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  #31  
Old 01-12-2017, 04:48 PM
harmonics101 harmonics101 is offline
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Originally Posted by M19 View Post
To the OP:

She was nice. You were not.

Her "I say that lightly" was her saying "I'm not going to demand you don't play that, but be careful please."

If I were you, I'd go back and apologize and check out that amp.

My $0.02.
I tend to agree.

I would have asked permission before grabbing any guitar and using your own tuner and pick that you brought along to start playing.

Maybe I'd do that if I was familiar to that person. But, a total stranger, coming in with their own tuner and pick, not asking for permission to grab a guitar and start playing? Seems a bit too forward to me.

Establish a rapport with the sales staff before going on your playing endeavors,

H
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  #32  
Old 01-12-2017, 05:03 PM
Gasworker Gasworker is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M19 View Post
To the OP:

She was nice. You were not.

Her "I say that lightly" was her saying "I'm not going to demand you don't play that, but be careful please."

If I were you, I'd go back and apologize and check out that amp.

My $0.02.
I agree it would take some guts to do this.
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  #33  
Old 01-12-2017, 05:16 PM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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I'm guessing that people who are offended by a shop having ANY kind of policy about handling the instruments have never owned a business. To me, a guitar shop that has a nice inventory should be just as protective as the antique shop that has signs that state: "If you break it, you buy it." A policy gets established because there has been a situation happen that made the need for a policy.

No one is entitled to handle anything in a business. Be polite: ask. If you are offended, it is because YOU overstepped your assumed entitlement. It doesn't matter that CG allows it - no other business is required to do what they do.

If I owned a guitar shop, I would definitely be profiling - not racial, but in terms of consideration: if someone comes in, is dressed appropriately (not with that studded jacket in an earlier post), seems respectful, I would give them more access than someone who seems inconsiderate.

I have owned businesses before we retired. There were some people who came in that we knew by name, BUT not because they were a good customer, rather because they had been "a problem" previously. I guess I am not necessarily impressed when someone says, "They know me here."

This whole thread seems to be based on a lack of communication rather than whether or not a business has the right to have any particular policy. If the OP had asked first, he would have had no reason to be huffy. As it is, his attitude is all on him, not the shop.
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  #34  
Old 01-12-2017, 11:43 PM
XYRN XYRN is offline
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Originally Posted by chitz View Post
I too, would have walked out.

All those instruments and gear on display should be considered demonstration items and subject to minor shop wear.

Sold at the end of their purpose at discounted prices.
One disagreement with this is that I wouldn't trial a guitar on the wall, decide I like it and then ask for one brand new in the box.

Guitars vary from one to the next off the same line and I want the one I want.
Not just one that looks like it.
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  #35  
Old 01-18-2017, 09:42 AM
polarred21 polarred21 is offline
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Well I guess I learned a lesson here and I still hate it turned out that way. I don't frequent that area often so no big deal.

After Christmas I made trips to several chain stores including GC and Sam Ash. All of these stores were new to me as I was just searching my area to see what was available, more than I have done in the last years. I was in the market for a new bass guitar and amp.

Obviously the independent small time dealer has to have a different business model to be successful and I knew exactly what she was saying to me and how she felt, it was just my first time experiencing this.

This store was 10% guitars at best which led me to believe they may be weak in the technician department which is undesirable to me.

The independently owned store that I do frequent allows free play much like the GC which I am used to.

The next time I find a new store, I will ask first and gladly state my intentions. That $300 Samick did sound good though......
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  #36  
Old 01-18-2017, 10:13 AM
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I can see it both ways but more so through the store owner's perception. It sounds like musical instruments are a small but fragile part of their overall picture with not a lot of backup inventory. Perhaps they've taken a hit before on damaged musical instruments; heck, maybe that same day. It sounds like the store owner/employee was very nice about it, but I also understand that you were miffed since you see yourself as one of the good guys when it comes to appreciating/taking care of musical instruments. I agree that it's best to ask first before handling instruments, especially in a small shop where you're not a frequent shopper/buyer...
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  #37  
Old 01-18-2017, 11:11 AM
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See, this is why we can't have nice things.....lol. Actually, this is why I could never own a guitar store. I'd be fed up by the end of the first day. I know my local shop here in Louisville takes a lot of grief online because of their "policies". They will let you play anything in the store for as long as you want. But, they want to take it off the wall for you (while assessing that your giant silver Buck Rogers belt buckle is not going to decimate the back of the guitar), so it doesn't get dropped or banged into the others and people complain about it. They are also somewhat attentive (though extremely nice and knowledgeable) which people complain about too. On the other hand, the shop I frequent in Lexington, I can go in just to browse and the guy is always saying "hey, come on upstairs in one of the rooms and let me give you this 5K Koa or 10K Brazilian guitar I can't afford to try out. (so he can hopefully find those extra dollars in my wallet that are there for emergencies). And then he leaves you alone to play. And I read people complaining about it online as well. It all comes down to when people want to go in and browse, they seemingly want to be able to play anything they want to play, but when it comes time to buy they then want a "demo" price because someone else did the same thing to it. I'd throw everyone out of my store and be out of business in a week.....
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  #38  
Old 01-18-2017, 11:30 AM
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I'm not sure. If the owner was nice about it and it seemed she was, it might not bother me. It would depend. I think a lot of us got spoiled by Guitar Center. I don't mind a guitar having minor scratches that can be buffed out, just like the ones my J-45 had, but who can predict what's going to happen to a guitar if everyone plays it. Some people are simply careless. Unfortunately, careless people don't have a sign on them declaring their status as an idiot, so the owners have to apply the "no play" rule to everyone.
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  #39  
Old 01-18-2017, 02:54 PM
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Originally Posted by TBman View Post
I'm not sure. If the owner was nice about it and it seemed she was, it might not bother me. It would depend. I think a lot of us got spoiled by Guitar Center. I don't mind a guitar having minor scratches that can be buffed out, just like the ones my J-45 had, but who can predict what's going to happen to a guitar if everyone plays it. Some people are simply careless. Unfortunately, careless people don't have a sign on them declaring their status as an idiot, so the owners have to apply the "no play" rule to everyone.
Seems like it would be simple to have customer sign a release, take their credit card and have them be responsible for damages. I've had a guitar shop owner forcibly grab a guitar off my lap mid strum, when another employee gave me permission. I like the business model at Hill Country Guitars............play what you like for as long as you like. Don't destroy our property.
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  #40  
Old 01-18-2017, 03:39 PM
ahorsewithnonam ahorsewithnonam is offline
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To me the lady sounded tough. He already stated interest in a bass and amp and she has the nerve to say.....we don't like people playing things if they are not going to buy them? Ok lady, how would I know if I wanted it unless I tried it?

