2. misc-audio
  3. 1223847080

Why do dealers do this?

I'm an old fashioned guy. I like to make my audio purchases from a store and have a person I deal with, establish a relationship, and know that I have someone I can call when I need things. That is why I went into one of the larger stores in my area the other day, ready to audition a couple of things and buy my system. I had a very clear idea of what I wanted, asked to listen to a component with a view to buying it.
The dealer had a completely wrong approach from the start, and it is not a unique situation. I know many good folks in the business are on these forums, so I want to ask why this happens.
From the moment I set foot in the store he created an atmosphere of fairly intense pressure. He started with "you know, I only demo for buying customers". Throughout the visit, I felt continuously pressured to buy on the spot. I was forced to cut my visit short and I was unable to fully appreciate the component I was auditioning. I went from wanting to buy to wanting to run away - who feels comfortable buying something when pressured and rushed to do so right away? So I left the store unsure that I would want to do business with him. Had I had a good experience, and a knowledge that I can go to the store any time and have a good experience rather than have to find a way to "escape" the pressure I would not only have been happy to buy what I wanted, but would have been back often for other purchases. I cannot for the life of me understand where this comes from. One argument I heard is that store owners don't want to have people audition things and then buy online. Well, first off short of refusing to have a show room I don't see how you can make completely sure of that. So, wouldn't making the customer feel comfortable in your store be a better strategy? For me, I now want to shop online rather than go back. And here is one more twist. All online dealers for the product I was looking at make it clear they will not sell to anyone who has a dealer in their area. So I could not buy that online anyway!!
Can anyone enlighten me? Why can I not go to a local store and have that be a pleasant experience any more?
roc_doc
danlib1
819 posts
 
Me too Viridian, at least according to my wife. I'm just pulling mrtennis' chain a little.

BTW, like them or not, I couldn't call Obama and McCain stooges.

Let's see, one candidate worked his way up from a single parent childhood to the top of his party's ticket, inspiring millions of people while running one of the most brilliant political campaigns in American history. The other has a lifetime of service for his nation under his belt, including serving bravely in the military, and putting the welfare of his buddies ahead of his own while frequently suffering unspeakable torture.

Yep, stooges both, we should be ashamed.
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
Mrt, if we accept (which personally I don't) that these gentlemen along with their accomplishments are "stooges", I'm curious as to where you view yourself in the food chain.

Thanks in advance.
dgarretson
2,602 posts
 
It may be that MrT was referring to Sarah & Cindy.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
i'm not running for president. you have to be nuts to run for president. most people have no interest in the office.
usblues
1,217 posts
 
Was it Henry the 8th or Shakespeare or said" First,lets kill all the lawyers and politicians?"Some of you girls/boys would believe Mc Cain if he said he was black and Obama if he said he will cure cancer.Never underestimate the power of denial.Now back to the news....
More to discover