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Can you believe this???

#101
I've been a commissioned sales person fro 20 years... and I am astounded by the number of people here who think it is alright for this guy to ask for something he didn't earn! Living in Toronto, we don't have that store here, but I have to assume for the moment that they are set up very much like any sales organization using commissioned sales people.
To recap:
-the salesman accepted the job, knowing full well that he was going to be on commission
-I again assume that there is no sign in the window of the store that states "only those buying instruments "RIGHT NOW" are allowed in the store.
-playing a guitar in the store in now way decreases the value of the instrument
-I'd really like to see the reaction coming from the Manager of On-line sales to this situation. Online sales requires an investment in technology, infrastructure and people in order to run properly and be competitive and any commission paid out to sales people, from on-line sales cuts into this departments profits and potentially and bonuses paid out to that departments team... dude is potentially stealing from fellow employees!

I have managed teams of sales folks and I can tell you with no uncertainty, that if my staff did that, they would be walking funny for a while! I've learned, after scrapping my knees that Karma is what makes the world go around and this sales dudes good karma is floating at sea. I wouldn't be surprised if the sales dude was not working there in the very near future... not by his employers choice per say, but by his choice!
Kudos to DM and others for taking the right moral ground here!
fishheadjoe
 
#102
Dave Muscato said:
The $100 commission is not the point here; the fact that this guy is giving Guitar Center a terrible reputation is. I'm sure the GC higher-ups would LOVE to see this thread, find that guy, and give him the boot (and possibly sue him, too - who knows if this was the first time he conned money from the company in this way?)

Take it to the extreme, for argument's sake: Say this guy has a scam going wherein he has a network of people who order online, who then report their purchases back to him, and they split the commissions. Say he racks up $250,000 of commissions in a year for online sales for which he was not a party, and pays out $250,000 in cash to various customers for their roles in the scam. What do you think the GC online sales department would have to say about that? Do you think the salesman should be fired, then?

No one ever said anything about threatening to kill the guy. All I'm saying is that GC probably does not want this guy representing their company to customers in this way, and if they knew about it, they would be quite unhappy.

As far as your argument that "big greedy corporations" have "no sense of morals or fair play," I ask you, since when do two wrongs make a right?

I will skip the Economics 101 lesson and simply say that in any market sector, all companies make a zero economic profit in the long run. All rational people (customers and companies alike) look out for their own interests first, when it comes to money, and this is a GOOD thing - the entire basis of microeconomics depends on this principle. None of us are any more greedy that GC - we try to get the best deals on gear when possible, and every once in awhile, we throw someone a bone if we think it will help us build a positive business relationship, or even just to make ourselves feel better as far as being charitable (e.g. overpaying to support your local mom & pop). In fact, GC offers a lot of helpful services for musicians like clinics in stores, online guitar lessons, a musician match/finder service, etc, and they have low prices for working players, free shipping, price-matching, etc. Explain to me please, how does this make them greedy?
Click to expand...

Dave, I just want to say that Im proud to be on the same site as you. Honesty is a sometimes underrated, and it shouldnt be.
 
#103
Its not about "sticking it to big corporations" or "helping someone out". Its about WORKING, let me try that again, WORKING for your money which it seems too many people have forgotten about. I'm assuming the original poster WORKED for his money he used to purchase the bass. The same way the GC employee should WORK for his commission. Fundamentally, the GC has a job that he knew is based upon his ability to sell basses. Not his ability to ask people for credit for something he didn't do. BUT, just like typical corporate America, lets take credit for something "I" didn't do to make my numbers better.


1++++++ Its about working for you money!!!!
The OP obviously worked for the money he used to buy the bass and then some GC dead beat wants to get in on the action. I really don't care for alot of commission sales people, I will admit, there are some out there that truly give good service and do everything for their customers but they are few and far between. While I work hard for my money I really don't like I should cut someone in for something they did not do and the fact that they have made a poor vocational error along the way.
 
#104
Here's another real-world example of what defines great customer service, this TBer will definitely go back to the store as a returning customer, as well as a customer that will spread the good word about the store.


This is why the salesperson at GC deserves to be sacked instead of being encouraged to continue with his deplorable behaviour. Because of his behaviour, GC has potentially lost another customer.
 
#105
Ol'Bass'ead said:
I find it interesting that you use the words 'embellishing' and 'honestly' within 6 words of each other.
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If it were my gig at GC, I would be too proud to ever ask for a handout of this nature. It wouldn't feel right, and I don't think i would be truly entitled to it.

OK, if you don't want to give him the commission, that is totally understood. That said, haven't you ultimately done more harm than good by raising the issue to this guy's manager and potentially getting him fired? Is it worth your time (or your karma?)
 
