GC 4th of July Sale?

[larry b]

Originally Posted by rty5150

thank god for warren, VK, FEA, and the classifieds!

Damn straight. And ebay.

Oh and BTW. I have a King Coil mattress, pillow top with the tempur-pedic core. It's amazing.

Sometimes I feel like a U87 being put to bed.

[EricKrk]

I went. Found nothing of interest! Like usual.

[AllAboutTone]

Originally Posted by bexarametric

They were able to keep standard strats at $999.99 for a decade. In that time, practically everything in your life has doubled. Gas was a buck and a quarter in '99. Milk was $2. So on and so forth. Now gas is almost $3. Milk is $4.
I NFLATION

Damn

My Gas is 227
Milk 3.00 or less
I have a LP 90 Classic just setting in its case for life, to many memories to sell, and a weak back to play. Strat man

Les Paul Standards went from like $1500 to like $2600 in that time.

[mikecorwin]

Guitar Center for me now is just picks and strings. I'm in and out in less than 3 minutes, and I still manage to get called "bro" at least twenty times!

[muddy]

gc is good for demoing guitars &/or amps, after which you get them from somewhere else...


ml

[bilco]

I went yesterday, for the last time ever.

"The List" was a bunch of stuff they can't move like obscure flatwound short scale bass strings, absolutely nothing on that list I want and that is the 3rd one of those holiday "special event sales" I have been to.

I went in there to buy a gig bag for an upcoming tour overseas, money in my pocket, ready to buy, walked around with the 15% off coupon in my hand trying to find a sales associate for about 10 minutes. About 3 of them walked past, looking surly, no "have you been helped?" or "We'll be right with you", nothing. I have spent a LOT of money in that store over the last few years, including ordering an API 3124 through them.

Never again

No manager in the office, I took it out on the poor guy at the door, which I regret. I will wait until Monday, call the manager or maybe a district manager and make sure they know in no uncertain terms why I will never spend another dime in a GC.

I know those guys are underpaid and probably undertrained, but they don't have a clue that sales are built on establishing relationship with people as people. I have given them the same feedback in a couple of their surveys, but their corporate model just gets worse. They used to have some competent help, but the good ones moved on to something else.

That GC is the closest music store to where I live, but I am done going there for the convenience. From now on, I'll go through Musician's Friend if I really want to save or I'll go back to the local mom and pop stores where the salespeople actually remember me by name. It's worth the extra markup to get treated like a customer instead of an annoyance.

GC is going to get an earful on Monday

bilco

[Sounds Great]

Originally Posted by bilco

From now on, I'll go through Musician's Friend if I really want to save

I think Musician's Friend is owned by GC.

[Sqye]

Originally Posted by Sounds Great

I think Musician's Friend is owned by GC.

.

Musician's Friend - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

.

[maxpidge]

Originally Posted by sahiaman

Screw GC's 4th of July Sale. I bought a mattress instead at Macy's. 230 bucks, delivered! A $1,029 mattress at that!

kick a$$ now you can take it to guitar center when they f*ck you...

[Riv]

You know what annoys me the most about GC?

I am so sick of walking in there to buy something like a magazine - anything at all really, and having to have some dumb shit at the door basically pat my down like a ****ing criminal before leaving the store.

That bullshit drives me crazy.

Why do people put up with this kind of crap?

Riv

[bexarametric]

Originally Posted by Riv

You know what annoys me the most about GC?

I am so sick of walking in there to buy something like a magazine - anything at all really, and having to have some dumb shit at the door basically pat my down like a ****ing criminal before leaving the store.

That bullshit drives me crazy.

Why do people put up with this kind of crap?

Riv

It's not that big of a deal. They're just checking your receipt. You could simply bring in a previously stamped receipt and walk out with a magazine if they didn't have a policy that checks purchases at the door. This never crossed your mind? Makes sense to me. It's like when someone asks for your ID during a CC purchase. At first it seems somewhat invasive, then logic kicks in and it makes perfect sense. No?

Also, when you purchase something with a serial number, the person at the door is not just checking YOUR gear out. They are also checking to make sure that the SALESPERSON sold you the correct item (they can screw up). If your serial number does not match your receipt then sometimes it can make dealing with some manufacturers warranties a hassle. What if they charged you for a cable and it wasn't in the bag. It certainly would suck to drive all the way back for a cable.

[Riv]

You're not really trying to argue that it's "for the customer's benefit," are you?

If it's acceptable practice, then it should be acceptable at any other store. In my part of the world, it's certainly not common practice.

I don't really care how concerned they are for inventory control. The minute that a store starts treating me - one of their customers - as a potential criminal, I have a problem with it. Same as I would if it happened at any other store.

Riv

[RussMaGuss]

I only go to GC when I need something from the pro audio department. most of the basses there are below my Ric, and I have a friend who works there who gives me the "dead" price of everything. (the lowest price the employee can give a customer, w/o the store losing money pretty much) I bought a lot of my studio equipment there, taking advantage of my position: mics, cables, interfaces, monitors, etc...

Those sales will keep airing around every holiday to try and sucker people into the shop until the end of time. Now that they're owned by Best Buy, they'll never go down.

