Ever feel like a "low dollar" customer that your dealer doesn't think worth their time?


I'm a careful researcher for audio gear and I also understand the value of brick and mortar stores. I am not OCD and I am not an irascible haggler. Indeed, I have told my local stores that if they carry something I like, I will buy from them and not try to find it cheaper on the net. I have purchased major pieces of gear from them.

Nevertheless, one local shop is erratic in how it treats me. Emails can take a long time to get acknowledged, and often exchanges take several back-and-forths to get clear questions answered. This shop sells gear at my price point and up to 10x more (think Wilson speakers, $7k power cords). I often feel I'm more like a fly buzzing around their heads than a valued customer trying to establish a customer-dealer relationship. I am trying to be loyal, but it makes me want to shop online. I could be reading the situation wrong, but this is definitely a pattern.

Has anyone else had the sense that they were too much of a "low dollar" customer to be worth the dealer's time?
128x128hilde45
Oh man this brings back old memories.  Long time ago I live in Scottsdale AZ and was going to school as ASU.  Started to get into audio, so went to one of the local shops in Phoenix.  I think I could have stood there with a bag of money and not gotten any help.  I was so pissed.  Went off in a huff and dropped by another shop.  They knew I didn't have a bag of money, but spent hours letting me listen to different systems.  They showed me what a great system could really sound like.  I've had the same basic experience when living and shopping in The UK and Netherlands.  So shops just don't get service.  Now I'm in Dallas Texas.  Huge shout out to Audio Concepts - they are great!!
@ebm said:
If a dealers treats you badly MOVE ON!!
Yes, this makes sense. Maybe this is easy for you, but it’s not that simple for many people. In an age of declining B&M stores, really helps to audition things, and there are not many places to do that. In a single store, one might be able handle quality components or speakers from half a dozen makers. I know we can get things on trial, etc. through the mail but that is very time consuming and the shipping costs will mount up. So, it’s hard to totally break with a local shop -- unless there are many nearby.


It's the summer of 1978 and I'm working the sales floor at Shrader Sound in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC and all the other salesmen on the floor were avoiding a seemingly homeless man, with several days growth of beard, smelly, wrinkled and "fragrant" clothes, so I approached him and found that he was a neurosurgeon at a local hospital, had been working for several days without a break, hence his appearance.  Long-story-short, I sold him a system that day, over $38k (in 1978 prices).

I'm no "fashionista" by any means, and have been treated badly at some audio shops...I just take my money elsewhere.