Pro Ludwig, Anti Guitar Center

i call b.s. on g.c.'s part. they just didn't want to help out after the sale which is not only poor customer service but unprofessional.

they have numbers to companies. i did a short stint at a g.c. many moons ago so i know the drill. but everything is done by computer and they only know what's in the computer.

what you don't know is g.c. trains their employees to say certain things w/o giving you a direct answer, and that if you call about a small order, they generally don't follow thru with it because its not worth the sale UNLESS you go in the store to order. i even called for price quotes a few times and never got return calls. seriously, i'm not making this up.

i used to work in music retail and a indie drum company. i still have connections but only
recently i had to buy something retail (i had gift cards someone gave me which is the only reason i went there)

after about 5 minutes just trying to look up what i was looking for, i gave the guy the part numbers to my parts and my friend parts (i didn't tell him about my 31 years in the biz) then he called both companies on the spot for pricing and availability.

with g.c. being sold again and being millions in debt, you would think they would be trying hard to make their customers happy.
 
I gave up on GC's a long time ago. I was in one, and seriously was looking at a guitar to buy, and asked if I could try it out. This little twerp laying back in a chair with his feet up on the desk said 'do we have to?'

And I said, 'Nope. Only if you want to sell it.' and walked out.

And besides that, the salesmen usually don't know their gear, they throw away the packaging, and the stuff they sell gets abused by customers, often missing accessories, etc.

Sorry, you got me on a rant about GC's.

What's the problem with them? The managers. They either 1) Know gear, but spend all their time sitting in the office instead of running the store or 2) Know management, and don't know diddly-squat about gear.

Seriously, If I ran a store, the guy in the drums department would be able to give a dissertation on the pros and cons of various woods, know all the major heads and sticks, and details about them like the back of his hand, and be able to discuss in general to a customer in-depth theory about drums and why or why not they 'sound good' or 'work'

You can't be a salesman unless you know an love your product.
 
i call b.s. on g.c.'s part. they just didn't want to help out after the sale which is not only poor customer service but unprofessional.

That's exactly what some of the people here seem to overlook. The dealer didn't help, yet somehow it became the manufacturer's fault for not being easily reachable. What about the dealer that's supposed to handle those type of problems for the customers who bought from them?

Ludwig is on the hook for the misplaced badge, but the remedy for that is at the dealer level, and they didn't do their job.

Let's not forget that the OP did in fact get in touch with Ludwig after all, but it's the dealer's fault that it became necessary.

Bermuda
 
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I am lucky enough to have a small time drumshop in my nieghborhood, with a knowledgeable staff, plenty of used gear, willing to do straight up trades. I try to avoid GC at all costs with the exception of disposables like sticks, heads.

Someone in an earlier post mentioned that GC employees didn't ask if they needed anything & were distracted. I would love to have that happen to me. I get swarmed by sales guys about 3 seconds after walking in the door at the local Guitar Center. Leave me alone, & No I don't want the Pro-Coverage extended warranty!
 
I said before...and really feel the need to repeat this-the guys and gals at GUITAR CENTER CHERRY HILL, NJ are VERY helpful and knowledgeable....

The guys in the drum department are all working drummers, the guys in the pro-sound area either studio players or engineers. I have had great help in both departments (haven't had needs in the other departments). Gave me great advice on putting together a small practice PA and always willing to help out with head and stick options, etc...

So a big thanks to:

Dan B. and Richy P. in drums and Phil, Marc, and Mike in Pro Sound and keys.

Also-Jesse, the manager must be doing something right or these guys wouldn't be doing their jobs as well as they are...

Back to the doghouse...
 
I said before...and really feel the need to repeat this-the guys and gals at GUITAR CENTER CHERRY HILL, NJ are VERY helpful and knowledgeable....

The guys in the drum department are all working drummers, the guys in the pro-sound area either studio players or engineers.

There are exceptions, and I can vouch for a few GC drum guys that are great. Again, a FEW. But there's a much higher incompetency rate throughout the chain, than there is among independent dealers, where the people behind the counter are more dedicated, more likely to be a player who uses the type of product they sell, and are often the owners, so they have a vested interest in being helpful, knowledgable, and competitive.

At chains like GC, and Best Buy, and many others, positions are regarded by both employer and employee, as entry-level, and therefore of not much importance. The employees often don't care about what they do, and the management doesn't care if they don't care, they're easily replaceable. But there is a lot less of that attitude at independent stores, again from both employer and employee, they have more dedication and training and a sense of "ownership". But that's rare from employees at the chain stores. They just don't feel like it's their store, so they don't care.

But, this borders on the mom&pop vs. box store discussion that's been had many times, so I'll stop here.

Bermuda
 
There are exceptions, and I can vouch for a few GC drum guys that are great.

I agree.

Some other food for thought: Don't you think where there is a Sam Ash across town, as is the case in LA and Cherry Hill, that GC invests a little more concern about the sales staff?
 
I agree.

Some other food for thought: Don't you think where there is a Sam Ash across town, as is the case in LA and Cherry Hill, that GC invests a little more concern about the sales staff?

Well, maybe in one store's case, in Hollywood, where it's kind of a special store anyway. As it happens, the Sam Ash drum department is attached to that GC! But I don't see any real differences.

