Guitar Center shoots themselves in the foot again

[SixStringSlinger]

Equally as bad as employees are horrible customers these days. It's a 2 way street.

To say nothing of the sort of customer who believes that what they perceive as poor behavior on the store's part justifies worse behavior on their own, because that...evens things out?

 

[aFewGoodTaters]

I feel OP's experience is a fairly normal and expected encounter at GC and has been for the better part of the past 20 years. Not sure why this continues to surprise or even be thread worthy.

Find a local mom and pop (if they still exists in your town), or support an online retailer that provides solid customer service.

 

[Alex_C]

But multiplied by every guitar that gets played on a busy Saturday, every time it gets played? The customer is going to pay for it, either by higher prices to compensate for higher overhead, or by waiting for the poor bastard who has to climb the ladder all day.

I guess, but I know of at least 6 times I was looking to purchase and decided against it because the guitars were filthy. That is 6 sales that didn't happen,. I know I can't be the only one who feels this way. On the other hand, I've walked into a guitar shop with no intention of purchasing a guitar, just trying out a pedal or something but walked out with a guitar because it was clean and playable. Same goes for a used car. If it is filthy, I'm not going to purchase it unless the price is well below market value. If a used car is gleaming clean, then the sale will likely happen and for a higher price. Sales is what keeps a store open.

 

[notmyusualuserid]

I guess, but I know of at least 6 times I was looking to purchase and decided against it because the guitars were filthy. That is 6 sales that didn't happen,. I know I can't be the only one who feels this way. On the other hand, I've walked into a guitar shop with no intention of purchasing a guitar, just trying out a pedal or something but walked out with a guitar because it was clean and playable. Same goes for a used car. If it is filthy, I'm not going to purchase it unless the price is well below market value. If a used car is gleaming clean, then the sale will likely happen and for a higher price. Sales is what keeps a store open.

GC, despite constant rumours otherwise, is still open.

 

[Alex_C]

GC, despite constant rumours otherwise, is still open.

and in serious debt...

 

[notmyusualuserid]

and in serious debt...

Well, when GC goes under you can have a celebratory drink and gloat at my error

 

[Flat6Driver]

So I'm at the Guitar Center trying out an inspired by Gibson Epiphone J45 because I'd heard great things about them.

The guitar itself was great, especially for the the money, an all solid acoustic that is basically a Gibson J45 for under $800. Not cheap but a great value.

EXCEPT the strings were deader than dead and the neck had a back bow so that you start fretting out around the 5th or 6th fret....................

Too bad I think, this sounds pretty good even with beat strings etc. Around that time a GC kid walks in to the acoustic room with another guitar to place on the rack.

I say to the kid, "This guitar could use the neck adjusted and a set of strings because it's almost unplayable and you're asking $749.00 for it". He says, "Well our tech would do a small adjustment for free but if you need more work, strings and so fourth you'd have to pay extra". I say, because I'm sure this person simply doesn't understand the logistics of this situation "Hmmm this brand new guitar doesn't present well because it can't be played above the 5th fret and who's gonna plunk down $749.00 then have to pay additional just to make this brand new guitar playable"? He looks at me and then says, "Well it's brand new from Epiphone and we just put it out today".

I give up, but I think to myself, brand new from Epiphone. And just put it out today complete with 100 year old strings and a back bow so bad you can't play it?

Guitar Center didn't get that sale and it would have been so easy if they just tried.

We almost made it through the week without another GC thread.
I bought a Gretsch in December or January, the sales guy threw in a pack of strings for free. So YMMV

 

[Telenator]

Good thing your experience doesn't represent all guitar center stores. It's a shame that you couldn't make a deal, but at least you know now that the Epi seems to be a really nice guitar. Perhaps a brief discussion with a manager would get you better service.
It would be a shame to pass up a really great guitar at a good price just because the particular sales person you dealt with blew the sale.
I'd go back and give it another try.

 

[NoTeleBob]

I wouldn't expect GC to just automatically restring every guitar in the store. Some of them are fine. Could they use new strings? Probably. But are they playable the way they are? Probably.

But, when a customer points out to them that a guitar has a problem, they should jump on fixing that one.

I've played a lot of guitars at GC just out of curiosity. A few of them that I've picked up had issues: A high fret that made a guitar literally unplayable; strings so rusty that you could not move on them; a bridge so high, or so low, that you couldn't play the guitar; A truss rod so badly adjusted that the guitar was just fretted out everywhere. Etc. Then there are the missing knobs, broken switches, non-operating pick ups, etc.

