Guitar Center Commentary

[Fletz]

I just left this on the GuitarCenter.com feedback page. I don't really expect anything in return, but I did tell them I'd share:

I am a fairly loyal customer. I have made many purchases in your stores over the years (many more than my wife may have liked!). I am also a professional marketer for my day job. I am surprised by the lack of customer insight your organization uses and the extreme drop in sales person quality I've seen.

Most recently (today) I went to your Guitar Center in Langhorne, PA. I was playing a Markbass little mark III amp and was seriously considering purchasing it. I asked the sales "dude" if there were any special promotions going on and he told me about the Valentines Day offer but "wasn't sure if Markbass was covered." He then asked me if I got the coupons in the mail or my email. I told him yes. He asked me if I had a smart phone on me and that it would be easier if I looked up the promotion and it's restrictions. I told him my phone was in the car and he inferred I should go look at it for him.

I went to my car.

And left.

The point here is that between in store purchases, Musiciansfriend.com and GuitarCenter.com, you should know more about me as a customer than you need to give me a positive experience. The fact that this kid told me to "look up our restrictions yourself" is really pretty poor.

I want you to know also that he may have pushed me away as a customer. I will continue to come into your stores to try new gear but will probably ask my local mom and pop store - who knows my name, what I like and don't, what I've bought, etc - and ask them to order it for me.

Not sure what outcome I'd like. This is more to tell you that I am pretty close to ending my multi-thousand dollar relationship with your stores due primarily to the actions of one sales person. And, as a person active in the online community of musicians, I will be sharing my poor experience with the web.

 

[Dave W]

Not a single f**k will be given

 

[tangentmusic]

Yeah.... Your GC experience does not sound uncommon.
It's as if you were in our local GC!

 

[ksandvik]

Every GC salesperson is different. Try to find the good ones and develop a relationship with them. That's how I got a discount on my MarkBass gear some years ago at a Thanksgiving sale even if MarkBass was excluded.

 

[BigBigGuy44]

I once had a very bad experience with GM. To make a long story short, they first scheduled my appointment at 7:30 AM although the mechanics don't start until 8:00. After two hours of waiting for an oil change and tire rotation (never even did rotate the tires), the dealer quoted me $500 to repair struts that were unsafe and wouldn't pass inspection. A week later, I took the car to a different GM dealer who did the inspection and everything passed with no issues.

I emailed GM about my experience. Received a $100 coupon towards having my struts fixed in the mail a week later. I now drive a Honda and have no desire to buy GM again. Some people just don't get it.

 

[Lichtaffen]

I am a graphic designer specializing in retail packaging design. I've worked in the world of marketing and retail for about 20 odd years. One saying we have that is fairly proven is this: "if you can't convey your message on a package at the store level within 8 seconds, the customer will walk away". In your case, you were about 100 times more patient. These "kids" that work at GC are uninformed buyers. They have never had a real buying experience, thus they cannot sympathize with their customers. Don't worry, every dog has its day and someday these Guitar Centers will make way for a competitor who will seize the opportunities that GC let's slip through their fingers. It's only a matter of time. They are basically the Walmart of music stores.

Boycott!

 

[Fletz]

Every GC salesperson is different. Try to find the good ones and develop a relationship with them. That's how I got a discount on my MarkBass gear some years ago at a Thanksgiving sale even if MarkBass was excluded.

Yep. The guy I used to like in Springfield, NJ went across the street to Sam Ash ... maybe I'll go there.

 

[strappa]

Pete

I always go to GC in Plymouth Meeting
and I always deal with the head of the guitar dept - Scott
He is a fellow bassist, very knowledgeable and a real good guy.
Go there and ask for Scott.

 

[scottfeldstein]

That is pretty poor on their part, I agree.

Still, my own experience has been mostly positive. Nobody looks at me funny when I pick up any instrument and play it. Nobody says anything to me except "can I help you with anything?" when I flip on an amp. When I ask a question, I get an answer (or at least a scramble around the store to find one). Part of it comes from being mid-40s and gray-bearded. Part of it may be due to the fact that I'm in there enough that some of the store personnel have enough recollection of me to know that I'm someone who knows his way around the store and who also spends considerable money in it.

Only one time I walked away unhappy. That was when I went in, approached a sales person and asked if they had an original Dunlop Crybaby pedal. I let slip I was buying it for my son--and that's when the persons demeanor changed. Immediately I was marked for someone who didn't know anything and she tried to sell me warranties and gold-plated cables, etc. The whole works. I just said "no" to everything, made my purchase and left. It was a real eye opener as to how noobs (or perceived noobs) might be getting treated in the store. Not good.

 

[Fletz]

Don't worry, every dog has its day and someday these Guitar Centers will make way for a competitor who will seize the opportunities that GC let's slip through their fingers. It's only a matter of time. They are basically the Walmart of music stores.

If I had the cash I'd do it myself. I firmly believe you are 100% correct. I am a seasoned insight mining / marketing vet and it would take me 20 minutes to write the business plan that would drop kick these guys - and frankly all the other non-mom/pop's - out the door. And, the reality is, it's not brain surgery.

 

[Matt R.]

Not a single f**k will be given

Exactly. Nobody knows what they are talking about at Guitar Center. It's hilariously sad.

