My trip to the local Guitar Center

[stein]

I warn..this some RANT. But, there is a reason many think GC is a joke and don't take them seriously at times.

 

I first say, that not all GC's are the same, and not all have the same staff working there. So, while one store experience can be bad, another may be good. MIDIMAN here seems to run a pretty good store from what I can tell of his postings, and he may even be able to shed some light.

 

I admit I went for fun, to check out what was there, and play around a little, in addition to MAYBE doing some business. I thought it would be fun to check out some FUZZ, and as long as I have been playing, I have never played a big MUFF. Saw some hooked up on a pedalboard next to an amp and a MM, so, heck, why not?

 

Naturally, it didn't work. Maybe the have them bolted down so close together to keep poeple from unplugging them, Don't know, didn't care (I don't feel worth complaining about..if I was serious, I could have asked to borrow one). But, they guy at the counter was adamant on helping me to get it to work, then when he couldn't, he asked me to wait, he called someone else on the PA to come, then HE disappeared, and the guy helped another customer while asking me to wait, then was surprised when I told him not to worry about it.

 

I mean, really? Dude, I didn't ask for help, but you offered. If you aren't going to help, don't offer. I don't have a problem with the display not working, and if you think you do, I am sure at some point if it is important to you, you will when you get the time. Sheesh. (not really a problem, just kinda funny. I mean, what if I actually wanted help with a pedal? Could you? I wonder...lol)

 

While, I was wandering around, trying this and that, the staff was cool and freindly. Asked me 3 times if I needed anything. All good, makes me feel when it is time, someone could help me. So..now I am ready to have a discussion, and I wanna talk about the possibility of selling a few guitars. So. lets talk, right?

 

I said, "Excuse me? you busy? I want to talk about selling some guitars to you. Who would be the guy to talk to?" another guy says, "this guy can help you". So, he ask what I got. I tell him, "a 96 LP special, a japanese paisley strat, first production, a tele custom...ect." He cuts me off, and says, "we need to see them". "Of corse you do. I don't have them with me, but I am not asking you for a quote, or to give me a price that I will hold you to. I get it. I just want to know a ballpark give or take to get an idea if I SHOULD bring them in, and if and how interested you are. Maybe you don't even want them".

 

"well, we really need to see them, or we can't give you an idea. We have no idea"...I say, I get it. Give me a range, not something to hold you to". He says, "we really don't know what you have". "Well, I just told you what I have, lets look it up". Where? "The Bluebook value? How about we talk about that, then we can both see". He then tells me they don't have a Bluebook anymore, no one uses them.

 

Did he just lie, or does he not really know? Really? "so, what reference do you use then?" I ask. Long story short(er), this guy does not know how to buy a guitar, and had I had them with me, he would have to ask for help. "So..honestly sir, who in this store is the guy that buys guitars? is he here? when does he come in?" He says (predictably, but stupidly, "we all buy guitars. Any of us can help you".

 

So..maybe I can FIND the guy, or maybe I can at least find the guy who can tell me who to talk to, and when. So, I find another guy, older (maybe he is a manager?). I ask him if there is anyone there who is a guy I can talk to, the "guy" who I can have a conversation about buying guitars. He gives me a speil about WHY it is impossible and unwise to have a conversation without the guitars, how some get mad because they they hold the salesman to the price, etc. I'm just like, "Please. please, honestly. I am NOT that guy, no quotes here. Just looking for the guy to talk to who buys guitars and knows how so we can be serious about doing business or not". I got NOTHING but resistance, didn't take me seriously at all.

 

TRAINING. Ask some questions. LISTEN. Maybe the customer is trying to tell you something. Like perhaps, "Don't want to make an appointment and pack the stuff into the store when the "guy" isn't there. Or, maybe the store is not in a position to give very much, or maybe the guy expects too much for his stuff and is only going to waste both parties time. Giving me a spiel about how he needs to call the "burst brothers" because I have "vintage instruments" (his words..lol) is not going to do anything. If the actual Burst Brothers came into the store, this guy would not even know it.

