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Ever feel like a "low dollar" customer that your dealer doesn't think worth their time?

I'm a careful researcher for audio gear and I also understand the value of brick and mortar stores. I am not OCD and I am not an irascible haggler. Indeed, I have told my local stores that if they carry something I like, I will buy from them and not try to find it cheaper on the net. I have purchased major pieces of gear from them.

Nevertheless, one local shop is erratic in how it treats me. Emails can take a long time to get acknowledged, and often exchanges take several back-and-forths to get clear questions answered. This shop sells gear at my price point and up to 10x more (think Wilson speakers, $7k power cords). I often feel I'm more like a fly buzzing around their heads than a valued customer trying to establish a customer-dealer relationship. I am trying to be loyal, but it makes me want to shop online. I could be reading the situation wrong, but this is definitely a pattern.

Has anyone else had the sense that they were too much of a "low dollar" customer to be worth the dealer's time?
hilde45

Showing 1 response by eisenb11

eisenb11
33 posts
 
It's not an audio gear story, but this happened to me a couple of cars ago when I was car shopping.

I had been driving a BMW 328i convertible for almost 4 years and had been saving up for my next new car. The 328i was ordered and my plan was to order another car. 

Put it for sale on the posting board at work thinking it would take me a month or two to sell... oops... sold it in one day!

Had to have the new owner drop me off at Hertz after work and I ended up renting a Mazda 3. That weekend, I drove it up to the Mercedes dealer and asked to test drive a C63 AMG. They wouldn't even show me one - maybe I shouldn't have parked the Mazda by their front door, ha ha. Told them that I have cash ON HAND and was ready to buy, but I didn't get anywhere with them. Instead, they kept on showing me overpriced used cars that appeared to have been waxed using sand paper - swirl marks on black metallic paint galore.

Ended up going to BMW and got an order for an E92 M3 hammered out in an hour. Got to drive my rented "M3" until the real one arrived.

That was 2 cars ago... still miss the redline on that V8!
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