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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Every Monday evening I have a hour or so to kill between committments. Recently I have been going to the GC to loiter and play different guitars. I was playing a very nice mid-bowl Balladeer within ear-shot of the sales guy helping a Mom & Dad look for a guitar for their 16 year old son. I heard him say that he had played every acustic guitar in both rooms. He played several for them and talked about "action", "plywood tops", and glossy versus dull finish. He implied that everything in the high dollar room was U.S. made while everything in "this" room was made from a very nice grade of plywood in some other country. I looked at the neck and saw the good old "made in USA" brand. So here is this guy sitting three feet away from me showing them every kind of guitar except an Ovation. This room had more Ovations in it than any other kind. It was starting to make me a little crazy so when he was reaching for a Fender to show them I just tried to play a little louder. It must have worked because the Mom pointed at the Balladeer and asked "What about that kind?" Text can't explain his tone but he said "Oh.....an Ovation.".....Personally I don't like them. Alot of people say they sound great plugged in but not so good un-plugged. And some complain that they keep slipping off their leg when playing."......
I admit my bias but come on. I would not want someone to tell be how to sell hydraulic components so I just kept quite. If I want to sell guitars I could apply for a second job.(hmmmmm).....
Brad |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | I understand your reticence, but that's the difference between us. I would have stepped on the salesperson. Sometimes I feel like I'm on permanent dork patrol.
"So many dorks, so little time". |
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November 2002
Posts: 1300
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | how to sell hydraulic components
It's kind of off the subjuct you started but I used to work for Muncie Power Products. Same industry? |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Paul,
If I could have classed the sales guy as just a inexperienced kid I might have said something but nowadays everybody is looking young to me.
Willard,
Yep, same industry. I sell Chelsea, Gresen,& Commercial Shearing.
Brad
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July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Brad, you are tolerant!!!! I'd have waded in with both feet if I heard that! One doesn't have to be abusive to show the other customers that the salesperson is biased. My response to what he said would be, "Excuse me.....I happened to hear that, and I'd like to say that I have Ovations and have never experienced either of the problems you just mentioned. Could you tell me more about this?" Of course he can't, he'll fumble around and probably say "that's what he hears from other people".
The best way to work on the bias against Ovation guitars is to speak up whenever you hear the bias. Don't need to cut down other makers, just let other people know that Ovations sound good and deserve their consideration. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | O.A.O.,
Yeah I wish I had said something. I had gone from stunned to pi**ed off. I just turtled up like Claude Lemiex*. It would have been helpful to the Mom & Dad.
*Detroit reference
*hope I spelled it right
Brad
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Come to think of it there is no reason I can't go back this Monday, start asking the guy some questions and see where he goes.
Dats what im'a gonna do.
Brad
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | I find sales people like that to be insulting, to me and to my instruments. And they do it thru ignorance and being closed minded. And I have no problem calling them on it, letting them know that they are insulting their customers (me), and complaining to the store manager.
Man, but I can be a mean son of a bitch. |
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July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Brad, good for you! Don't expect to get to far with him, though; I've done this same thing with salespeople at my local GC and they get pretty defensive. Salespeople who dislike Ovation just don't understand people who do.
Moody, I can be a mean S.O.B, too, but I find it usually doesn't get me anywhere, except IN TROUBLE! :) |
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December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | Last week at the philly guitar show I think there were 5-1 of the bozos who picked up an ovation and leaned over to their friends and said in a loud voice. "who the hell would pay this for a plastic guitar!!!" to the ones that told me how much they loved ovations.
One customer who tried an early Adamas I told me it sounded too much like a wood guitar. NOW WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN??????????????????
Finally I was able to buy an Adamas I from another dealer because he did not want to sell "ovations" he used some other vulgar adjective but whatever I got an Adamas I out of it. so I was happy |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | " Sounded to much like a wood guitar..."
To funny.
I guess I'm not the only one hearing things that make me crazy.
Brad
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | It's the same with all bigotry, once you start to dig into it the bigots reasoning falls apart pretty fast. Point this put to them and they get mad and end the conversation with "fuck you!" and walk away.
What really annoys me is that these people will then say that their Taylor is sooooo much better. Taylors are not bad but I think they are just so average, so boring. Like a warm glass of 1% milk. You can appreciate a different point of view if they can back it up but they usually can't. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | My take on the "sounds too much like a wood guitar" comment is that the person expected a guitar made out of "exotic" materials to sound, well...EXOTIC...NOT like a wood guitar. Yep, comments like this could drive you crazy.
I agree that the words "average" and "boring" describe every Taylor I have picked up and played......nothing special. |
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October 2003
Posts: 2
| I also find GC a disturbing place. The best way to deal with them is to shop somewhere else. I hang around two privately owned stores in the area. Give the local merchants a piece of the action.
BZH |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | That is the best way to deal with GC. The local guys are always more interesting anyway. The big box stores are like a convienence store, if you need to stop in for a quick pack of strings, fine. You want to buy a guitar or something meaningful, go where you can get some service with it. |
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March 2003
Posts: 28
Location: New Jersey | I have a 71 Martin D28,a 79 Guild G312 12 string and a 83 Ovation Legend.I love them all for their different sounds.Just think of it this way a-hole sales people make it easy to buy a really nice used Legend for under $400.Also there is nothing like plugging the Legend in to a 4 track recorder ,you can't beat the sound. |
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Guitar Center Blues
