The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 03-21-2018, 09:48 AM
cvcgrad cvcgrad is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 41
Default Good advice for owners of music stores

I spend a great deal of time, browsing around music stores, always on the lookout for a great acoustic guitar and a good deal. There are a few things I believe owners could do make the experience better for customers and ultimately increase sales.

First, strings need to be changed regularly. If I pick up a guitar to find the strings are dead, I will be very unlikely to buy the guitar. The quality of the strings has a direct effect on the sound of the guitar. I recently visited one store where the owners had posted a sign reading "please do not re-tune the guitars." Yet, all of the guitars I picked up were out-of-tune. How likely is it that I'll buy an untuned guitar based on what I'm hearing?

If possible, have a quiet room where customers can sit down and try out the guitars. I recently went to a store where there was so much background noise from keyboards, drums, electric guitars, etc. that I couldn't even hear the guitar I was playing.

Make the instruments as reasonably accessible as possible. Obviously, you don't want to leave an expensive guitar where it can easily be damaged. But customers will only go through so many obstacles. I've actually gone to a couple of stores where the higher-end guitars were kept inside glass cabinets. The experience resembled a visit to an art museum more than a music store.

Most music stores have to carry a wide variety of products to be profitable. But, you can have too much stuff crammed into a small space. I visited one store where I had to step over amplifiers and cases just to get to the section of the store where the acoustic instruments were on display.

The most important advice I can offer is giving the customer enough time and space to sample the instruments. Following the customer from guitar to guitar, pushing them to make a purchase, and standing over them is not going to increase the chance of making a sale. I have politely left a few stores where I had this type of experience, and I would be unlikely to go back.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-21-2018, 10:06 AM
bluesfreek bluesfreek is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,251
Default

Here in my city we have a couple of mom & pop music stores that I tend to shop at. They are cool and don't mind you trying out expensive guitars and at one place the owner, if he's there will give you a tour of the store he's so friendly...lol

We also have the large chain stores too. I find the staff at these places cold and impersonal. It's impossible to find a sales person most times at these shops to help you. They certainly don't follow you around. In one shop's acoustic guitar room they have some guitars hanging so high up that a sales person needs a tall step ladder to reach them for you. Like that isn't dangerous....geeze one day someone's going to lose their balance and...CRASH...there goes a Gibson J200!
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-21-2018, 10:08 AM
Jim in TC Jim in TC is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 526
Default

Fresh Strings: I have seen high priced (used, probably on consignment but still...) guitars with really dead, obviously old strings. No way! And a pretty easy fix, right?

Room: a separate space is nice but can be difficult if more than one wants to try things out. So that can cut both ways, but still I too prefer a quiet separate room.

One of the better salesperson experiences I had was after playing a bunch of guitars (all easy to access, some very nice), in a quiet separate room (for a little while a couple of us customers playing in there together) the owner popped in, said "play me a tune" which I did (short little ditty); he said "nice" and left. I wasn't in a purchase space at the time but it would have worked out for him had I been...
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-21-2018, 10:56 AM
brencat's Avatar
brencat brencat is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 7,642
Default

Funny, but I thought the advice you were going to give was,

“move to an online business model, and fast!”
__________________
Merrill | Martin | Collings | Gibson

For Sale: 2023 Collings D2H 1 3/4 Nut, Adi Bracing, NTB -- $4250 shipped
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-21-2018, 11:16 AM
banditcosmo banditcosmo is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Charlottesville, Va.
Posts: 38
Default

I think the only place I've been that meets all your advice is Gruhn's Guitar's in Nashville. I only wish I lived closer.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-21-2018, 11:17 AM
sid45 sid45 is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 149
Default

there are still places that are great stores to shop in my area (west coast Canada) including the "big one", not every store will be good so I give my $ to the ones that are and tell anyone who asks where NOT to go sid
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-21-2018, 11:21 AM
Steadfastly Steadfastly is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Minto, NB
Posts: 3,800
Default

Our local music store is like that. In addition, if you want a separate room to play in, they will offer one of the empty student rooms.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 03-21-2018, 12:27 PM
DukeX DukeX is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: SoCal
Posts: 3,460
Default

I will advise that, if it were that simple, and it isn't even close, all music stores would simply flourish.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 03-21-2018, 12:57 PM
cvcgrad cvcgrad is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 41
Default

My favorite store has a comfortable room where they keep the higher end acoustics. They'll even close the door to the room to drown out some of the outside noise. Someone will check in every 30 minutes or so to see if you have any questions. When I go there, I'm usually in the store a couple of hours.

