if ever you need to buy something at guitar center . . .

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chickenbop
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Post by chickenbop » Mon Sep 11, 2006 2:15 pm

I realized my post about the gc ad sounded a bit self-righteous.I didn't mean it like that.
I just meant that big money can corrupt things really fast.

i am monster face
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Post by i am monster face » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:23 pm

My best GC story involves me asking if they had any Universal Audio.

I was told...

"Well, yes. All of our audio products work very well together."

I stood there for a second and thought about what he said. I didn't really understand. I saw him staring at me, itching to get away from me unless I bought something.

I realized what he meant. 'Universal? Yeah, everything we have works with everything else! It's, yeah, universal.'

I felt like patting him on the head and walking out of the store.

I just left.

Ian

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Post by trodden » Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:28 am

nasty wrote:I realized my post about the gc ad sounded a bit self-righteous.I didn't mean it like that.
I just meant that big money can corrupt things really fast.
I thought your post was quite interesting. People around here just get butt-hurt way to easy. You provided some sound info there.

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Re: if ever you need to buy something at guitar center . . .

Post by willjohnston » Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:27 am

tuggjohnson wrote:Here's a few tips to remember if you HAVE to buy something at guitar center (many of you probably know this already--and remember a lot of the people working there are working the proverbial shitjob like the rest of us so courtesy always helps):

1) Haggle to your heart's content. The salepeople are instructed by management to NOT allow people to walk away after inquiring about a piece of gear.

2) Try to find out the base/cost price for the item in question is and use that as starting point. Sometimes the salesperson will look this up for you and sometimes they won't.

3) What ever price is ultimately agreed upon ask them to throw in strings or picks or other small items for free.

4) The more expensive the item the more money you should be able to save, even if it's already marked for sale.

These suggestions might be minor, but I've saved quite a bit. It helps to have friends that used to work at guitar center to give me the lowdown. Adios.
I used to work there as of a few weeks ago, so here's my advice.
1. True and not True. If you are a cool dude working on music i find interesting, I'd give you a discount without you even asking. If you're some one that walks in dressed to the nines and is a prick to me, I'll let you walk out even though management says walk no one.

2. The only customers I told base cost to were people that I had extremely close relationships with and was practically selling them the gear at cost regardless.

3. If you grind the salesperson down on prices, and they conceed, and you ask for free stuff on top of that, get fucked. I'll explain why in a second.

4. Absolutely not true, especially in pro audio. Selling price("guaranteed lowest price") has little to do with cost. Certain items sell for 399 yet dealer cost(which is inflated) is only 199, yet other items will sell for 1599 and cost is 1347.


Heres the thing about guitar center. If you have a guy at the store you always buy from and refuse to buy from anyone else, and you buy significant amounts of gear (a sm57 every three months and some shitty hosa or pro20m cables don't qualify for a "pro account"), then you should expect a discount.

All guitar center sales staff are paid on commission. It varies from store to store, but for example, I made 6.15 an hour, and 10% of gross profit(difference between price gear is sold for and dealer cost/advertisting/shipping) and 2% of the total gross sale. Not only is that the case, but your commission fades against your hourly, meaning that if you do not earn more in comission than you get paid hourly, you do not receive commission. Employees of guitar center essentially pay to work there.

That being said, when you haggle an employee down on pricing, you aren't "taking advantage of a corporate whore" like guitar center, you are taking money out of the employees pocket, and let me tell you, unless you are a top writer in the store, you don't make shit. I am working at a coffee shop again, and as far as hourly earnings break down, I am doing better per hour than I was at guitar center when i was in the top 10 for sales of the store.

Getting a deal rules, and when you buy a lot of gear, it helps, but remember that not many places honestly sell the gear for less than guitar center does, and if you find it at another store for cheaper, they do match prices and guarentee it for 30 days.

I'm not saying don't ask for deals, as long as someone was cool and genuinely interested in the music they were working on, I had no problem losing some of my paycheck to help them out. I had a lot of customers that I was their "go to" guy, and the most important part of that store is having a guy.

Along the same lines, I have/had contacts with a lot of vendors and distributors and dealer reps, so when my loyal customers had a problem with something, I was more than willing to go to bat for them.


That was long winded, but that's the end of my rant.

