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One big reason why brick and mortar high end audio dealers struggle.

I live in a major metropolitan area with several close by high end stores.  I never go in any of them.  A dealer just opened a new location 5 minutes from my house.  Major dealer with Magico, Constellation, McIntosh and many other serious brands.  I went by a couple weeks ago mid day on a Friday.  Door locked, nobody there.  I call today to make sure they are actually open for business.  Guy answers the phone and says that they were out on an install when I can by and that they are short staffed.  No problem, I understand.  But from that point on the guy takes a subtle but clearly defensive and pissy tone.  He states that they recommend setting up an appointment for customers to view their products.  Sure, and I recommend never going there.  Off my list.  Back to buying online.  Here's the issue.  So many of these high end dealers are only after the wealthy guy that comes in, spends less than an hour there and orders a complete home theater or 2 channel system and writes a check for $50k or more on the spot.  That's there customer base.  I get that it can be annoying to allow a bunch of lookers to come in and waste their time and not buy anything, but isn't it good for business to have more customer traffic?  If someone comes in, spends an hour there, listens to some amazing gear and then buys nothing, doesn't he tell his friends and family and coworkers about his great experience?  Isn't this word of mouth valuable?  These brick and mortar dealers almost universally are unwelcoming and unfriendly to people that want to come in and just look and listen and not buy.  Sorry, but the vast majority of potential customers are not going to spend 20 minutes by private appointment to order their new $100k system.  Why not encourage people to come and spend time with zero pressure to purchase.  I have purchased dozens of high end speakers and electronics over the many years I have enjoyed this hobby.  I might well buy from a dealer if they were actually nice, friendly, and encouraged hanging out and getting to know their gear.  But they don't.  I would never go to a high end store that required an appointment.  Because this creates a huge pressure situation for you to purchase that day.  I'm not ready to purchase on my first visit.  And neither are thousands of other potential customers.  If they can make a good living just catering to the wealthy one time buyers, then, ok, good for them.  Doesn't seem like they can though since so many have gone under.  Maybe it's time to try a different approach?  Step one, no commission sales people.  Step two, welcome people to listen and not buy anything.  Encourage it.  This will create positive word of mouth and significantly increase customer traffic and ultimately create more paying customers it would seem.  I don't get it.  Rant over. Please don't respond that you have an amazing dealer.  I'm sure they exist but they are the exception.  What I am describing is the typical customer experience.
jaxwired
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
I don't get it. Rant over. Please don't respond that you have an amazing dealer. I'm sure they exist but they are the exception. What I am describing is the typical customer experience.

Right. Typical. We got em here in Seattle. Over the last 30 years it has gotten steadily worse. It is all due to powerful economic forces you can do nothing about. But to the extent you understand what is going on you can at least make the one decision that will help both yourself and the market which is to opt out.

The powerful economic force is that to sell high end Magico etc takes expensive and well-appointed retail space, and a skilled and knowledgeable sales force. None of this is cheap and so the dealer needs his fat 60% gross margin because with all those expenses he really only nets about 5%. And yes at those prices 5% of a big number is a totally livable number- but not if earning it takes too much time. So everything every step of the way is pressing the market to sell high ticket gear to people with money to burn. That ain't you.

So opt out. Consider it as Rocky says a mercy killing. They are gonna die anyway. Don't make things worse auditioning or haggling, make it a clean kill by never going there in the first place. Learn to read reviews. Learn to search out and sift through all the information you need to do the right thing. Believe me, it is out there.

Never come around here asking anyone about anything. Waste of time. All your questions have already been answered. Come around here to read what others think, and practice being a reviewer yourself. Because you are. Every single thing you ever bought you reviewed. Only you just didn't take time to write it up. Instead you bragged or belly-ached.

Taking the time to thoughtfully write it up helps everyone. First and foremost it helps you yourself, because it makes you seriously think about a lot of aspects you might never have seriously considered before. It makes you a better listener. It makes you much more aware of what features really are important to you. Because you write your impression. Not what anyone else thinks matters. What YOU think matters.

This also helps everyone else in that we rely on these impressions. I haven't set foot in a store or show in years. Heck, I have my own shows now! I'm not alone. Other audiophiles have friends over, these if you do them right are terrific opportunities to listen and learn.

So now you know why, and now you know what to do about it. Go forth and spread the Gospel!
jerryg123's avatar
jerryg123
3,429 posts
 
I have a great dealer LOL called the internet….

I travel a lot, get to go all over the world and I stumble upon some great gear. If I want it I find it in the US and buy it.

Really a lot of these high end guys are as you stated they are looking for a whale. They are not looking for long term relations with their clients. One and done. 
oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa
4,867 posts
 
jaxwired >>>

  •  "Step one, no commission sales people."

Why the attitude regarding commissioned salespeople? No offense intended, but you are displaying a common prejudice regarding salespeople.

The difference between what you experienced, and commissioned salespeople is this: The person you dealt with over the phone has no idea what business he's in. He actually believes that he's in the audio business, a common mistake made, especially by propellerhead techno-freaks.

 A professional commissioned salesperson, on the other hand, understands that he/she is in the people business and that his/her success, and very livelihood, depend upon how he/she treats the customer. What the professional salesperson knows is that the first concern is to find out what the customer's needs are, and then to satisfy those needs. And then ask for referrals. 

I speak from experience here having spent over 50 years in commissioned sales.

 I once worked for an ultra-high-end audio dealer and watched the guy, over time, mastermind his way out of business. You've described his attitude very well in your post.  His people skills were nonexistent. He was actually bothered when people would come into the store. He told me once that they bothered him because "they take me away from my paperwork."

There were many times that I had demonstrated equipment for qualified customers and was just about ready to close the sale, only to have this nerd (the owner) come out of his office, proceed to start talking about slew rates, capacitors, resistors, etc. At that point, I would watch the customer's eyes glaze over and then watch them walk out the door without making a purchase. He kept blowing multi-thousand dollar sales until finally, he had to close the doors. All the customer wanted was to get well-reproduced music in his/her home. They were not looking for lessons in electrical engineering. 

No matter what I said to the guy, he just never got it. As a result, his investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars went right down the tubes. To this very day, I still don't think he gets it. 

In general, your assessment is right on the mark. Why people with no people skills opt to go into a retail business is beyond me. 

Frank
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cleeds
5,662 posts
 
jaxwired
So many of these high end dealers are only after the wealthy guy that comes in, spends less than an hour there and orders a complete home theater or 2 channel system and writes a check for $50k or more on the spot.
What makes you think that is how high end dealers work?
I might well buy from a dealer if they were actually nice, friendly, and encouraged hanging out and getting to know their gear. But they don't.
You're visiting the wrong dealers.
I would never go to a high end store that required an appointment. Because this creates a huge pressure situation for you to purchase that day ... What I am describing is the typical customer experience.
Why would you fear a "huge pressure situation?" I suppose that could happen under any circumstance but if it did, you could simply walk away.
Why are you convinced your fear is "typical?"
jperry
2,432 posts
 
Have you considered that the dealer did not want you to be disappointed if you came by again and they were not open?
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