, you still bought the item didn't you?

Had I not bitched and bitched it would probably still be sitting on the shelf untill it grew little legs and hitch hiked to Utah.

Benjamin Strange · #17 02-24-2008, 10:53 AM

This has been coming for a long time. GC has been talking about this for years - it's part of their plan to eliminate commissioned sales people and lower their labor expenses. Now that GC has new ownership in place, you're going to see many changes like this. GC will soon become just like every other Best Buy and similar chain stores.

Joe Nerve · #18 02-24-2008, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jady

Then why have I never paid the tagged price since the store opened? I always got a price break usually without even asking because they knew me and how much I would buy from there.

Hmm... you say "another reason to hate GC", but it seems here you liked them just fine until they changed this policy.

I used to be the guy that would go to every store in a hundred mile radius until I got the most insane price possible on my gear. Got a Sterling several years back, brand new, with a gigbag for $995. Chewed the guy down almost $300 from what I think it was tagged + tax. Actually got thrown out of one store for trying to cut them down. I hate that place anyway.

Anyhow - after a while it dawned on me that all the effort and aggravation I put into saving $20s here and $100 there was/is soooo not worth it. I stopped haggling for the most part and pay people what they want. If I see it cheaper I'll get it cheaper or tell who I want to buy it from that I saw it cheaper. My life is a whole lot easier now, and oddly enough when my attitute changed the universe sorta started throwing things my way anyhow. I've gotten lots of free gear and discounted gear over the past few years, a company even made a custom bass to my specs and gave it to me.

Last note. I hear people talk about supporting their mom and pop stores. And they usually talk about getting the best price, easy returns, and free service in the next breath. If you're going to support your mom and pop store then I think you should pay them what they're getting at the chain stores and truly support them. They need the business, not the pennies and the headaches. People seem to hate the big corporations unless they're getting the best deals there. Then it's all fine.

pointbass · #19 02-24-2008, 11:41 AM

My experiences at my local GC have always been decent ... the staff is helpful and friendly, although not necessarily deeply knowledgeable. But I don't go there for advice, so their level of knowledge is unimportant to me.

If I'm looking for info, I go to the local music store, ask the questions, get the info, and I then actually order from the local store. I don't go running back to GC to get the cheapest gutter price possible and I don't haggle.

Everybody needs to make a profit. Both GC and my local store (Toms River Music, cool place) serve a purpose to me and I don't want to see either of them go belly up. The differences in their pricing is maybe 5% maximum on the common items they sell .... not worth the gas money to drive to GC to save 5% most times .....

jady · #20 02-24-2008, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

Hmm... you say "another reason to hate GC", but it seems here you liked them just fine until they changed this policy.

Actually I stopped going in there for most stuff a long time ago. It was when they had a used Pedulla fretless on the wall with noisy pots, a knob fell off as soon as I touched it and crap all over the hardware and routing. They were asking $2500.

When GC opened up they were great, a good selection, pretty knowledgable staff, and good equipment. Now it is all about who has the most tats/piercings and not a one of them is over 21. It will sometimes take me 20 minutes to pickup a set of strings.

The hard price thing was just the last nail in the coffin for me..........