Worst Guitar Store Experience Ever

[Pickcity]

My closest store, less than 5 minutes away, totally lost me a while back when one jerk salesman who I had never met before told me that only serious players/customers could play their Martins. LOL...He must have hated me for my dashing good looks (kidding, of course). But whatever his reason for making the comment, I have shopped there for years and spent thousands, literally, on instruments to picks and everything in between. I found it humorous because the boots I was wearing cost more than most of the guitars in their inventory. I told him so, and then I told him where he could stick his Martins. Unbelievable. I always liked this store and was a serious potential buyer. Unfortunately they have gone way downhill the past few years..In the end this story worked out for me, though, because later that day I found my Gibson J-15 at Ken Stanton music and brought her home.

I miss the old days. I remember old George Luther at Rhythm City in Atlanta. He was an eccentric, to be sure, but he would all but refuse to let you leave without buying something. I'm not exaggerating either. George would stop you if you were walking out empty handed and it was near impossible to escape him. He would lose money just to give you a better deal than his competitors. Of course he had enough money to do stuff like that, but he wanted everyone to get the best deals from him. Funny guy, most of the time. One day he bet an employee $100 he could get his Mercedes through the front door of the store. The employee took the bet and George, who may or may not have been slightly intoxicated, brought down the front of his store front on top of his car. That guy...One thing I never had a problem with at Rhythm City was trying out gear. I've heard good and bad stories about that store, but I loved it. I have some very fond memories of that place. They always had the latest and greatest of everything, and always had good prices. He was eventually bought out by GC.

Most of the small family owned music stores around me are great to deal with. I will buy from them whenever possible. Almost all of my smaller purchases go to a local music store. It helps out and I want them to keep their doors open.

[Twelvefret]

I'll side with the store owner.

The stores I used were those where I knew the owner and employees. I never just played a guitar because I knew a person who was truly interested would not want something that everyone had played.

When I purchased my Martin in 2006 it was used and hanging on the wall. I was interested the moment I saw it. I played it for three hours. Later I would return to the shop and they always asked if I wanted to play one of their Collings or other makes. I declined.

As for the pick, my son allowed his high school buddies to play the Arnold 12 fret for 5 minutes and I have three pick marks across the top. I did get upset because I know he was proud of that guitar and just wanted to show it to his friends, but the point it, picks can do damage in the wrong hands.

[munkeyfish]

Originally Posted by fazool

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

When we lived in East Aurora years ago, I use to go to Twin Village Music all the time. They Use to be a Full Fender Carrier and had lots of Yamaha acoustics. When we moved away from there, the former manager had told me the owner wanted to be mostly a school band instrument store. I believe he left over that decision.
But you are right, they where always great to me there. I bought/traded a lot of gear and money there. I wish I could say I still have some gear from that time, but I don't. However I have slowed down my flip rate.
Pete and Chris were the 2 guys I dealt with most. I know Pete is gone, he moved away, not sure about Chris.

[munkeyfish]

There was a short lived music store here in town about 15-20 years ago. I only went in 1 time and the owner acted like I was the biggest PITA he had ever met. I walked around the shop a bit taking in what was for sale. It was one of those places where all the guitars where hanging behind the counter. I asked a couple questions about a guitar or two and he was really short and kinda condescending towards me. I was getting pissed, but asked to check out one the mid priced guitars. He demanded that I proved that I had the cash or a Credit Card with sufficient funds available to purchase the guitar BEFORE he would let me touch the guitar.
It was not one of finer moments. I showed my *** and used very colorful language on my way out. The only people in the store, was him and myself.
His shop was closed within about 3 months. A lot of people I knew that visit had a lot of the same experience. This is a small town and you are not going to get far with that type of service here or anywhere. Funny, a few of us musicians where just talking about this place over the weekend.

[AndrewG]

Well, considering it went down the crapper some time ago, I guess it won't matter if I cite the London Resonator Centre. I phoned and ordered an SCGC Tony Rice from them; all well and good. It arrived (and this is no exaggeration), with a badly bowed neck, green frets, deep gouges in the scratchplate, dings on each side of the headstock where it flares, (presumably from being taken on and off a wall hanger), and it hadn't even been dusted! This was a brand 'new' guitar.
To say I was less than impressed given the considerable financial outlay, is a gross understatement. To cap it all the guy I politely complained to, Mel Isaacs, was doubting my word as to the condition it had arrived in! I really had to restrain the expletives. Anyway I got my money back. Mr. Isaacs has evidently done a runner...

