How not to sell a bass......

[Mudpup]

This is the second time its happened to me and in these times of independent shops fighting to survive against the internet giants it constantly surprises me how little effort some stores put into selling their products.

Roll back the clock about 3 years - its a significant birthday for me and i have some cash (£1500) to splash. Always wanted a Warwick Streamer so i hunt around and find one in a shop about an hours drive from me. I call the shop to check its ok to pop in and have a widdle on it a few days in advance. Turn up at allotted time and wander around for about 20 mins in the shop waiting for someone to say hello to me. I eventually give up and grab a bod to ask if its ok to plug the bass in. I am directed to a 15watt Ashdown combo and given a lead. The bass has 10 year old strings on it and a set up that you can drive a bus under and sounds crap. And the combo isnt working properly either. I politely ask if i could use a different amp and could they pop a new set of strings on it and give it a tweak so its playable to which they answer "not unless youre going to buy it".
Anyone spotted the flaw in this approach yet?
I go for a walk taking my dosh with me and buy something else a few days later.

Now to todays experience.

Saw a Musicman bass (think zingy, twangy, lively.......) on ebay that i was interested in - Xmas just round the corner - and its for sale in a shop thats in the way back from work.
Pop in, locate bass, ask politely etc........
2003 bass with the original strings on it again and in dire need of ten minutes with an allen key. Sounded like a rubber band.
Suffice to say, i dont have a nbd to report.

Is it just me being picky or do people just not know how to present a product to its best advantage?

No wonder theyre all going bust.......

[gelfin]

Happens all to often I fear.

Couple of years ago I was in a music shop. Saw a second hand Jaydee hanging up. I asked if I could have a look at it.
Came reply "do you know it's a bass"?
Yes I say, I've wanted one of these for a while.
Reluctantly it is lifted off the wall and handed to me. No offer of an amp or something to sit on while I try it. (no strap).
Floppy old strings on it. I try to tune it but the strings won't clear the fretboard, it's unplayable.

I suggest that he sets it up a bit better to be able to play it.

Classic reply " You buy it and I'll set it up".

I took the cash out of my pocket, showed it to him and put it back in my pocket and walked.



Another priceless one. Different shop.

I asked to try an Orange Head and 2 410 cabs that were on display.

Reply "we don't allow the big kit to be played because it upsets other customers"

It's hard work being a customer!

Edited November 27, 2014 by gelfin

[heminder]

I was in a shop interested in a few pedals. The guy plugs them in series into a tiny Roland Cube with the power supply daisy-chained off a generic wall plug. Bzzzzzzzz.

Beware of techs too. I went into PMT Birmingham asking if they could do stainless steel frets for one of my (non-bass) guitars. The tech said "No, they make you break strings faster". I facepalmed hard and left him in his hole.

Edited November 30, 2014 by heminder

[Weststarx]

What I also find annoying is that going into a shop and trying a product you like to find out they are asking for loads more than its going on the internet.

I tried a PRS Kestrel bass the other week, its about £600 everywhere on the internet, the shop wanted £750 for it and it had loose screws and wonky Volume and Tone knobs.

So I politely walked away!

[Truckstop]

It's mainly the used stuff I find hideously overpriced in music shops.

My local shop has a beaten up old Yamaha RBX (original shape and headstock) with rusty pickups and bridge etc, really bad shape for £285. Been there for years! I really like the look of it so I've been offering the owner £100 for it every few months when I go in for strings and stuff.

Truckstop

[spacey]

The bass has become an instrument that just gets ignored, in recording, in shops, in general.
I am amazed how many shops are willing to pee of 1/4 of potential customers by not taking the instrument seriously.
That is 25% of your sales walking out the door.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1417130175' post='2617463']

I asked to try an Orange Head and 2 410 cabs that were on display.

Reply "we don't allow the big kit to be played because it upsets other customers"

[/quote]

Well technically that probably qualifies as Health & Safety ...

