A small rant..

[bubinga5]

I was in a music shop, big in music retail recently... i was working but was on my lunch.. went in, asked to plug in a Sadowsky.. the guy said sure.. while i was looking at the other basses,he had plugged it in..and proceeded to show me his skills/chops etc..

he threw everything at me, slapping, tapping, etc.. and to the rest of the shop.. i wouldnt have cared if he could play like Wooten, i just wanted to try this bass out.. i just couldnt get my head around why this guy was playing this bass to me?.. you can imagine what i thought...

If i wanted to buy some shoes, would he have tried them on first and danced for me?

i can imaging this was a minature version of what Clarky and others, went through at the Guitar Show.. hundreds of guys like him...

why cant people be more humble????

EOR...

[purpleblob]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1164905' date='Mar 16 2011, 08:10 PM']why cant people be more humble????[/quote]

Because some people are prats ?

[ahpook]

why didn't you stop him and say you wanted to try it out ?

Edited March 16, 2011 by ahpook

[Commando Jack]

[quote name='ahpook' post='1164928' date='Mar 16 2011, 08:21 PM']why sisn't you stop him and say you wanted to try it out ?[/quote]

I would laugh out loud if you turned around and said

"Sorry mate I didn't ask you to try it out, I asked could [b][i]I[/i][/b] try it out..."

[Mokl]

Oh dear, that sounds absolutely dreadful. I am unfortunate enough to work in a music shop, and occasionally have to put up with this from customers. The ones that do it tend to give you this look, kind of a "hey aren't I great?!" type of thing. I expect this was kind of like that in reverse. 90% of the people that come in are sound, but sadly there is a notable minority who are little more than insufferable tools who happen to be immensely impressed by themselves and think that you will be too. The truly talented people,IME, tend to be the most humble. We see a lot of musicians from day to day, some of them truly outstanding. This young lad came in the other day to buy a cheap digital piano - his playing was so good that I thought he was a professional concert pianist. When I asked him if he was a professional player he blushed and said that he only played by ear, having learnt to play on his Auntie's old upright. I can honestly say that none of us would ever dream of doing this in front of a customer (I'm not good enough anyway!). Why would you even think that was a good thing to do? If we employed someone and they did that, they would be shown the door.

[bubinga5]

[quote name='ahpook' post='1164928' date='Mar 16 2011, 08:21 PM']why didn't you stop him and say you wanted to try it out ?[/quote]although i thought he was a bit of a tit, i didnt want him to feel sh*t if i acted negatively towards him... i think i smiled at the end and said something like 'great'..how two faced am i!!!!

i could have said something to put him off doing this sort of thing again but i swear to you, i cant bare making people feel crap.. i feel horrible after.

[Mokl]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1164992' date='Mar 16 2011, 09:01 PM']i could have said something to put him off doing this sort of thing again but i swear to you, i cant bare making people feel crap.. i feel horrible after.[/quote]

That was almost certainly the right thing to do. No point messing with Karma

[gelfin]

I once went into a music shop that I noticed while stuck in traffic. Found a Tokai T Bird and asked to try it. After a bit of faffing about young sales guy plugged it in and eventually let me play it, telling me to be gentle with it!. I liked it enough to do the deal there and then. Went to pay while youngster was supposed to be packing it. He carried on slapping and popping, keeping me waiting. I pointed out that he told me to be gentle and that now it was mine he should show more respect. he replied that this is what basses are for. Me gets angry. Calls for manger and tells him I no longer want the bass because of kids attitude. After heated discussion I keep bass but get a significant reduction on the price/refunded. Tokai T Bird for £129 in the end but I won't go there again.

That's crap retail for you.

[cetera]

I used to encounter the same thing in Sound Control (RIP) on London's Oxford St.... you're not alone!

[ahpook]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1164992' date='Mar 16 2011, 09:01 PM']although i thought he was a bit of a tit, i didnt want him to feel sh*t if i acted negatively towards him... i think i smiled at the end and said something like 'great'..how two faced am i!!!!

i could have said something to put him off doing this sort of thing again but i swear to you, i cant bare making people feel crap.. i feel horrible after.[/quote]

i know what you mean, but i presume he wanted you to buy it...and you're unlikely to do so if he's showing off on it.

