SAM ASH....never again

[aqua_tek]

So, our sales staff can be "a bit more human" (to put it softly) than someone who sells audio gear for a company who pays their sales staff mainly on commission. I believe in the non-commission lifestyle for a sales person. It's a much healthier life. Commission pay check = never ending stress. That's not the kind of water I want to drink.

I've been to B&H twice and it's also been a pleasant experience. No one pesters you unless you look like you're really lost or you go to them for help. And to say it is a well-oiled machine is an understatement. It's almost military prison-like. You have to go through a few steps in order to finally be out the door with whatever you purchased, but it actually keeps the crowds flowing in an orderly fashion. Good pricing as well. I should shop there more often.

funny, it's that same routine that makes me hate Sweetwater. I dropped a few thousand with them a few years ago, the same guy still keeps cold calling my cell phone. Chad Byer, please leave me the fuck alone, I don't need your help, don't want it, never asked for it.

Well its not like my guy calls me THAT often. Maybe that Chad dude fell in love with the soothing tone of your voice and can't get enough of it.

[kenporter]

I am a big fan of audiomidi.com. They do deals when talking to them and no shipping charge for purchases over $99. Plus, most of them are actually somewhat knowledgeable. Never had a bad experience with them.

Ken

[mike_o]

vote 1 more for sweetwater, about the coldcalling thing, just tell them to notify you buy email, they will, I get an email from Brad there about once a year letting me know whats going on in terms of sales deals, big releases etc... never been cold called by them.

[digitalgeist]

I used to get called by Sweetwater after making a purchase or two with them. I wrote down Nate's number, programmed it in my phone, and when that pops up I ignore the call.

Anyway the online services are the best way to go when you shop for gear. Most stores like GC and Sam Ash want you to make an impulse purchase and most earn commission.

[ThrowAway]

Chads my dude. I'm pretty sure you can just tell him not to call you. He knows every piece of gear I have, even the ones I didn't buy from them so I'm guessing they have some kind of file on every one. I actually use two guys at sweetwater, must piss them off.

[ThrowAway]

I go to gc and sam ash to annoy and piss them off. I go and play the drums really loud, I "scratch" with tractor or what ever goofy controller they have, I give unsoliciteded advice to customers that is always in direct oposistion to what they've just said. THEY LOVE ME! They're such pussies!! Plus I always make them give me 20-30 off. They are there for non-personal abuse.

[Tohtruck]

Sam Ash...crap

Guitar Center...crap (but the chicks at the counter where you check your bags in are pretty cute sometimes)

And sorry Salesdudemcbob, but B&H is pretty crap too. They totally screwed my filmmaker mentor with Avid Xpress, they re-stickered the box of an old version of Avid Xpress so that it would appear as the latest version even though it was an old outdated version that had actually been re-stickered twice (one sticker directly on top of another). When he tried to return it, they refused claiming that they do not take back software where the sticker had been tampered with.

They also screwed over this chick who's one of our subjects for a docu-series project we're working on. Ok, given, she doesn't know anything about A/V stuff, but a salesman over there sold her a standard definition DV consumer video camera claiming that it was an HD video camera.

My creed is don't rely on salesman and store clerks to help you out when purchasing anything. Do your research first and know what you're going to get before you hit up the store. And even then, just go to the store to play around with whatever you're getting to test drive it, and then order it on the internet (since you can probably find it cheaper there anyway).

Sweetwater is great.

Zzounds is another good one.

[Spikee]

Yea, I wondered around Sam Ash over the weekend looking for some items and I'm in the pro audio section, waiting for a sales rep (there were 3 huddled around a Mac) to basically stop playing with a demo of Guitar Rig, notice me and take my money because I was all set to purchase an item. I stood at the counter for 5 minutes while these morons continued to "shred" on an Epiphone and when 5 minutes was up, left the counter, said say-o-nara to the retards and went to Guitar Center, which is basically behind Sam Ash in the same complex. I walked in, they had a better selection, the first rep to get free from a customer came straight over to me, and I spent $600 with the dude.

I do have to say though, I can see how any music store's a pain in the ass to shop from if the ogres behind the counter keep getting changed out 4 times a year but the pro audio guys at my Guitar Center kick total ass. 3 of them have been there for at least 10 years, they're courteous and friendly and spot-on with the customer service. I don't even know why I fucked with Sam Ash to start with, except that the manager of the guitar department there is also rock solid. He helped me locate a special edition Elvis Costello Jazzmaster, got it to the store in 3 days and called me as soon as he got a tracking number.

Good customer service is hard to find, once I find it though those guys will have me for every sale.

[lunabass]

Our store has a lot of cross pollination between photo + video + audio + etc,

mcboob, do you guys do international (aust) orders?

[Sales Dude McBoob]

Luna - yes, we ship all over the world. There are is some stuff we can't ship out of the States, for example Yamaha and Roland gear, but no other stores can ship that stuff out either.

And sorry Salesdudemcbob, but B&H is pretty crap too. They totally screwed my filmmaker mentor...

I never claimed that B&H was perfect. We do a few things really well, but there are many things that could stand a good bit of improvement.

[ark]

funny, it's that same routine that makes me hate Sweetwater. I dropped a few thousand with them a few years ago, the same guy still keeps cold calling my cell phone. Chad Byer, please leave me the fuck alone, I don't need your help, don't want it, never asked for it.

Ask him please to send you email in the future instead of calling you on the phone.

[Tone Deft]

funny, it's that same routine that makes me hate Sweetwater. I dropped a few thousand with them a few years ago, the same guy still keeps cold calling my cell phone. Chad Byer, please leave me the fuck alone, I don't need your help, don't want it, never asked for it.

Ask him please to send you email in the future instead of calling you on the phone.

why?

what's in it for me? if I want gear I'll buy it from the site with the lowest prices or even pay a little extra and buy it at Robotspeak locally. if I buy from them, they'd better have my customer history ready so I have to fill out as few forms as possible and if they say it's in stock, it'd better be in stock and ship the next day. why the fuck do I care about Chad fucking Byers? what's in it for me? fuck, he's worse than the silver spoon suburbanite gutter punks on Haight St begging for spare change and pizza.

/vent. OK, I'll pick up the phone next time he calls, thanks forum.

[Tone Deft]

Chads my dude. I'm pretty sure you can just tell him not to call you. He knows every piece of gear I have, even the ones I didn't buy from them so I'm guessing they have some kind of file on every one. I actually use two guys at sweetwater, must piss them off.

you think you're the one not getting played? check the back of your shorts for blood stains. it's business, they're the enemy, they play this game FOR A LIVING with a corporation whipping them with quotas. you told them all the gear you have? it's nice to be friends with people, butt wake up...

[ThrowAway]

I think your misunderstanding. Ive been in sales before too. They havent talked me into buying anything. Mostly I speak with them to get advice on different equipment and then buy from somewhere else because its cheaper. 90% of the stuff Ive asked them about I never bought. I dont beleive anything anyone tells me unless I fact check it. Why does it matter if they know what I own?



and the only blood stains in my boxer-briefs are imprints of the base of my unit.

[ThrowAway]

All the stuff Ive fact checked from sweetwater has come up correct. I have not caught them bullshitting me once.