The last actual music store that I've gone to was "MARS", RIP.  My buddy was the manager in Pro Audio so I really didn't get to converse with the salesfolks but I did overhear a lot of misinformation flying around in there.

No one can know everything about all of the pro audio products out there, but at least say so and endeavor to look it up.  Don't beat me over the head with your lies and ignorance.  Dang.  :-)

I do most of my shopping now at Sweetwater. 

Actually, I just remembered a story. I went to a place here, one of the largest music stores in the country AFAIK, it's well stocked and pretty decent. Once I came in there, wanting to try a ESP Viper with City Camo finish because I'm a fan of Max Cavalera and I was looking for a good guitar (it's ugly, I know). They had one in the store and the guy, an older fella, took it down from the wall and handed it to me. I noticed it missed the high E. When I asked about it he looked at me and said:
"Do you really need that just to try the guitar?"
Well, "OK" I thought, realizing that no way in hell would this guy be bothered to fix it. Strange really as it retails for about US$2000 over here. He pointed me towards a stool and I sat down playing this 5-string guitar for a few minutes.

then I asked him if I could try it with an amp.
"Sure you need to?" he asked.
"Ummm... would be nice to see if it works and sound alright if I'm paying $2K for it."
" ... Do you really need to try it with an amp? What kind of amp do you have at home?"
"I don't own an amp so any of the ones in your amp room would be fine to test it on."
"Well, it doesn't really matter then if you don't have an amp at home"
"... What?"
"If you don't have an amp it doesn't matter what it sounds like when you plug it in".
"Eeerrr... I wouldn't buy an electric guitar if I never inteded to plug it in anywhere at some point"
"... OK?"
"Never mind" I said, gave him the guitar and left.

Funny thing though, I came back to the shop some months later to buy a cheaper guitar. I found the one I wanted in the shop (with all six strings intact) and I kept asking the same guy about how heavy string gauge the neck would handle since I was intending to tune it to B with a barritone set of strings. He still wouldn't let me try it with an amp, but this guitar retailed for just under US$700 so I didn't care - that much. But I started asking him about the humbuckers, some potential replacements and a few other things. Now, this fella wasn't totally clueless, he did know something. He just didn't want to provide information at all is seemed. After about 20 minutes he asks me:
"Are you buying this today?"
"Yes, probably" I replied
He picked up a calculator, did some math and told me that I could have it for just over $300 if I bought it today.
"YES!" I replied and couldn't care if it sounded like a drunk chicken when plugged into an amp. Or DAW which was my main intention for it.

So I left with the guitar. They didn't have the box for it and I didn't want to buy a bag since I have more bags than guitars. But he kindly offerend me a couple of plastic bags to put it in. There I was, on the tram home with a brand new guitar in an ordinary plastic bag. Felt good

A year after that I go to the store again to buy a wireless system since we were going to play some huge stages and I though that would be cool to have. I first see the same guy when I enter the guitar department and he kind of tries to get away as soon as he sees me but realize he's there alone and waits until I come ask him for help.
I asked if he had some decent wireless system that's cheap and preferably with multiple frequencies. He looks at me and asks how much I'm willing to spend (Wow).
"What do you have for around $350" I ask - never really knowing what these things costs.
He looks at me for a while, looks at what he has there and picks up an AKG thing.
"This one retailes for $350, it only have one set frequency and I don't know what it is but you can have it for $150." he said in one breath.
"Cool, does it use 9V batteries?"
"... You can have it for $100"
"Deal"

Never understood what it was with this guy. But I got some cheap gear. And it all works


*Disclaimer - the prices are the approxamate conversion from NOK to USD

Shaking my head...  

I had a friend who was told by the salesman that he didn't want the mic he was trying to buy: "You don't want this one. It condenses the sound - that's why it's called a condenser. You should get a dynamic mic. More dynamics means better sound!"

Hi,

Working in a place that has to have customer service, to be honest with you all, I really want to see a major company die because of this kind of support system and service.

It's not acceptable and really tells you that they are not listening to the customer, and if that is the case ... what kind of f---__g idiot are you to continue the conversation? LEAVE!

It's hard when this is the phone company you have or the cable company or the grabage company or the utilities company for your address ... but if there is an issue with the support system you have to REPORT it to the proper authorities.

In EVERY town in America, one of the city commissioners is in charge of these (cable, electricity, phone) and in every state there is a Consumer Protection Agency ... and all you have to do is nail them where it hurts ... file the complaint legally online, and send them a copy via fax ... if that doesn't wake them up a large fine will! Like over $1,000 per day that the request was ignored!

