Wow! Great thread. I was worried my shop from the old days would be mentioned, especially after the new owner, a professional crook who still has a shop upstate, took over.
Like many, I went into the business because of my love for music and my devotion to equipment. I learned so much!!
At first, I was hesitant in helping people find the "better" stuff. If you came in and wanted "X" I would sell you "X" with little or no issues. It is a BUSINESS, right?
After we LISTENED to the 40 different speakers on the floor--this was an existing shop that I bought--I REALLY learned a ton. A total revelation to me. I thought I knew stuff; boy was I wrong. For example, we always thought the large Advent speakers were the best in the world. To be fair, at the time they were OK for rock, but they completely disintegrated (not literally, of course) when driven by first quality electronics and especially when A-B comparisons were made to many other speakers on the floor. Sure, I sold you a pair of Advents if that is what you wanted. Why not? THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT is pretty much the first rule of retail, as my dad used to tell me.
Eventually ,with the help of people like Bill Johnson, Jim Winey, Sol Marantz and his people--he was pretty old in the early 1970's, but still very opinionated, and many others I will not list here, I learned and learned and learned.
We tried to help you the best we could. We brought stuff out to your room, set it up, let you listen for a week, etc. We sold a lot of high-end gear back then as there were other dealers who sold low-and-middle end equipment.
Finally, another thing I learned quickly is, "Never ask a customer what they do for a living." Back then, people came into my shop wearing cutoffs, no shirt, no shoes... and carrying suitcases full of cash; you may remember those days in South Florida.
A good dealer is customer-focused, intelligent about the gear he or she sells, and understanding of the audiophile's many, many dilemmas. If you can do that, and carry only the best stuff in every category, you have a shot of being named in this thread as a "great dealer."
Cheers!
Like many, I went into the business because of my love for music and my devotion to equipment. I learned so much!!
At first, I was hesitant in helping people find the "better" stuff. If you came in and wanted "X" I would sell you "X" with little or no issues. It is a BUSINESS, right?
After we LISTENED to the 40 different speakers on the floor--this was an existing shop that I bought--I REALLY learned a ton. A total revelation to me. I thought I knew stuff; boy was I wrong. For example, we always thought the large Advent speakers were the best in the world. To be fair, at the time they were OK for rock, but they completely disintegrated (not literally, of course) when driven by first quality electronics and especially when A-B comparisons were made to many other speakers on the floor. Sure, I sold you a pair of Advents if that is what you wanted. Why not? THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT is pretty much the first rule of retail, as my dad used to tell me.
Eventually ,with the help of people like Bill Johnson, Jim Winey, Sol Marantz and his people--he was pretty old in the early 1970's, but still very opinionated, and many others I will not list here, I learned and learned and learned.
We tried to help you the best we could. We brought stuff out to your room, set it up, let you listen for a week, etc. We sold a lot of high-end gear back then as there were other dealers who sold low-and-middle end equipment.
Finally, another thing I learned quickly is, "Never ask a customer what they do for a living." Back then, people came into my shop wearing cutoffs, no shirt, no shoes... and carrying suitcases full of cash; you may remember those days in South Florida.
A good dealer is customer-focused, intelligent about the gear he or she sells, and understanding of the audiophile's many, many dilemmas. If you can do that, and carry only the best stuff in every category, you have a shot of being named in this thread as a "great dealer."
Cheers!