 

If GC wants people to take them seriously, then they have to take customers seriously. These guys, from a business perspective and a sales perspective, were a joke.

[damian]

Here's a funny GC story......(same store)......I had been dropping thousands at the store for weeks.........Went back in one day, checking out pedals....

 

I could not get any help, so, the guitars are in a different area from the pedal area....So, I simply grabbed a nice Les Paul off the wall and went into the

 

other room, sat down and was trying out effects......I saw several "sales losers" running around looking for something.....Finally they "cornered me"

 

while sitting down on a bench trying out units...." WHERE DID YOU GET THAT GUITAR ??? DO YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF GUITAR THAT IS ???

 

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW VALUABLE AND EXPENSIVE THAT GUITAR IS ?? DID YOU GET PERMISSION TO GRAB THAT GUITAR ??? "

 

It was on a stand, not on the famed SPECIAL WALL...............Total F***ing IDIOTS............

[tazzboy]

I warn..this some RANT. But, there is a reason many think GC is a joke and don't take them seriously at times.

 

I first say, that not all GC's are the same, and not all have the same staff working there. So, while one store experience can be bad, another may be good. MIDIMAN here seems to run a pretty good store from what I can tell of his postings, and he may even be able to shed some light.

 

I admit I went for fun, to check out what was there, and play around a little, in addition to MAYBE doing some business. I thought it would be fun to check out some FUZZ, and as long as I have been playing, I have never played a big MUFF. Saw some hooked up on a pedalboard next to an amp and a MM, so, heck, why not?

 

Naturally, it didn't work. Maybe the have them bolted down so close together to keep poeple from unplugging them, Don't know, didn't care (I don't feel worth complaining about..if I was serious, I could have asked to borrow one). But, they guy at the counter was adamant on helping me to get it to work, then when he couldn't, he asked me to wait, he called someone else on the PA to come, then HE disappeared, and the guy helped another customer while asking me to wait, then was surprised when I told him not to worry about it.

 

I mean, really? Dude, I didn't ask for help, but you offered. If you aren't going to help, don't offer. I don't have a problem with the display not working, and if you think you do, I am sure at some point if it is important to you, you will when you get the time. Sheesh. (not really a problem, just kinda funny. I mean, what if I actually wanted help with a pedal? Could you? I wonder...lol)

 

While, I was wandering around, trying this and that, the staff was cool and freindly. Asked me 3 times if I needed anything. All good, makes me feel when it is time, someone could help me. So..now I am ready to have a discussion, and I wanna talk about the possibility of selling a few guitars. So. lets talk, right?

 

I said, "Excuse me? you busy? I want to talk about selling some guitars to you. Who would be the guy to talk to?" another guy says, "this guy can help you". So, he ask what I got. I tell him, "a 96 LP special, a japanese paisley strat, first production, a tele custom...ect." He cuts me off, and says, "we need to see them". "Of corse you do. I don't have them with me, but I am not asking you for a quote, or to give me a price that I will hold you to. I get it. I just want to know a ballpark give or take to get an idea if I SHOULD bring them in, and if and how interested you are. Maybe you don't even want them".

 

"well, we really need to see them, or we can't give you an idea. We have no idea"...I say, I get it. Give me a range, not something to hold you to". He says, "we really don't know what you have". "Well, I just told you what I have, lets look it up". Where? "The Bluebook value? How about we talk about that, then we can both see". He then tells me they don't have a Bluebook anymore, no one uses them.

 

Did he just lie, or does he not really know? Really? "so, what reference do you use then?" I ask. Long story short(er), this guy does not know how to buy a guitar, and had I had them with me, he would have to ask for help. "So..honestly sir, who in this store is the guy that buys guitars? is he here? when does he come in?" He says (predictably, but stupidly, "we all buy guitars. Any of us can help you".

