Same here. They'll order anything you want with a 30% deposit if they don't stock it.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Infuriating. Honestly.
- Thread starter paddydaddyo
- Start date
Same here. They'll order anything you want with a 30% deposit if they don't stock it.
And how is this a "new" phenomenon?
It's another skewed viewpoint, filtered through rose colored glasses.
Shrowrooming is exactly the same as test driving a car, at one location, looking at the deal and shopping for a better one, pitting the quote of one dealer against the next, isn't that how most of us shop? Making an informed deal taking a number of factors into account before the purchase?
A small shop for as many years as I have been aware, often survives on:
Lessons, repairs, band instrument rentals and incidentals. Few of them have the capital to stock numbers of high dollar items.
Value for my dollar, customer service, before and after the sale. Otherwise Why not buy sight unseen at a substantial savings?
There are a few in the SFBAY area, and they survive if not thrive BECAUSE the do carry a wide selection, and price competitively with the online prices.... the rest don't.
They have minimal selection, some greasy schmo who spends more time reading a magazine than he does serving customers. They have 2 kinds of bass strings and a selection of the cheapest crap, all of it overpriced.
Should i feel obligated to feed the guy behind the counter, by paying a 15-20% markup?
The Facebook poster's experience closely aligns with many I have had personally.
The good shops, that price competitively and don't treat me like I must buy something before I try it, are what I frequent... too many far too many just suck. The good shops survive and thrive in spite of showrooming, and will continue to do so.
Op, your conclusion doesn't jive with my reality.
Last edited:
SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
Poor Mom and Pops they had no problem driving prices up when they were kings back in the day I have no sympathy zero it's not like the internet we have now was created over a weekend if you didn't adapt to offering something unique then you fail like every other business.
He didn't cost the store a sale, He MADE them a sale! The store lost the sale by stocking the wrong product and basically insulting the customer by saying he has bad taste in gear ("Ibanez sucks" but that's what the customer wants!)
Glad you posted on this one, man.
I test drove many basses at my local shop. Did I feel obligated to buy from them? Well, I did. But not because it was a local shop. Only because they were so cool about me just coming to jam on their basses. They were really helpful. Really nice. Sold at retail. Even threw in two free setups. I've come to know one of the guys there outside of the shop and offered me free setups anytime I want. I'd have been crazy to take my business elsewhere!
The correct answer would be,
"We don't have that in stock, but I'll check to see if we can get you one."
Even if the store has to buy it at retail, they would keep the customer for life, and make more profit on strings, cables, etc. than they would've made on that Fender.
As for showrooming. Yeah, it's a lame practice. But once a store starts treating me with really bad customer service and/or ripping me off then I have no problem with doing it. Guitar Center is at the top of my list in that regard.
Otherwise I try to buy in-house if at all possible. I don't mind paying a bit more for same day ownership.
Also, in some areas like where I live small stores are thriving.
Otherwise I try to buy in-house if at all possible. I don't mind paying a bit more for same day ownership.
Also, in some areas like where I live small stores are thriving.
I've ordered a few times from Crutchfield. They have awesome customer service.
No it does not show that at all. As has been pointed out, it shows how a jerkface clerk can damage a store by shooting down two potential customers.
When I read your original post, I really couldn't believe you sided with the clerk. Honestly, I though you were being sarcastic. If that's the way you run a store, you deserve to get shut down by competition, online or otherwise.
I'm lucky that their offices & headquarters are near me. I've been doing my auto audio there since I was a teenager, and my current TV & soundbar came from the "open box" side of their store with pretty good discounts.
I understand that you don't like showrooming. I think we all got that point.
But your story had nothing to do with showrooming. The principal storyteller wasn't showrooming. The guy inquiring who preferred Ibanez to Fender wasn't showrooming. The store missed a sale on the combo amp because of poor customer service and sales skills. End of story. Blaming it on showrooming is misunderstanding what happened.
