evolving_machine
Silver Member
Is there a way to completely avoid the sales person at the music store? It is a rare event to find someone working at a music store that is not a pain in the neck. I find the stores have a lot of stock, yet there is no variation. The sales staff would try to sell me what they have and not what I am asking for.
I went to a guitar center asking for a snare head. Of course they did not have it. I know these heads are hard to find. So I tried to compromise and asked for a single ply, coated, no dot or ringed head and no Remo. The sales man kept telling me that the ones he had were better than a single ply coated head that I compromised to and was asking for. Right before I left the store, the sales person offered to order the head for me online.
How many people do you know of, that do not know how to order online? There may be a very small percentage of people that have trouble using the internet now in the US. Many years ago, when it was difficult to do mail order businesses, before the internet, it made a lot of sense to ask the customer if they wanted the store to order for them. Now it is just crazy to go to a store just to have them order online for you at a higher price than you would pay if you do it yourself because they do not want to stock a variety.
I went back to the store but this time I was asking for a metronome. When I used my debit card I had to give my email and physical address. When I pulled out cash to avoid the email and physical address, I was still asked to provide my email and physical address. The manager had to give the guitar center sales person the equivalent of an act of congress to release me from providing all my personal data.
When I arrived at home, I ordered the exact head I wanted and the metronome online from a different company.
As a drummer, you can purchase a lot of things again that have worn out like sticks and heads that do not need to be touched because you know the products.
The only advantage I can see of being in the store is that you can touch the product you want to purchase. I find I can get a much better price online, I find I have a better selection on line, and I find it a faster process to transact business online as well.
The stores have to realize that if they make it hard for their customers, the customers will avoid the stores.
I went to a guitar center asking for a snare head. Of course they did not have it. I know these heads are hard to find. So I tried to compromise and asked for a single ply, coated, no dot or ringed head and no Remo. The sales man kept telling me that the ones he had were better than a single ply coated head that I compromised to and was asking for. Right before I left the store, the sales person offered to order the head for me online.
How many people do you know of, that do not know how to order online? There may be a very small percentage of people that have trouble using the internet now in the US. Many years ago, when it was difficult to do mail order businesses, before the internet, it made a lot of sense to ask the customer if they wanted the store to order for them. Now it is just crazy to go to a store just to have them order online for you at a higher price than you would pay if you do it yourself because they do not want to stock a variety.
I went back to the store but this time I was asking for a metronome. When I used my debit card I had to give my email and physical address. When I pulled out cash to avoid the email and physical address, I was still asked to provide my email and physical address. The manager had to give the guitar center sales person the equivalent of an act of congress to release me from providing all my personal data.
When I arrived at home, I ordered the exact head I wanted and the metronome online from a different company.
As a drummer, you can purchase a lot of things again that have worn out like sticks and heads that do not need to be touched because you know the products.
The only advantage I can see of being in the store is that you can touch the product you want to purchase. I find I can get a much better price online, I find I have a better selection on line, and I find it a faster process to transact business online as well.
The stores have to realize that if they make it hard for their customers, the customers will avoid the stores.
Last edited: