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
@oldhvymec, 
Thanks for sharing that. Much to be learned in how to treat  folks with respect and avoid erroneous first impression  assumptions. 
Charles 
The biggest complaint I have heard for a dealer here in Montreal (Canada) is that he found himself catering to a substantial customer base that have no intention of buying from him. They come in only to waste his time listening to some gear that they have seen online at a cheaper price. So, these "customers" go to the dealer, occupy a listening room and waste his time listening without ever buying anything.
Hopefully, he came to identify them and now ignores them.
But, he usually gets burn once or twice before figuring out the gimmick.
To me, that is the greatest threat to the dealers: non-paying customers who just abuse his place and his time.
Many other dealers were suffering from the same situation and the pandemic did not help at all, and we lost many dealers in Montreal.
Codell (the one I was talking about) still survive because they have an excellent service and good prices.
But, there are always "customers’" who are trying to cheat ...
I think the audio store guys are stressed and underpaid and have trouble making sales.
The way of the world revolves around greed. Big business wants to streamline the route between your wallet and theirs and this means that the middle man will suffer the most.
The days of a salesman spending time with the teenager who clearly can't afford what he's in the store to ask about (but the salesman thinks that one day he might) are basically gone. 
You know what, I love this post. We have a high end store in Gig Harbor Washington and the store owner is a dick. Always feel like I am putting him out every time i go there and i could buy anything in his store....almost. Anyway, I dont go there anymore and I have made purchases there. So.... I get it. Some of these guys have no idea what makes a consumer click. And by the way, buying local? That just means not buying from someone else who is also local to someone else.... big whooop