Worst Guitar Store Experience Ever

[jpbrooks]

I am traveling for business and discovered that there is a guitar store across the street from my hotel. So, of course, I go to check it out.

I walk in expecting it to be mostly low end guitars since the music store shares the space with a children's clothing store. I was surprised to see 7 or 8 Martin dreadnoughts all with a sign on them saying to ask for assistance.

I am not really looking for a dread so I pass by those and see a Recording King that looked really nice and I have not had much experience with them so I thought I would give it a try. None of the lower end guitars had a sign saying to ask for assistance so I start to get it down and the owner (I am making an assumption but I am pretty sure) said "Can I help you?"

So I told him that I would like to give it a try and he comes over and says he has to get it for me (it's not high up or anything). As he is getting it, he notices that I have a pic with me. I always use a thin pic in stores being mindful of pic scratches. He tells me I can't use the pic. I said, how do I know how it sounds then and he tells me to use my fingers. Of course, at this point I am pretty sure I am not going to buy a guitar from him because I generally play with a pic and certainly not going to buy a guitar that I have never used a pic on.

It was way out of tune so as he stands 1 foot from me I use the tuner on my phone to get it into tune. While I'm doing that he asks what guitar I own, but not to make conversation. It was obvious, he was evaluating whether I could be trusted to hold and tune the guitar. Then to make conversation I said I am from out of town, but love to check out guitar stores when I travel and he responds are you looking or interested in buying and I said, I am always looking to buy a great guitar at a great price.

I have been playing for just over 4 years and have fallen in love with guitars and playing. I play everyday if possible and am pretty decent player, but I only play for my own pleasure. I have never played in front of anyone other than family so even though I shouldn't have been, I was uncomfortable playing the guitar because he literally stood 1 foot from me staring so I just strummed a few cords and palyed a blues lick and handed it back to him.

I am really looking for a inexpensive small body and he had a Loar so I ask to try it. He gets it down and says it will need to be tuned as well. No problem I say and I get my phone out. I tuned up the E, A, and D strings (they were all at least a step and a half low). I start to tune the g string and it makes a "crimping" sound (sorry no other way to describe it) I turn it a little more and the string snaps. I have changed strings probably 30 times and have only snapped a string once and that was in the first year of my playing. I would have expected him to apologize and offer to restring it so I can try it, but he just says I'll take care of it and acts irritated like "see this is what happens when people play my guitars." So I hand it back to him and he just puts it back where it was so I left.

I highly respect small guitar shops and am conscious of playing their guitars when I am not looking to buy and when I do play them, I treat them with the utmost care, but this guy really ticked me off.

[Slothead56]

Most small businesses that I've encountered are run by kind, hard working and enthusiastic people. I've had the exact same experience in music stores, golf shops, boat supply shops...you name it. Protecting the inventory is more important than selling the inventory to some folks.

Be interesting to see if the shop is still there should you continue to travel that way.

[Dirk Hofman]

Seems to be a clear correlation between this kind of behavior and low sales volume. Not sure if it's cause, effect, or both. It's too bad, I root for small businesses!

[Mr. Jelly]

That's funny. It sounds like my luck breaking a string. I can tell you were not at fault. Funny.

[RP]

I understand the OP's feelings because he has explained his background to us very clearly. However, the proprietor of the shop did not have access to any information and perhaps has been burned previously by looki-loos who banged up his guitars. One foot into selling children clothes and the other into displaying guitars sounds like an unusual (and possibly not fully committed) business plan to be sure. I'm guessing that he'd rather not have "potential" customers audition his guitars at all, and only play a guitar after purchasing it...

[Filum]

Wow that's a bummer. I've had my fair share of mine as well.

There goes...


Called the establishment to check for availability of Item A, shop owner enthusiastically confirms stock availability.

Went down, he tells me Item A is is outdated and lousy, brings out Item B (which is a lower spec and truly outdated) and tells me it is way better.

So I asked him does he have Item A? He says no, and continuously preaching and hardselling Item B to me. Item B is at least 7-10 years old from the looks of the labels and condition.

He is the sole Larrivee dealer in my country and I expected at least decent service. This guy lack even the basic honesty. Disgusting.

Wasted trip. Will never visit this guy and the establishment again.

