Dealers of High End Equipment

So weird that audio shops are going out of business when customers demand massive discounts, especially to match an online warehouse with miniscule overheard compared to a traditional B&M store. Turns out the internet doesn't have a great listening room. Online sales have ushered in a race to the bottom. The three words that make any brick and mortar audio store employee roll his or her eyes the most are "I'm an audiophile".  This can generally be translated to "I just need to check out all of your gear (for hours), take a bunch of stuff home (you'd better not charge me for this luxury) to audition, demand that you order products you don't normally stock, allow me to trade old products in (what do you mean you won't give me more than 30% of the original price back on this obsolete product?), pro bono delivery and set up (just send an unpaid volunteer for this) and after all of this I will buy it from some online barn that is a glorified vending machine unless you beat their price."

I've been in audio sales for over 40 years and have made and maintained hundreds of great relationships with clients, but this only happens if there is an understanding that the services I'm providing are not free (or even cheap). Do I offer a discount to customers who have proven to be decent, honest, and most importantly, serious about purchasing at some point? You'd better believe it! But that discount is commensurate with the amount of time and energy that's been expended. While it's not a hard and fast rule, in most cases 10 to 15% off a retail price is sufficient, depending on the profit margin of the product in question. I've spent countless wonderful hours hanging out in customer's homes while helping to set up and optimize gear. I've become good friends with dozens of these customers over the years, attending weddings, funerals, graduation and holiday parties etc and inviting them to the same events with my own family. This is a community and I love it (including every single person on this forum).

I have heard many, many customers lament the closing of multiple audio shops in my fair city, then in the next sentence tell me how their "old store" used to match any online prices, allow products to be taken home for auditions without even a deposit, order any esoteric piece of gear at the customer's whim, let them trade in their college dorm speakers etc. This model worked wonderfully before the advent of online sales but it is difficult if not impossible to maintain that level of customer service in a world of "lowest price". Trust me, every single person who has been in this biz for a while would much prefer to return to the old paradigm but the margin that used to cover the intangibles (rent, staff, etc) has been eroded too much. 

Even though the stores that have closed down were technically competitors, it's disheartening to hear of any place that has to shut down, because it means another "win" for big box/online retail. I hate when it happens. I genuinely believe that while the internet has moved our culture ahead (technologically at least) more than any other human creation in history, it has also made us more coarse in our personal interactions, mainly through the pseudo-anonymous aspect of social media that has seeped into "real life". It's made us more petty, tribal, and quick to anger. Double edged sword, I guess.

Great big honking audio deals online are from the likes of Best Buy, so as long as you're into a Marantz AVR and / or Klipsch towers you're golden. On the other hand, boutique hardware is seldom offered online for less than full retail. Unless it's used, of course. Pass Labs or Dutch & Dutch at 30% off? Please do share links :)

From ANY dealer I'd expect: fair pricing and discounts if commonly available on line, honest opinion (not hype), a friendly approachable attitude, and a trial period if needed.

I have a dealer that I trust and respect. I have bought a lot of gear from my dealer and he understands what I expect. My dealer is about an hour and a half away since there are few options where I live. As I tell him, I am old and inept, so if I have a problem or an issue with the equipment, I really want help getting it resolved and not being left to the mercy of some online or telephone technical support. I want help with set up and I want to have a reasonable chance to audition expensive equipment. In exchange, I will be a loyal customer and, within reason, will limit my brand choices to deal with him. I expect reasonable pricing which typically means a discount from MSRP, but I’m not going to try to beat him out of the last dime or shop somewhere else to save 5% . I’m not going to endlessly audition equipment that I am unlikely to buy and will never use him for that purpose and then buy online just because it’s a little cheaper. Sometimes it’s a little constraining because any dealer can only carry so many brands but so far I think it’s worked for both of us. I’ve never felt that he is trying to sell me something that I don’t need just to make a sale and he knows that I understand he has to make a decent profit.
 

its been a pretty good relationship over the last few years