 

[klejst]

My city finally got a Guitar Center last year. It is still pretty far from where I live in the city though. First time I was there it took about 10 minutes before anyone working there even seemed to acknowledge my presence. Most who work there who I chatted with if not for a bit just had this "I'm a bigger rockstar know it all" and arrogant vibe to them. Needless to say I love supporting the local ma and pa music shop which is closer to my place anyways and go to Guitar Center only when I absolutely must.

 

[El Beardo]

The last time I went into a big store like GC was the last. I'll share the basic story.

I went in and noticed a used Peavey Cirrus 5 string that was in great shape. I grabbed it, played it a bit and when I went to plug it in I noticed that there was a ton of amps... but no cables to use. So I asked the nearest sales "dude" for a cable. He was 20 feet away from me behind the counter with two other dudes all standing next to each other fixated on something on the counter. He didn't say anything to me, he didn't even look over he just grabbed a cable and held it up in the air. So I took a breath and I walked over and grabbed the cable. I then noticed that they were watching Spinal Tap on a laptop they had just under the counter. He couldn't possibly have cared less about me or anything else in that store. This kind of attitude combined with a typically poor understanding of the equipment they're trying to sell is why I don't go to these stores anymore.

 

[Fletz]

Irony of ironies:

I just got an email from Sweetwater:

Pete,

This is *** ****** with Sweetwater Sound. I just tried calling and was unable to get a hold of you. I was wanting to introduce myself as your direct point of contact here at Sweetwater. If there is anything that I can be doing for you, please don't hesitate to call. I have a background in studio recording, anything from voice overs, to demos, to major label albums. It would be great to hear from you and learn about your involvement with music. If you can reply to this message to let me know that you got it, I would appreciate it.

Maybe they are the answer ...

 

[jaybass58]

So here's the deal...as a former G.C. manager I will be the first to say,they suck,now...bought out by Mitt Romney and Bain Capital,a couple of years ago,the service and the old style bartering way of doing business has gone forever...all the salesmen are just clerks,and they dont get the training they used to...everyone I know that worked there has left...their only customer base is parents of kids who want to play,or rich know-it-alls...my prediction ? the chain will never be cool again...sad...

 

[Johnny Alien]

Irony of ironies:

I just got an email from Sweetwater:

Pete,

This is *** ****** with Sweetwater Sound. I just tried calling and was unable to get a hold of you. I was wanting to introduce myself as your direct point of contact here at Sweetwater. If there is anything that I can be doing for you, please don't hesitate to call. I have a background in studio recording, anything from voice overs, to demos, to major label albums. It would be great to hear from you and learn about your involvement with music. If you can reply to this message to let me know that you got it, I would appreciate it.

Maybe they are the answer ...

I know people like this attention but it was the thing that turned me off of them. They relentlessly cold called me once they got my info.

 

[Peace Cee]

I can speak to the Sweetwater experience and the GC experience. As for Sweetwater, the guy who called you is serious; the service is impeccable. I live in Hawaii now, so on-line purchasing is a reality. My Sweet. rep. knows my name and goes above and beyond, plain and simple.
I lived on the mainland for many years, and when I return, no matter where I am, I hit up the local GC, not because they are awesome, but because I get to touch stuff and drop cash and aquire goods in real time. The experience varies. I have met some helpful sales-folks. However, I have experienced those caught up in the stardom of being a music store employee.
I am a producer, so I serve two Gods when it comes to G.A.S. Recently, I dealt with an employee in the sound department. He was helpful, but he was so busy trying to be the "superior one" that it colored the service. In the end, I got my stuff, and I am pretty satisfied with the service. I guess you have to know what you are getting into when you get into it. I try to buy from our local music stores whenver possible.

 

[overdrivethree]

i must be really fortunate. i hit up the Pittsburgh Robinson Guitar Center on an as-needed basis (strings, picks, etc), and they have always treated me well. however, i've heard it's one of the few truly good ones out there.

 

[pjmuck]

I then noticed that they were watching Spinal Tap on a laptop they had just under the counter. He couldn't possibly have cared less about me or anything else in that store.

In their defense, if Spinal Tap were on and I worked there, I'd ignore you too.

The key IS to find the one or two guys in the whole store who actually care, knowing that said 1 or 2 guys may be non-existent at your location. But the majority of knuckleheads working these places are there because they want to be surrounded by equipment to satisfy their own muse...or lack thereof. I've walked into these places where a salesman was noodling on a guitar thinking he could have a conversation with me simultaneously. Multi-tasking is not their strong point.

 

[Curmei]

I was lucky to be living near Berklee School of Music when I started playing in the 80s - LaSalle Music, EU Wurlitzer, and Daddy's were all a block from each other. Mr. Music and Cambridge Music, just a bus ride away. The guys working at most shops did have that 'rock star attitude, but they definitely knee their instruments and audio.

Now, sadly, anywhere I go, I don't expect anything but bad service, and usually the sale person has no power to make decisions, so I have to wait for someone higher up the food chain to become available.

So, 90% of the time, I just order online. I can always find great deals, and I haven't had any major mishaps on the shipping front.

There are some great guys still around - the guitar tech at the local GC here is actually pretty cool. We also have a great mom and pop downtown, but the selection is very limited, and it is tough for them to compete on pricing. I go there when I can, but generally, it's online for me these days.