GC is apparently not interested in selling stuff

SMILEYSIXX · #1 07-16-2011, 01:38 PM

GC empoylees astound me. I go in looking to find a head and cab. I already have a head in mind, but wanted to find an appropriate cab. Seeing as how I never tested the head with my own bass, I take mine in. My bass is heavily modded, so GC assuredly will have nothing like mine. I walk in and tell the worker right in front that I'm taking in my own bass.

Him: "Well why? We have tons of basses to test it with."
Me: "None with quarter pounders and nylon wounds."
Him: "What's the difference?"
Me:

Get past this. Go look at the amps. They have the head I want but it, for some reason, is plugged in to a 2x8, which I'm definitely not interested in. All the heads plugged into cabs 4x10 or bigger are at least $800 which I'm in no position to spend. So I ask an employee if he can just switch the heads so I can try out a 4x10 I had my eye on.

Him: "Well that head is plugged in over there, just use that."
Me: "I don't want a 2x8, that's less than what I'd like."
Him: "But it's the same head, it will sound the same no matter what amp it is."
Me: "They're two entirely different setups and entirely different brands, they are nothing alike."

Long story short, I left without testing any amps. Is GC hellbent on leaving their customers unsatisfied?

Epitaph04 · #2 07-16-2011, 01:43 PM

Oh goodie! The daily "Bash GC" thread is here!

kuys · #3 07-16-2011, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epitaph04

Oh goodie! The daily "Bash GC" thread is here!

With that being said, he's got a point.

I had a very good experience at GC last night selling gear but I've had just as many horrible ones pertaining to the staff and either their ignorance or their arrogance.

SMILEYSIXX · #4 07-16-2011, 01:59 PM

I don't really try to bash GC because the majority of my experiences are positive, but my experience today just really left a bad taste in my mouth.

slaps76 · #5 07-16-2011, 02:02 PM

I had a similar experience, but it wasn't GC, another chain. Went in asking what they had for used cabs & heads, which they really didn't have much of. Guy just goes and plugs me into the lowest line GK cab and head, then walks away and doesn't come back. Great job assuming because I said used, I meant "cheap."

Ursus Tyrannus · #6 07-16-2011, 02:18 PM

The GC I got near me lets me bring in my basses to test amps no questions asked other than "you need any help?". I wanted to try a used cab and they had no problem letting me drag it from the used section into the bass room to try it out with the head of my choice. They were also cool with my decision to bring in my own head to try instead of one of theirs.
They also have no problems letting me bring in my basses and pedals to let people I'm selling them to test them on their equipment. I've sold 5 basses and two vintage pedals this way in the past year. Its to the point when I come in with a bass they ask me what am I selling today. I asked ahead of time the first time and they said they view it as good advertising, plus its getting someone who wants to buy gear in their door. The last bass I sold there the person bought a tuner, a new cord and two sets of strings, everyone was happy, I sold a bass, someone got a new bass, and GC made a $100 sale.
Hey, I live near a cool GC. Sorry everyone doesn't, but they aint all bad.

What confuses me is when presented with the questions of a less than knowledgeable sales person why you couldn't you buy something? Did they refuse to let you try what you wanted? Were they rude or merely ignorant? If simply ignorant, were they resistant to learning or dismissive when you politely explained the differences?
I dont see the huge issue really, but I know I'm also not getting the entire story.

Rockmusician · #7 07-16-2011, 02:28 PM

The closest GC to me is over 20 miles away. They did a great job until the assistant manager left a couple of years ago. Now, they are terrible. I went there today to get a set of strings. They were on the shelf for $10 more than on their website. When I pointed it out, they told me that they have to go to their website to confirm the price. If they find that the price is different, they have to ring up the sale, suspend the transacation and wait for a member of management to approve it before they can finish the sale. Seems like a lot of work. Anyway, they go through all the steps and I pull out my debit card and get ready to swipe it. The salesperson says "no, don't do that". Then he asks for my card and he swipes it through the same card reader that I was going to swipe it through and then hands the card back to me. Apparently, GC management feels that customers are not capable of swiping their own card.

**pacojas** · #8 07-16-2011, 02:37 PM

anyone in the Bay Area been to Rocker's Guitars? they got a funny bunch in that place. the little lady at the cash register was hella rude in a love-able way!

