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Have you found sales clerks at high-end stereo stores to be rude?

Blake Klondike

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I have always made it a point to thank sales clerks in stereo stores profusely for their time, for giving me the opportunity to audition equipment, and for their expertise. I acknowledge that I am not in a position to spend giant amounts of dough, and that their help means a lot. The response is always "Don't mention it-- that's what we are here for!" On several occasions when I have thanked them for letting me audition several pieces that I didn't end up buying, the response is always "Of course-- it generally takes people many, many visits and sometimes even years to find the right match for their ears and their room."

But at a couple of the high-end shops in my area (including one where I have spent $3000+ in the past two years) they have definitely started treating me very poorly-- like I am some street urchin walking into a Cartier jewelry store.

The end result is that I am angry and it makes me want to spend my money elsewhere. I may not have $20k to spend right now, but I am a potential life-long customer with a serious interest in the hobby. And I do have a budget of a couple thousand bucks to spend on the right equipment. It is a serious drag.

(By the way, this is why ASR is so, so cool-- members are helpful and friendly and seem to realize that we all start out with no knowledge, and are grateful to the people who share their knowledge and enthusiasm.)

Anybody else have a perspective on this?
 
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Blake Klondike

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One follow-up thought: If local stores don't have the right perspective (I.E.: that listening to gear is literally the only way to decide what to buy, and paying salespeople to help a necessary step in the process) they are doing the hobby a serious disservice. (And I hesitate even to call it a hobby, since it is so vitally important to so many-- it is no more a hobby than learning to cook good, nutritious food is a hobby.) Nearly everything they sell is available on-line, so it is in everyone's best interest that the helpful/friendly community relationship between local stores and local customers be preserved. If alienated customers shop on-line, local shops go out of business and everyone loses.
 

LDKTA

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You're not the only one. I was once in the same boat and experienced the same mistreatment as yourself... I've since realized that auditioning gear in these stores isn't even the best way (at least for me) to choose a loudspeaker. There is so much more to consider when choosing loudspeakers to determine whether or not they'd be integrated well in your listening room.. I don't audition even audition speakers anymore. If a loudspeaker is very well designed and it measures well across the board, I don't see any reason why they wouldn't sound good. I know there are personal preferences but that's just me.

I've come to the conclusion that most of those guys do NOT have your best interest at heart and they're just looking to make money and nothing more. The "high-end" audio market is just like expensive jewelry. You are definitely in the right place if you're looking to learn more about audio... and I'd highly recommend that you find another dealer to buy gear from or just shop online and avoid them entirely. The best dealer I've ever come across was an online dealer over a thousand miles away from me.
 
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Blake Klondike

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You're not the only one. I was once in the same boat and experienced the same mistreatment as yourself... I've since realized that auditioning gear in these stores isn't even the best way (at least for me) to choose a loudspeaker. There is so much more to consider when choosing loudspeakers to determine whether or not they'd be integrated well in your listening room.. I don't audition even audition speakers anymore. If a loudspeaker is very well designed and it measures well across the board, I don't see any reason why they wouldn't sound good. I know there are personal preferences but that's just me.

I've come to the conclusion that most of those guys do NOT have your best interest at heart and they're just looking to make money and nothing more. The "high-end" audio market is just like expensive jewelry. You are definitely in the right place if you're looking to learn more about audio... and I'd highly recommend that you find another dealer to buy gear from or just shop online and avoid them entirely. The best dealer I've ever come across was an online dealer over a thousand miles away from me.

Advice very much appreciated and I am glad to hear your experience. The thing about speakers is that I auditioned, for instance: Totem Arro, KEF LS50, Klipsch, Spendor S3/5R2 and Dali in one afternoon and the differences were shocking to me. Spendors noticably more natural-sounding, so took them home. They didn't sound like much of anything in my space, so I took them back. But hearing them showed me that what I am looking for and could not articulate is possible. Now the process of solving that problem begins. I just need a supportive dealer to help me figure out how to spend my money at his shop! By the way, everything I have heard in my space pales in comparison to my Genelec 8020Bs for natural sound and presentation, despite lack of low-end information. Maybe I really need to get a bigger set of Genelecs or a sub for the 8020s and call it a day!
 

Soniclife

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I don't recall a single bad face to face experience across a large number of UK hifi shops, I've had curt attitude on the phone when they don't know me, but my phone manner can be very tricky.
The worst I've had is a blunt refusal to home dem speakers, which they got a blunt response to.
Most shops have been very accommodating, and nice to deal with thoughout, to the extent sometimes you feel bad not buying something from them when you decide what they stock isn't what you want.
 

