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Guitar Center would sell more basses if....

#101
I bought a sight unseen Big Al Bass from GC online. I couldn't beat the price ($1280) shipped to my door, so I ordered it. It was sourced from a store in GA and they called to tell me it was not new in the box but off the floor. For that price I said to send it anyway. After playing it a few times at rehearsal and a gig I felt that it wasn't my thing so I returned it to a local GC, no questions asked, full refund. This was 6 months ago. I went into the store today and it's still there hanging on the wall. Reason I know it's the same one is that I left a set of straplocks on it.

Here is the kicker...it's listed as new with a price tag of $2540.:eek:
 
#103
Guitar Center has some great people but...... It's a huge corporation. As per my personal experience if you order anything special from them it becomes a huge tobogal. The only reason I hung in there was because of there sales team. Yes I'd buy another guitar there but no I wouldn't special order one.
 
#105
I have to back up stringslinger on this. having had the same experience multiple times I can vouch the irritation. if you have never had this issue it's hard to understand the frustration. if every time you order an instrument you get swindled, you start to see irritation from you local GC for all the returns. point is, of the salesman is being dishonest so he can grab the commission, then that reflects on the company. I still buy from GC, just not sight unseen. btw, I am a manager at a chain business, and if I had an employee that was being dishonest about a product to grab commission, that reflects poorly on our company and they would be disciplined. poor customer service travels. solution= remove comission based sales. IMHO :)
 
#107
STRINGSLINGER said:
Opposite condition thanks. This experiance also pushed me right past the ATK I found at my local GC and right into one I found on ebay.
Click to expand...

case in point. now GC has P.O another customer, lost their trust, and he is telling everyone on a forum. how can this not hurt sales? all because of the dishonesty of employee, probably in an attempt for comission.
 
#109
lowfreq33 said:
A friend of mine is the tech at the Memphis GC. he has one assistant. According to him they do setups on the store axes when they have downtime, but they're usually so backed up with customers instruments they just don't have the time.
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This is a profit-center for GC. Our local GC lists the charge for a bone nut at $50. The tech is backed up with all kinds of customer walk-in work, a luthier by trade. Who has time, and experience for proper setups? Nobody! :help:
 
#113
ampelmann said:
>wait until a poorly playing bass has been on the shelf for 45+ days
>remind the sales clerk that it is officially B-stock and should therefore be marked down (usually at least 15%)
>ask for it to be set up before you buy it (they'll do it)
>walk home with a brand spankin' new, well-playing instrument that you saved a good amount of money on
:bassist:
Click to expand...

I couldn't even get them to go down on a bass that had a mild buckle rash on the back.
Just because I'm young doesn't mean you can take advantage of me. :scowl:
 
#116
Yep! They need to set them up properly! "Not having time" is no excuse at all. Do you see car lots with brand new filthy cars with flat tires on the lot!? Hell no! These people want your money. Ant guitar store can afford to hire a guy to set up instruments a few hours a week! They would sell more instruments if those instruments felt good to play!
 
#117
STRINGSLINGER said:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f34/p...ays-policy-towards-sellers-592011/?highlight=

Honestly?:rollno: You even started this thread ^^^
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I wasn't affended(sic) by what you were saying. I just don't understand what your beef is. Nor do I see your point in comparing this thread and the ebay thread. The ebay thread pointed out how ebay's seller policy protects the buyer. And my position in this thread is that GC is as good as a retailer can be expected to be in protecting the buyer. As evidenced by your GC experience.

GC's shipping charges are laughably low. It's cost me $17 to ship a bass from WA state to Boston. If I walked into UPS/FedEx, they'd charge me $50. At least. If your complaint is shipping cost, that's not much to complain about.

What did you pay the $25 for??
 
#118
edking said:
Yep! They need to set them up properly! "Not having time" is no excuse at all. Do you see car lots with brand new filthy cars with flat tires on the lot!? Hell no! These people want your money. Ant guitar store can afford to hire a guy to set up instruments a few hours a week! They would sell more instruments if those instruments felt good to play!
Click to expand...

^^ Never ran a guitar store.
 
#119
edking said:
Yep! They need to set them up properly! "Not having time" is no excuse at all. Do you see car lots with brand new filthy cars with flat tires on the lot!? Hell no! These people want your money. Ant guitar store can afford to hire a guy to set up instruments a few hours a week! They would sell more instruments if those instruments felt good to play!
Click to expand...

I have to agree with this, the better feeling guitars will yield more sales hence covering the payroll of the setup tech and making the business as a whole more successful. Honestly an extra 200 bucks a week would make the business boom. Pay the tech 10 an hour and give him 20 hours a week. It wouldn't be full time but it would deffinately be effective. I haven't run a guitar store either but honestly in a store like guitar center, having all the guitars set up before they hit the floor would benefit the company hugely
 

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