[mikecorwin]

Poor guys, they make minimum wage unless a certain level of commission is reached each month! The thing that bugs me most about GC is that I ALWAYS know more about what I'm buying or looking for then they do. And I'm not being pretentious by any means, it's just sad how the 'salesmen/women' don't seem to know that much about what they're selling. I live in LA by the way, so I can't speak for GC in other areas.

[Riv]

I will say this -

At my local GC there is one particular sales guy in the Pro Audio department I like. His knowledge is limited to the items that they stock, which I guess is understandable.

He's not much happier with the store than I am, but apparently has a young kid and is married and working there ridiculously long hours is about the only way that he can make a living.

He was telling me once about wanting to leave to go to a recording school, but can't justify the cost of the tuition and taking the year off to do so.

My point: I'm not sure. I guess that some of the sales guys are pretty okay even if the store more or less blows.

-Riv

[michaels]

If I cant get it myself on the net or at a mom and pop store I guess I don't need it and I'd as soon get a hemmorhoidectomy with a garden weasel as to ever step foot in a GC store again...that's just me tho...

[RTR]

Originally Posted by Mark Kaufman

Every time I go there, it's Thing Wanted, Not Found.

In fact, it's Thing Wanted, Have No Idea What That Is. Followed quickly by an intense push for "We can special order that". Well guess what, it's 2009, and so can I. Why would I travel to a store to order something over the internet?

Want something simple like an EZ Drummer expansion? Uh, we don't carry those here, but would you like to purchase entirely different drum software and start all over again?

Uh, no.

+1..almost every time I go to GC they don't have what I want and offer to order it for me..Ya I want to drive another 20 miles to pick it up in a week..no thanks I can order it myself, cheaper..the only reason I ever go to GC is if I want/need it that day!!!!

[bexarametric]

Originally Posted by Riv

You're not really trying to argue that it's "for the customer's benefit," are you?

If it's acceptable practice, then it should be acceptable at any other store. In my part of the world, it's certainly not common practice.

I don't really care how concerned they are for inventory control. The minute that a store starts treating me - one of their customers - as a potential criminal, I have a problem with it. Same as I would if it happened at any other store.

Riv

I guess that depends on your definition of what a benefit is. If the person at the door finds that your salesman made a mistake that you did not know about, could that potentially be beneficial to you? If you bought 8 cables, but only 7 were in the bag and the person at the door caught it, I would be thankful. That's just the part of the world that I come from.

I don't think that they treat people like criminals. If you brought your own guitar in to "test out a new amp", then took your guitar out of it's case and then grabbed a $4,000 guitar off the wall and swapped it with your old one, then you can clearly see why this policy is in place.

You really think that Guitar Center thinks all of their customer's are criminals? Or do you think that maybe the policy is in place because of examples like the last paragraph that I wrote? Two seconds of showing your receipt is their way of making sure things are correct. They have to check everyone's receipt (whether a Les Paul or a magazine) because it's policy. When you check everyone's receipt, it's a policy. When you check only some receipts, then it looks like people are being singled-out. The former makes more sense and it's more efficient. If too many things get stolen, then the prices go up. All of a sudden, it does becomes your problem. Or you could just take the two seconds for someone to verify your receipt.

It's just my opinion, but I feel like you're really stretching on the whole "I'm being treated like a criminal" claim. I just don't buy it. I've personally seen people that were thankful that the door guy caught a mistake. They had a smile on their face when they were thanking him. It kind of suggests that they were delighted. I've never met anyone that was delighted when they were being treated like a criminal. I'm not suggesting that you have a preconceived attitude or anything. Or am I?

[awakened]

Originally Posted by mikecorwin

Poor guys, they make minimum wage unless a certain level of commission is reached each month!

its a little different now. they have to make a certain level of commish or they get fired. in an economy like this even...

[Riv]

I'd certainly be careful what you do suggest. You're likely to be incorrect.

If you think that any store if going to put that person at the door for the customer's benefit (in case they short change the customer) then you're delusional. It's all about inventory control.

Walk into something as low end as Best Buy or something and you're going to find the inventory control person at the door. At least they're disguised as a "greeter" or something.

Sorry - when I'm going to give any store my business, I expect to be treated respectfully. I've never shoplifted anything in my life. I'm coming into your store looking to make a business transaction - my money for your product.

Don't treat me like I'm some kind of low-life that might be stealing from you.

Call it a policy if you want. It's a ridiculous one.

Am I making too big a deal of it? If it will keep me from shopping there, as well as hopefully keeping others who expect to be treated respectfully by retailers, then I'd say not.

It would be the same thing as a studio owner going through every client's guitar case before he leaves to make sure that he hasn't stuck a cable in it. Most clients wouldn't return to someplace like that.

Riv

[bexarametric]

Originally Posted by Riv

I'd certainly be careful what you do suggest. You're likely to be incorrect.

If you think that any store if going to put that person at the door for the customer's benefit (in case they short change the customer) then you're delusional. It's all about inventory control.