JJB70

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I have to admit most of my experiences have been very positive, but I tend not to visit the real high end stores and generally go to mid range type places. So I don't really have any experience of the proper high end dealers.
I have had this sort of experience in car showrooms though.
 

Sgt. Ear Ache

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I think there has to be an understanding that they are in the business of selling gear. If you are going in every few days and taking up time auditioning different equipment and never buying anything, it won't be very long before they start to lose interest in spending time on you. It's just reality...they have a job to do and even if they aren't real busy at a given time, if they aren't going to make any money off you they'd probably prefer to just stand around chatting with the other sales guys. I'd imagine the job can be fairly frustrating at times as well...I myself have been in retail my entire life and there's nothing quite like dealing with obsessive individuals who take forever to analyze every last detail of a potential purchase item. And that quality of obsessiveness is maybe a little more prevalent in our hobby, lol. I don't think I could stand to be in the audio sales biz very long to be honest.
 

LDKTA

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I have to admit most of my experiences have been very positive, but I tend not to visit the real high end stores and generally go to mid range type places. So I don't really have any experience of the proper high end dealers.
I have had this sort of experience in car showrooms though.

The mid range type stores definitely tend to be more on the chill side. I've had one interesting experience at one of these stores but I wouldn't necessarily call it negative... It was just interesting. The "high-end" stores I've visited always assume I am in the store to buy something and if I don't they immediately lose interest in doing any sort of business with me and try to get me out of their stores as soon as possible. Time and time again... with the most recent visit to one of the largest "high-end" stores in my city being the worst experience yet. One of the salesman was quickly flipping through music that I did not want to listen to (and of course I asked if I could play my own but he insisted that his music would showcase the speakers better), he'd try to explain why the speakers I was listening to were so superior to nearly everything else they carried (while I'm listening to the music), he'd interrupt me almost every time I'd attempt to speak, he tried pushing "high-end" cables to me and when I objected to them he began to argue as to why I NEEDED them... And that doesn't even scratch the surface. He and another one of his associates actually didn't even let me leave the store unless I gave them my information because apparently I would not find better prices anywhere else nor does anyone else carry the quality of gear that they have. Needless to say, I haven't visited another audio store since then but my e-mail is full of these salesman badgering me using a variety of different e-mail addresses. Crazy? I'd say so.
 

LDKTA

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I think there has to be an understanding that they are in the business of selling gear. If you are going in every few days and taking up time auditioning different equipment and never buying anything, it won't be very long before they start to lose interest in spending time on you. It's just reality...they have a job to do and even if they aren't real busy at a given time, if they aren't going to make any money off you they'd probably prefer to just stand around chatting with the other sales guys. I'd imagine the job can be fairly frustrating at times as well...I myself have been in retail my entire life and there's nothing quite like dealing with obsessive individuals who take forever to analyze every last detail of a potential purchase item. And that quality of obsessiveness is maybe a little more prevalent in our hobby, lol. I don't think I could stand to be in the audio sales biz very long to be honest.


I wish this were the case in my experience, I'd be a bit more understanding but I am not that customer to come in over and over again, I'd just move onto the next store... to still be treated as if they're too good for me or that I either NEED to buy from them or get out of their stores.
 

DonH56

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Mixed bag for me. My smaller Revel dealer is a gem, into the science, and very low-pressure. Great guy.

The local high-end store, well, varies. I have not been back for a while partly due to time and lack of interest but also because I had a bad experience a few years ago and found a new dealer. Then a couple of years ago a friend of mine that I sent there for B&Ws was very unhappy. He is a classic "old coot" who does not dress up and is not shy about saying what he thinks. He was looking at some 803D3 and 802D2 speakers (not cheap) and they insisted he try the 804 series and some other lower lines, basically treated him like he couldn't hear and was not able to afford the higher lines. He was pushing to hear the 802s and 803s side-by-side and they couldn't do that, too much work, blah blah blah. The salesman finally made some comment about "sure you can afford these?" so he walked out and bought them from a different store the next weekend. That store lost a $25k sale by making assumptions about a customer. Last time I visited they were more about very high end components and complete home installations than selling a guy a pair of <$10k speakers. But, salesmen differ...

I have not visited many stores recently but it feels like price pressure is hitting a lot of brick & mortar stores lately and they are chasing the "fat cat" customers. It used to be you courted everyone and built them up; in these days of high mobility and Internet sales that just doesn't seem to happen as much. That's not always the sales guy's fault; hard to deal with the people who walk in for a bit, spend some time, then go buy it online. That was a problem with mail-order in the 80's/80's, too, but I bet the Internet has made it much worse.