They really should fix those guitars. I used to point out defects to them if I found a serious issue. But they didn't really seem to care most of the time. So I don't usually bother anymore. I just put it back on the rack and move on.

I will still sometimes tell him about something like a switch that's broken because I don't think they could easily spot that. Maybe I can save them and an unknowing customer some hassle. But the other issues they don't really seem to want to attend to unless you buy the guitar first. As the OP posted.

 

[sax4blues]

Yeah, but you don’t know if you really want it if you can’t really play it.

That’s what the 30 day return policy is for. I am a nervous player, I fumble about playing in stores. With a few weeks at home I will know.

 

[JIMMY JAZZMAN]

I understand fully, but sadly the kid is doing what he's told. That's the part that irks me.

 

[sax4blues]

The problem is, how would you have any idea whether you wanted to buy it or not if you it was unplayable due to a back-bowed neck and dead strings?

As I proposed I would only buy it if they set up. Then with GC 30 day return I would have home playing time to confirm.

 

[Toto'sDad]

You know, one day soon there will be NO CRAPPY ANNOYING INADEQUATE BRICK & MORTAR RETAILERS AT ALL.

We float about aimlessly through life like mud hens upon a pond, not knowing that the choices we make, lead to not having choices at all.

 

[sax4blues]

....But, when a customer points out to them that a guitar has a problem, they should jump on fixing that one.

I've played a lot of guitars at GC just out of curiosity.

They really should fix those guitars. I used to point out defects to them if I found a serious issue.

I will still sometimes tell him about something like a switch that's broken because I don't think they could easily spot that. Maybe I can save them and an unknowing customer some hassle.

Propose to your local GC they hire you to inspect guitars and tune them up. Win Win, they sell many more guitars and you get the company discount for all of the guitars you buy there.

 

[sax4blues]

Another day and another "Guess what I didn't buy at [Insert Store Here] thread."

It would be interesting to have a follow up thread compiling if dissatisfied "customers" ever bought the style of guitar they so desperately needed to play.

 

[Telenator]

There is no where else you can go and actually play so much great gear.
Go ahead. Order something on line and wait for it to arrive to decide if you like it or not.
Then we can all complain about the fret sprout on a $129 dollar Squier that arrived in February.

GC is a valuable resource that sometimes screws up like any of us do during the course of our lives. Imagine playing a gig and being judged so harshly for every little miscue. Let's play some music and celebrate!

 

[Boreas]

Any time I have a point to make, I make it to the manager if I get no results from the salesperson.

 

[sax4blues]

I might have missed this: Did OP ask the store if they had any more of that model in back? Did OP ask if they could get one from another store to try out in a few days? I might be the odd ball TDPRI'r but I'm a buyer, kind of hunter killer, I go shopping to buy because I want the thing. So my approach is how can I make this work to get a guitar I want in the condition I want.

 

[notmyusualuserid]

I might have missed this: Did OP ask the store if they had any more of that model in back? Did OP ask if they could get one from another store to try out in a few days? I might be the odd ball TDPRI'r but I'm a buyer, kind of hunter killer, I go shopping to buy because I want the thing. So my approach is how can I make this work to get a guitar I want in the condition I want.

Yeah, but where's your overwhelming sense of entitlement? Your ability to be able to select something that is right from the get go because some insignificant person has made it right, just for you.

You deserve this. You should demand it.

 

[DekeDog]

Partially due to the pandemic, and partially due to the ignorance of youth, and partially due to poor management, it seems to be true that many in the service industry don't understand that the customer is always right, and you have to go the extra yard to get and support the sale. I suspect if the GC manager in the OP knew what had happened, he/she would have strongly suggested to the young salesman that the guitar got new strings and a new in-house setup. Any item landing on the loading dock should be inspected and made right before it hits the floor.

I wouldn't buy a set of strings from GC after what they did to me with an ES-335. Not that they weren't cooperative with their return policy, but all of the guitars they offered were irreparably flawed. You'd think they would want a demo model to be representative of their stock.

That is not to say that even the best shops and mail order houses can drop the ball. Sweetwater, who is the only mail order house I'd buy from, let my Epiphone Frontier slip through with old, lifeless strings, a poorly cut nut, and a bridge that was excessively high. Once I recut the nut, flied down the bridge, and put on new strings, I was very pleased.

My saying for a poor salesperson: If he was any smarter, he'd be doing something else.