@gdnrbob. Correct. I think my next step is to visit a dealer with a long standing customer/mutual friend and have that be an ice breaker. I forgot, but I was in Des Moine and visited a small dealer. They had their guard up at first, but once I was able "geek out" with the nicer employee over a mutual interest, It made for a nice, but quick listening session. Wasn’t a fan of the speaker placement, so not much of an audition. Still, the vibe was thick! when I walked in.
I grappled with the idea of buying from a dealer who wasn't local, after visiting my local dealer to make a purchase, and the salesman seemed he didn't know much about the equipment he sold, was pretty much an "order taker" and wasn't that interested in finding answers to my questions. About 40 years ago I was a commissioned audio salesman and it used to really bother me when I'd spend time working with a customer who would then go to a discount store and buy cheaper stuff. Every now and then, when they'd have problems, some of them would actually have the audacity to ask me to help them with problems they had with the equipment they bought from that discount store. But in the case of making a purchase from my local dealer, the owner had an investment that I benefited from, and though my salesman wasn't the best, I didn't think it was right to buy the items somewhere else, when the local dealer "added value" by having the units available on display at their showroom.
I always try to support good local dealers when you can find them. In the long run they can save you money by offering good advice and sometimes can link you with great deals on trade ins from other customers. But many dealers aren’t great and have bad attitudes. For those I don’t care.
Small selection, poor attitudes, RUSHING CUSTOMERS, goofball markups, and generally being useless.
Can someone explain why I must pay huge amounts to visit some dealership's small mostly useless showroom during working hours so I can have the exclusive privilege of having them ship a box to me I could just as well get from the manufacturer?
If you have a little showroom with not quite what I want and you cling to me playing 30 second snippets and chat at me, the only thing you're going to sell is the idea of me leaving.
There's like 100 shows a year, I don't really NEED to go to a dealership. So just be like those "by appointment only" dealers that are just local distributors there to take a chunk of my bank account for the exclusive privilege of buying audio gear.
"
Brick and mortar dealers can go straight to Hell."
After reading a good sampling of your posts, it appears to me that your attitude might be the sole reason your journey in high-end audio is less that satisfying for you.
+1 dill. Though I can understand madavid0's sentiment. When I recall the pretentious attitudes that more than a few dealers in Manhattan gave me, I too, wished them an eternal residence in a fiery pit. Thankfully, not all of them deserve such a fate.
I was in a local high end store today to purchase some records and it was a thoroughly pleasant experience. They had some nice speaker playing so I sat to listen. A salesman asked if he could help me at all. I explained I wasn't currently in the market even though I really like the brand of speaker playing. Told him I don't wish to bother him especially if he has another customer who is in buying mode. But since the speaker was already playing thought I'd listen for a moment. He was completely pleasant, said they completely encourage sitting, relaxing and listening to anything, and no problem about not being in buying mode. He'd play any system I'd like.
Good move. That's the way to treat customers if you can do it. I know that a number of times over the years I've been in a similar "I'm in the market at this time" mode (and made sure the proprietor knew it), but when the proprietor played me a system or two I was like "Hey, that was pretty damned nice." It put the bug in me which later turned into my purchasing the item later on from his store.
If I get the itch for yet another speaker, e.g. for a second system, now I have what I heard at the store in the back of my mind.
Guess inna maybe you should simply ask yourself how you'd feel if you were the dealer and people did it to you. Or, just consider in general , do you like getting jerked around
I would never go to a dealer that I hadn’t done any business with to listen to something with the sole purpose of buying it online. At a minimum I would give them a chance to make a deal.
If if it was more of a big box store where I wasn’t requiring any special effort by a salesman then I wouldn’t feel as strongly about it.
I dont think it is necessary to overpay by a large margin just to support a local store but sometimes giving them something for their time can easily equate to paying a little more for the product.
One of my local shops led me to my Yaqin tube amplifier and not only sold it for me at the online price they set it up for me. I don’t think they made anything on the deal beyond good will which they are very good at. I have purchased a few things from them since and recommend them a lot. I would pay more from them.
Just don’t plan to request warranty work from that dealer whom you screwed over by auditioning gear with them and then ended up buying the same gear elsewhere or online.
What comes around goes around. Karma screws those who screws others.
I have never auditioned at a store then bought online but where I live unless you want an Anthem, Integra or similar items mainly used in Home Theaters there is nothing to really audition anymore though some will special order certain items.
Here’s how I handle the situation. Before audition, I discuss price considering online price and additional cost operating a BM. If we can’t agree, I move on and don’t waste stores time. Usually we agree on a price and both parties win.
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