Walk into something as low end as Best Buy or something and you're going to find the inventory control person at the door. At least they're disguised as a "greeter" or something.

Sorry - when I'm going to give any store my business, I expect to be treated respectfully. I've never shoplifted anything in my life. I'm coming into your store looking to make a business transaction - my money for your product.

Don't treat me like I'm some kind of low-life that might be stealing from you.

Call it a policy if you want. It's a ridiculous one.

Am I making too big a deal of it? If it will keep me from shopping there, as well as hopefully keeping others who expect to be treated respectfully by retailers, then I'd say not.

It would be the same thing as a studio owner going through every client's guitar case before he leaves to make sure that he hasn't stuck a cable in it. Most clients wouldn't return to someplace like that.

Riv

We can agree to disagree.

The policy is precisely for inventory control. We do not disagree on this. But controlling inventory can be beneficial to the customer. This is where we disagree.

I've given examples above on why I feel the policy benefits the customer, so there's really no need to give more examples.

I'm not beating this into the ground any longer though. I got shit to do today.

[tazman]

I don't think their sales are really worth it. They tell you x% off, but it's usually off of list price, which you will never pay anyway, so the discount is actually much less.

[79_Limited]

The GC's here in the Atlanta metro area are pretty decent. I shop there occasionally especially when they send me a $50 off coupon on a purchase $300 or more. I have bit twice now on this promotion.

I recently ordered a Blackstar mini stack that was backordered. The local GC store took my coupon over the phone and shipped the amp to me in a few weeks. Not bad for not having to leave the house.

The other poster mentioned being called "bro" 20 times before leaving the store. I have never heard that. Must be an LA thing but it sure is funny.

[bilco]

I don't mind the stop at the door and I like being able to leave a guitar or amp that I am taking to a gig with the person at the front door to babysit while I run in for strings or something. Best Buy and Frye's both have the same policy and to me, Frye's is WAY more in your face about seeing what is in your bag.

The biggest selling point to me with GC still is they are open on holidays and they are open on Sundays.

I need a Peterson Strobostomp2 and I need it now. I can go in until 6 this evening and pick one up. That is the major advantage of shopping there.

I need to go apologize to the poor gate dragon that I vented on last Friday.

Maybe I'll wait until Monday and go to a different music store to get the tuner, but the last time I priced that tuner at a well respected Austin mom and pop store, it was close to $100 higher on the sticker they had on it. Sigh......

bilco

[mikecorwin]

Originally Posted by 79_Limited

The other poster mentioned being called "bro" 20 times before leaving the store. I have never heard that. Must be an LA thing but it sure is funny.

Wow, that's weird...maybe it is just an LA thing?

[bilco]

Okay, I have to retract my earlier rant......

I gave it a try again today and a sales rep there helped me find exactly what I went in for, didn't try to talk me into buying something else instead and was working really hard to take care of me and deal with other customers at the same time because another employee went home sick. I still see the guys that ignored me standing around looking cool, but this employee is good. That makes 3 employees in that GC that know what they are doing and know at least as much about the gear as I do and have a strong work ethic. Open on Sunday, 15% discount for the holiday sale, closest store to my house........ but hey, I shop at Wal-mart too..... sorry mom and pop stores....

and I apologized to the greeter/receipt check guy at the front for the other day twice. He's a good guy too.

bilco

[Riv]

I used to have a pretty good relationship with an assistant manager at the local GC.

He once told me that the GC business plan had very little to do with profitability in the store, but rather that they were in good shape as long as they kept opening new stores. Something to do with them being a publicly traded company.

I never stopped to think about it, but it's an interesting outlook.

-Riv

[carbon]

Riv, you could just walk out with your stuff instead of waiting in line for them to check it. You've paid for the goods and they're yours.

Just walk on by. They may say "Hey we need to search your bags!" but they cannot stop you unless they've seen you shoplifting.

[wesarvin]

Originally Posted by bexarametric

When you check only some receipts, then it looks like people are being singled-out. The former makes more sense and it's more efficient. If too many things get stolen, then the prices go up. All of a sudden, it does becomes your problem. Or you could just take the two seconds for someone to verify your receipt.

This sounds like Wal-Mart. Yes, they profile. I never get checked but the Mexican guy behind me gets checked. Go figure. I don't mind getting checked, but hate it when stores discriminate. Check one, check all, unless they have VERY reasonable suspicion that someone shoplifted.

One of my students was raving about the sale. He couldn't wait to use his 15% off coupon. He bought a Crybaby for like 60 bucks. I got the same one from a pawn shop for $25! I tried to warn him, but couldn't burst the artificial reality bubble that the "music equipment industry" (or shall I say consumer electronics industry) placed him in. Oh well, it's a phase that we all go through. Most of us grow out of it.

[gracejames]

Originally Posted by sahiaman

I have a platform bed, but the box spring is only a bit more!
mattresses - Macy's

Check that link!

Everyday is a July 4th sale at GC if you know the right people.
But a quality mattress is something you don't want to skimp on.
It can save you from future back aches. 1/3 of your life is in a bed.
Get the Apogee/Neve 1084's of mattresses. It will improve
your mixes.