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People who work in music stores

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(@fleaaaaaa)
Prominent Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 680
Topic starter  

There's always one, I went into a music store today in my town called Dolphin Music it used to be called Woods and was known for very snooty staff but now they have some guitar staff and one is just as bad. I was looking at the epiphone Les Pauls and he said "Can I help you?" I said, slightly because I hoped to cheese him off "Yes I was looking for a REAL Gibson Les Paul but I can't see any. I'm normally a Strat player but a lot of the people I like play them" he replies "Oh, they're nothing special". Nothing special? How can anyone who works around guitars say that? Everybody knows a Les Paul (especially Gibson) is a sought after instrument that most players would LOVE to own. Not only do they have iconic status but they also have a certain sound, one that I love. I felt like telling him not to bother me ever again if he was only going to talk b o l l o c k s!

Anybody have any other stories about people who work in music stores?

together we stand, divided we fall..........


   
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(@grungesunset)
Honorable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 342
 

Maybe I'm missing what he did or it's because I work in customer service and am not totally unbiased. From what I gather he stated he doesn't like Les Pauls. Sure they are a popular guitar but he doesn't have to like them. Also, you said you wanted to cheese him off after all he did was offer assistance, which is his job. In all fairness, it could have been the way he said it, but from your post, I'm not sure what he did wrong.

"In what, twisted universe does mastering Eddie Van Halen's two handed arpeggio technique count as ABSOLUTELY NOTHING?!" - Dr Gregory House


   
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(@diceman)
Reputable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 407
 

Here is what he did wrong . He used his own personal , non-educated opinion to dissuade someone trying to buy a guitar . It happens to be his job to sell guitars . If someone wants to buy a particular guitar he should show him one or better yet , just tell the truth : THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY !

If I claim to be a wise man , it surely means that I don't know .


   
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(@teleplayer324)
Noble Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 1506
 

Here is what he did wrong . He used his own personal , non-educated opinion to dissuade someone trying to buy a guitar . It happens to be his job to sell guitars . If someone wants to buy a particular guitar he should show him one or better yet , just tell the truth : THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY ! Sorry man, but sales has very little to do with telling the truth. If they didn't stock Gibson, they certainly wouldn't want him going to a shop that did and lose a potential sale, so saying they were "Nothing Special" in the hope of convincing someone that the epi paul was just as good (and I've heard opinions that they are) is a pretty basic sales stragedy. Didn't sound like the sales person was being rude, so why try to "Cheese him off" for doing his job?

Immature? Of course I'm immature Einstein, I'm 50 and in a Rock and ROll band.

New Band site http://www.myspace.com/guidedbymonkeys


   
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(@moonrider)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 1305
 

Everybody knows a Les Paul (especially Gibson) is a sought after instrument that most players would LOVE to own. Not only do they have iconic status but they also have a certain sound, one that I love. I felt like telling him not to bother me ever again if he was only going to talk b o l l o c k s!

As a Les Paul owner, I can tell you he was right. They aren't anything special. Mine's a nice guitar, but when push comes to shove, I tend to reach for my Telecasters first.

Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.

Moondawgs on Reverbnation


   
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(@kblake)
Reputable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 323
 

Maybe he (the salesman) was being sarcastic because of what (and how) you said "Yes I was looking for a REAL Gibson Les Paul".
Having worked with the public for 30years, you get to sense when people are being smart ar*%*s's.
And why did you want to "cheese him off" for?
Do you often go around upsetting people for you own pleasure?
Fleaaaa get a life and some respect for other people !
Keith

Note,
You also say "There's always one" well that is probably exactly what he said to his workmates when he was telling them about the
"smart ar*%" with the attitude who was asking about a REAL Gibson Les Paul !

I know a little bit about a lot of things, but not a lot about anything...
Looking for people to jam with in Sydney Oz.......


   
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(@fleaaaaaa)
Prominent Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 680
Topic starter  

:lol:

Well, everyone's going to have a different idea of whether I was being the idiot or he was. Maybe we are both to blame, though he could have said something along the lines of, well have you tried the epiphone les pauls they're just as good or something like that. Instead he just totally put me off even thinking about purchasing a guitar there by putting down the guitar I was interested in. I find people in these music shops strange in this way, one of my friends was asking for a Clapton Strat and they recommended that he buy a completely different model (can't remember if it was even a Stratocaster they recommended).
I actually would try a Les Paul that is not a Gibson, I had a cheap knock off Les Paul copy which weighed a ton but I liked it all the same.