 

So..maybe I can FIND the guy, or maybe I can at least find the guy who can tell me who to talk to, and when. So, I find another guy, older (maybe he is a manager?). I ask him if there is anyone there who is a guy I can talk to, the "guy" who I can have a conversation about buying guitars. He gives me a speil about WHY it is impossible and unwise to have a conversation without the guitars, how some get mad because they they hold the salesman to the price, etc. I'm just like, "Please. please, honestly. I am NOT that guy, no quotes here. Just looking for the guy to talk to who buys guitars and knows how so we can be serious about doing business or not". I got NOTHING but resistance, didn't take me seriously at all.

 

TRAINING. Ask some questions. LISTEN. Maybe the customer is trying to tell you something. Like perhaps, "Don't want to make an appointment and pack the stuff into the store when the "guy" isn't there. Or, maybe the store is not in a position to give very much, or maybe the guy expects too much for his stuff and is only going to waste both parties time. Giving me a spiel about how he needs to call the "burst brothers" because I have "vintage instruments" (his words..lol) is not going to do anything. If the actual Burst Brothers came into the store, this guy would not even know it.

 

If GC wants people to take them seriously, then they have to take customers seriously. These guys, from a business perspective and a sales perspective, were a joke.

 

 

Sorry you had bad experience. But here is thing Guitar is the last place you want to do a Trade with. They will give very low value on it and make you paid more for a high value stuff. I would suggest checking with local Mom and Pop Music Store to do business with since they will give a fair deal on trades compare to Guitar Center.

[damian]

Same store...........Was amp shopping....Saw a wallet and keys on an amp.....Busy store......As I tried out an amp, I kept an eye on the wallet......

 

No one came by, so, I brought them up to the counter.........Ya know, no one bothered to say thanks......

[stein]

Same store...........Was amp shopping....Saw a wallet and keys on an amp.....Busy store......As I tried out an amp, I kept an eye on the wallet......

 

No one came by, so, I brought them up to the counter.........Ya know, no one bothered to say thanks......

Thanks, Damian. You might have helped a guy from getting robbed.

 

You mean like that?

 

The scary part: "Excuse me. I left my wallet and keys on an amp I think, and now I can't find them".

[Silenced Fred]

Same store...........Was amp shopping....Saw a wallet and keys on an amp.....Busy store......As I tried out an amp, I kept an eye on the wallet......

 

No one came by, so, I brought them up to the counter.........Ya know, no one bothered to say thanks......

 

a guy left a wallet and cell phone on an amp. as i walked up to the service counter to give it to them, the guy came running in the store screaming that i stole it from him.

 

i said "if i stole it, why would i return it to the counter?"

 

he apologized

[j-dub]

i hate it when jackwagons ruin a otherwise enjoyable shopping experience. if you're a concerned customer, call them on it, its the only way they can improve, customer feedback they call it. if they don't listen, that's on them.

[stein]

i hate it when jackwagons ruin a otherwise enjoyable shopping experience. if you're a concerned customer, call them on it, its the only way they can improve, customer feedback they call it. if they don't listen, that's on them.

Yes sir! And THAT is what this thread is about.

 

Maybe, just maybe, besides letting a little steam out, we can get some ideas from each other. MAYBE, some who work at a retail store, and specifically, a GC, might get a clue what others have experienced, and why often there is such a low opinion.

 

OR, maybe someone (MIDIMAN) might step in and explain how to break through the system of washed GC brains for those that might want to try.

 

OR..OR...MAYBE...

 

Someone from GC MIGHT step up to the plate (MIDIMAN?)and open up a bluebook and give me what I didn't get from my local GC.

[damian]

PM Jim, I have......Great guy....... [thumbup] .....

[rct]

I can only offer advice based on my own experience.

 

I would not ever discuss me "selling" guitars to any guitar guy in any music store. It just isn't doable, they got no idea what you got, you WILL hold some manager to the high end of whatever the bot told you was the range, all this before anyone has touched anything.

 

No offense bro, but most people have strokes over buying guitars sight unseen from internet stores. GC should be any different?

 

I personally only go in knowing exactly what I'm looking to take out of there, talk to the same person every time only, get the best price he can do today because I am so handsome, then tell him I'm trading and want the 15 or 20 off whatever we just agreed on, he says yes, I go to car and get stuff, they tell me what they are putting on my trade, I pay the rest and walk out with what I wanted.

