Klarinet Archive - Posting 000500.txt from 1999/07

From: Jack Kissinger <kissingerjn@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: [kl] Buffet E 11
Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 03:16:50 -0400

Margaret Squires wrote:

> So go ahead and tell them of the wonderful mail order companies. But how are they
> going to explain to their kids that they have to wait for their instruments to
> arrive. One of our school districts give the first lesson at the rental night. I
> wouldn't want my kid to have to play "air clarinet"!!!

Where did I say that the mail order companies are wonderful? Please take the time to
read my original message. I simply said that IMO they are better than the local stores
in St. Louis. I did not compare them favorably to any other local stores because, with a
few exceptions, I haven't observed local stores in other areas. After thinking about it,
I simply have to conclude that our local stores (including the ones that do band rentals)
all pretty much fall into the "guitar and drum" category a couple of other posters have
mentioned.

As far as the wait is concerned, with current shipping options, the wait can be about a
day. I think my daughter is old enough to be willing to play "air clarinet" for one
lesson to save the family a couple hundred bucks -- especially if I offer to use some of
the savings to take her to Maggie Moos. ;^)

> And explain why the music store doesn't just drop everything to fix a problem with an
> instrument purchased through a mail order company, why the people who are regular,
> loyal customers of the store have priority!

Personally, I believe that regular, loyal customers SHOULD have priority. Why shouldn't
a store make a little extra effort to support the customers who support it? That's only
good business. That said, my experience around here is that the stores don't drop
everything for anybody. No matter who you are or where you go, you wait. In any case,
two of the three best band instrument repair shops (IMO) in St. Louis are not connected
with a store, they are strictly repair facilities (well, OK, one sells directly to school
districts and has some used instruments for sale to the public but they don't seem to
make a big deal of it) so, for them, the point is moot. The third facility is connected
with a store but (again my experience) they give the same courteous service to every
customer who walks through the door with an instrument to repair and they don't ask where
the customer bought it. This approach makes sense to me. If they can bill repairs at a
competitive rate that allows them to show a profit, why turn away paying customers. They
can't change anybody's purchase decision after the decision has been made but they might
influence future purchase decisions.

> Just because you don't have it in your area doesn't mean you should encourage people
> not to support the good, hardworking music stores in other areas.

Again please go back and read my message. (I know my messages are long and tedious but,
if you want to criticize them, then you have an obligation to read and try to understand
them.) I never encouraged anyone not to support "good, hardworking [local] stores."
Actually, I think I said just the opposite. I simply explained why I (and other St.
Louisans) find mail order preferable to the local stores in St. Louis. I used the
situation in my area to illustrate that, IMO, there are some areas of the country, where
local stores do not provide sufficient "service" (i.e., selection, setup, etc.) to
warrant the extra amounts they charge. That I find the local stores I have to deal with
in my area disappointing says nothing about local stores in other areas. That your store
may provide good service to its customers for a reasonable price says nothing about other
local stores. Each one is unique and has to stand on its own merits. As others have
pointed out, most local stores cannot compete with the larger national stores on price.
IMHO, if they want to survive then, they must compete on service. They cannot simply
rely on customer ignorance to support charging significantly higher prices indefinitely.

Some stores do give fair service for the prices they charge. I happily do business with
them. IMHO, some stores do not give fair service for the prices they charge. To the
extent I can, I avoid them. I don't advocate avoiding a local store just because it is a
local store. Nor do I advocate buying from a local store just because it is a local
store. I do advocate making a reasoned decision based on a careful evaluation of costs
and benefits. In some areas, for some items and for some customers that approach will
likely favor the local store, in other areas for other items and for other customers, it
will not.

One final question. In a couple of earlier messages, you indicate that you purchased an
instrument from a mail order company? Why did you not buy it locally? What was your
thought process? Absent the bad outcome, what might you do or say as the owner of a
small store to convince yourself that you should make the purchase locally? (I'll quit
now. This is starting to look like a bad essay question from one of my exams.)

Best regards,
Jack Kissinger
St. Louis

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