Besides, what I really was looking for, when he asked me if I needed help was a Gibson Les Paul, no joke! Thats where I was looking at the Epiphone models. So I say I did it to cheese him off, but I truly was looking for one too. :P

Question to Moonrider who owns a Gibson Les Paul, do they weigh a ton too?

together we stand, divided we fall..........


   
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(@alangreen)
Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 5342
 

I think we all come across music store staff who think they know it all, there was one where I used to live who would quite happily talk down to my girlfriend but didn't have what it took to do it to me because his boss had heard me play in the shop and we were on friendly terms.

There's always one in every crowd, but I bet a lot of music shops get spotty little oiks streaming in saying they're thinking of getting a '57 reissue and can they have a go on one please.

A :-)

"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk


   
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 geoo
(@geoo)
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Joined: 19 years ago
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I have found most stores around here to be pretty good. Certainly some are better than others. There was one when I was in my early 20s (Maybe 15 years ago). You could tell when you walked in that their music business really was about selling large beautiful pianos. But they did have some nice guitars in this back closet area. Every time I walked it I swear I could have almost pushed a piano out the front door and they wouldnt notice. I was so ignored. To make it worse it was the only shop at the time. Now much older and wiser, some of it had to do with the fact that they were trying to sell to a nicer clientel and I was a young kid, obviously not much money, not dressed well and they probably would have just as soon I left than stayed. But it did leave a bad enough taste in my mouth that, now much older, I would never go there to buy a guitar. Kids grow up into money making adults and I think shops should be careful.

I tend not to try to cheese people off though, not without them cheesing me off first... then I kind of have fun with it. LOL

Jim

“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)


   
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 cnev
(@cnev)
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Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4459
 

If run across salespeople like that and not just in music stores. Real estate agents are always trying to talk you into buying something different than what you asked for..

But with that said I only worked at one job dealing with the public and it was at a big rock club and I'll tell you what...I learned to HATE the public..for all the people that work in jobs where you have to deal with the public I feel for you. Fpr everyone person that you deal with that's cool, there are about a hundred complete idiots that and after a while you tend to get a bit jaded.

I remember one time I was working the ticket both and the show was for a local Pink Floyd Tribute band that was really good and drew hundreds of fans to each show. The show was subsidized by a radio station so I think it was only $2-3 for the tickets.

Anyway, the night of the show there are hundreds of peopl outside waiting to get in most without tickets, the line was out the parking lot and down the street, several hundred people. finally they open the doors and I get a mad rush of people wanting tickets etc. Now I'm the only one working th ticket booth and I get this jacka@@ that comes up to the ticket booth with a plastic bag of pennies!

I looked at him and I asked him what he wanted. Of course he wanted a ticket. I told him that I wasn't going to take his pennies to go next door and get some dollar bills. He proceeded to tell that I HAD to take his pennies, at which time I told him No I don't. Meanhile everyone in line was about to kill this idiot. After arguing with him for about 5 minutes I was ready to have the bouncers through him but I finally told him if he stacked up all the pennies in piles of ten so I could count them I'd let him in. After calling ma a few names he stood over to the side and stacked up all his pennies and I finally let him in and I could here him bit@hing me out as he walked in.

The great part ofthe story was the bouncers ended up throwing him out about an hour later.

Just one of many idiots I had to deal with. I never realized how stupid the general public is until I worked this job. I have all the respect in the world for people that have jobs dealing with the public. And I've been one of the jerks on the other side myself, although I am more cognizant of that now.

"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!


   
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(@moonrider)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 1305
 

Question to Moonrider who owns a Gibson Les Paul, do they weigh a ton too?

It depends on the model you get. The "classic" style models (Studio, Standard, Custom, etc.) are usually pretty hefty axes. Some models are chambered to reduce the weight. The LP specials and juniors are made with slightly thinner bodies and no maple cap so they're gonna be significantly lighter than the standard LP.

