salesman experiences...

[gkbass13]

has anyone else ever noticed hwo terrible of salepeople a lot of guitar store employees are? this is in now way targettign every guitar salesman, but as someone who works in sales myself and has taught sales techniques and such, i find it pretty funny to be approached by a lot of guitar salesman. the local guitar center by me has a staff consisting of bad salesman as well as ignorant musicians for the most part. i have had a lot of great experiences as well, but in this thread, lets focus on some of the worst experiences you have had with a salesman trying to push you into getting some musical equipment.....story time!!!!

[gkbass13]

after just finishing "portrait of tracy"(the first song i play when testing a new bass) on a peavy 4 string i was once told that i should put the bass away now because someone else might actuallly want to buy it. i was the only person in the store, and i was actually looking for a new 4 string. despite my likign the bass and the price(around 350) i refused to give that guy any business.

[superbassman2000]

why limit this to guitar stores?
all salespeople do is sell stuff...thats all...you'll find that anywhere you go...

Originally Posted by gkbass13

after just finishing "portrait of tracy"(the first song i play when testing a new bass) on a peavy 4 string i was once told that i should put the bass away now because someone else might actuallly want to buy it. i was the only person in the store, and i was actually looking for a new 4 string. despite my likign the bass and the price(around 350) i refused to give that guy any business.

do you spend a lot of time at guitar stores just playing them without actually buying them? is that guitar store subject to people around your age that just sit around and play songs and never buy stuff? if so, thats why he said that...
if you really wanted that bass, you could have explained to the employee that you were interested in buying a new 4 string...my guess is that he gets commission, and he'd actually be helpful

[gkbass13]

i work in sales, and for commission as i stated in my othe rpost. i knwo hwo to treat a customer and he clearly didnt. i was the only person in the store the entire time i was there (20 minutes maybe) since then the store has closed due to lack of business. i understand why. if you are askign if i am cheap, and never buy anything, no. if you are askign if i like to lay a wide variety of basses in order to get the best idea of what the playability and tone that each offers, yes, i do. the 2 or 3 guitar stores in the area i prefer to go to, salesmen know me by name and we freely shoot the **** when i go. i guess i felt ok with posting tis thread because im to a traditional salesman, im pretty laid back and i am honest with customers, which is why i do a good amount of business. i sell cell phones for nextel, and if after discussing thigns with a customer, i know of a company that will fit their needs better than the one i am offering, i will gladly give them directiosn to the nearest store that sells that product. no need to attack me because i felt like telling a story.

[MysticMichael]

Funny you should ask...

About 25 years ago, I dropped into a music gear store in Orlando, Florida to browse. I came across a particular make/model of bass amp that I'd seen advertised, but didn't know much about it.

I decided that the best way to get really good information was to ask the salesguy very focused, precise sorts of questions. When one of them approached me with, "Can I help you?", I thought about it for a moment, then asked: "If I were to purchase this amp, what would be the best possible reasons I could use to justify my decision?"

The guy stood there and glared at me - as if I'd just asked him if I could have his girlfriend. Then finally - and with much attitude - he replied: "Well...I suppose you could buy it because you like the way it sounds. Or you could buy it because you like the way it looks. Or you might even buy it because you like the way it feels..." Then he abruptly stopped talking, and glared back at me again with a look of utter contempt and defiance in his eyes...

Needless to say, the dialogue stopped right there - I walked away. I was only trying to be a savvy shopper. But apparently the guy took it as a personal offense - as if I was challenging him to some kind of smackdown. Either that or he was just plain wacko...

Hoo boy! Jim Morrison said it best: People are strange...

MM

[superbassman2000]

Originally Posted by gkbass13

no need to attack me because i felt like telling a story.

don't take what i said personally...i didn't imply that you do those things, however, i am the same age as you, and i know that at the guitar stores where i am, there are 5-7 people our age there who just hang out there and play all the instruments and never buy anything...the guitar store guy may have lumped you in with all the other people that just hang out at guitar strores...he's jaded imo.
no need to get on the defensive because i tried to find out why the guy was a jerk

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Is it so hard to capitalize at the beginning of sentences?

[tplyons]

Originally Posted by Smallmouth_Bass

Is it so hard to capitalize at the beginning of sentences?

Nope. Not at all.

I started in sales, managed a store, and now am in retail sales. Customers seek me because I'm honest and don't push the wrong product for the wrong customer, and if I don't know an answer, I'll either go find out and tell them honestly, or pass them to someone else who can help better.

My Guitar Center by me is great, a few salesmen know me by name. The Sam Ash across the street is atrocious.