They don't use high-pressure sales tactics. If you're not ready to buy that day, they may ask for your contact information and what you're looking for to follow-up.

Saturday tends to be the busiest day, so I will often go on a weekday.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 03-21-2018, 01:10 PM
muscmp muscmp is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: socal
Posts: 8,123
Default

weekly advice for store owners. same as last week. check with our sponsors instead. you'll probably like them better as they keep up on the AGF.

play music!
__________________

2014 Martin 00015M
2009 Martin 0015M
2008 Martin HD28
2007 Martin 000-18GE
2006 Taylor 712
2006 Fender Parlor GDP100
1978 Fender F65
1968 Gibson B25-12N
Various Electrics
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 03-21-2018, 01:17 PM
AHill AHill is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 554
Default

It's not as simple as it seems. A store owner must consider extra investment in strings, time and labor to change them out, how many guitars need strings replacement, etc., then balance all that out with some wish that increased sales will happen. Another consideration is how does the owner determine which guitars need strings changed? Does he need to play every single guitar to figure that out? Does he mark each guitar with some tag that indicates the last time strings were changed? Does he remember the tone of each guitar? The $75 Fender that's brand new might sound like it needs a string change, but the $2800 Martin that needs a string change might still sound better. If I'm in a store and the guitar sounds like it needs a string change, I just ask and generally they'll do it for free. That seems like a better business model to me from an owner's perspective.
__________________
2016 Martin D-28 Marquis
2017 Martin D-18
2016 Taylor 416ce-LTD cedar/walnut
2017 Eastman E10 OM
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 03-21-2018, 01:42 PM
Imbler Imbler is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 383
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by AHill View Post
It's not as simple as it seems. A store owner must consider extra investment in strings, time and labor to change them out, how many guitars need strings replacement, etc., then balance all that out with some wish that increased sales will happen. Another consideration is how does the owner determine which guitars need strings changed? Does he need to play every single guitar to figure that out? Does he mark each guitar with some tag that indicates the last time strings were changed? Does he remember the tone of each guitar? The $75 Fender that's brand new might sound like it needs a string change, but the $2800 Martin that needs a string change might still sound better. If I'm in a store and the guitar sounds like it needs a string change, I just ask and generally they'll do it for free. That seems like a better business model to me from an owner's perspective.
I had a similar thought. Are we willing to pay the higher prices on the guitars to insure they all have fresh strings on at all times? I suspect most aren't except on the high end models where the added cost would be a smaller percentage of the guitar.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 03-21-2018, 01:59 PM
cvcgrad cvcgrad is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 41
Default

For the investment of the guitars, changing strings on a regular basis seems to be a good policy (at least every three months).

I've honestly picked up guitars and the strings were so dead that I would speculate the strings had not been changed in over a year.

From the buyer's perspective, the sound of the instrument will most likely be the determining factor on whether or not they buy. If the instrument doesn't sound good, I'm not buying.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 03-21-2018, 02:11 PM
Jukie Jukie is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 764
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by banditcosmo View Post
I think the only place I've been that meets all your advice is Gruhn's Guitar's in Nashville. I only wish I lived closer.
I walked into Gruhn's and an employee welcomed me and told me to play anything in the store I wanted to try. I was blown away by their friendliness and customer service.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 03-21-2018, 04:35 PM
tiltman tiltman is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 17
Default

If you are ever in Atlanta, GA check out Maple Street Guitars.
I was there on business and since my hotel was right down the street...
Incredible store, great selection of guitars, put me in a small room to try out guitars and left me alone. Even brought me a couple just to see if I wanted to try something different.

Kirk
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=