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Any stupid shop attendant stories?

#81
I went to Radio Shat again today.
I knew what I wanted, a Sony portable DVD player for my daughters.
They didn't have it in the store so the sales dude looked on the computer and showed me 3 models of Sony. 1) $25 2) $65 3) $110
I said: "wow, what a price range and they all look the same, what are the differences?"
Dude: "probably just some buttons and stuff"
(!)
Dude: "Think of it this way, you could buy the cheapest one, and if it sucks upgrade to the $65 one, and you'd still be saving money over the most expensive one.
.
.
.
.
Me: "I'm going to go to a different store"
 
#82
After I bought my Strat (I was just a beginner and it was my first foray into electric guitars and gear), I went to a major music store chain to buy a longer patch cord. I’m female, and I often find music store staff to be very prejudiced toward women. On this particular day, one of the sales guys was at the counter, chatting with a customer who was obviously a regular. When there was a pause in their conversation, I asked about the cord.

Sales guy: How long?

Me: Not sure. Maybe twenty feet?

Sales guy: You probably don’t need one that long.

Me: Well, the six footer I have now isn’t long enough. I want to be able to move around more while playing.

Customer: (to sales guy) Maybe she wants walk around, talk on the phone?

Me: (gapes at customer with shocked surprise)

Sales guy: (shrugs) I don’t know why you’d need one that long, but whatever.

I bought the cord and left the store, still shaking my head at what had just happened. Honestly, what is wrong with guys like that? :scowl:
 
#83
Congratulations, you encountered an example of why my daughter hated to go into music stores when she was in a band. Finally we found a couple of places which didn't condescend toward female musicians.

I must say, one of the best SAs I ever dealt with was a young woman who also played guitar and sang in her "other" life. I always made sure to buy from her when I needed anything. If you aren't already unbiased as to gender, dealing with musicians will probably take care of it in short order.
 
#84
GregDunn said:
Congratulations, you encountered an example of why my daughter hated to go into music stores when she was in a band. Finally we found a couple of places which didn't condescend toward female musicians.

I must say, one of the best SAs I ever dealt with was a young woman who also played guitar and sang in her "other" life. I always made sure to buy from her when I needed anything. If you aren't already unbiased as to gender, dealing with musicians will probably take care of it in short order.
Click to expand...

Ha! So true. I make a point of taking my bf (a very experienced bass player) with me when making any major purchases, just to be sure I get the right information to make the best investment with the limited funds I have to spend. They quickly realize he knows what he's talking about and treat him with respect. It infuriates me that I have to do that, though. I mean, so what if I'm a beginner on guitar? So what if I'm a woman? I've got cold, hard cash and that I'm intending to part with in their store. How do they know I won't go on to become a successful musician, who, if treated with respect, might come back and spend even more money in future? Heck, when shopping around for my guitar, I actually had a clerk flat out refuse to show me certain models because they had floating bridges. "You won't be able to play them," he told me. Um, now how do we know that if I'm not given a chance to try 'em out? Why not show me how they work so I can decide what is best for me? Weird.
 
#86
^ This reminds me.
What about golf "pro's"? If they were really pro golfers, would they not be on the pro circuit? Instead, they get stuck in a little shack handing out clubs and balls to newbs, and giving them advise on how to play. Usually, bad.
Probably flunked Q school, too.

:hiding:
 
#87
Downunderwonder said:
Kinda, a bassman was a bass amp in like 1959, since then it's been a guitar amp because that's all it's any good for. I'm sure at low volume you were doing it no harm, unlike the guy yanking the cord out of it.
Click to expand...

This is absolutely correct if the Bassman in question has tweed covering. These are replica amps and are indeed best suited for guitar.

However, Fender still uses the Bassman name on its 300 watt tube head: Invalid Link Removed -- and up until a few years ago used the Bassman name on some pretty decent combo bass amps. I have a 400.
 
#88
One thing that really irks me is cashiers, etc, who feel the need to comment negatively on whatever I'm buying:

The music snob at the record store who says things like "ugh...you actually LIKE them?" "ugh... I hate (artist name)! They suck!"

The grocery store clerk who wants to be mom and comment on my midnight frozen pizza & ice cream purchase. "Well THAT doesn't seem very healthy! Why don't you put that back and get some carrots or something? Tsk tsk."

Why dont YOU just thank me for my business and be glad i'm spending my money here and not the store across the street?
 
#89
I went into a music store several years ago with a friend who had $2500 cash in his pocket ready to buy a new 6-string bass.....he was looking at a Yamaha TRB6-JP, the clerk told him he had to pay for it before he would be allowed to touch it.

My friend said no way was he paying for a bass without playing it, clerk said sorry that's store policy, friend starts heading for the door, manager comes running over asking what's wrong, friend pulls wad of $100 bills out of his pocket and says "This money will NEVER be spent in your store thanks to that idiot working for you."
 
