Is this rude?

Bigjoe brought it up and Slappy refined it. None of this is about products or the feelings of salespeople. Products will sell themselves or send you on your way somewhere else. This is about the salespersons time to shine as a helpful person. I may go in say that I'm leaning toward some other speakers but I wanted to hear these first. The seller could tell me a bit more about the speakers i want (good or bad) compare them to something he/she sells and even offer suggestions about some I hadn't thought about yet even if they're not sold here. Now, I walk out after auditioning speakers in this salon but not buying. However, I'm thinking "what a great salesperson, helpful, considerate and MOST IMPORTANT, I'll go back there to buy something they sell next time and buy from that specific salesperson. How many times have we bought from someplace because we had no options but walked out thinking "I wish someone else had this product because the person I had to deal with was a rude jackass"? This is where Internet sales come from. I just bought a VPI 16.5 from Larry @ Hollywood Sound, thousands of miles from where I live, because of the conversation we had. I called just to ask questions about the VPI and we talked about audio in general. I was doing some research for a possible Xmas present 6 months from now. But after the great interaction w/Larry, I approached my wife about purchasing it now. Six days later it showed up at my home. I'd deal w/Larry again in a heartbeat. Great customer service doesn't mean a SALE, it means REPEAT BUSINESS! It's ALL ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE period!

I have never had a problem when I have been honest and upfront with people. If someone came up to me and asked me to spend some time for my expertise, I would be able to make a clear decision if I have the time to do it. Also, I love talking to people about what I love, which most great salespeople or experts do, so I might be very willing to go beyond what I would do normally. If I sense I am being manipulated, I don't want spend anytime with that person.

My suggestion: Just be completely honest and forthright, and see what happens.

This is an interesting thread.

My own perspective is that one should go in and be 100% honest. You are a Conrad Johnson dealer. I currently have the possibility of purchasing a used MV60 amplifier for a very good price. I would like the opportunity of you allowing me to give it a listen to see if it is a good move for me. I am willing to do this at a time which is not busy, and by no means interfere with your other customers.

A good dealer would accept this proposition. It builds good will, and establishes both a rapport and a relationship with a potential new customer.

Sadly, both customer and dealer rarely follow this.

Many customers walk in, act like they are flush, and present themselves as being ready to make a deal if the unit is to their liking and the deal is good. They have no intention of buying from the dealer, and often come in at the most inconvenient times for the dealer, such as a Saturday afternoon.

A lot of dealers present themselves as obnoxious people, who are somehow gifted with better hearing, tastes, and decision making abilities than the customer. Not only do they hear better than the other person, they feel they can do a better job in making a decision between whether ARC, CJ, or Krell sounds best. In their demeanor, they end up putting off the customer, and instill in the person a sense that they never want to come back. Also, instead of dealing with money issues in a good way, they can turn things into a "you don't have enough money to be an audiophile" or "you don't have enough money to shop in my store" situation. I consider the trend I read here on Audiogon of paying to audition equipement the ultimate insult.

There is, and has for a long time, been very little effort on the part of many dealers to grow a customer base.

Thankfully, two local dealerships in my area let me basically listen to anything I was interested in as a teenager. They knew I had no ability to buy this type of equipment, but they developed the kind of relationship with me where they would encourage me to bring in my favorite CD and listen on this great system. Of course, they made no money that day, or the next, or the next, or the next.

But, in the long run, as soon as I was able to pay the fee, I bought an NAD 2600A from one of the dealers. And a good amount of gear from both of them. I feel comfortable walking into these stores, and in the end, have often bought new or demo equipment from them as opposed to buying used. Why? It just feels right.

Until dealers and customers go back to doing business in a better way, we will continue to have these discussion.

How would you feel if you put an item up on Audiogon, say an A/V processor, and someone sent you a zillion Emails asking operational questions and such , and then emailed you, Thanks, Thats helps alot , because my friend who does not know how to operate his , is selling me his for a song.

Hi Vinylphile: No offense taken and while there are laws that apply to interactions (vs. transactions) with one's own "tribe" the ones that I am talking about apply to all. As the Bible says to us: Don't forget that you were a stanger in a strange land. Treat the "stranger" as you would your family.

There are no exceptions for; "You shall not steal" and "do not put a stumbling block in front of the blind."

(I realize the above may be off topic but worth clarifying.)

When I go into a high-end store to browse I make sure to say I am not interested in buying but only doing looking. If the salesperson is busy I honor that. My experience has always been that if things aren't busy, the salesperson is pretty happy about showing his stuff off. Beats sitting around.

As the owner of a nice audio shop in Pasadena CA told me, "On your first visit I just want to get you thinking."