The GC topic seems to pop up every 6-months or so it seems. I'm okay with the big brick 'n mortar stores although do fully understand the various interactions people may have encountered. As mentioned, there can be benefits to actually seeing and trying out the equipment before buying it. Will be a sad day when only Internet stores remain.

With that said, my last incident occurred at the other big store that starts with 'Sam'. I was checking out one of those big, multi programmable effects floor pedals. Turns out they only had the display case model left. I was still interested but said I wanted the box it came with and manual, power cords, etc. The sales guy had to go on a search for this stuff. Meanwhile I got that internal buyer-be-ware feeling that this deal might not be the perfect transaction (especially since I wasn't offered any 'floor-model' discount). I gave the guy about 10-minutes of search time and then left feeling relieved I made the right move. I then went to GC where they had a stack of them all boxed and ready to go. Was able to deal a bit on price. Only issue was how everything today comes with an offer to buy that extended warranty for $nn dollars. Had to stick strong against the pitch and finally left with a brand new in-the-box multi-effects unit. Overall an acceptable experience, but with more driving around than I had wanted.

Rimshot
...accessories, sticks, strings, mics, cables, picks, etc. can come straight to your door with free shipping when ordered online.

True that. But that fact does not do you any good when you're setting up for a gig and discover that your microphone cable's broken. That's why I know the location of every music store in the area - and what time they close.
 
Which reminds me...I did order a cable online back in March that never arrived. Now, who was it that I ordered from? Did they charge my credit card? Well, no matter, as I did save $1.95 by ordering it online.

I'm not acquainted with anyone else who makes music on a computer so I like to drop into the nearby GC store and talk with some guys who do what I do. Bit of a generation (and culture) gap but it's all about music so it doesn't matter much. These are the guys in the Pro Audio section of the store. I never go into the Guitar section. Those guys are peculiar.  
 

I hate store greeters. I know they're only doing their job but there's something about forced hellos and welcomes that makes life seem so phony and dishonest. I also hate a lot of modern trends in customer service, like referring to customers as "guests" as in "would the next guest please step down to the register." You can just imagine some latte-sipping marketing douchebag insisting that referring to people as customers makes them feel like they're only there to spend money and that this is a bad thing (even though it's 100% true). No, call them "guests" and they'll develop an emotional attachment to the store and come back! Well I'm sure there are some people who are manipulated by this kind of plastic BS but I'm not one of them. 
 
I also hate when store workers won't leave you alone and continually ask you if they can help you. I always say no the first time with sincere politeness - if they won't leave me alone after that I get snippy. I once went into a Manhattan Portage store to buy a new shoulder bag and even after I made clear that I was just looking and didn't need any help, the guy attached himself to me like a magnet as I made my way around the store, asking me questions, telling me about the features of the bags etc. It just completely distracted me from my personal decision making process and in the end I walked away from him without saying a word and left the store. Last time I was in Staples I had 3 employees approach me within the space of a minute to ask me if I needed help choosing printer paper. I got thrown out of Best Buy a few years ago for "not needing help" as I looked at laptops. I was in the market to spend over a grand on a notebook for work and I was checking all the store models out one by one (as you do). Douchebag comes over and asks if I need any help, I reply with "no thanks I'm good," and he says "if you don't need help then we consider you to be loitering and would ask that you leave the store." Bye bye thousand dollar sale. 
 
I worked in sales for a few years. Which makes me immediately sensitive to being fed a sales pitch - I've heard it all before. Leave me alone to browse in peace, and if there's anything I need to know (especially what other people think via online reviews) then I'll look it up on my phone. 

GC and Sam Ash are directly across the street from each other in Raleigh NC.  At SA, I get greeted and asked if I need any help as I browse the various depts in the store.   At GC, they have a person near the door who greets and checks your bags on the way out.  I don't think I've ever had any of the GC guys approach me as I browse to ask if they can be of assistance. One guy at GC, when I asked for some info, says... "be right with you in a minute  bud"....and 5 minutes later, still wasn't. I wandered around for a bit and left. The guy never "got with me" to see what I needed. I had the money in my pocket to buy....and that deal walked out the door and across the street where I did get the help and assistance I was seeking.

I tend to shop SA as a result. Never had a bad experience in there with the clerks.  In fact, one guy who works in the pro-audio dept is quite knowledgable and doesn't mind discussing things about recording.

bapu
I too still shop local (not GC). The manager is the only guy I've been dealing with for just over 30 years now. He's about 10 years younger than me and my biggest hope is he will outlive me cuz I ent got time to build a new relationship.
 
To him I'm simply Ed.
 

who's Ed?

daryl1968

bapu
I too still shop local (not GC). The manager is the only guy I've been dealing with for just over 30 years now. He's about 10 years younger than me and my biggest hope is he will outlive me cuz I ent got time to build a new relationship.
 
To him I'm simply Ed.
 

who's Ed?

The King's 'Ed?