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Demos - To Charge a Fee or to Not Charge a Fee?

One common dealer complaint is that customers sometimes use them to audition equipment only to later purchase it elsewhere.

How much of that is true is not known but it must happen. Such is the nature of some folk.

Therefore, how about abandoning the time honoured practice of free demonstrations (also shared by the car industry) and start charging a fee?

Would $10 an hour be sufficient? 

Surely, even in quiet part of a quiet day it must cost the dealer considerably more than that to provide the facilities and staff to facilitate a satisfactory demonstration.

I don't know how others may feel, but I'd be more than happy to pay for the service.
cd318
p05129
483 posts
 
Why would an audio dealer be any different than a car dealer? An apple store? Going thru open homes before buying a new home? Would you pay to do these things? An apple store, you are actually playing/using the device. A car dealer, you are actually driving a car for an hour or maybe a weekend and working with a salesman and not buy from that dealer.
I haven’t dealt with an audio dealer for over 2 decades, I attend multiple audio shows a year like ces, rmaf, etc
jwillox
177 posts
 
@isochronism 
“I recall a sign above the counter of various service shops stating their hourly rate.  XX per hour. XXXX if you watch.”

It’s xx if you watch; xxxxx is you worked on it first. 
Mine also had,”We’ll make this the best thing you’ve ever had, it it takes every last dime you’ve got”
mozartfan
2,143 posts
 
Would $10 an hour be sufficient?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No no no
Free shipping, return ship you pay + a  10% restock fee is more than fair both sides.
Come on man, if the dealer has to pay both ships with no restock fees, they will ALL go OOB.
Voxativ has NO RETURNs.. Never buy a  speaker froma  company with NO RETURN policy, = Proof the speaker is not what they claim it is.
imhififan's avatar
imhififan
2,133 posts
 
IIRC, many years ago there was a Ferrari showroom in a hotel lobby in Vegas charge $10 for admission.
oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,484 posts
 
I never waste a salesman's time....  so to me that would be insulting.  You are going to charge me a fee to demo something that I'm looking to buy ? 

   No thanks.    The folks I regularly do business with pretty much know they are going  to get my business,  and that's why they have no problem setting up a demo.   And they know if I walk out without buying something, I will be back soon because they are my first choice whenever I need something hifi.

I understand everyone's time is valuable,  but can you imagine taking a car for a test drive and paying a fee?   Ridiculous 
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