XtheDeadPawn · #9 07-17-2011, 12:37 AM

My GC was/is cool now that I think about it. If that sales guy didn't interject himself on my behalf instead of a Yamaha RBX170 (what I really wanted) would've been a Squier Starter pack (what I didn't).

Who knows maybe I'dve given up on bass by now.
The guy even told me to come see him in a year to get my bass checked on.
I guess so he could fix it if there was something wrong.

However he wasn't that thrilled with me a year later but, then again guys at GC or any music store for that matter have stressful jobs. They sell stuff that cost a pretty penny and deal with guys testing out instruments all day everyday most of them trying to play "Freebird". I'd get pretty jaded and bored at a job like that too.

Maybe we should cut GC some slack?

jp58 · #10 07-17-2011, 02:36 AM

The other day, I went to GC to try some stuff out. The salesperson tried to persuade me to buy some custom bass a friend of his was making because "it wouldn't sound like the same basses people have been playing for years."

He also tried to plug me into a line 6 because it is obviously the same thing as a GK212 or a lower end head and cab.

I told him I had things under control and he walked off. A few minutes later the bass guy came over and straightened things out. He said something about the other guy being professional audio and having a commissioned sales job so I just let it go.

C.Linton · #11 07-17-2011, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockmusician

The closest GC to me is over 20 miles away. They did a great job until the assistant manager left a couple of years ago. Now, they are terrible. I went there today to get a set of strings. They were on the shelf for $10 more than on their website. When I pointed it out, they told me that they have to go to their website to confirm the price. If they find that the price is different, they have to ring up the sale, suspend the transacation and wait for a member of management to approve it before they can finish the sale. Seems like a lot of work. Anyway, they go through all the steps and I pull out my debit card and get ready to swipe it. The salesperson says "no, don't do that". Then he asks for my card and he swipes it through the same card reader that I was going to swipe it through and then hands the card back to me. Apparently, GC management feels that customers are not capable of swiping their own card.

Yeah, that sounds like bad management to me, not necessarily the floor personnel.

GM60466 · #12 07-17-2011, 02:59 AM

I spend so much $ in GC, my accountant think I could deduct them as a true dependent. The store where I shop is nothing like what I'm reading about here. But, if anything like what you say ever happened to me. I would not leave until I spoke with a manager.

pnut166 · #13 07-17-2011, 03:01 AM

tabdog · #14 07-17-2011, 03:07 AM

I don't care for them.

I go in and have carried my bass and other things more than once.
I am an old fart and nobody messes with me. They think I bite.

If there is no cord, I find one. If it ain't set up the way I want, I
set it up.

I can do anything that them bembos can do except get on the
computer. Actually they have let me look for stuff on a PC while
I was there.

GC employees are a rotating set of bembos........ Some are nice.
Some are real bembos,

Tabdog

tabdog · #15 07-17-2011, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pnut166

.

But It's tha first time I have beat on it,

Tabdog

spaz21387 · #16 07-17-2011, 03:45 AM

Depends on the guitar center. Some have useless staff some are great. When whatever I want to try out isnt set up I do it. Its not hard to plug in the amp to a cab and plug the head into the wall... is it? seattle guitar center is by far the worst I have been to. The best was Clackamas oregon.

SMILEYSIXX · #17 07-17-2011, 08:05 AM

It wouldn't have been a big deal for me to swtich the heads if they weren't attatched to the cabs. No joke, each piece of gear was attached with metal bars to the other.

Ursus Tyrannus · #18 07-17-2011, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

It wouldn't have been a big deal for me to swtich the heads if they weren't attatched to the cabs. No joke, each piece of gear was attached with metal bars to the other.

Well, that certainly does make things difficult, doesn't it. I've never seen that before, in any music shop, but I've seen similar things too often in other places.
I hate to think its bad enough they need to anchor down the equipment to prevent theft but, sad as it is, crime happens, and I'm guessing it has happened in that GC.
Such a shame when so few spoil it for so many.

sandmangeck · #19 07-17-2011, 11:01 AM

I've never asked them to play a bass. Or switched heads to cabs. I just go in and set things up like I like them. Next time do the same.

fourstringdrums · #20 07-17-2011, 11:38 AM

What kills me is that I consider myself a pretty knowledgable guy and finding a job at GC or a music store is like pulling teeth. The qualified people can't get hired and the idiots who don't have a clue keep their jobs.