[bobster7]

The OP is lucky that they don't live in sunny old England that sort of customer service is par for the course and good customer service the exception in my experience.

[Steadfastly]

A survey done years ago on customer service bore out the fact that customers who have a good experience with a seller will, on average, tell three people. Those that have a bad experience will tell twelve people.

Customers are hard to gain but easy to lose. So are prospective ones you've never heard of.

[Shades of Blue]

I had a bad experience at a shop in Myrtle Beach, SC. They had some decent guitars, and I sat down to play a 12 string. I don't remember the brand, but the guitar was around $800. Now, my late father in law was with me. He was probably 50 at the time, I was in my early 20s. He picked up a Martin X series of some sort.

The sales guy walks over to me and asks if I can read the sign, "Please ask for assistance." I look at my father in law and he looks at me and smiles. I reply, "Does that go for everyone or just me?" He then asked me to put the guitar down. I put the guitar down and then my father in law (being the absolute smart butt he was) hands me a Martin dread and asked the sales guy if we could play.

The sales guy agrees to let us play and we busted out our version of "I'll Fly Away." In this song, I rip out some crazy flat picking and we actually create some "shop buzz." Back in the day, we traveled a bit and played southern gospel in local churches.

The sales guy says, "Hey that was pretty good" and asked if I liked the guitar. I replied, "I do, but I'm going to take my business to someone who doesn't have to hear me play in order to trust me with a guitar."

The caveat is that I truly do believe that shops need to be careful who they let bang around on guitars. I have a local shop where you honestly can't find a guitar that doesn't have scratches and dents, and they want top dollar for them. The key is to keep expensive guitars out of reach or behind a counter.

[s2y]

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 once saw a kid wearing a belt and jacket covered in spikes throw a fit because he couldn't play a very expensive Les Paul.

[rampix]

I'll share two of my experiences, one good and one that turned out good.

The first one started poorly but turned out fine. I was in Germany on a business trip including a trade show. The exchange rate was in my favor, and I had a crate at the show with room for a guitar box, so I was considering buying something not available at home. The owner pegged my as an American and bluntly told me not to touch anything since I wouldn't be buying (his assumption). As I was leaving his 20ish son approached me and asked what kind of guitar I played at home. When I told him he then asked if I know any Neal Young songs, to which I said sure. He proceeded to get 2 nice acoustics down and he and I played for about an hour. The old man just gave me the stink-eye for the entire time. Too bad they didn't have anything I couldn't live without, I'd have bought one, but only from the son.

One of my best experiences was at Wildwood Guitars in Louisville, CO. I dropped in and told them I wasn't interested in buying, but wanted to try any Martin with a mod V neck as the low profile on my D35 was starting to bother my hand. In spite of telling them I wasn't buying they put everything from an Authentic to a brand new HD28V straight out of the box into my hands. The result, there was cash in my hands when I returned the next day and the HD28V went home with me.

[JakeStone]

Maybe we should have an AGF Badge...
Flash it as we walk in the shop

[GaryH]

I've worked in music stores since the early 70s. A owner/salesman like this is one reason many people buy online....or from catalogs before the internet. Any store owner that doesn't have his stock clean, strung with fairly new strings and in tune is too lazy or cheap to be successful. We deal in school band instruments, and I'm a repair specialist, but we always take any and every opportunity to put an instrument in the hands of those that walk thru the door. It's hard to sell one if people are intimidated or pissed off.

[redir]

Geesh I'm surprised he didn't try and charge you for a new set of strings

I hope he does well in the children's clothing business, or does he make women prove that they are mothers before they buy cloths too?

[bjewell]

A guitar shop located in Tiburon CA, one of the wealthiest towns in the USA, especially the guy that works there. If you don't stink of money, they want nothing to do with you. Lots of nice guitars though.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by bjewell

A guitar shop located in Tiburon CA, one of the wealthiest towns in the USA, especially the guy that works there. If you don't stink of money, they want nothing to do with you. Lots of nice guitars though.

Wow. Could not be more the opposite of every experience I've had there. I've invariably found Eric and James To be incredibly friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable.

Sorry to hear you walked away with that reaction. Personally I love that they leave you alone until you ask for help. Any question I've ever had was answered beautifully.