#91
Not music related: While truck shopping I stopped at a GMC dealer. The sales guy there proceeded to tell me how much better GMC was over Chevrolet. I let him run with it. According to him, the GMC had much heavier wiring and took much longer to build (when it's the "flagship" vehicle you want to make it right.")
 
#92
Someone has probably posted similarly..a couple of friends of mine are sales reps in a music shop...I sometimes hang out there at weekends, take the counter from time to time if for instance someone has to leave for 10 minutes.

I know for a fact that a lot of the stupid things they say to customers is just the lads f*cking with them out of boredom, and out of dislike for the public in general...caused by for instance customers with poor personal hygiene who hang around for hours, the hippy who comes in, holds instruments to his head and walks in circles with them for 45 minutes etc.....
 
#93
(Walk into store)
Employee: Good afternoon welcome to ... if you need help with anything let me know (vanishes)
(Walk up to counter and wait)
(Get tired of waiting go to look for what I wanted)
Employee: Finding everything you need?
Me: I'm lookin for a set of D'Addario Pro Steels light gage and a 1/8 to 1/4 10 footer and a XLR female to 1/4 preferably a 20 footer but ill take a 4 meter
Employee: We don't have any Pro Steels but we have regular D'Addarios, as for cables you needed a what with a who?
Me: 1/8 to 1/4 10 footer and a XLR female to 1/4 preferably a 20 footer but ill take a 4 meter but in lamens terms a guitar cable male to a headphone cable male and a mic cable female to a guitar cable male.
Employee: You said 4 meters? What's that in feet?
Me: 13 point something or other.
Employee: Alright give me a second (goes to computer)
(Finds cable rack and searches)
(Employee screams across the room) They don't make a Mic to Guitar cable.
Me: Yes they do search for female XLR to male 1/4 cable.
Employee: Oh we don't have that in stock but I can order it.
Me: No thanks your rack is pretty much empty you got any cables in the back?
Employee: Let me check
(I wonder off to find the bass section)
(Employee returns about 10 minutes later)
Employee: Sir, we don't have any of the cables you are looking for in the back but we do have this 1/4 to 1/8 adapter.
Me: Yes, I saw that on the rack I don't want an adapter.
Employee: It does the same thing you can just but this and a regular guitar cable and it will do the same thing.
Me: I don't want it, but thanks anyway.
Employee: (showing signs of frustration) Is there anything else I can help you with?
Me: Yeah sure can you go see how much a banana to speaker cable is?
Employee: Banana as in the fruit? Are you being serious?
Me: No a banana jack... it exists go wikipedia it.
Employee: Sir I've been working here for about 12 years and I've never herd of a banana jack before.
Me: Then it's sad that you don't know what that is, I'll take my buisness else where. Maybe their employees have intelligence.
Employee: (About to explode but restraining) Alright sir, thank you come back and see us soon.
(Walk out of store and proceed to my car, open trunk and pull out a banana to speaker cable, re-enter store)
Me: By the way this is a banana to speaker cable (laughing slightly)
Employee: Sir, I'm going to ask you nicely to leave.
Me: No need, have a nice day.

I look back on this every so often and laugh.
 
#94
Papazita said:
One thing that really irks me is cashiers, etc, who feel the need to comment negatively on whatever I'm buying:

The music snob at the record store who says things like "ugh...you actually LIKE them?" "ugh... I hate (artist name)! They suck!"
Click to expand...

Which (sucking) , of course, is why (artist name) sells millions of CDs & plays huge arenas. Sadly, that doesn't leave them much time for really fun/important/creative things, like working behind the counter of a retail store.
 