[ThomBassmonkey]

I've never understood it either. I used to teach and help out at a small guitar shop locally and one of the guys that worked there used to "show" people an instrument. Very frustrating to watch and I did tell him a few times "ok, let him/her have a go" (without causing a fuss). I don't think I've ever played an instrument someone's asked to have a go on while working (without being asked to by beginners, at least). I hand them/plug in the end of a lead, make sure the amp's on and assume they can figure out the rest.

I don't tend to put up a fight if people do it, but I get bored very easily and it's always really apparent so people tend to click on quickly when I start ignoring them and having a look at the other instruments. I've jammed with some amazing musicians and I find it very hard to be in awe of a single musician showing off, even if they could play every note on the fretboard cleanly in under half a second.

[LukeFRC]

I went into a shop looking for acousitic guitars asked to try some, and what would they recomend, this is a weekday afternoon, not weekend... and the fella took me round the shop and picked up 3-4 one at a time, strummed it for a minute or so put it back and moving on to the next one. At the end he goes 'well thats what we've got', theres a pause and I then ask if i can actually play them! he looked surprised

[risingson]

[quote]If i wanted to buy some shoes, would he have tried them on first and danced for me?[/quote]

It's ridiculous isn't it!

Conversely, I walked into a shop a few years ago and asked to try a late 80's Stingray (2 Band EQ, it would have been a steal if I'd bought it for the price and to this day I still kick myself for not buying it, hands down the best Ray I've ever played). Anyway, the shop assistant picked it up and did the same thing you described, and threw me a load of slap/tap licks no doubt in an effort to impress me. Once I finally got to play the bass, he had half an ear on what I was doing and after a while he started to pick different basses off the wall to see if I liked them, including on fretless bass with a brass fretless board which was one of the weirdest basses I've ever played. Well we sat and talked for ages until the store closed, he was really a lovely guy and obviously just very enthusiastic about my playing as well. Those are the kind of people I like, he literally had me play every bass in the store!

[JellyKnees]

Personally, I'd have walked out on general principle..I can't stand bad sales people of any description, for whatever reason. Not that I'm rude to sales people as a matter of course, in fact quite the opposite ...I worked in retail many years ago and know what dealing the public can be like. I just can be doing with shop staff who don't seem to have grasped the concept of good service.

I once went to buy a camcorder (pre digital) and was all set to make a purchase when the sales girl started trying to sell me a case to go with it. I told her i didn't want one, but she kept banging on about it, telling be that I'd need something to carry it around in...like I didn't know that already. She was so persistent that I got fed up, left and took my custom else where. She lost a £400 sale because she was too pushy, all for the sake of trying to sell me a £30 case.

For all this guy knew, you could have been a novice player and could have been totally intimidated by his flash playing and posing. Karma my arse, I'd have told him and left. No wonder service is crap in the UK, we're just no good at complaining...except about the weather maybe!

[SteveK]

Should've said, "Oh dear, I was told that it was a good sounding bass... Got anything that actually sounds good?"

[edster]

[quote name='SteveK' post='1165630' date='Mar 17 2011, 12:21 PM']Should've said, "Oh dear, I was told that it was a good sounding bass... Got anything that actually sounds good?" [/quote]

Lol! +1.

[lemmywinks]

[quote name='SteveK' post='1165630' date='Mar 17 2011, 12:21 PM']Should've said, "Oh dear, I was told that it was a good sounding bass... Got anything that actually sounds good?" [/quote]


"Have you got a bass that doesn't sound like someone's just dropped the jackpot on a fruit machine?"

[burray]

Here's a small rant.

[size=1]Rant[/size]

Arf.

[dmccombe7]

Couldn't agree more.
If i wanted to hear someone else play the bass I would have bought a CD.

This kinda thing makes me leave the shop before he's handed it over for me to try.
It gets embarassing when his customer actually walks out.
Try it - its fun if nothing else.


Signing off
Dave the "Meldrew"

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='Commando Jack' post='1164943' date='Mar 16 2011, 08:28 PM']I would laugh out loud if you turned around and said

"Sorry mate I didn't ask you to try it out, I asked could [b][i]I[/i][/b] try it out..."[/quote]

I'd have waved m debit card under his nose, and said;

"I don't want it now [i]you've[/i] played it..." and left.