 

To me, it is the only way to do it. I appear to them to get what I want, they get what they want which is that thing out of their store and some second hand stuff for a good price.

 

Anything else is surely going to go as badly or worse than your experience. Just the way it is to me.

 

I should also point out that since I have decided that I no longer need what it is I am trading, I do not seek uber resale value like all my internet brethren seem to get. I have never in my life "made a profit" on any guitar, amp, or any other gear. I find such claims to stink of bulls hit, and I'm usually not wrong. I don't care what I get for it, as long as I get it outta my house.

 

rct

[Searcy]

I like my local CG but it's because they leave me alone when I ask them too. What's your name? Cool. I'll come get you if I find something. You can't "sell me" on anything. Frankly I find the desperation and huge prices in the smaller shops a lot header to deal with.

 

Oh... and I've never lost a dime selling a guitar or bass. In fact I've made a lot of money on them over the years. It's all about knowing when to buy.

[MissouriPicker]

GC is a big company, in-business to make money. If you understand that and apply it, you can get a good deal on a good instrument at GC. Nothing against the mom and pop stores, but they can't carry the inventory of a large company. That's not GC's fault, it's just how business works. I wish the best to the small dealers, but that's life. The corner grocery store owned by the guy nextdoor is long-gone too. I pretty much know what I want when I deal with GC and don't get pointed in another direction. Actually, I don't know that they have many sales people who are capable of pulling a customer to another instrument. Most are not that knowledgeable....You buy from them or you don't.

[midiman56]

Brother Stein …

 

It seems as though your original question was answered by Brian in your “Blue Book” thread, but since you took the time to PM me about it, I thought I’d answer your questions here in the thread:

 

To begin with, I work as an Assistant Manager for a Guitar Center store. In that capacity, I have about as much say in company policy as you do … probably less, since the company takes a great interest in what our customers have to say. That being said, let’s address your issue:

 

We don’t have a “Blue Book” for guitars in our store. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen one although I know they exist. Blue Books may be useful in establishing value for insurance or to secure collateral value for a loan, but they really do not have a whole lot to do with your trade-in value at the retail level. The trade-n/sale quotes we give at GC are done on a case-by-case basis, and take in to account the instrument in question, its salability (would anyone really want to buy it?), it’s condition and our current stock of used instruments at the time (in other words, if I already have 10 used Stratocasters hanging on the wall, I am going to be slightly less interested in yours), and what price will it sell for at an acceptable profit margin.

 

Now, it is important to remember that when you sell a guitar to a guitar store (any guitar store) or, for that matter, a pawn shop, you are not selling it to the guy that is going to play it and cherish it. You are selling it to an entity that is going to hang a price tag on it and re-sell it at a profit. I ALWAYS tell customers that they stand the chance of making more money by selling their instrument directly to a player … if they have the time and patience to play the waiting game and to sift through all of the scammers and hagglers that might respond to their ad. I am here to tell you that 90% of the folks who try the Cragslist rout come back and accept my original offer. It’s fast, easy … and they walk away with a 100% non-rubber check.

 

So … on to your price quote question: I am not aware of any “policy” regarding the making of offers on instruments sight unseen. I just won’t do it … and I think that anyone that does is nuts! I’m not questioning your veracity or intentions, Stein … I’m sure your guitar is everything you say it is and that you were, in fact only looking for a “ballpark figure” for the instrument … would that everyone were so honest. The fact is that all someone has to do it get one of these quotes on an unseen instrument and have that person return with a beat up, chipped up, POS and demand that the quote be honored … you can imagine the trouble and time wasted on a situation like this. It’s better to just not make an offer until you have the chance to see the instrument in question. In the last six months I’ve has no less that four fake Gibby’s brought into my store for sale by the owner … and all four of these bastards KNEW they were phony as a 3 dollar bill. So, I hope this makes sense to you and that you can see why I support your salesperson’s refusal to quote you on your guitar until he had a chance to see it.