Sale guys also used to get training and such and much of that has either gone by the wayside or has become basically marketing pitches devoid of technical content (or even worse filled with bad/wrong technical content). Does the IHF even offer the consultant's course and license anymore?
 

Sgt. Ear Ache

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I wish this were the case in my experience, I'd be a bit more understanding but I am not that customer to come in over and over again, I'd just move onto the next store... to still be treated as if they're too good for me or that I either NEED to buy from them or get out of their stores.

Yeah, unfortunately another thing that happens is salespeople start to look for "types." After a time in the business you start to see signs and indicators and you can quickly draw conclusions that may or may not be accurate. There's a cynicism that can seep in. They decide the moment they lay eyes on you that you ain't a buyer so they aren't going to waste time on you...
 

Blumlein 88

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I've had experiences from excellent to hard to believe abysmal. Unfortunately no less than 75% of my experiences are the type where for hours or days afterwards you are finding it hard to believe a "business" would treat potential customers the way they did. You'd think they were treating you like a pauper in an expensive hobby, but I don't think that was it. I've seen them do this to people they knew to be doctors, lawyers and other known wealthy people. As if they were somehow beneath the salesman's worth to deal with.

I've several incredible experiences. Now my experiences aren't up to date. They were so bad so many times that I don't think I've been to such a dealer in this century. Currently there aren't any such places within 150 miles of me (there once were at least a dozen) other than maybe an odd appointment only dealing from home kind of place. Side effects of the internet I think. Good riddance, and better for them to go belly up for the most part.
 
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Blake Klondike

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I think there has to be an understanding that they are in the business of selling gear. If you are going in every few days and taking up time auditioning different equipment and never buying anything, it won't be very long before they start to lose interest in spending time on you. It's just reality...they have a job to do and even if they aren't real busy at a given time, if they aren't going to make any money off you they'd probably prefer to just stand around chatting with the other sales guys. I'd imagine the job can be fairly frustrating at times as well...I myself have been in retail my entire life and there's nothing quite like dealing with obsessive individuals who take forever to analyze every last detail of a potential purchase item. And that quality of obsessiveness is maybe a little more prevalent in our hobby, lol. I don't think I could stand to be in the audio sales biz very long to be honest.

This is all true-- I was in retail for years, so I totally understand where you are coming from on that. These are all things to bear in mind when being respectful and appreciative of the value of a clerk's time and knowledge. The scourge of the bookstore is the person who comes in asking for recommendations and then orders the books online.

But, going into a stereo store once every few weeks with specific questions, as is my case, shouldn't be cause for that reaction. They are sending a clear message: we don't think you are going to buy anything from our store and are willing to risk losing your business forever-- and all the business of people you would have referred in the future-- by being actively rude to you.

The manager at Gruhn's Rare Guitars in Nashville (probably one of the top three rare guitar shops in the world) has a standing policy: treat everyone who walks through the door like they have a number one record, because in Nashville anyone who looks like a bum could be a famous musician.

Again, these shops sell a huge variety of products and there is no other way to find out what you want to buy other than spending time in the stores.
 

syn08

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The problem I have is that I DO know less than they do!

This is exactly the state of mind the clerk wants you when stepping into the store. But you may have a big surprise about that :).

I used to have a lot of fun playing dumb in High End Audio stores around Yorkville (kinda 5th Ave. in Toronto). Imagine the clerk foaming after me leaving empty handed two hours later.
 

ahofer

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When I recently replaced my speakers, I went to several dealers. The first thing they did was ask me what I have, and pissed all over it. I thought that was kind of obnoxious. There's definitely a game of "are you good enough to look at this stuff". Unfortunately, that probably does part a lot of status-seeking rich folks from their money.

I also had a dealer who kept swapping in stuff I wasn't interested in - another music server, a Tube amp I didn't want. I swear he'd be talking about how the sound had changed before it even began playing. He reversed the channels once, and another time connected a speaker out of phase. This did not seem to embarrass him and he kept insisting how much better each (more expensive) amp was. I was there to listen to speakers.

In fairness, the hyperactive guy has a HUGE selection of stuff, which is really useful. And the KEF R5s sounded great. Although I had asked to listen to the R3s.....
 

blackmetalboon

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He is a classic "old coot" who does not dress up and is not shy about saying what he thinks.

Try spending money when you don’t dress up and you’re a skinny, white boy with dreadlocks (at the time) and facial piercings! One dealer lost a >£15k sale because of this.

The first thing they did was ask me what I have, and pissed all over it. I thought that was kind of obnoxious. There's definitely a game of "are you good enough to look at this stuff".

The above mentioned dealer only asked me what gear I had after answering my first question of “how much does it cost?” with “it’s very expensive”. The look on his face when I told him was priceless.
 
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