One big reason why brick and mortar high end audio dealers struggle.


I live in a major metropolitan area with several close by high end stores.  I never go in any of them.  A dealer just opened a new location 5 minutes from my house.  Major dealer with Magico, Constellation, McIntosh and many other serious brands.  I went by a couple weeks ago mid day on a Friday.  Door locked, nobody there.  I call today to make sure they are actually open for business.  Guy answers the phone and says that they were out on an install when I can by and that they are short staffed.  No problem, I understand.  But from that point on the guy takes a subtle but clearly defensive and pissy tone.  He states that they recommend setting up an appointment for customers to view their products.  Sure, and I recommend never going there.  Off my list.  Back to buying online.  Here's the issue.  So many of these high end dealers are only after the wealthy guy that comes in, spends less than an hour there and orders a complete home theater or 2 channel system and writes a check for $50k or more on the spot.  That's there customer base.  I get that it can be annoying to allow a bunch of lookers to come in and waste their time and not buy anything, but isn't it good for business to have more customer traffic?  If someone comes in, spends an hour there, listens to some amazing gear and then buys nothing, doesn't he tell his friends and family and coworkers about his great experience?  Isn't this word of mouth valuable?  These brick and mortar dealers almost universally are unwelcoming and unfriendly to people that want to come in and just look and listen and not buy.  Sorry, but the vast majority of potential customers are not going to spend 20 minutes by private appointment to order their new $100k system.  Why not encourage people to come and spend time with zero pressure to purchase.  I have purchased dozens of high end speakers and electronics over the many years I have enjoyed this hobby.  I might well buy from a dealer if they were actually nice, friendly, and encouraged hanging out and getting to know their gear.  But they don't.  I would never go to a high end store that required an appointment.  Because this creates a huge pressure situation for you to purchase that day.  I'm not ready to purchase on my first visit.  And neither are thousands of other potential customers.  If they can make a good living just catering to the wealthy one time buyers, then, ok, good for them.  Doesn't seem like they can though since so many have gone under.  Maybe it's time to try a different approach?  Step one, no commission sales people.  Step two, welcome people to listen and not buy anything.  Encourage it.  This will create positive word of mouth and significantly increase customer traffic and ultimately create more paying customers it would seem.  I don't get it.  Rant over. Please don't respond that you have an amazing dealer.  I'm sure they exist but they are the exception.  What I am describing is the typical customer experience.
jaxwired
I have a few very good B&M dealers within 1 hour of my home and a couple that I don’t care for. I do find that the trend toward appointment only is becoming more commonplace. I guess the downside of that is, I can’t stop in on impulse but the plus side is if I set an appointment to hear  e.g. cartridge and PreAmp combination, it is ready to go when I get there. The other thing I like is I can listen without having background music from someone else in the store. But I personally like the face to face sales/buying approach, that is just me, old fashioned?, maybe. Although I have made friends with other customers in the store and been exposed to music that I would probably not have heard as well.

But in the long run I have found better deals and service via B&M than website.
In the end each dealer has to set his MO based on his business financial footing, fail or succeed, it’s his balls on the table. But if I don’t like a dealer then I don’t go in his store, even if he is the only Brand X dealer in the state.

Personally, I want to see small business survive, that really takes courage especially in today’s business climate. Audio, media, clothing etc, it is a rough terrain out there and I will support whoever treats me as a valued customer. I think sometimes the “stand offish” personality is tension of a businessman hoping to pay the rent. And being understaffed today is more common than it ever used to be, a person can make more tax free standing on a corner with a cardboard sign than having a job.

My opinions of course and I expect contrary rhetoric and that is your right, but just wanted to share another point of view on the subject. 
The internet has given tremendous opportunity to younger and less well healed audiophiles. If you have more time and learn to research well you can save a ton of money and have orders of more choices than from a dealer. Like MC says there is a limit to auditioning. I am glad I did what I did when I was younger

BTW, my dealer is doing pretty well… after building his business for twenty plus years.. starting out of his house. But he is not rich by a long shot. These guys can make a good living… the few that do well. But it is not a way to get rich, period. If he had put his effort into being a general contractor, or developer… he would have more money (remember for the first ten years he made just enough to survive). My guy sells on the internet, and lots of low end stuff (he has two employees that make good livings). It takes a lot of skills and work to run a business like this. He programs his own web presence and does some programming on the side, “just in case”.
"...BUY LOCAL..."

Why? The local guy could be a drug dealer for all I know? 
20 plus year ago I walk into a SF bay area, well known at the time Store front. Me and the wife. I know exactly what I want to buy. I wait, I wait, I wait. NO ONE ask me a question or gave CRAP. The wife had 50k in the purse and a gun.

I walk around look and wait. Finally a guy looks up from his view screen and yells across the floor. Hay MAN what can I do for you? My wife looks at me, I look at her and we start walking out the door. We look pretty common, just Dick and Jane all grown up so to speak.. Spot is waiting in the car...

I leave that store and go to north, south, east and west to the Bay areas Stereo stores, I travel 100s of miles every weekend for 2 months..

I gave up, call a guy in TEXAS and he said fly out let's make a deal. It took him 1 minute to figure out I knew what I wanted.. Said he would make it worth my while to come out and visit him..

We remained friends with a post card EVERY Bday, Christmas/New year card and always asked how the wife kids and Spot was? He retired 10 years ago..

We had a few BBQs and both visited our ancestors grave sites in Rosebud Texas.. BTW he paid for the plane tickets, hotel rooms, food, and transportation. He flew me and the Mrs to the Alamo too. First class guy..

I bought 65+ K over two weeks. I took the receipts to the FIRST store in SF, I wore the same pair of Bib Overalls!

66,500.00 the wife took his picture, he was actually crying..

I had to leave the whole STATE!!! To get treated like a human..

Regards