 

Now, with all of that said … here’s a way for all of you to get a pretty close estimate on what you’ll get for your trade-in at a Guitar Center, Call it a gift if you like:

 

1. Find your instrument for sale on Ebay or a similar service.

2. Click on “Advanced Search”

3. Click on “Completed Sales”

4. Get an average fro all of the GREEN prices (these actually sold!)

5. Subtract 40%

 

Pretty simple and (barring individual conditions such as damage, etc) you’ll have a very close idea as to what you are going to be offered for your guitar. By the way, if you use this handy method to figure out your value for a pawn shop … SUBTRACT 70%!

 

I gotta tell you, I’ve been in retail sales for close to 30 years and I’ve never experienced the emotional turmoil displayed by guitar players selling their stuff. Guys … I know our guitars mean a lot to us and that letting one go can often be a painful experience … but on the big picture, they are lumps of wood, plastic and metal … a commodity to be bought and sold. Yours is no more special than anyone else’s as far as coin in the register is concerned … it is worth exactly what someone else is willing to pay for it and not one penny more!

 

I hope I didn’t sound pissy with this response. I really don’t mean to … I just thought you would appreciate a straight-up explanation of how things work. The cool thing is that we all have choices when it comes to whom we do business with. If one place doesn’t suit you needs, there are always alternatives. I really did mean it when I said that Guitar Center cares what our customers think … and they follow-up immediately on the District Manager level whenever a concern or complaint is lodged. If you have an issue, speak with the Manager on duty. If he or she doesn’t show you the proper amount of concern or interest (please notice I didn’t say anything about bending over backwards and giving you everything you want!), take it to the next level and ask for the number of the District Manager. Policies get changed and opportunities to improve are acted upon once they are brought to the surface.

 

There you go … two type-written pages, How’s that for stepping up?

 

Good luck with your axe, Stein, whatever you decide to do with it. If you have any other questions you think I may be of help with … fire away, pal!

 

Jim

[damian]

:huh: :-k :-k .......I asked a GC salesman if this (a Mesa) amp was class A or A/B.....

 

He said it had two channels so it was a class A/B..........

[badbluesplayer]

Stein -

 

You're a smart guy who comes on here with well reasoned opinions. You're not naive enough to expect somebody at GC to give you a price on your guitars sight unseen.

 

All the stuff that MIDI said - you know that. Cummon, dude, lighten up.

 

[stein]

Thanks Midiman, that is pretty much the response I was looking for. Heck, I would even say above and beyond. If I would have had half that from the salesman (either one) I would have been satisfied.

 

Not to flame anyone, but what is funny is that some parts of this thread have turned into like ME being upset about not getting a QUOTE. I realize threads get long and some don't want to read the whole thing, and even my writing might lack, but once again, (sigh) "Not asking for a quote. Not going to hold anybody to anything".

 

I guess the best way to explain my frustration with the FIRST guy, would be more like, "excuse me. could you drop doing nothing for a minute and have a conversation with me?".

 

I get, totally, that a LOT of guys hired are young and inexperienced, about a lot of things. I don't require, or expect, that they have to know everything or even as much as I do. The Blue Book thing, sure, he didn't know what he was talking about. To say they don't make one could just be lack of knowledge on his part, but rather than call him on it, the obvious question is "how do you decide value?". It was QUICKLY established and obvious, that HAD I had the axes in question with me, he would have got someone else to help him.

 

So...I just wanted to have a conversation, to be turned over to a guy that would help me. If you don't know nothing, or don't want to talk about it, as a customer, PREVENTING me or explaining how NO ONE in the store can help me, or defending your lack of knowledge doesn't really "help" answer questions I might want to ask.

 

I guess what I might impress to this generation of young, fresh, generation is that when you just don't want to talk to a customer, or lack the knowledge to, it is pretty transparent.

[rct]

I guess what I might impress to this generation of young, fresh, generation is that when you just don't want to talk to a customer, or lack the knowledge to, it is pretty transparent.

