We have 1 1/2 shops here and when I decided to buy Some KEF speakers, I knew they’d have to be shipped whether I ordered them from a local HT shop who had never seen or heard one or from another dealer, so I bought from AV Therapy and had them shipped 850 mile to my front door. John took very good care of me.
What's your experience with snooty HiFi salesmen?
I began my Hifi journey in 1976 at a shop in Birmingham MI called Audio Dimensions. He was a Magnapan and ARC dealer who was kind to a 15 year old kid who bought a set of MG 1s with paper route money. The ARC amps he carried were about $4K back then- a LOT of money in 1976. In the beginning I drove my MG 1s with an old Fisher Studio Standard integrated amp. Since those lovely innocent days I have encountered some real buttholes. They act like they are doing me a favor as they quiz me about what gear I have and if I'm listening to "approved" recordings. Needless to say I don't buy from those guys. Several wives and businesses later I'm back into the hobby with a much vengeance as a 61 year old can muster given only so many free hours in a day and only so much cash to apply due to my other vices: Classic cars and salt water fishing.
Have you ever encountered a really good or really bad dealer (or employee) that changed your buying actions?
Darko posted a video on this topic which I found really enjoyable. Many of you have already seen it but for those (like me) who discovered it much later here's the link:
https://darko.audio/2022/09/audiophiles-are-snobs-with-money-to-burn/
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I used to live in the SF Bay Area. I have had good luck with salespeople at Stereo Plus (Berkeley); Music Lovers (Berkeley); Audio Chamber (Berkeley); Western Audio (Palo Alto); and, my personal favorite "The Soundwell" (Berkeley). I had less than good luck at The Audible Difference (Palo Alto). We moved to Arizona, and it is a wasteland for hi-end stereo. The best shops I have found are AZ Hi-Fi (on Central), and Woolson's (Phoenix). I enjoy shopping at LMC (Scottsdale), but I prefer their Tempe store. Somehow, the LMC stores make me feel uncomfortable if I don't buy something...or maybe it's just me. |
@curiousjim that's awesome! We're pretty fortunate to have 3 local very down to Earth and very accommodating shops with true customer service reps. I'm not surprised as every time I have been to AV Therapy they make you feel comfortable the minute you walk in the door. Glad they took care of you. Like I said, even though I had to wait longer and could have saved a decent amount of $ going online I still went with my local shop because they took the time to really set me up and give me a great experience.
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Being super nice with a great attitude just seems like a better way to live, let alone make a sale. There seem to be two possible prompts for a sales person being a jerk -- they're in the wrong business or the customers and/or environment of the store have made them jerks. Not many here are admitting to be part of the problem, and maybe we have 100% sweethearts on this thread, but I bet those in sales could spin a tale of the Customer from Hell. |
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