Charging A Fee To Demo An Amplifier In A Brick & Mortar Store

OK, katzenjammers, I apologize upfront if this gets pedantic, but I’m thinking from experience here and it’s kinda up my alley. Back in the golden years (1970-1990) I benefitted from all the yuppies-coming-of-age (I was one) and the simultaneous rise of audio/video toys in everyday life. It was fine! I actually made a decent living selling expensive stereo in a nice store to nice people. Think of it! In all that time, I NEVER asked for a demo fee. I can see scheduling appointments to audition a system, but what the hell am I there for?

I was general store manager in 4 major stores spanning both coasts and fly-over country. OMG! I worked the floor at Harvey’s in midtown Manhattan. 5th Ave. Hundreds of what salespeople call “strokers” AND buyers flooded in at lunchtime. Heaven on retail earth! But I would never ask for a demo fee. New Yorkers can get emotional.

I remember helping Stevie Wonder one day in LA. I think he had come in to see the owner about his Christmas presents. Remember the Sony D-20 disc-man? They were out for the holidays and he bought about 300 to give to his close friends. I talked him through the Tandberg stack (he had an older one in his bed) and he listened to some Stax. Previously, one of our guys had built him a fourposter bed with 4 KEF 105 mid/tweeter posts and a big sub under the bed. Can’t imagine why. Every one of those freaking Sony’s came back defective! First run! And it had to be practically a no-profit deal to begin with. I digress. But I didn’t ask Stevie for a demo fee.

Let me repeat myself: Brick and Mortar Retail Audio is DEAD! Deceased! A Goner! Look at that sellers AG page. He has huge sums tied up in incredibly slow moving gear AND a showroom in West Covina! West Covina is LA expensive but a Lifetime Away from the big money in LA. This guy is under tremendous pressure even in normal times and now all this? But I wonder:

1. Great demo music should be on ALWAYS in that store.
2. All that gear should be left on all the time anyway. Is it so hard to turn up a volume knob?
3. If I buy it online, without a demo, do I get another $500 off?
4. In another post somewhere I described the malaise that infects most retail salespersons who are caught in a downward spiral—of the economy, the dealer, their own income. When they begin to crack under the pressure, they can come to work with a negative mindset that just becomes further aggravated by strokers. It really is “retail burnout.” Friend of revolving doors everywhere. Ask anyone with more than 10 years selling anything retail.
5. Eventually, surviving retailers will realize that commissioned salespeople are not happy EVER! The owner figures that’s motivation—and it is when there’s traffic in the store. But when times are lean, like now, it’s too important to keep good sales staff happy. Pay them! They’re guarding your big investment! And SAD BAD!
6. Train, train, train. Not at 8AM Saturday! Train at night, after closing, with plenty of beverages! Air it out!

If I had the ability to buy those amps, I’d sure rather be dealing with a professional—given the choice. In fact, I would fly to Covina, listen to the amps, and bring them back with me. Crap! Those used amps are worth as much as the house I bought in the 70s with all that loot I got off nascent boomers.

3 cheers for Mammothguy! The guy everyone wishes they could sell to. I’ll give thumbs-up in advance if he brings us a report. It would be especially interesting if you go in there with cash and then get “blown out” by some crummy shenanigans.
That’s more salesperson jargon: a “blow out” is when you cause a customer to leave the store without buying. The customer is always right. But when he/she is wrong, a good salesperson doesn’t make a “weenie-wagging” contest out of it. (Especially with women!)

Most of these problems can be solved by putting audio sales staff on salary or salary + commission.Most of the remaining problems can be solved by the customers who fail to realize the importance of "cultivating" a likeable salesman by showing something more than adversarial attitudes. I always try to come up with something I need before going into the store. If you get a lot of good attention, pay the guy by buying something on the way out: cables, accessories, etc.Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, even salespersons! All stores owe everyone that deference. But if you want a salesperson to set up special demos, cart stuff to your house, do research with suppliers, and THEN cut you more than a token discount--which will usually come out of his paycheck--then you should expect to show the guy that at the very least he has a CUSTOMER and not a stroker.