If you read what you have posted, I think you would see that.
With all due respect, that shop owner/sales guy gets no respect.
And if the OP can't see why, neither does he.
Disrespect Ibanez. Pshh, that's a first.
And if the OP can't see why, neither does he.
Disrespect Ibanez. Pshh, that's a first.
But you have no evidence for your last statement, so now you're just talkin' mess.
As for your first statement, that we can't trust the source, well then now you're calling him a liar.
And you're doing both as a way to lament onine business and showrooming.
As you can see from the thread, I'm not the only one who sees the logical disconnect in your thought process.
But I'll address your second point above: Take the position of the store. Ok. Their position is still make the sale. And if you can't compete, all you can do is cry. Which I suppose is what you're doing here, but the better way to approach it is to make sure this mistake (and it was their mistake) doesn't happen again.
1. Never throw a customer out again.
2. Never lie to a customer (Ibanez makes terrific quality instruments and everyone in the biz knows it).
3. If Customer A changes his mind about a brand you carry, thank him for coming in. He might come back for something else another time. **Note: This is key. Repeat customers are the reason you can keep your doors open.
4. If Customer B turns Customer A onto a competitor, grin and bear it. Your store isn't the only game in town and it never has been. If he turns Customer A onto a brand you don't carry, grin and bear it. You can't carry everything and you know it.
5. If Customer B is still in the store trying the combo amp, engage him about the combo amp. Sell it. Show him the upsale if he's interested. Show him the options. Show him that he _can't_ get a better deal at Onlineaxesareus.com. If he can, then go back to cryin', because you're not competing.
Remember, in sales it's not whether your customer told you "no" today, it's whether you give them the opportunity to say "yes" tomorrow, the next day and the one after that. By showing two guys the door, your example store failed in that.
I shop at Sweetwater on occasion. Great customer service and competitive prices. Oh, there's that word again, compete.
Brick and mortars don't have an inherent right to survive just because they are local, bricks, mortars, moms, pops or any combination thereof.
Business is business.
Compete or Die.
Wow Max ... you're a genius. Thank you for showing me the light! I retract everything that I have thought or posted on this subject to date, and now fall into line as you wave the banner of logic! Hurrah!
Yeah im sure if you were the guy losing commision in this situation you would feel that way.
I might not have lost the commission. I would have asked some questions about what he liked about the Ibanez and looked for a way that I can steer his desire toward something I offer or could obtain by educating the customer.
I certainly would not have said "We don't stock Ibanez because they are a poor product."
Yeah, I guess anyone as dumb as the sales clerk wouldn't understand what just happened.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
The moral of this thread: don't pay attention to Facebook.
He must not be too proud of that bass if he let a complete stranger play it.
We have two music stores in town. A crappy tiny little guitar center(very different than the huge one an hour away) that mainly sells DJ gear. And we have a family owned music store who doesn't really care about their bass gear sales because they make their money renting, selling, and repairing everything from violins to Tubas. they don't carry much bass gear, typically 5 or 6 basses at a time. Mostly ESP or schector and stuff. Nothing over say $700 and they mainly stock small combo amps. The owners are cool though. I've known the family for almost 20 years. Since the father was a judge in a competition I played bass in in high school. The daughter is close to my age and comes to our shows and supports. They are totally supportive of the local scene and are up front about how they make their money. They really don't care where I buy gear from.
All the gear I've purchased in the last 2 or 3 years has been from Sweetwater and eBay. And I dont care what anyone says Sweetwater is the bomb. Fantastic customer service, interest free finaincing. My only real complaints is they don't carry some brands, for example they do not carry Darkglass. eBay for me is kind of a hobby. Mainly use it for used pedals and I buy and sell pedals regularly. Great way to try a lot of pedals at little costs I mean when you consider how much gas money id have to pay to drive to a bigger city with better stores I'd just assume stay home and pay some shipping cost here and there