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Post by willjohnston » Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:31 am

i am monster face wrote:My best GC story involves me asking if they had any Universal Audio.

I was told...

"Well, yes. All of our audio products work very well together."

I stood there for a second and thought about what he said. I didn't really understand. I saw him staring at me, itching to get away from me unless I bought something.

I realized what he meant. 'Universal? Yeah, everything we have works with everything else! It's, yeah, universal.'

I felt like patting him on the head and walking out of the store.

I just left.

Ian
We had some gems at our store.

"Do we sell M-1 D-1 converters?"

When asked what a compressor does: "This is the threshold control. When you adjust that it will make your mic sound brighter and more present"

Someone sold a 600 dollar tele to a kid that wanted to spend no more than 300 on a guitar with humbuckers, and he also sold him a gibson es-355 style case to go with it.

Same salesperson sold a left handed bass to a right handed player.


The stores policy is to hire people that have what it takes to make lots of money as a salesperson regardless of knowledge. People that know enough to actually be of worth in the department rarely stick around long.

chickenbop
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Post by chickenbop » Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:23 pm

So sad,but so true.



Someone sold a 600 dollar tele to a kid that wanted to spend no more than 300 on a guitar with humbuckers, and he also sold him a gibson es-355 style case to go with it.

Same salesperson sold a left handed bass to a right handed player.


The stores policy is to hire people that have what it takes to make lots of money as a salesperson regardless of knowledge. People that know enough to actually be of worth in the department rarely stick around long.[/quote]

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2121TrumbullAve
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spare me

Post by 2121TrumbullAve » Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:27 pm

"...shitty hosa or pro20m cables don't qualify for a "pro account"

This guy must buy into the monster cable scam - how else could you work there if you were not willing to deceive people?

mmmm, those fake gold connectors sound better!

I miss the old days of haggling, before these capitalism gone awry superstores took over.

Same with car salesmen. It's unethical, end of story. Go ahead and stereotype them.
*insert pricey DAW specs here

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Post by ThunderFaceWizardHead » Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:10 pm

I actually got a great deal on a barely played US P-bass at Shitar Center. It was even setup well, but it was also one of the managers personal basses, so I'm not really sure who my money went to.

Pretty much every other experience I've had there has been awful.

The only way I'd go back at this point is if I could get 10 or so friends together with synchronized watches. We would then enter the store one by one over an hour or so. Once we are all in place at our respective instuments, the predetermined second would strike and we would all break into a ridiculously loud and choatic version of Iron Maiden's "The Trooper"(shirts optional). This would best be done during one of their weekly ONE TIME ONLY, MEGA GEAR ROCK BOTTOM PRICE BLOWOUT!!!!!s.

Anyway, I just buy my strings and picks at the local mom and pop shop, and depend on craigslist for the rest.

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Post by E-Rock » Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:49 pm

You know what... why don't we vote with our money.
Every single musician I know HATES GC, and yet they continue to go there.
Boycott them!!! I am not going there ever again. If everyone voted with their dollar, this country would change in a hurry. RISE UP!
I am buying everything from small places from now on, I don't care if I pay extra.
I'm building a relationship with local places, and help other people like me
to earn a decent living.
I don't mean to sound preachy, but the direction of this country is pissing me off :)

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Post by modernkicks » Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:53 pm

btaylor319 wrote:The only way I'd go back at this point is if I could get 10 or so friends together with synchronized watches. We would then enter the store one by one over an hour or so. Once we are all in place at our respective instuments, the predetermined second would strike and we would all break into a ridiculously loud and choatic version of Iron Maiden's "The Trooper"(shirts optional). This would best be done during one of their weekly ONE TIME ONLY, MEGA GEAR ROCK BOTTOM PRICE BLOWOUT!!!!!s.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :lol:

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Post by Frisbee » Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:59 pm

That being said, when you haggle an employee down on pricing, you aren't "taking advantage of a corporate whore" like guitar center, you are taking money out of the employees pocket, and let me tell you, unless you are a top writer in the store, you don't make shit. I am working at a coffee shop again, and as far as hourly earnings break down, I am doing better per hour than I was at guitar center when i was in the top 10 for sales of the store.
How true. Yes, there are some dishonest salespeople at GC. Yes, they surround you with obnoxious flyers and neverending guitar noodling. But the fact is, most of the people working at these stores are just fellow musicians and engineers trying to get by. Many of them are just working there to meet bands or clients or find some way to get a foot in the door. I've known more than a few people who have found really good jobs through contacts they made while working there.