[EliasMooseblaster]

I've never had an experience as bad as some of the ones described above, I'm glad to say. Just a couple of occasions where I've picked up a bass and wondered how they ever expected to sell it...

My Epi EB-3, I probably wouldn't have bought were it not for the convoluted circumstances that led me to it. I'd been down to Anderton's with a friend and tried one seeing as I was down there. Loved it, but didn't have the cash at the time. A few months later I went to a shop more local to me and asked to try the one in there - they plugged me into a tiny Marshall practice amp which, frankly, couldn't cope with that great big mudbucker. Fortunately I knew how it sounded from the one I tried in Anderton's, and since it felt OK to play I bought it. To be fair to the shop, they were quite happy for me to haggle on the price.

That said...other Epi basses, at a larger chain I won't name: got one or two off the wall when I was shopping around for a new amp, and the setup was terrible! Mind you, the other basses I tried were fine (I blame them partly for my Gibson T-bird GAS) and the customer service was excellent throughout, so I'd never hold it against them.

[Weststarx]

Gig Gear in Essex are really good, the bass selection isnt massively great - so the same as every other shop, but they set up the bass for you how you like it before you try it out if you want them to, and also will do it when you've brought it.

Every other shop want £55 for a set up I've been to.

So I tend to buy my basses from there because of the good service.

[PaulWarning]

not a bass but I was interested in a Yamaha APX700 electro acoustric, now being cack handed it was proving difficult to locate one in stock so I could try one, tried about 6 Yamaha stockists, no we don't stock them was always the answer but "we can order you one" (if I was going to buy one without trying it I'd use the internet) the classic one was "if you come in I'll get one of the guys to play a right handed one for you"
In the end I bought one off ebay second hand which I'm very happy with

Edited November 28, 2014 by PaulWarning

[Silvia Bluejay]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1417181410' post='2617875']
the classic one was "if you come in I'll get one of the guys to play a right handed one for you"
[/quote]

"Oh, you can't eat wheat? Then I'll have this huge plate of pasta, while you watch, and let you know what it tastes like"

I'm resigned to not finding lefty models in shops, so I tend to buy new, and often online. As a consequence, I haven't got any horrid customer service experiences to tell, except for the odd sexism episode ("You're looking to buy for your son?" or "Waiting for your boyfriend, love?").

[Cameronj279]

Had the occasional salesman plugging the bass into a tiny little inaudible practice amp (often a 5 string so the low B is even worse than usual). Had one guy offer to plug a bass into a guitar amp...

[mentalextra]

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1417198727' post='2618183']
"Oh, you can't eat wheat? Then I'll have this huge plate of pasta, while you watch, and let you know what it tastes like"

I'm resigned to not finding lefty models in shops, so I tend to buy new, and often online. As a consequence, I haven't got any horrid customer service experiences to tell, except for the odd sexism episode ("You're looking to buy for your son?" or "Waiting for your boyfriend, love?").
[/quote]

Yeah thats pretty bad, but when you're over 50yr you are not welcome in music shops. Seems to make young sales people very uncomfortable!

[Mornats]

Absolute Guitars in Backwell (near Bristol) is pretty good. I was chatting to the owner Chris the other week about tools and setups and he said not a single guitar or bass will be hung on his walls without a good setup. On the occasion that he hasn't had a chance to set up a new bass it'll be set up as part of the sale.

[Silvia Bluejay]

[quote name='mentalextra' timestamp='1417202463' post='2618240']
Yeah thats pretty bad, but when you're over 50yr you are not welcome in music shops. Seems to make young sales people very uncomfortable!
[/quote]

That's not my experience, I must say. Might be because I'm usually helped by middle aged salesmen, who are most of the times happy to forget the initial sexism, if they had any, when they realise I too can talk technical (at least up to a point). Or maybe they've seen me post on here, and know who I am!

