Theta dealers in the Washington DC area?

Sorry I do not know your name or I would personalize the response. Salesmem change from time to time and a response from one is not necessarily what you would get if I had been present. Every situation is handled by an owner on an ad hoc basis. New sales people probably adopt a hard line re deviating from general policy. What a cistomer is wearing has absolutly no impact on how a customer is treated.

Long time customers get loan privileges. Customers who are new probably wouldn't be afforded a loan. However, had I been present and you explained the issue was one of wife operability, the loan would have been made by me. Things change. Most people find me a very nice guy and now that i have retired from the practice of law, I am in the store almost eveyday for long hours.

I invite you to visit our store again. Please call me before you come and I will ensure that you enjoy your visit. Of course, they would be no obligation to purchase anything. Just come enjoy, and let me try and make a new friend. Mark Haflich

Thanks Steve for the nice words. At Soundworks we do lend certain equipment out for trial. This priviledge is reserved for established customers. On new equipment sales we have a staunch no cash refunds policy. We accept returns for 30 days and issue a store credit which may be used at anytime in the future. I guess that's unbelievable. We have been in business now for 19 years. Most audio/video speciality stores last only a short time. We have learned that we can not keep everyone happy all of the time but we keep most of our customers happy most of the time. It is a said said fact but the customer simply is not always right. Transaction must be win/win. A new item taken home to play with for a few days, becomes a used item of considerably lesser value. Our policy of store credits only assures that we will not lose our shirts this way, It assures that we will at least make a sale to offset our new open box return. We sell over 100 different brands and in a credit situation can usually obtain a brand that we do not normally sell. Our true customer is indeed protected. TWe will not be a show room for internet sellers and we certainly are not a equipment lending library. We are here to serve our customers. People who use us but are not our customers once found out are rudely dismissed from our premises.

That said, over a period of years we have made mistakes. Salesmen sometimes have tough periods and may not always have acted as nicely as they should. I am continually working with the sales staff to educate them and to treat customers well. A customer doesn't have to buy to be a customer either. Lots of customers visit to see what's new and to get help with issues they may be facing. My wife and I have become friends with many many of our customers and each sunday during the summer have a barbeque for our employees and customers at out lakeside house in the country.
I think you will find it pleassurable to visit our store and will find yourself nicely treated.