I hate GC as much as most other musicians seem to. I also hate cheap bastards. I tip my waitstaff and my barstaff and I don't haggle prices all the way down to cost. It's great to get a discount and it makes gear more affordable but there's nothing wrong with leaving a little padding in so the salesperson can make a paycheck. After all, what we do isn't really about money is it?

Sorry if that sounded too preachy. Will, is right. If you have to shop there, try to establish a relationship with a cool salesperson and give them your repeat business. They will take care of you.

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Re: spare me

Post by wardshorsehead » Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:45 am

2121TrumbullAve wrote:"...shitty hosa or pro20m cables don't qualify for a "pro account"

This guy must buy into the monster cable scam - how else could you work there if you were not willing to deceive people?

mmmm, those fake gold connectors sound better!

I miss the old days of haggling, before these capitalism gone awry superstores took over.

Same with car salesmen. It's unethical, end of story. Go ahead and stereotype them.
I don't think the diss was on the cables, but the cheapass people who think they should "get a deal" when they spend jack shit in your store.

I don't shop at GC as I think they are pretty crappy to their employees. I'd rather pay a few bucks more for a set of strings at the mom and pop shop down the street where all of the employees are paid a fair wage and nobody works on commission.

Service, before...during...and after a sale are important to me. Shopping in a store where the employees are treated well is important to me. Paying a fair price for gear in a shop where these criteria are upheld is way more important to me than nabbing stuff at the absolute lowest price elsewhere.

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Post by rob » Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:39 am

"banjo mart" :lol:

thanks, i needed that :lol:

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Re: spare me

Post by willjohnston » Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:12 am

wardshorsehead wrote:
2121TrumbullAve wrote:"...shitty hosa or pro20m cables don't qualify for a "pro account"

This guy must buy into the monster cable scam - how else could you work there if you were not willing to deceive people?

mmmm, those fake gold connectors sound better!

I miss the old days of haggling, before these capitalism gone awry superstores took over.

Same with car salesmen. It's unethical, end of story. Go ahead and stereotype them.
I don't think the diss was on the cables, but the cheapass people who think they should "get a deal" when they spend jack shit in your store.
Yes, the point of that comment was spending 50 bucks every few months should not earn you any sort of a discount.


And as far as buying into the whole monster cable thing, you're full of shit if you don't understand a difference between good cables and bad cables. GC sells "Pro20m" cables at 14.99 for a 20 foot cable. For salesman that don't give a shit about their customer, this is what they sell.

All cables are large profit centers, many with as much markup on the price as there was cost put into it. The difference is, the Pro20m will break within a month or two. I see it happen all the time.

heres a case in point:

Guy comes into my department(pro audio if you hadn't guessed) holding a roadhog instrument cable (the guitar/accessories equivelent of the Pro20m) and says he's here to return that because it doesn't work anymore, and to pick up a microphone cable.

I tried to give him a quick run down on Mogami cables (better than monster, same rough price) and he interupted me and said "I don't want to hear about those, i just want something about the same quality of this(refering to his broken cable)". I replied, "So you want a cable that you'll be back in to replace in another month like the one you're here to replace today, instead of spending a bit more and having a cable with a lifetime warranty, better parts, and one that i've never seen returned due to being broken?"

He replied yes, and I told him cheap cables are in the back.


I don't buy into the "monster cable scam", I buy into quality cables. How many people do you know with crackly guitar and/or mic cables? Because I know tons.

You don't have to pay 40-50 bucks for a mogami mic cable if you don't want to. I don't. I pay about 60 cents a foot for bulk quad star cable and a couple bucks for neutrik connectors, and I have the same cables with a better solder job for usually less than a third the price.

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I guess I am full of poop

Post by 2121TrumbullAve » Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:33 am

Of course some cables are built to last, and some are not. I just don't wanna hear any of this "extended frequency response" horseshit regarding monster cable. I thought that's the direction that "shitty hosa" comment was going.

Yes, making them yourself is the only way to go, since the guys we're all supposed to feel sorry for that work at GC are trained (and agree) to sell overpriced scam cables to unsuspecting folks.
*insert pricey DAW specs here

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