But really ... supporting a company that doesn't give a damn about who you are and what you buy? You've got to be kidding me!

As for Musicians Friend, I have no issues with them, and have bought a lot there, but their "support" has been fine for me ... even with the problem with the IKT Miroslav Software ... that they will not help with -- neither will Bapu! (that's another story!) -- ... but all in all they were so smart that they did not want to sell a good bass for 1500 dollars because they were too stupid to get it a proper case, instead of a cheapie piece of toilet paper for it!

Time to go somewhere else! ... they ain't smart enough to collect 1500+200 ... and get it right for the customer, because a sales person is too stupid to to the math and the company is not training their folks! Go somewhere else!

It's their loss!
 
But I can tell you, from the place I work at and sit, that I get customers that were dropped off and transferred and that I take care of them ... and my line always is ... I will do better what the other person did not do. And I'm known for resolving these issues satisfactorily and following up to make sure things got done ... but in this day and age of I don't care, we would rather report an idiot on the internet, than make sure their company learn the lesson they need to learn! ... !!! It's your choice, after all ... but not taking care of the customers, is inappropriate and uncool!
 
I have, over the years, filed 2 complaints against Comcast ... both resolved perfectly well. 2 complaints against FIA Card Services, who were using outright fraud to make sure they could jack their rates (every credit card does that btw and the FBI doesn't care! and neither does the bank association, or congress!) ... and in all cases these things have been addressed properly. FIA, btw, is a sub of Bank of America, the one that needs to be taken down, and then Citibank ... etc ... etc ... 1 complaint against Hewlett Packard (returned the product and refused payment - with a copy of the Attorney General Complaint form mailed with it!) ...
 
There is no excuse for these big companies to screw you or not take care of you ... if it was a local company they would not dare, or consider doing that to you and hurt themselves, but because they are locate in the Santa Claus Ln in the North Pole these big companies can aim a finger at you and fell like you owe them for the priviledge of finding their stuff online! Working correctly or not!
 
Nail them ... and nail them good!

I read that thread all the way on the first page..... funny stuff... mostly because it's very likely the truth.

yeah... I have overheard some very similar convo's on music stores. The way I see it, the guys who work there come from all levels of the music world and we were all beginners at some point so when I meet one that is still trying to grasp the basics, I try to take it easy on them. 

But I must say in defense of some of the sales guys.... there are some who do know what they are talking about, and it is a real pleasure to engage in a conversation with those folks. 

I tend to figure out pretty quick who knows what they are talking about and who doesn't, and work with the ones who know especially if I'm in a hurry to get it and go.  

.

Chaos Choir


Granted, there are a lot of salespeople that aren't well versed about the products they sell BUT with that being said, I have to tell you that some customers, err, make that 'musicians', can also be a clueless bunch of fools also when it comes to making purchases.

I have seen it on both sides...

absolutely.... I've never worked in a music store, but having been in one or two in my musical life, I have run into those kind of folks too.

 ........."My amp has 5000watts...dude.... it's like really loud".......  

Bristol_Jonesey

Which reminds me, I was in a GC in San Francisco, back in 2009. I though, well I've got to buy something while I'm here, and settled for a Boss pedal. 

The "assistant" assured me that I'd need a separate PSU as "they don't run on batteries" <doh>

I refrained from pointing out that any PSU I bought in the US would be totally US when I got it home.
Of course it runs on bloody batteries.

But you need a converter for your UK batteries, roight?

I'm sorry guys but this one is funny...

Not at a Guitar Center, but another store. I'm standing by the glass cabinet admiring a guitar. The salesman walks over to me and says "Nice guitar, isn't it?" Me: Yeah, it's really pretty. I wonder how it plays. Salesguy: Oh, they're really great. I was playing on it the other night, and it's just as smooth as anything. Me: Sounds good. Salesguy: Yeah, you'd definitely be happy if you got that one. Me: Sure, I'd like to check it out. Salesguy: OK, well, let me get one from the back so I can ring you up. Me: Well, I'd like to try it out before I buy it. Salesguy: Oh, well, I'd have to go get the key for that. He stands there and stares at me blankly. I stare back for about 20 seconds. Me: I wouldn't want you to have to go to all that trouble. Salesguy: Sure. If there's anything else I can help you with, don't be afraid to ask.

Everybody complains about the GC sales staff, but nobody wants to discuss the culpability of GC customers. A lot of them seem to be there not for information, but to show off how cool and hip they are because they know which stompboxes each celebrity guitar player uses. If I had to talk to those ignorant dweebs all day, I'd quickly go on autopilot too. And I'd probably derive some perverse pleasure from making sure they left with a few Monster cables.