Edited November 28, 2014 by bluejay

[skej21]

[quote name='Mudpup' timestamp='1417129643' post='2617460']
This is the second time its happened to me and in these times of independent shops fighting to survive against the internet giants it constantly surprises me how little effort some stores put into selling their products.

Roll back the clock about 3 years - its a significant birthday for me and i have some cash (£1500) to splash. Always wanted a Warwick Streamer so i hunt around and find one in a shop about an hours drive from me. I call the shop to check its ok to pop in and have a widdle on it a few days in advance. Turn up at allotted time and wander around for about 20 mins in the shop waiting for someone to say hello to me. I eventually give up and grab a bod to ask if its ok to plug the bass in. I am directed to a 15watt Ashdown combo and given a lead. The bass has 10 year old strings on it and a set up that you can drive a bus under and sounds crap. And the combo isnt working properly either. I politely ask if i could use a different amp and could they pop a new set of strings on it and give it a tweak so its playable to which they answer "not unless youre going to buy it".
Anyone spotted the flaw in this approach yet?
I go for a walk taking my dosh with me and buy something else a few days later.

Now to todays experience.

Saw a Musicman bass (think zingy, twangy, lively.......) on ebay that i was interested in - Xmas just round the corner - and its for sale in a shop thats in the way back from work.
Pop in, locate bass, ask politely etc........
2003 bass with the original strings on it again and in dire need of ten minutes with an allen key. Sounded like a rubber band.
Suffice to say, i dont have a nbd to report.

Is it just me being picky or do people just not know how to present a product to its best advantage?

No wonder theyre all going bust.......
[/quote]

From what I can see, your choice of where to buy and locate potential buys is probably contributing to the overall poor experience, in addition to the poor service you get tbh.

The first instance is just annoying and the ugly side of music retail. Those experiences happen.

As for avoiding the second situation, if you're going to consider buying a bass after viewing it on fleabay first, it's unlikely to be a great experience. Maybe go to a specialist who cares enough to have their own decent website to advertise their stock (and expertise!) properly and somewhere that has sales assistants who offer good enough customer service that they don't have to flog off their cr@p on fleabay to a blind buyer as a last ditch attempt to get rid easily.

Having (recently) dealt with one of the specialist Bass retailers in the UK, I couldn't have had a better experience. Superb communications, highly knowledgable staff, polite and helpful. Got my new cab and a great feeling from the experience. Difficult to find that quality from an independant, Jack-of-all-trades retailer that you find through an ebay link and popped in to (as proven by the old strings and lack of knowledge to give a basic setup!).

Edited November 28, 2014 by skej21

[Painy]

There used to be a shop in Great Yarmouth called Soundgear which had a weird policy that you could only try out guitars on a Saturday morning when their guitar demo guy was there. Must have seriously restricted their sales which may be why they're no longer in business.

[chrismuzz]

I've thankfully not experienced this kind of crap salesmanship, but I've become quite cheeky in recent years so if I was to pop into a shop to try a bass I'd actually bring a screwdriver and Allen key with me with an annoying grin and say "you don't mind do you?" Before continuing with, "this will need new strings on before I know how it sounds, do you stock Elixirs?". If they object I'll promise to go halves on the price of the strings if I like the bass

[Mudpup]

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1417212800' post='2618367']


From what I can see, your choice of where to buy and locate potential buys is probably contributing to the overall poor experience, in addition to the poor service you get tbh.

The first instance is just annoying and the ugly side of music retail. Those experiences happen.

As for avoiding the second situation, if you're going to consider buying a bass after viewing it on fleabay first, it's unlikely to be a great experience. Maybe go to a specialist who cares enough to have their own decent website to advertise their stock (and expertise!) properly and somewhere that has sales assistants who offer good enough customer service that they don't have to flog off their cr@p on fleabay to a blind buyer as a last ditch attempt to get rid easily.

