Long live the small business
Shopping for most people involves a supermarket chain, a large trolley and a deep boot (trunk) in their car for their purchases.
Because of these supermarkets, the small businesses have always suffered with only a few convenience stores such as bakers, butchers and greengrocers surviving on the promise of fresher non-imported produce.
For some however, the promise of good service far outweighs the price difference, and this is what I've found when shopping in small stores.
Take two music shops for example:
Sound Control - A lage music chain that's a veritable sweet shop for musicians with extremely expensive musical equipment on display.
Westside Music - A small music shop on the fringes of Weston-super-Mare Town centre with plenty of imported guitars.
The difference is immense. Sound Control contains Gibson Les Paul Guitars, whereas Westside music contains imported versions of these guitars, often subsidiary contractor companies that Gibson have used in the past to make non-US versions of their equipment. The price difference is often different as well, with Westside having a nose for a bargain and selling on expensive second hand guitars for a reasonable price.
But what makes the biggest difference for me is the level of service.
I went into Sound Control to buy some strings. I stopped and looked at the guitars. Despite the Sound Control staff ratio to customers being 1:5 or so, I was left unattended for the entire ten minutes that I was dribbling over a Gibson hanging some thirty feet above my head.
Signs draped over most areas of the store clearly stated that they would not allow any guitar to be played unless I was a deadly serious customer.
I went to the counter to buy some strings, was met with a friendly yet mostly disinterested face, bought my product and left.
I went into Westside music, and the chap who manages the place came up to me asking me how I was doing, and how I was getting on with the guitar (He remembered that it was a Yamaha LA-8) that I purchased from him some two years ago.
I mentioned that I was in the market for an electric guitar, and before I knew what was going on, I had a stratocaster import in my hands. When I had managed to perch myself on a stool, another guitarist was trying out a Yamaha SG, and swapped my lead for his.
Within fifteen minutes of being in the store, I had started playing a guitar connected to a Marshall stack priced at £699.
I was given answers to all my questions throughout trying two guitars (the SG and the stratocaster), and was then left alone to play the SG for around thirty minutes.
Eventually I decided on the SG having been satisfied by the terrific levels of service.
The price was £450 for the guitar, £150 for the amplifier (not the Marshall, an Australian import), and £35 for the hard case. He discounted this to £550 as a package deal.
Beat that, Sound Control. One extremely happy customer determined to buy strings from only one place. And it ain't you.
Because of these supermarkets, the small businesses have always suffered with only a few convenience stores such as bakers, butchers and greengrocers surviving on the promise of fresher non-imported produce.
For some however, the promise of good service far outweighs the price difference, and this is what I've found when shopping in small stores.
Take two music shops for example:
Sound Control - A lage music chain that's a veritable sweet shop for musicians with extremely expensive musical equipment on display.
Westside Music - A small music shop on the fringes of Weston-super-Mare Town centre with plenty of imported guitars.
The difference is immense. Sound Control contains Gibson Les Paul Guitars, whereas Westside music contains imported versions of these guitars, often subsidiary contractor companies that Gibson have used in the past to make non-US versions of their equipment. The price difference is often different as well, with Westside having a nose for a bargain and selling on expensive second hand guitars for a reasonable price.
But what makes the biggest difference for me is the level of service.
I went into Sound Control to buy some strings. I stopped and looked at the guitars. Despite the Sound Control staff ratio to customers being 1:5 or so, I was left unattended for the entire ten minutes that I was dribbling over a Gibson hanging some thirty feet above my head.
Signs draped over most areas of the store clearly stated that they would not allow any guitar to be played unless I was a deadly serious customer.
I went to the counter to buy some strings, was met with a friendly yet mostly disinterested face, bought my product and left.
I went into Westside music, and the chap who manages the place came up to me asking me how I was doing, and how I was getting on with the guitar (He remembered that it was a Yamaha LA-8) that I purchased from him some two years ago.
I mentioned that I was in the market for an electric guitar, and before I knew what was going on, I had a stratocaster import in my hands. When I had managed to perch myself on a stool, another guitarist was trying out a Yamaha SG, and swapped my lead for his.
Within fifteen minutes of being in the store, I had started playing a guitar connected to a Marshall stack priced at £699.
I was given answers to all my questions throughout trying two guitars (the SG and the stratocaster), and was then left alone to play the SG for around thirty minutes.
Eventually I decided on the SG having been satisfied by the terrific levels of service.
The price was £450 for the guitar, £150 for the amplifier (not the Marshall, an Australian import), and £35 for the hard case. He discounted this to £550 as a package deal.
Beat that, Sound Control. One extremely happy customer determined to buy strings from only one place. And it ain't you.
Labels: control, electric, guitar, music, service, shopping, sound, stratocaster, westside, yamaha
posted by Karl at
8:30 am
2 Comments:
Good service does indeed rock!
By
Anonymous, at 1:19 pm
I was in a similar situation when buying a drum kit once, although that's mainly because the nearest Sound Control to me was in Glasgow, and the only drum kits they did were cheap starter setups that would break if I went near them.
Most independant drum shops have been far better in terms of service and of course knowledge of the product they're selling. I got a similar discount when I bought my current kit with a load of cymbals, if I took them there and then. Got a good £60 off or so.
By
Anonymous, at 11:29 am
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