Near my house, GC is 5 minutes away and Sam Ash just 5 minutes from there (there was also a MARS Music a few blocks from both for a short time!) But that GC is hit and miss with drum department staff. There have been some great guys - and gals - working there, and the current guy is great and has been there a few years. But there have been a number of boneheads as well.

I've been at GCs across the country, and I'll be kind and optimistic and say that I encounter knowledgeable, helpful, dedicated, respectful employees about 50% of the time. Of course, that's not a very good percentage.

Bermuda
 
i call b.s. on g.c.'s part. they just didn't want to help out after the sale which is not only poor customer service but unprofessional.

Maybe, or maybe in the case of the OP their experience with their LUDWIG rep makes them all too happy to let the customer deal with it... as in "Here's the number for LUDWIG, you axed for it."
 
I agree.

Some other food for thought: Don't you think where there is a Sam Ash across town, as is the case in LA and Cherry Hill, that GC invests a little more concern about the sales staff?

There is actually a Sam Ash right across the street.
 
Maybe, or maybe in the case of the OP their experience with their LUDWIG rep makes them all too happy to let the customer deal with it... as in "Here's the number for LUDWIG, you axed for it."

Actually I had to talk to someone about 4 or 5 times before before they gave me a phone number. I was under the impression they would contact ludwig but they never did. I called the number and got through on the first try.

To offer a little balance myself, I never said that I thought all the stores were bad. I just think that there are enough bad one's to make me think twice about going into one randomly and making a purchase. As several of you have said I think from now on I will just look around town and see who the best drum guys are.
 
I had a complete opposite experience with GC. I found my set of Ludwig Centennials online and called the store. The manager said the drum guy wouldn't be in for a couple of hours but he would throw my name on them and have the guy call. Got a call back in a couple of hours and the drum guy (also asst. manager) went over all of the drums and told me about the one mark on the bass that was damaged at all. I like what I heard and gave them the minimum deposit required to hold them. I wouldn't be able to get down to pick them up for two weeks and they never had a problem.

When I got to the store the guy I talked to on the phone was there and brought everything out for me to look at. He set up a pedal that was similar to what I played (DW) so I could hear the drum and play it with my own brand of pedal. He also set up all of the toms and made sure they were tuned well to make sure I could hear the drums as they were supposed to be played. He took the drums to my car and loaded them up, shook our hand, and thanked us for the business.

I don't think this is an overall GC problem. It comes down to that people you end up dealing with good or bad.
 
I don't think this is an overall GC problem. It comes down to that people you end up dealing with good or bad.

It's always about the people. Some are going to be pros no matter how little they're paid, and other's will never be pros, no matter how much they're paid or trained.

So while it's (probably) not GC's policy to specifically hire boneheads, there's certainly a large percentage that make it through the interview process and onto the sales floor, to deal directly with the very people who bring in revenue: the customers.

I'd like to see GC be more stringent in its hiring policies. I'm sure when there's an opening, there must be dozens of applicants, it's not like the store should have any trouble finding experienced people, or sharp beginners. It all boils down to the interview process. Of course there'll be occasions where someone interviews well, and then doesn't perform, and they need to be moved out... fast. I've been in a position to hire in both retail and corporate management, and I've never known there to be a shortage of people who want to work.

Bermuda
 
Hey gang. My name is Jeremy Cole and I work for Guitar Center as the Director of Sales Programs. I'm responsible for Customer Service in Guitar Center stores and I'm absolutely sorry to read this. We should have taken care of you, tclem, right at the store on that very first interaction. I'm don't understand why we didn't just return the entire purchase and get you a new kit without any issues. Even if that's not how you wanted to handle this, we should have been able to contact Ludwig to rectify this for you ourselves, both easily and quickly.

Also, I agree with Bermuda. This was our issue to handle, not Ludwig's. We let you down and I'm sorry for that. I can be reached at [email protected] or 818.735.8800 ext 2115. I would love an opportunity to help.

Thanks for your comments and good attitude, Jeremy. I just sent you an email about a problem I had with a Ludwig snare order at one of your stores.

Take care,
-JD
 
So just an update as to what's been going on, the Guitar Center here in raleigh contacted me and mailed me a tension rod from the kit that they had on the floor. Still waiting on what they propose for the badge but glad that they resolved the tension rod issue. Thanks to Jeremy for getting things moving!

So just a question out of curiosity for you guys here, if the only way they would resolve the issue is to send the kit back, would you do it? I'm not sure if I want to go through that hassel if that is the only way they can fix it. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if they ordered the kit and I didn't have to give mine back until I get the new one. However, if I get it a new kit it would be correct and 50 years later I could sell a perfect ludwig signet that started the build it yourself craze of the 20's for a small fortune ;). ok maybe not but who knows.
 
if I get it a new kit it would be correct and 50 years later I could sell a perfect ludwig signet that started the build it yourself craze of the 20's for a small fortune ;). ok maybe not but who knows.

No no !! Don't fix it.
You have a collectors item. One of a kind.
Maybe the only one on earth !
It may be worth more than any other Ludwig kit !


.
 
So just a question out of curiosity for you guys here, if the only way they would resolve the issue is to send the kit back, would you do it?

I can't even imagine that being an option. Ludwig should provide a new badge, and a warning to not attempt to remove the incorrect one (or, if they exist, instructions on how to remove... but I'm pretty sure that badge doesn't want to come of without taking some finish with it.) If they don't say anything about the errant badge, take it from me: just leave it as-is.

Bermuda
 
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