[gkbass13]

THE OTHER DAY IN GC, A YOUNG SALESMAN KEPT PUSHING A CRATE STARTER AMP PACKAGE ONA CUSTOMER WHILE I WAS TRYING OUT A 5 STRING FENDER JAZZ, WHEN THE SALESMAN LEFT THE CUSTOMER ALOEN TO PLAY FOR A BIT(HE WASNT EVENA BEGINNER) I TOLD HIM TO PLUG INTO A 1X12 COMBO THAT WAS 40 DOLLARS MORE AND ABOUT 70 WATTS MORE WITH A 9 BAND EQ...ONE OF THSO EBERHINGER KICKBACKS. HE LISTENED, PLUGGED IN, AND WOUND UP BUYING IT. IGOT A KICK OUT OF IT, ONE FO THE OTHER EMPLOYEES WATCHED THE WHOLE ORDEAL AS HE AND I WERE KIND OF JAMMIGN OUT TOGETHER AND TALKING BASSES. HE SAID THAT I SHOULD GET A CUT. GOOD TIMES.

[guy n. cognito]

Maybe just captalize the first letter of the first word of every sentence. Makes things quite a bit easier to read.

I don't think GC spends too much time training their sales people. Maybe the occasional speech about cross-selling and trading up, but that's about it. For the most part, the sales people at my local GC are fairly weak salesmen. They don't listen to your needs, they fake interest in your life, are excessively friendly and then they try to sell you something you don't need. There are a few, however, that do a pretty decent job. When I was shopping for my last 5 string, I had an older salesman who asked the right questions and gave me good service. He asked about my type of music and my current rig. Rather than hooking me into the low in Ampeg combo, he ran me through a higher end head and cab. When I told him the string-spacing on the EBMM was too narrow, he brought me the Fender Jazz Deluxe. He never tried to sell me a Schecter or Ibby or Cort.

If you look, act and dress young, you may have a hard time getting any salesperson to take you seriously. They see young window shoppers everyday, and few of them ever buy anything. I have even noticed a difference in my treatment depending on how I'm dressed. If I go after work and have on a tie, they usually won't leave me alone. If I go on the weekend in shorts and a t-shirt, it's a different story.

My local music store has experienced, professional salesman that know the gear. I tend to spend most of my money there.

[guy n. cognito]

I thought I would add this story, cause it's kinda funny:

I was in GC about 6 months ago testing a few amps. A young kid, maybe 14, walks in to the bass room. He is covered in METAL. Piercings everywhere, a vest covered with buttons, a wallet on a chain, you get the idea. Needless to say, the salesmen weren't interested in having this kid handle any of the merchandice. When he started reaching for the most expensive Warwick on the wall, the salesman said "Before you play that, you need to lose some of that metal." The kid just looks at him, say a few choice words and walks out. A few minutes later, he comes back in with daddy. Daddy is in his 50's, bald, with a madris plaid shirt, pleated khakis, and docksiders. He was furious that his son had been "kicked out of the store" and, before they could explain, informed the salesmen that he could "buy and sell them ten times over." When he got done yelling, the salesmen explained that they hadn't kicked him out, but rather told him to take off some of his metal gear before he handled a $2,200 bass. I backed them up, since I had seen the whole thing. Rather than apoligizing or scolding his child for lying, he told the salesmen that they had "just lost the biggest sale of the year," shot me a dirty look and stormed out.

No point to that story, just funny. Quite honestly, I thought the salesguys handled it pretty well.

[gkbass13]

everyone is a potential customer. i usually stop by guitar center after work wearign a shirt and tie, and ive bought a little over a thousand dollars worth of gear there in the last few months. so i get some respect. i just think its funny that i have sold about 3 basses adn 2 amps for them when im nto even an employee.

+1 on the fake interest in your life thing, all the young salesmen i see there do that to everyone! hilarious.

[vindy500]

Originally Posted by superbassman2000

why limit this to guitar stores?
all salespeople do is sell stuff...thats all...you'll find that anywhere you go...

dont you hate it when people do there job...

[superbassman2000]

Originally Posted by vindy500

dont you hate it when people do there job...

actually that was a reference to the fact that it doesn't seem that a knowledge of the product, customer service or satisfaction is part of the saleperson job description...just sell sell sell...some people see just see commission checks, and not what the customer wants...thats all...i also not saying that everyone is sales is crooked, but there is a lot of that out there

[vindy500]

ahh ok, i used to be a guitar salesman on commision, but our commision targets were rediculous, unless we sold a whole lot of stereos (we di hi fi too) it wasnt going to happen for me, so i just concentrated on having a good time by meeting new people, treating customers right ect, but it just makes me wonder when i see people moaning that the sales man wouldnt take enough off the price ect. i mean theres a number on the guitar for a reason..