[TBman]

For every guy that is super careful with a store's inventory, there's 20 jerks who aren't. Unfortunately for the shop owners the super careful guys are the ones that buy, if they let them, but don't because they get treated like the 20 dummies.

[Mr Fingers]

I often wonder how larger shops manage to sell guitars since there's so much wear and even damage inflicted by inattentive, careless customers. I mostly go to small shops where they readily let you try stuff, and have a good, safe area for you to do so. I don't encounter jerk clerks in big shops -- I encounter underpaid, untrained functionaries who can't contribute to the experience much because they don't have the background to do so. But I see the same thing in supermarkets and bookstores -- people just maul the merchandise, often, I think, because they are just unaware of the real value of the stuff, and the damage they are inflicting. Small shops just seem to function better in this respect, but unfortunately not everyone lives in an area where there are many of them. My experiences in guitar stores have mostly been wonderful; the worst have not been "bad," they've just been pointless -- going to GC or Sam Ash and having yet another futile experience trying to connect with an acoustic guitar in a bad environment. But go to the Music Emporium, or the Fret House, or similar, and you're in guitar heaven and working with great people who welcome you.

[bjb5228]

Originally Posted by TBman

For every guy that is super careful with a store's inventory, there's 20 jerks who aren't. Unfortunately for the shop owners the super careful guys are the ones that buy, if they let them, but don't because they get treated like the 20 dummies.

I think this is probably what sounds like happened.... One jerk that breaks/seriously scratches a $3k+ instrument can ruin the browsing experience for everyone. I used to go to this small town that had an exceptional room full of high end guitars, often at least 50 top end and vintage models. Then, one day out of nowhere everyone even going in there had to be accompanied by the owner even though I only ever saw the same 5-6 people checking out this back room that was relatively unknown in the community.

[Steadfastly]

If he was the owner, he is a jackass and will not last in business. If he is an employee, he is a jackass and should be fired immediately if not sooner.

[fazool]

I can see both sides, but if his concern was abusive/careless customers he could have still done a better jobs. The fact is a potential customer left very unhappy and even told many people about it.

Best music store experience I ever had was a small shop called Twin Village Music (give them your business if you're ever in Western New York). They cater mostly to school bands but they took such fantastic care of us when we upgraded to a $2K instrument for our daughter - I've never experienced anything like it.

Next best experience was a little old shop called The Podium (you might have heard of it ). I called ahead asked if I could visit without imposing. They were beyond fantastic. I was so saddened that they closed before I was in a position to buy from them.

Worst music store experience I had was a small shop that knew nothing about guitars of customers, opened shop, treated me like dirt were rude condescending, insulting and generally mean and unwelcoming. They got none of my business but much of my pleasure when they went out of business six months later.

Next worse was a small shop that was bitter and angry at the world, especially because of big box stores and online sales I think. I tried to shop there but felt so uncomfortable I felt like I fled rather than left. I tried a second time and it was worse.


What's the common theme?

All small music shops. Excellent or horrid - it's not because you are small it's because of your "front line" people.

Originally Posted by jpbrooks

...He tells me I can't use the pic. I said, how do I know how it sounds then and he tells me to use my fingers...

For future reference, this is the point where you (with a genuine smile) thank them for their time, but politely tell them you don't want to take up any more of it and you'll be on your way.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

For future reference, this is the point where you (with a genuine smile) thank them for their time, but politely tell them you don't want to take up any more of it and you'll be on your way.

Good strategy....

[Reidclifford]

Could be a Canadian thing... but our big box, non commission shop (long and mcquade) generally has unscathed equipment, and is still great about letting you try anything. They still keep the high end stuff out of reach, but there’s always someone around to grab them for you. They didn’t even bat an eye when I asked to play the $9000 John Mayer signature Martin they had on the wall.

The next biggest retailer (Tom lee music) is commission based, and much pickier about letting you play things. They keep anything above $1000 In locked display cabinets, and they never have many staff members around. And then they try to sell you all the things.

Anywho, most shops I’ve been to just make sure you don’t have any buttons or zippers on your clothes that can scratch guitars, and then you’re free to play anything.

[HeyMikey]

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

For future reference, this is the point where you (with a genuine smile) thank them for their time, but politely tell them you don't want to take up any more of it and you'll be on your way.

Orrrrrrrr, You can go back to the shop with a Martin case in each hand and do the Pretty Woman thing