 

Modern day Big Box Retail, Selling Anything Is The Same As Selling Anything Else, that mentality dictates that your sales force is as educated as your customer base, because an educated sales force is expensive for one thing, and customers are stupid, for the other thing. Nobody cares about selling good things for a good price, and perhaps repeating that for a modest 8%, 10% or 11% year to year. Everyone wants eightteen% or more from the first week they are open. Anything else is FAIL.

 

It is only transparent to the consumer that knows something about what they are buying. That is not apparently enough to make it worth having respectful, knowledgeable, experienced sales peoples.

 

rct

[Searcy]

I like my local GC but sometimes they annoy me. Yesterday was one of those days.

 

I went to my local GC yesterday and found something really annoying. I've been on a 12 string kick lately. I have wanted a Guild 12 string since I was allowed to play a mid 70's Guild 12 back when I was just a kid. A few weeks ago I traded for a nice little Alvarez 12 string jumbo. Not the Guild of my childhood dreams but not a bad guitar. So I had to run into GC yesterday to grab a cable for the home recording rig and thought I'd have a look at the acoustics and reinforce the goodness of my Alvarez deal.

 

So my local GC has 3 acoustic rooms. The main room, the high end room and the used room. Being a slave to the deal I always head straight to the used room. I was delighted to find 4 used 12 strings in there this time. There was a Martin, a Taylor a no name I'd never heard of and even a mid 70's Guild! Of these 4 guitars not one of them was any where near close to being in tune. I took the time to try to tune up the Guild tuning across all 12 strings then tuning across them again then tuning across them again as the added string tension worked to balance out against the trus rod. Finally I got it close to pitch and played a D chord. The strings were dull and lifeless and the action was now about 3/8" high at the 12th fret. The guitar was only about $1100 and I was interested. But if it's too big a problem to replace the 20 year old strings and tune the guitar it's not going home with me.

[stein]

If it still matters, if we want to discuss what makes a "useful" salesman, here is my thoughts:

 

Every customer IS different. If we are talking about selling guitars to a store (a sensitive subject to some) there are some guys that have "...it will be a guitar, and amp, and a pedal". He might not have any idea what it is worth, only what he paid. Maybe he paid full retail too.

 

Take another guy, he is specific in what he has, knows he is going to take a hit and understands the difference between retail, used, and trade in. He knows and expects to get less. He could have a car load of guitars he is willing to unload, but really doesn't want to spend a lot of time traveling from store to store trying to establish if someone is interested. Some guys know that if there are 20 used guitars that aren't selling, he ain't going to get but 20% of what they are worth.

 

One guy might be spinning the salesmans wheels, wanting a value just so he could brag to his friends, or know if he is getting a good deal buying another guitar somewhere. Another guy might actually have a trunkload of stolen guitars, and just wondering if it is "safe" to do business.

 

So....how does a guy know who he is dealing with? How does a salesman know if a guy is going to get mad because he didn't get the "quote" he expected because he loves his guitar too much, or if a guy is going to get mad because the salesman wasted his time acting interested in used gear when they aren't in a position to buy?

[stein]

Searcy:

 

That is actually that other part of my little rant. Not that it I take it personal or that it upsets and offends me.

 

I really, really, don't think a lot of the kids (or adults) that work at GC realize how good they have it. Sure, there are challenges in any job, and things that suck, but every store, every workspace, every shop, needs a little maintenance and house cleaning every now and again.

 

Even if you don't absolutely LOVE guitars and equipment, in the "real world", there are few jobs that are less demanding than changing strings, getting displays to work, and yacking with people. Even if you don't feel like doing one or the other, it is not like there seems to be a lack of time to do it or a hard schedule to have to meet.

 

Even for the laziest of poeple, you got to know when you have it good. And, if you are that lazy, there is a thing called looking busy.

 

We all get lazy at times, it's all good. There is comedy in it that if you can't at least LOOK like you are doing something, at least DO something. If you are going to act like you are interrupted from your business, you have to be looking like you are interrupted from something.

[Morkolo]

Searcy:

 

That is actually that other part of my little rant. Not that it I take it personal or that it upsets and offends me.

