CowboyBillyBob1 Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 So I went to GC today to buy some Virtuoso Cleaner and Polish. This stuff is great it rolled back about 20 years on the look of my old '57 American Reissue Strat. But that's not my point. Since I was already there I figured I would check ot a Gibson LP Jr. I took one off the rack and walked into the Loud Room. Not so I could play loud but actually to be quiet enough to really evaluate the sound of the Guitar. There was another customer in there checking out an out of tune LP Trad. It was last years model and I told the guy that was a great guitar for the price since they just came out with a new model and what he was playing was a great bargain. I sat down to plug into a Marshall and as soon as I did I felt how the frets were sticking out so far and so sharp that I could have cut my hand. I wound up not even plugging it in since it was virtually unplayable to me. I know this is a way inexpensive USA Gibson but this was too much. I have to think it's the dryness and lack of any humidity that caused this to happen. No way it could have passed any QC at Gibson. It's GC's lack of care and maintainence to show such a POS to customers. Th salesman came in to close the sale on the LP Trad and I mentioned that I thought that it was a great guitar at a great price. I made a comment that perhaps I should not have in that I did not know the guitar had a satin finish on the back and sides. The salesman then went on to say that it was more expensive to make a satin finish than the high gloss on the more expensive LP's. I did not comment on what I thought of that evaluation. I could see the guy was sold on that guitar as he went on about how much he likes the Wine finish on top. I just gave the salesman a look and handed him the Jr. I mentioned that the fret ends were too sharp and he could care less. If he told me he would show me another if I could wait a minute I might have done so and maybe even have bought the thing for a bit less than the $589.00 they were asking. No big deal at all but I was a useless customer interested in a cheap guitar. He did not know that within the past 6 months I bought a 2012 Standard and a Midtown w/Bigsby from a much better salesman. Not to mention all sorts of stuff I recently purchased from them. My point is it really depends on the salesguy who is helping you to make the experience enjoyable. Maybe I'll go back when MY salesguy is around as I know he knows how to service a customer and make the purchase enjoyable with honest information. This is why so many people think GC sucks and they have a valid point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vestapol Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 My point is it really depends on the salesguy who is helping you to make the experience enjoyable. Maybe I'll go back when MY salesguy is around as I know he knows how to service a customer and make the purchase enjoyable with honest information...This is why so many people think GC sucks and they have a valid point. Thanks Cowboy. You speak for a lot of people, I beleive. Twelve years ago, an acquaintance of mine happened to own a guitar shop. He'd been struggling in recent years to keep the shop going in the face of Guitar Center and other mega-stores. The name of his shop, which he'd owned for eleven years, turned out to be very similar to the name of a new system of mega-stores that were popping up all over our metro area to compete with Guitar Center. The mega-stores probably never knew his shop existed but one day he was served papers claiming he could no longer use the name of his own shop because it was the name of their stores. Long story short, his attorney told him what it would take to win the case, and that he had a fair chance of winning. The cost would have put the guy in so much debt that he couldn't fight the mega-store. Which is what their attorneys counted on, I'm sure. I might do some tire kickin at the big stores but I do all my business with small shops or individuals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Those fret ends sticking out that much, pretty likely it's lack of moisture as you point out. Guitar Center sales guys have never impressed me, most of them know just enough to make it clear, they don't really know what they are trying to make me believe they know. I've been around this block too many times, I can just smell the BS a mile away. at the end of the day, what they want is to sell something, period.. (and There's NO WAY a satin finish is MORE expensive and labor intensive, that is just BS) I don't visit GCs unless it's a spur of the moment, or I need something the local mom and pops don't have or just don't have the time to wait for mail order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 My local GC overall is pretty good. I do however go through a sales rep there that has a good understanding of the real world. I think the manager of a GC makes the difference from one location, to another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Yea, sales is a skill and somewhat of an art. And, doing it honestly or dishonestly is another thing as well. Not to mention, there are a lot of kids who work there that can be good or bad kids, or good or bad salesmen. And many who haven't learned this stuff yet. And a lot of times, it comes down to the manager and IF they are teaching them and what they might be teaching. It baffles me sometimes, just how dense some of the employees are. They often have no clue they are "dissing" someone. And what is the FIRST rule of sales? WHO HAS MONEY!. It is TRULY baffling when they ignore a middle-aged guy, who shows obvious signs of having interest as well as an ability to pay. I remember a time when I had money and desire, and would walk around practically presenting myself as bait, just WAITING to see WHO was gonna be the guy who would see it, and be able to tell me what I wanted to hear and give me want I wanted to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinh Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Yea, sales is a skill and somewhat of an art. And, doing it honestly or dishonestly is another thing as well. It baffles me sometimes, just how dense some of the employees are. They often have no clue they are "dissing" someone. And what is the FIRST rule of sales? WHO HAS MONEY!. It is TRULY baffling when they ignore a middle-aged guy, who shows obvious signs of having interest as well as an ability to pay. That has actually been my GC experience also. I am also 53 years old, bald and wear glasses. I have reached that stage of life where I have some disposable income. I have probably purchased 40-50 instruments of various kinds in my lifetime. I am not particularly unreasonable or demanding. I often pay the asking price or close to it withiout getting very agressive. I usually come into the store at lunchtime wearing my generic work outfit of Kakis and a polo shirt. I think it would be easier to get a 20-something GC employee to come near me if I had a sign round my neck saying "PLAGUE" and rang a bell. I dont know why. Perhaps the stink of "unhipness" that I give off alerts them to the fact that it will be a real downer to deal with this old guy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 That has actually been my GC experience also. I am also 53 years old, bald and wear glasses. I have reached that stage of life where I have some disposable income. I have probably purchased 40-50 instruments of various kinds in my lifetime. I am not particularly unreasonable or demanding. I often pay the asking price or close to it withiout getting very agressive. I usually come into the store at lunchtime wearing my generic work outfit of Kakis and a polo shirt. I think it would be easier to get a 20-something GC employee to come near me if I had a sign round my neck saying "PLAGUE" and rang a bell. I dont know why. Perhaps the stink of "unhipness" that I give off alerts them to the fact that it will be a real downer to deal with this old guy? I'm 52, can buy whatever I want, don't have time to stand around being a smart shopper because if I want that thing, I'm walking out with it. Unfortunately, I have cases older than most of the kidz working there, so they can't bullshit me. And I'll call them on bullshit soon as I hear it. That's prolly why if Joe isn't there I don't get the time of day in that place. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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