Having (recently) dealt with one of the specialist Bass retailers in the UK, I couldn't have had a better experience. Superb communications, highly knowledgable staff, polite and helpful. Got my new cab and a great feeling from the experience. Difficult to find that quality from an independant, Jack-of-all-trades retailer that you find through an ebay link and popped in to (as proven by the old strings and lack of knowledge to give a basic setup!).
[/quote]

The first one was a triple fronted established music shop.

The second one was a reasonably sized shop that advertises a specialist bass section (which is actually half the top floor) who also advertises on ebay.

Interestingly, i visited one of the UK's premium bass emporiums fairly recently and had some shocking advice (actually told "thats only any good for thrash metal mate") when looking at a Spector USA NS4 bolt on.

The point is that the proprietors seem incapable of putting themselves in their customers shoes. In the two examples i have quoted above they wouldnt have bought the items either and its their livelihood at stake. Complacency and laziness seem to dominate. For the trade cost of a set of strings and a quick setup they are losing business. If you go to buy a car, its clean, serviced and in the best condition to attract a sale so why do we have to suffer this second rate service. I work in sales am constantly surprised by peoples lack of interest and slackness in their chosen field.

[Bikenbass]

PMT in Norwich were very helpful. Let me try a bass in a small room, great TC combo to play through. No pressure to purchase, told them I was only window shopping.
Went back a couple of weeks later, bass was sold. The Ibanez lined fretless is no longer in production but they found one in another of their stores and had it sent down. Wouldn't let me take it away until they'd checked it over.
Excellent service, recommended.

[Roger2611]

When my grandad passed away many years ago now, I was left a small amount of cash (just enough to buy a Gretsch White Falcon to be precise) They used to be a shop in Coventry with some beautiful guitars on the wall with a used Falcon amongst them, I drew the cash out of the bank and went into the shop, I said I would like to try the falcon out, the shop keeper looked at me and said "sorry mate you can't afford it" I was so embarrassed that I just walked out of the shop and never went back (it closed down soon afterwards.....I wonder why!) I have still never owned my dream guitar.

I worked in sales some years later and never forgot that idiot in Coventry, I sold cars to people who walked through the door that clearly looked like they could not afford it!

[Hugh971]

It seems lots of music shops go out of their way to not sell instruments.

Rude staff, poor setups, loads of pressure to buy.

And they wonder why people flock to online stores.

I have had some good experiences though.

[Hobbayne]

Theres a lot of respect on here for the Bass Gallery, but I found them rude and surly. Wunjos are much better IMHO.

[barkin]

[quote name='Bikenbass' timestamp='1417267871' post='2618710']
PMT in Norwich were very helpful. Let me try a bass in a small room, great TC combo to play through. No pressure to purchase, told them I was only window shopping.
Went back a couple of weeks later, bass was sold. The Ibanez lined fretless is no longer in production but they found one in another of their stores and had it sent down. Wouldn't let me take it away until they'd checked it over.
Excellent service, recommended.
[/quote]

Beat me to it Mark. I tried a G&L at PMT in Norwich a while back. I didn't buy it (although I wanted to, before I played it...) but not because of the attitude of the staff there. They couldn't have been more friendly and helpful.

And I've found the guys at PMT Cambridge OK as well. Shame they don't often have anything much in stock that interests me...

[Mykesbass]

Reading threads like this makes me despair - I ran a shop for two years and can honestly say I was nothing like any of these horror stories! Always very polite and accommodating, even let people who blatantly told me they couldn't afford certain guitars the chance to play them, kept strings fresh and did basic set ups on even the cheapest guitars. Even so I couldn't make a living out of it trying to do all this and compete with internet margins of 15% or less!

By the way @spacey, not sure what the exact figures are, but I'm afraid us bass players are WAY less than 25% of a guitar shop's custom.

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1417174232' post='2617738']
The bass has become an instrument that just gets ignored, in recording, in shops, in general.
I am amazed how many shops are willing to pee of 1/4 of potential customers by not taking the instrument seriously.
That is 25% of your sales walking out the door.
[/quote]