#109
Interesting thread. I must admit that I'm on the fence on this one. While I agree that the salesman's actions weren't kosher, it seems that the OP's reaction was appalling. There are more civilized ways to handle yourself with unscrupulous types. Making a drama about it there (and then here), when it could have been shrugged off or even politely mentioned to him or the manager is uncalled for.

Being morally sound (which is exactly what the OP is hinting at) is something you must strive for all the way around, not when the moment suits you. Walking into the store to play an instrument you have absolutely no plans of purchasing, and then throwing it into the face of the salesman is questionable to say the least.
 
#110
A FEW VIEWS FIRST:

I buy gear on-line all the time, but I will sometimes buy from Sam Ash or GC, but that depends what's in stock and if I feel the salesperson was helpful, or - if I know what I want - I may just ask anyone to ring me up.

There are times I do not mind playing a bit more to get personalized one-on-one service, if the service is good and meets my needs. Ethically, I am not going to have a salesperson spend a lot of time with me and then not give them a chance to make a sale. If I can get the same item significantly cheaper then I will say so and give the store a chance to meet the price.

Recently I went into a GC and purchased three basses all within the period of less than two weeks. I returned them all, which is very not typical for me, however, once I brought the basses home and played them I just either didn't like the tone or the feel , or both.

The GC salesperson that helped me was a terrific. First, he was a bass player, knew what he was talking about, gave me good advice and was low-pressure. When it came time to buy I knew I could get the same instrument on-line for less, and at least save the tax, but I'm not going to be a jerk and get all of that help and not buy the bass from the guy. Although he didn't make a sale to me this time, he's definitely on a "A" list of people I will work with when I make other purchases. For example, I'm likely not going to buy my next amp on-line. I want to play it and A/B, etc.

Really, it depends on the person helping you, not the mega-store chain, IMO. This is the relationship you are seeking. We are not ordering a # 5 at a McDonalds when we shop for musical gear.

NOW TO THE OP:

Without the salesperson here to defend himself we are only getting the OPs side. Fundamentally, I agree with the OP, that if the salesperson didn't earn the sale then he shouldn’t get the commission. But here are my observations about what went down.

1. The guy is trying to make a living, and whether you like the guy or not all he did was ask.

2. The OP states he used profanity early on. That says something. There is a way to say "no thanks" without being a jerk, so the OP is guilty sinking to the same level if you will, as the salesperson. I thought I would throw that in since we are all placing judgment here.

3. Was the salesperson being a jerk? If he was, I see no reason to lock horns.

4. How did the salesperson get the OPs name so that he could look up the order? If the OP wasn't interested in being helped why would he offer up enough information as to allow the SP to 'look him up' on the computer? Something just sounds "off" to me here.

5. Don't you still pay sales tax? If the store is in the same state as the OP lives in, where is the savings? If there is a tax savings and a better price involved then I could see it, however.

6. If there is no cost savings why not order from the store. Did they not have the desired color, etc? And doesn't it seem strange that the store couldn't get the same bass faster, and maybe even at a discount? As for the 'no discount' rule, I just bought a piece of gear at GC and got a decent discount. Maybe they are not discounting in ever GC - I don't know.

7. Why not ask for a discount. "We'll... I did order this bass on line for $$, but maybe you could you could help me out on the price?" Or, "Could you possibly get me this bass any faster?"

Sorry for the long-winded post. IMO, the OP is correct - the SP shouldn't earn $$ for work he didn't do - period. But... there is a right way to be right, and a wrong way to be right. The OP could have taken the conversation in a different, more positive direction. He could have talked calmly to the SP to express his views - which I will say again I agree with - rather than curse him out. Life's too short to get worked-up over something like this.

To each his own.

Peace,

Salvatore ~
 
#117
RiseOfTheWooten said:
Here's another real-world example of what defines great customer service, this TBer will definitely go back to the store as a returning customer, as well as a customer that will spread the good word about the store.


This is why the salesperson at GC deserves to be sacked instead of being encouraged to continue with his deplorable behaviour. Because of his behaviour, GC has potentially lost another customer.
Click to expand...

How can you make a such a bold judemental statement like that? You don't even know this person.

The world isn't black-and-white. Perhaps you're right, but I would rather correct the salesperson's behavior and see if I could work with the guy before I would fire him.

It's always easier to b**ch than it is to fix problems, 'cuse if we fixed problems there would be nothing to b**ch about. Where is the fun in that?

;)
 
#120
Why did you buy online? Thats what im trippin about! You can go into any GC and work the salesman for some kind of discount, especially a brand new bass... I do online shopping at MF only when I see some great deals but then you can just go into any GC and have them price match. I don't blame the guy for asking for credit, they don't make much without commission. Many of the guys at GC have been great to me you just gotta know how to work them instead of them working yo #ss!
 

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