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Visited a Store and was shunned

I live in an area where brick & mortar stores are not easily assessable to demo equipment. While traveling for business, I decided to stop by an establishment on the U.S. West coast. My interest was in the Dynaudio Confidence 20 since I’m looking to upgrade from the Contour 20i. I’m not here to name names or throw anyone under the bus, just purely to voice my frustration and disbelief on how I was treated.

I was greeted with skepticism and a general lack of interest in discussing the product. There were two gentlemen working that day and neither had any interest in answering questions or providing a listening demo. As a matter of fact, when I asked to listen to the Confidence 20 speakers one of them immediately said “no way”. Both speakers were on stands sitting next to several amplifiers so it wouldn’t have taken much time to setup.

I was intent on making a purchase that day and having the speakers shipped to my residence, but decided to leave the store based on my experience.

It’s a shame that most of us have to relay on equipment reviews when establishments such as this lack interest in the customers that support the hobby.

vette5451
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,437 posts
 

If you want to audition a specific products it's best to call ahead of time and make an appointment.

I admire your choice to not name the store.

dayglow
2,449 posts
 

Sounds like a tall tale! When a salesman said "no way" did security guards escort you out? Seriously make an appointment walk-ins are not always welcome even for a haircut.

jpwarren58
744 posts
 

Would Christopher Walken be welcome?

mitch2
4,750 posts
 

I am a little perplexed by those of you who seem to be implying the OP should not have expected the ability to audition speakers without an appointment.  If this was indeed a "store or shop" with a door open to the public, and assuming there wasn't a sign saying, "by appointment only", then disrespectful behavior toward walk-in (potential) customers is inexcusable. 

I get that an appointment can be desirable if you want to make sure that an associated has time for your questions and equipment auditions but assuming the "two gentlemen working" were not otherwise occupied, then good business practices and common courtesy would have included treating the OP with respect. 

On the other side of the coin, I am currently considering a purchase of a component manufactured in Europe. I started by contacting the distributor who connected me with a dealer in a different state from where I live.  I even exchanged an email with the owner/designer.  All three of these individuals have treated me cordially and with respect, which has made me feel comfortable about both the purchase and the brand.  Customer service is the cornerstone of a B&M store, so when their associates (or owners) display behavior as posted here, it is not hard to understand why they have lost market share.

 

robeffy's avatar
robeffy
84 posts
 

I have had mixed results when stereo shopping.  
Some shops seem uninterested, others do their job, which as a salesman is to sell.

My wife, upon entering a shop in Toronto, once said in a slightly raised voice "Your limit is $10,000 and no more".  She made sure a store employee heard that. Within a few minutes we were seated, with a bottle of water each, and I was asked "What would I like to listen to?" from their album collection.

The Harbeths were nice, I didn't buy them, I went for the B+W 802 D2's, slightly more than $10k as they were demonstrator models.

It was a walk in, but, her comment on my budget got the ball rolling.

 

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