#95
KrisWarrington said:
(Walk into store)
Employee: Good afternoon welcome to ... if you need help with anything let me know (vanishes)
(Walk up to counter and wait)
(Get tired of waiting go to look for what I wanted)
Employee: Finding everything you need?
Me: I'm lookin for a set of D'Addario Pro Steels light gage and a 1/8 to 1/4 10 footer and a XLR female to 1/4 preferably a 20 footer but ill take a 4 meter
Employee: We don't have any Pro Steels but we have regular D'Addarios, as for cables you needed a what with a who?
Me: 1/8 to 1/4 10 footer and a XLR female to 1/4 preferably a 20 footer but ill take a 4 meter but in lamens terms a guitar cable male to a headphone cable male and a mic cable female to a guitar cable male.
Employee: You said 4 meters? What's that in feet?
Me: 13 point something or other.
Employee: Alright give me a second (goes to computer)
(Finds cable rack and searches)
(Employee screams across the room) They don't make a Mic to Guitar cable.
Me: Yes they do search for female XLR to male 1/4 cable.
Employee: Oh we don't have that in stock but I can order it.
Me: No thanks your rack is pretty much empty you got any cables in the back?
Employee: Let me check
(I wonder off to find the bass section)
(Employee returns about 10 minutes later)
Employee: Sir, we don't have any of the cables you are looking for in the back but we do have this 1/4 to 1/8 adapter.
Me: Yes, I saw that on the rack I don't want an adapter.
Employee: It does the same thing you can just but this and a regular guitar cable and it will do the same thing.
Me: I don't want it, but thanks anyway.
Employee: (showing signs of frustration) Is there anything else I can help you with?
Me: Yeah sure can you go see how much a banana to speaker cable is?
Employee: Banana as in the fruit? Are you being serious?
Me: No a banana jack... it exists go wikipedia it.
Employee: Sir I've been working here for about 12 years and I've never herd of a banana jack before.
Me: Then it's sad that you don't know what that is, I'll take my buisness else where. Maybe their employees have intelligence.
Employee: (About to explode but restraining) Alright sir, thank you come back and see us soon.
(Walk out of store and proceed to my car, open trunk and pull out a banana to speaker cable, re-enter store)
Me: By the way this is a banana to speaker cable (laughing slightly)
Employee: Sir, I'm going to ask you nicely to leave.
Me: No need, have a nice day.

I look back on this every so often and laugh.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you had a clerk who was trying to get what you wanted, but the store didn't carry it. And you were just being an @ss for no real reason than to show how much more you know than the guy who worked there. :rollno:
 
#97
carl h. said:
Sounds like you had a clerk who was trying to get what you wanted, but the store didn't carry it. And you were just being an @ss for no real reason than to show how much more you know than the guy who worked there. :rollno:
Click to expand...

At that point yes, I was. Once he told me there was no such thing as XLR to 1/4 I was starting to get sarcastic. If they work at a highly respected musical equipment store (like guitar center) I would hope they would know what random off the wall things are. He was trying to get me what I wanted but at the same time I told him I didn't want an adapter and he felt the need to try and explain to me how it worked (maybe his job or maybe him being the @ss). People that work at guitar stores are like the people that work at car dealerships (probably because they both work off commissions). They try to sell you things you don't need or want, and I try to get a bit of fun out of it.
 
#98
KrisWarrington said:
a highly respected musical equipment store - (like guitar center)
Click to expand...

This might be where you went wrong. I think a lot of people on TB would say that GC is not quite so highly respected, not that Ive ever had problems with them. The thing is, you cant expect people working a minimum wage job to be knowledgable about every product they carry. Ideally, they should, but we all know the reality is that they dont. I work for a company that manufactures and sells 60,000+ parts, while Im fairly knowledgable about most of them, I wont claim to have details on them all.
 
#99
only chiming in because of some radio shack posts, so here's mine. i've been going to radio shack since i was a kid. it was like a toy store to me, i loved electronics projects. well one day i went in, headed straight for the items i needed (2 rca cables) but was interrupted by a man asking me what i needed. i decided to let him feel useful and told him, leading me to the rack. he removed 2 packs of cords off the rack, carried them to the counter and proceeded to ask for my phone number. i scoffed and declined to give it, and he looked for guidance to a younger coworker who said "it's ok". i watched the gentleman scan one package's barcode twice (a time saving move, i guess) which seemed ok to me since i was purchasing 2 identical items. well back home i rip into the packages and one of them is an extension cord, which apparantly was on the wrong rack. i took them back and explained the situation and he denied selling me the extension cord, referring to the sales reciept. i then had to tell him that i watched him scan one item twice instead of each individual item and that's why it's not on the reciept. again, the younger guy came to the rescue and sorted everything out. that was the last time i went there.
 
#100
TBrett said:
After I bought my Strat (I was just a beginner and it was my first foray into electric guitars and gear), I went to a major music store chain to buy a longer patch cord. I’m female, and I often find music store staff to be very prejudiced toward women. On this particular day, one of the sales guys was at the counter, chatting with a customer who was obviously a regular. When there was a pause in their conversation, I asked about the cord.

Sales guy: How long?

Me: Not sure. Maybe twenty feet?

Sales guy: You probably don’t need one that long.

Me: Well, the six footer I have now isn’t long enough. I want to be able to move around more while playing.

Customer: (to sales guy) Maybe she wants walk around, talk on the phone?

Me: (gapes at customer with shocked surprise)

Sales guy: (shrugs) I don’t know why you’d need one that long, but whatever.

I bought the cord and left the store, still shaking my head at what had just happened. Honestly, what is wrong with guys like that? :scowl:
Click to expand...

They are self-loathing a-holes who behave even worse because they never get laid, either. Self-fulfilling misogyny.

NEXT!
 

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