Klarinet Archive - Posting 000559.txt from 1999/07

From: "Mark Charette" <charette@-----.org>
Subj: [kl] Why I don't frequent my local music stores ...
Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 19:49:25 -0400

Statements from more than one music store in my area. The quotes are from
memory, and may not be 100% precise, but they're pretty close:

1) "You want to try a mouthpiece out before you buy it? You must be
kidding!"
2) "Leblancs are no good. Professionals only use Selmers or Yamahas."
(Funny, all they had were Selmers & Yamaha.)
3) "We can have your instrument fixed in 2 weeks." (yes, we bought the
instrument at that store. 1 pad needed replacing)
4) "No, we don't have loaners." (IRT #3 above)
5) "No, we won't give you a new clarinet. We never said we would." (We did a
rent-to-own plan, and the clarinet we received initially was a previous
rental return. We were promised a new clarinet when we concluded the
payments. We paid off the instrument 2 years early and got this response.)
6) "That'll take 2 weeks and cost you $70.00" (2 pads replaced on a Selmer
10G)
7) "I can order one for you." (In response to asking if they have and Buffet
R13s)
8) "You must be crazy. They're all the same." (in response to my asking if
they'd get 4 or 5 from their distributor IRT #7)
9) "A Vandoren B45 is all you'll ever need. We have 'em on sale today for
only $85.00. They're normally $95.00." (The Vandoren B45 is just about all
they stocked, too.)
10) "Yes, we can order that for you. $19.95 + $6.00 S & H". (A music book I
could order for $14.95 & $4.00 S & H)
11) "That's $2200 - a great price." (A 20 year old Bb R13)

I drive a pretty new mini-SUV, own a 1995 Volvo 850T, help run a small
business (maybe $7m gross this year), know what it takes to survive in the
business world. I don't make moral judgements about people that drive older
cars or don't drive SUVs. I'm reasonably affluent, help out my local arts
community, and don't mind paying a 10 or 15 percent premium for shopping
locally because of the service benefits - my local ACE hardware gets all my
business if they carry the items, even if their prices are a bit higher than
some big conglomerate. I'm pretty typical in my neighborhood. I can't afford
to throw money away, however, so if my local stores don't serve me better
than some far away place, they deserve to wither & go out of business.
Service is the _only_ thing that can possibly let them compete.

Also, for you music store owners or workers out there - would you refuse to
do business with someone who called you from outside your local area and
asked you to order something for them because they trusted you? Would you
really tell them that they shouldn't do business with you?

Mark Charette@-----.org
Webmaster, http://www.sneezy.org

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