From a personal standpoint, I feel the current Gibson line is extremely overpriced, especially given the poor fit and finish I've seen on several models I've tried recently. If you want a Les Paul style guitar and have the budget for a Gibson I'd strongly encourage you to take a good hard look at Heritage guitars instead. For the same money you'll get a guitar of far higher quality than current Gibsons.

Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.

Moondawgs on Reverbnation


   
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(@oenyaw)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 395
 

I happen to like my Epiphone.

Brain-cleansing music for brain-numbing times in a brain dead world
http://www.oenyaw.com


   
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(@scrybe)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 2241
 

I've been in music stores where the salesman has tried to sell me something different to what I wanted. One time, I caved - I wanted a crybaby and he persuaded me to get this AKAI wah instead. It was a pile of crap and I eventually gave it away to a friend. But that just taught me to do my research and commit to a piece of gear before going to the store to buy it, especially if its gonna cost a fair amount of cash.

I've also worked in music stores where someone comes in, claiming they want a certain piece of kit (guitar, keyboard, etc) and I spend a lot of time being quite bloody honest in trying to help them make a decision, and it just becomes obvious after a while that they have no intention of buying anything, they just wanted to have a go on our stock. But if enough people do that, the store starts running a loss on display guitars because they get played in too much.

I'm really not sure what the salesman did wrong by asking the simple question "Can I help you?" As a girl, if anything I feel I'm overlooked in music stores, often no salesperson will approach me, I have to seek them out instead. But if I get asked that question before I'm ready for help, I find a simple "No thanks, I'm just looking for now" usually works.

Ra Er Ga.

Ninjazz have SuperChops.

http://www.blipfoto.com/Scrybe


   
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(@hyperborea)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 827
 

From a personal standpoint, I feel the current Gibson line is extremely overpriced, especially given the poor fit and finish I've seen on several models I've tried recently. If you want a Les Paul style guitar and have the budget for a Gibson I'd strongly encourage you to take a good hard look at Heritage guitars instead. For the same money you'll get a guitar of far higher quality than current Gibsons.

Another option (one that I took) is to buy an ESP Edwards brand guitar. The price of one of these new is about the same as a used Heritage. These are fabulous guitars built to exacting specs with high quality components - google around as there has been a lot of discussion on various boards about these. These are only intended for sale in the Japanese market so unfortunately you either have to buy it in Japan (either in person or by mail order) or buy it from some of the resellers on eBay.

Pop music is about stealing pocket money from children. - Ian Anderson


   
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(@wes-inman)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5582
 

I was an Insurance salesman for over 10 years, and also worked at a retail electronics store as a salesman for a couple of years. And not to pat myself on the back, but I was good at both, in 1989 I had the top sales for all salespeople in New England over the Christmas season. And I can tell you, that fellow is an amateur salesperson.

And being a salesperson for years, I of course have a very different view of salespeople. It is actually salespeople that drive our economy. When you go into WalMart or any store of any type, every item you see on display is there because a salesperson showed the value of that merchandise. Millions of people have steady jobs because of salespeople. :wink:

The job of a salesperson is really very easy. They are there to fill a need, not coerce a person into buying something they don't want. If a customer walked into my store and wanted a Gibson Les Paul, if my store did not carry them, I would have been on the phone to someone who does. And yes, I would ask for a share of the commission if a sale was made. Hey, half a commission is better than no commission at all. A good salesperson listens carefully to the customer and tries to fill their need.

Now sometimes, customers do not really know what they want. They may have an idea. A customer might come in and say, "I love Carlos Santana's tone. I want a guitar that sounds just like that". OK, I could just go over and show the guy the PRS Carlos Santana model guitar. And I would do that. But I would also explain that there are many other factors to Carlos's tone, like amplifier, effects, etc... I might show the customer a modeling pedal that really gets that tone with the customer's current guitar. And perhaps the customer will buy that $150 pedal instead of buying the $1500 guitar, and perhaps I will make much less commission, but know what?? That customer will come to see me everytime, because they know I am there to really help them find what they want, and they know I am not trying to take advantage of them.

And this is what truly professional salespeople do, they bet on the long run, not the single sale. When you treat people right they will come back to you over and over again. Over the years you will make much more money than that single $1500 one-time sale.

If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis


   
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