 

I really, really, don't think a lot of the kids (or adults) that work at GC realize how good they have it. Sure, there are challenges in any job, and things that suck, but every store, every workspace, every shop, needs a little maintenance and house cleaning every now and again.

 

Even if you don't absolutely LOVE guitars and equipment, in the "real world", there are few jobs that are less demanding than changing strings, getting displays to work, and yacking with people. Even if you don't feel like doing one or the other, it is not like there seems to be a lack of time to do it or a hard schedule to have to meet.

 

Even for the laziest of poeple, you got to know when you have it good. And, if you are that lazy, there is a thing called looking busy.

 

We all get lazy at times, it's all good. There is comedy in it that if you can't at least LOOK like you are doing something, at least DO something. If you are going to act like you are interrupted from your business, you have to be looking like you are interrupted from something.

 

But it's a double edged sword, if you're busy tuning and fixing things all the time customers will complain that no one will serve them. That said there's nothing worst than picking up a guitar you're interested in and it's out so bad you would swear the last guy was trying to put it in open tuning.

[rct]

Searcy:

 

That is actually that other part of my little rant. Not that it I take it personal or that it upsets and offends me.

 

I really, really, don't think a lot of the kids (or adults) that work at GC realize how good they have it. Sure, there are challenges in any job, and things that suck, but every store, every workspace, every shop, needs a little maintenance and house cleaning every now and again.

 

Even if you don't absolutely LOVE guitars and equipment, in the "real world", there are few jobs that are less demanding than changing strings, getting displays to work, and yacking with people. Even if you don't feel like doing one or the other, it is not like there seems to be a lack of time to do it or a hard schedule to have to meet.

 

Even for the laziest of poeple, you got to know when you have it good. And, if you are that lazy, there is a thing called looking busy.

 

We all get lazy at times, it's all good. There is comedy in it that if you can't at least LOOK like you are doing something, at least DO something. If you are going to act like you are interrupted from your business, you have to be looking like you are interrupted from something.

 

If the manager says "hang it up like it is", that's what the kid does.

 

In my 30 plus year career, the one thing they hate to hear me say, "Everything I need to know I learned from Management".

 

rct

[stein]

But it's a double edged sword, if you're busy tuning and fixing things all the time customers will complain that no one will serve them. That said there's nothing worst than picking up a guitar you're interested in and it's out so bad you would swear the last guy was trying to put it in open tuning.

Well, no, actually to be "interrupted" and turn your attention to someone is what might look good.

 

When you OFFER to help someone and help them, talk to them, or whatever on any level, people appreciate. You just don't want to refuse help to someone when you are interrupted from doing what SEEMS like nothing that might make you look like a fool.

[stein]

If the manager says "hang it up like it is", that's what the kid does.

 

In my 30 plus year career, the one thing they hate to hear me say, "Everything I need to know I learned from Management".

 

rct

Yup.

 

You know, I wouldn't be surprised if my experience at the store might have been the employees being sheepish or upset because they got a lashing from the manager.

[rct]

Yup.

 

You know, I wouldn't be surprised if my experience at the store might have been the employees being sheepish or upset because they got a lashing from the manager.

 

Could be you know, could be.

 

Our local GC has always treated me well. I've had minor difficulty with a couple things, but nothing to even waste digital ink about. It has gone through it's changes, periods of bad and periods of great, and I've even driven 75 or so miles to trade with a different one when this one was not-so-great. Usually because like in any business, someone has been promoted beyond their ability to breathe and think at the same time. And like any other business, it changes. Eventually.

 

I usually deal with only one guy, or have whomever is doing it talk to him first. Only because my face is pretty well known there, I don't jerk 'em I let them know I'm tire kicking and I let them know I may buy this today, whichever I am doing. Nobody in their store knows more about guitars than I do, and I've been fired from more local bands than any of them have been in.

 

When I retire from the gummint I'll prolly go work over there andf uck with the young peoples.

 

Good luck with the guitars. I can think of a few guys that would prolly like the paisley, so you should be able to unload that one.

 

rct