[mrtcat]

On the flip side of this a few yrs back I went into PMT in oxford and asked the young lad (may have been a saturday boy) if I could try a s/h warwick. He took it down for me and asked what amp I had. I told him that at that time it was an Ashdown so he found the nearest amp to that and set it up for me then said he'd leave me as long as I like and to grab him if I need him. After 10 mins he popped over to see if I was ok. Now I like to hear gear from a step back too as the sound at the amp isn't always as it sounds out front so asked if he'd have a play. To his credit and my amazement he played almost all the riffs, scales etc I'd been playing and nothing else.

He was clearly a better player than me but didn't show off at all. V impressed I bought the bass.

People that insist on showing off in music shops etc are just trying to compensate........

[Big_Stu]

TBH is tickles me when I go into a music shop & hear kids widdlin'. It was the same 30+ years ago when I first started going instrument shops; in one shop I go to it's still the same manager/owner. There'd be something far wrong the day when that racket is missing when you go in.
What I do miss is a good range of SH quality guitars hanging on the walls, now it's all Fenders, row after row of them, all identical apart from the colour, and loads more of Fender-alikes.
Thank God for relics like Johnny Roadhouse in Manchester, Ebay, MG & Crack Converters have a lot to answer for.

[Dropzone]

You should have told him that he obviously liked it and asked him if he wanted to buy it?

And you could give him 10% off for cash.

[bubinga5]

[quote name='risingson' post='1165139' date='Mar 16 2011, 11:21 PM']It's ridiculous isn't it!

Conversely, I walked into a shop a few years ago and asked to try a late 80's Stingray (2 Band EQ, it would have been a steal if I'd bought it for the price and to this day I still kick myself for not buying it, hands down the best Ray I've ever played). Anyway, the shop assistant picked it up and did the same thing you described, and threw me a load of slap/tap licks no doubt in an effort to impress me. Once I finally got to play the bass, he had half an ear on what I was doing and after a while he started to pick different basses off the wall to see if I liked them, including on fretless bass with a brass fretless board which was one of the weirdest basses I've ever played. Well we sat and talked for ages until the store closed, he was really a lovely guy and obviously just very enthusiastic about my playing as well. Those are the kind of people I like, he literally had me play every bass in the store![/quote]
good story Ris..i should add ive had some wonderful shop experiences..I went into Guitar Guitar in Newcastle and the guy was, retail wise. at the top of his game.. LEt me look around, after a few minutes came over and asked if i wanted to try anything, to let him know, and he would plug it in for me.. i said i prob wasnt going to buy... no problem he said.. and asked if i wanted a coffee!!! yes, he asked me if i wanted a coffee.. thats unheard of!!!

then again i bet Pete would make me a coffee..

i asked to plug in a bass..he came straight over and set it up..Brought me over a stool and said enjoy the bass..i tried a few basses... we had a chat for ten minutes at the end.. i then left.. it doesnt get any better than that...


PERFECT!!!

[dmccombe7]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1166046' date='Mar 17 2011, 05:43 PM']good story Ris..i should add ive had some wonderful shop experiences..I went into Guitar Guitar in Newcastle and the guy was, retail wise. at the top of his game.. LEt me look around, after a few minutes came over and asked if i wanted to try anything, to let him know, and he would plug it in for me.. i said i prob wasnt going to buy... no problem he said.. and asked if i wanted a coffee!!! yes, he asked me if i wanted a coffee.. thats unheard of!!!

then again i bet Pete would make me a coffee..

i asked to plug in a bass..he came straight over and set it up..Brought me over a stool and said enjoy the bass..i tried a few basses... we had a chat for ten minutes at the end.. i then left.. it doesnt get any better than that...


PERFECT!!![/quote]

Weird but I had similar experience with Guitar Guitar in Glasgow.
Was just looking and guy said to give him a shout if i needed anything.
Came back 10mins later and started talking bass / amps. No selling pitches just a general chit chat.
Didn't get a coffee though so Newcastle one up on Glasgow.

Dave