I would have made a few comments to her, then left.
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  #41  
Old 01-18-2017, 03:55 PM
harmonics101 harmonics101 is offline
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Glad to see so many experts here knowing how to run a business to stay in business,

H
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  #42  
Old 01-18-2017, 03:55 PM
architype architype is offline
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It seems pretty simple. You are in their store, the guitars are their property, you follow their rules. don't assume you have free run of the merchandise. Just like your Mama should have taught you, ask before you start handling someone else's stuff.

If the store policy is to ask the clerk for help before removing a guitar from the wall then they should have signs posted stating such to avoid the awkward confrontation.

I've been to Artisan Guitars in Nashville, (very high end merchandise), and they are very polite and you can play anything you want as long as you ask first. If you have zippers, chains, buttons or anything else that may scratch the guitar they will ask you to remove it if possible or they will give you a towel to cover them with.

Here is a tip. If you are going to a guitar store to sample guitars, wear something that isn't covered in chains and zippers or studs and buckles. A sweater or sweatshirt in the winter and a t-shirt for the rest of the year.
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  #43  
Old 01-18-2017, 03:56 PM
ahorsewithnonam ahorsewithnonam is offline
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Originally Posted by harmonics101 View Post
Glad to see so many experts here knowing how to run a business to stay in business,

H

And I'll bet they don't stay in business long.
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  #44  
Old 01-18-2017, 04:55 PM
Joseph Hanna Joseph Hanna is offline
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Originally Posted by chitz View Post
I too, would have walked out.

All those instruments and gear on display should be considered demonstration items and subject to minor shop wear.

Sold at the end of their purpose at discounted prices.
The all too often problem here is manufacturers require dealers to sign a UCC agreement. Within the parameters of the contract the dealer agrees to abide by the purchasing requirements of the manufacturer. The practice started in the 80's with Gibson for all intents and purposes being the first to really tighten the rules and demand more up front purchases than many smaller businesses could ever possible hope to afford. Further many manufactures not only require a quarterly investment but many require a broad selection of product so a dealer can't just cherry-pick cheaper (and therefore easier selling units). This of course again benefits the manufacturer and not the dealer as the dealer must commit to a broad range of guitars that in fact may not ever fit the profile of the store demographic.

The idea of "one to show and one to go" would then double the dealers mandatory out-lay per quarter. Some manufactures can require up to 30 grand in mandatory buy-in's. Following your suggestions (and admittedly hypothetical at this point) that would up the ante to unreasonable investments. All of that in one way or another is required for every line a dealer chooses to legitimately carry. Add on top of that inventory taxes and it takes about a nano second for a dealer to get in over their heads. There's of course also rent, payroll, utilities, payroll taxes, insurance an accountant to keep things under control.

Cherry-picking 3 or 4 guitars and doubling the purchase to accomplish one to show, one to go is a thing of the very distant past. Now...on top of that understand the the MI (Musical Instrument) industry works on perhaps the absolute lowest profit margins in the world often hovering around 8% and it doesn't take much to imagine a shop owner being sensitive to their investments hanging on the wall.
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  #45  
Old 01-18-2017, 05:32 PM
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Originally Posted by harmonics101 View Post
Glad to see so many experts here knowing how to run a business to stay in business,

H
What you have are consumers, reacting to a particular store policy.

So the OP tells his local real world friends what happened. Some may not have it effect their future purchases, some may say "Hey, that stinks" and not shop there because of this.

Every one of us is an expert in what we like (usually, lol) and what we will put up with. When I buy a TV, I don't buy a floor model. Why? Because I know PC Richards has more in the back, in the original unopened box. Music stores should do the same, if possible, for new stock.
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