I have run into similar but less offensive behavior from store associates. Given where I live in the central VA area, the only brick and mortar stores local to me are Best Buy and Sam's Club. Charlottesville offers a Crutchfield store. None of these 3 locations are willing to indulge my desire to hear expensive speakers I have never heard before prior to making the sale. I was interested in comparing a pair of the current model Khorns with the current model La Scalas in the hope that I would find one of those two choices so overwhelmingly desirable I would buy them on the spot. But nothing doing, they sell them but no audition allowed. Given the hard 'no' to a genuine request from someone who was prepared to throw down enough money to buy a nice car, I left the store with a firm resolve to never go back under any circumstances. They would not even hook up a Marantz HT receiver for an audition. Basically their whole operating deal is you can audition anything that is hooked up but dont ask for anything that isnt. This a horrible business model. That said, I might mail order something like an equipment rack or small electronics but as a serious resource their actual practice in accommodating a serious buyer's request with a hard no exempts them from the game. So now my only recourse is review analysis ahead of time and mail order what I think I want and live with the result. Its too bad the audio world is shrinking in the way that it is. I have fond memories of watching Dad build heathkit gear and then hearing good recorded music on what was for the day good equipment. Maybe not bleeding edge but in the sixties griefkit amplifiers and AR 3a speakers made for a great system, and you could go to any of a half dozen local stores to hear gear that ran the gamut from cheap to pretty esoteric. In those days, the guys that ran these shops always were happy to see someone come in and engage with them and discuss the latest equipment and it's relative strengths and weaknesses, and actually listen to some music on gear you did not have at home. I squandered much of my youth by doing just that. Thoroughly bitten by the bug. Followed in Dad's footsteps and built my own kits, first a Lafayette shortwave radio, followed by two Heathkit FM receivers, the first one was monophonic only, the second stereo. Then came the Dynaco gear, an SCA 80Q amplifier which was my college amp. Then after I married I got a DH-200 Hafler kit that ran for many years. It was still working at the time of the fire 2 years ago but of course is gone now. along with much of everything else. But modern day store behavior is completely different than it used to be. If I am at sams club I am totally ignored which is not unexpected there. At Best Buy its pretty much the same unless you are looking at TVs. That seems to attract associate attention, but audio gear? Not at all...and the associates in the local store on my last visit once I was able to get ones attention were not at all knowledgeable. It's a cruel joke when you expect the salesperson to know their product better than I do...and come away disappointed. Same thing happens when car shopping.
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.
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- 134 posts total
- 134 posts total