One big reason why brick and mortar high end audio dealers struggle.


I live in a major metropolitan area with several close by high end stores.  I never go in any of them.  A dealer just opened a new location 5 minutes from my house.  Major dealer with Magico, Constellation, McIntosh and many other serious brands.  I went by a couple weeks ago mid day on a Friday.  Door locked, nobody there.  I call today to make sure they are actually open for business.  Guy answers the phone and says that they were out on an install when I can by and that they are short staffed.  No problem, I understand.  But from that point on the guy takes a subtle but clearly defensive and pissy tone.  He states that they recommend setting up an appointment for customers to view their products.  Sure, and I recommend never going there.  Off my list.  Back to buying online.  Here's the issue.  So many of these high end dealers are only after the wealthy guy that comes in, spends less than an hour there and orders a complete home theater or 2 channel system and writes a check for $50k or more on the spot.  That's there customer base.  I get that it can be annoying to allow a bunch of lookers to come in and waste their time and not buy anything, but isn't it good for business to have more customer traffic?  If someone comes in, spends an hour there, listens to some amazing gear and then buys nothing, doesn't he tell his friends and family and coworkers about his great experience?  Isn't this word of mouth valuable?  These brick and mortar dealers almost universally are unwelcoming and unfriendly to people that want to come in and just look and listen and not buy.  Sorry, but the vast majority of potential customers are not going to spend 20 minutes by private appointment to order their new $100k system.  Why not encourage people to come and spend time with zero pressure to purchase.  I have purchased dozens of high end speakers and electronics over the many years I have enjoyed this hobby.  I might well buy from a dealer if they were actually nice, friendly, and encouraged hanging out and getting to know their gear.  But they don't.  I would never go to a high end store that required an appointment.  Because this creates a huge pressure situation for you to purchase that day.  I'm not ready to purchase on my first visit.  And neither are thousands of other potential customers.  If they can make a good living just catering to the wealthy one time buyers, then, ok, good for them.  Doesn't seem like they can though since so many have gone under.  Maybe it's time to try a different approach?  Step one, no commission sales people.  Step two, welcome people to listen and not buy anything.  Encourage it.  This will create positive word of mouth and significantly increase customer traffic and ultimately create more paying customers it would seem.  I don't get it.  Rant over. Please don't respond that you have an amazing dealer.  I'm sure they exist but they are the exception.  What I am describing is the typical customer experience.
jaxwired
20 plus year ago I walk into a SF bay area, well known at the time Store front. Me and the wife. I know exactly what I want to buy. I wait, I wait, I wait. NO ONE ask me a question or gave CRAP. The wife had 50k in the purse and a gun.

I walk around look and wait. Finally a guy looks up from his view screen and yells across the floor. Hay MAN what can I do for you? My wife looks at me, I look at her and we start walking out the door. We look pretty common, just Dick and Jane all grown up so to speak.. Spot is waiting in the car...

I leave that store and go to north, south, east and west to the Bay areas Stereo stores, I travel 100s of miles every weekend for 2 months..

I gave up, call a guy in TEXAS and he said fly out let's make a deal. It took him 1 minute to figure out I knew what I wanted.. Said he would make it worth my while to come out and visit him..

We remained friends with a post card EVERY Bday, Christmas/New year card and always asked how the wife kids and Spot was? He retired 10 years ago..

We had a few BBQs and both visited our ancestors grave sites in Rosebud Texas.. BTW he paid for the plane tickets, hotel rooms, food, and transportation. He flew me and the Mrs to the Alamo too. First class guy..

I bought 65+ K over two weeks. I took the receipts to the FIRST store in SF, I wore the same pair of Bib Overalls!

66,500.00 the wife took his picture, he was actually crying..

I had to leave the whole STATE!!! To get treated like a human..

Regards
Great story oldhvymec. Goes to show you can never judge a book by it's cover. Never pays to prejudge anyone based on their looks.

Reminds me of the time when I used to go listen to a friend learn to play piano back in jr. college. They had many sound proof rooms and the one my friend used also had a harpsichord. He was a quick learner having only played guitar but made some really impressive progress. A natural if I ever saw one.

One day this kid came in after he'd finished and we were just hanging out. That kid had old overalls on as well with hands that looked like he just got done planting the lower 40.

When he sat down at the harpsichord and started to play some Bach, our jaws dropped. We stayed the whole time he played just soaking in the music. You never can tell.

All the best,
Nonoise
I agree with the OP.

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"Buy local"

I think the local retailers need to realize it is almost 2022 and adapt their business to current times and expand their market via the Internet. There is no denying that this is how the world is going especially with the younger generations.

"Local" is relative. The world has gotten smaller.

To be fair, manufacturers also need to adapt to this and stop limiting their dealers by geography. I don’t get it....sounds like a racket to me.

Maybe these local shops could become the next TMR Audio or PS Audio.

I would bet that in the future more manufacturers will start making the move to a direct to consumer model that would make all of this moot.