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I'm officially boycotting Guitar Center
- Thread starter Spirit of Ox
- Start date
Hey you know what they say...
Once you've seen one chick naked.....
You want to see the rest of them.
If I had $3K to spend on a 6 string bass, the LAST PLACE that I would go to is a GC. You call my buddies at Bass San Diego and they will *hook you up*. GC? They're too busy pushing squiers and epiphones to teenagers parents.
Daddy's was my favorite store. They were even starting to branch out of New England too. I'm from CT so I used to go to a couple of the CT stores. So one day I went to the Orange store and it was closed, they all closed down pretty much over night. No liquidation sale, no guys standing out by the road with Going out of Business signs, nothing. It was really strange. There was hardly any info online about it except that the original owner in NH had some legal problems.
Turned out all of their inventory was owned by a credit card company so they couldn't liquidate it. It was quite a shame because they always treated me well there. Scott the manager would call me every couple months asking me if I need anything or that some new stuff came in.
Turned out all of their inventory was owned by a credit card company so they couldn't liquidate it. It was quite a shame because they always treated me well there. Scott the manager would call me every couple months asking me if I need anything or that some new stuff came in.
Well with excellent customer service like that, what do you surmise happened?
Last time I was in Wichita (Last years Winfield Show) I stopped into GC, and found a Taylor 414CE Fall Limited 2011 with hard case for $440. I had the sales guy verify the price, and that was the price in the computer so I bought it, with the 2 year pro coverage. That was $1000 less than they go for on eBay. There are certain advantages to having sales people who don't know the products!
Mostly when I go to GC, I try not to make eye contact with the sales folks. They try, but they usually can't answer even simple questions. I don't think I've ever been happy with the recommendations I've gotten there, but they have a great return policy!
I think it had something to do with unpaid taxes. I'm pretty sure Guitar Center, and all the online sales of musical equipment hurt the business. After all they were still a mom and pop shop in their own right. It's a shame. I still love Sam Ash as far as larger music stores go.
I once called a local GC and asked the sales guy if they had any MTD's in stock. He asked me how to spell it?
Of course he didn't know how to spell it. It didn't start with F
I've gotten some good deals on used gear at GC - but never on new gear. So I'll pop into one that I'm driving by to see if anything looks cool. You never know. But yeah - most of the salesfolks are just a step below entry-level car salesmen (no offense to those of you trying to sell cars for a living).
Crap, I was thinking a step below the non English speaking people at the fast food drive thru window.
They didn't qualify to ask"do you want fries with that", so hell why not pursue a career in management at G.C.?
I worked ( gave lessons, no sales thank god) at GC for a short spell. Ive never been in a more poorly-run, uneducated sales-having , nickel-and-dime worthless souless business.
I could literally die before I had time to explain these stories. Awful place, awful business, awful people, awful products
None for me, thanks. I will never buy another product there, not that they carry much worth buying
(Random example- those fender patch chords are pieces of poopie)
I could literally die before I had time to explain these stories. Awful place, awful business, awful people, awful products
None for me, thanks. I will never buy another product there, not that they carry much worth buying
(Random example- those fender patch chords are pieces of poopie)
Crap, I was thinking a step below the non English speaking people at the fast food drive thru window.
They didn't qualify to ask"do you want fries with that", so hell why not pursue a career in management at G.C.?
I met a GC department manager, years ago, who was *on fire*. This girl was energetic, helpful, hard-working and was a joy to deal with. I told her, straight up, that she was far too much for GC to hold on to. And she was - she was there for about 4 months before being snapped up by some high tech company who would pay a decent wage, which is the key issue: GC hires guys for near minimum wage, selling them on how "Cool" it is to work at GC. You do get what you pay for.
So then that begs the question - genuinely cool music stores... What's the deal? Here at Bass San Diego, I think that everyone who works there is an owner (I don't know for sure, but I get that sense). They have skin in the game, I do know that they all play bass, all REALLY know their stuff - - And so, the store is cool.Maybe.
You sure as heck will NOT get more very often.
I shop at the Guitar Center in Springfield, Missouri. A lot of the things said here can be said about the Springfield place also (unfortunately). Except.... One of the managers is named Johnny; Johnny is pretty darn cool. He has always been willing to go out of his way to help me with things. He's been there quite a while also. Aaron is the same. Maybe we are just lucky here, but we have a few pretty good people in our Guitar Center. I'm not affiliated in any way with GC and I buy a lot of my stuff from Sweetwater also. I don't know what's different here, but it appears they actually have a good core team of long term employees. Oh wait, maybe that is the difference.....
You Betcha, like a co-op. whatever you want to call it. the employees having a vested INTEREST in the company they work for should motivate the individual to do everything that they possibly can to provide a profitable workplace. That IS the main problem, NO INTEREST. we talk about Guitard Center here because this is a musical community, and lets face it they suck when it comes to customer service. But it goes MUCH deeper than G.C., it is now the accepted norm to show NO pride in your job, your company, your industry. People just do not give a rats @$$, and it shows. NOT too many years ago, the norm WAS EXCELLENCE in customer service. You have heard"the customer is always right", where did THAT go?
Now it's more like "WHAT customer", damn, I have to actually go and talk to this guy. A few years back If you failed to provide EXCELLENT customer service, which was expected, the paying customer would report your poor service to management, and your @$$ was FIRED. Now they TRAIN new hires in the art of pi$$ing of the customer.
It's bad, real bad. Now days IF you actually DO encounter someone that is pleasant, competent, efficient and gives you excellent service you are left speechless, I know I am!
I myself Prefer Sam Ash over G.C. even though they have the same merchandise at the same price. Why? Customer service. AND Sam ash is farther from my house than 2 that's right 2 G.C. stores. I will drive the additional distance to shop there because I am Certain that I will get decent customer service. I have been known to go out of my way, and even pay more money to do business at an establishment where I am treated well. The new generation can not even fathom that as a possibility.I am telling you you spend your money where they make you feel welcome, and treat you right. That is the way it is. Who here prefers to spend there money where they are fairly certain of being treated like sh!t, when they can spend it elsewhere???
I can't fathom why stores treat potential customers like dog crap when their competition is things like Amazon: a click of a mouse and to you door service. I know one thing that keeps GC afloat is the fact that a lot of people don't research ALL of the companies that are under their corporate umbrella. It's not unusual for someone to be treated like crap in store, yet wind up "going home and shopping online" only to give that money to the same corporation!
Haji
Supporting Member
