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Originally Posted by MUSICandCHARACTER
So I ask ... what would make anyone shop in a small store? I can never compete on selection. Instead I offer quality products always. I am fairly competitive price wise. Most of my products include shipping so there is no guessing. I have the opportunity to pick up some more lines. Any input before I jump would be helpful.
Jim
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I can answer that in general terms - service, service, service. I much prefer dealing with stores where they know me and are willing to 'go the extra mile'. As an example, there is a chain of electronics stores in my area that really do have the lowest prices around. However, when you enter the store, the salespeople descend on you like wolves because they are paid by commission (they have to enter their employee number into a terminal along with your purchase in order to get the extra pay, so they end up following people around). When you ask them a question, it becomes obvious they don't really have any product knowledge. So, I don't shop there, and I go somewhere where I may pay a little more but I am not treated like a fresh kill by the staff.
I have dealt with staff at both Kanstul and Dillon Music and find them to be extremely helpful, offering personalized service. There are three music stores in my area. One I won't deal with because they don't know about their own product lines (they didn't know about the Yamaha 8310z being out as late as a week ago), and they don't seem too motivated to find out. #2 has noticeably higher prices (probably because they serve a more isolated area), and #3 is quite good. Having said that, if I'm going to buy something bigger than a mute or valve oil, I'm probably going to go through Dillon's (and have done so - note that we're not even in the same country
).