Shopping Local Audio Gear is Getting More and More Challenging

[gene]

Are you a supporter of local business'? As more and more business' go belly up from labor shortages, supply chain issues, and competition from online sources the goal of shopping local is becoming increasingly difficult. Read our editorial on how shopping local is getting more challenging and how that may impact local audio shops.

Read: Supporting Local Audio Dealers is Getting More Difficult

 

[highfigh]

You actually have local dealers? That's surprising, although here, we have a few places that are still open, but they also do custom installs. One failed because the owner/president basically lost interest and the company was bought by a furniture/appliance box store, so they're still operating but the rest all closed because of the owners retiring or the businesses lost customers to online sellers.

Showrooms are really a thing of the past- the money a dealer makes in profit and would have kept their B&M store open now goes to hedging against bad times.

Working at a stereo store used to be fun, then it became challenging, then it became a royal PITA. We had to deal with catalog dealers who sold for less, took peoples' money and provided bad service. Then, a regional appliance/white goods dealer came to town with his carnival, convincing people that they were getting a great deal, but no local service. Then, the internet came along with its low prices (often because the resellers were engaging in bait & switch and weren't actual dealers for the brands) and even that regional company failed even though they had 8 stores and made a killing on furniture/appliances and extended warranties, but lost their direction.

Beast Buy has survived, but they're far from a place where someone can go for knowledgeable salespeople and while Magnolia stores exist, their level of expertise varies greatly.

However, knowing that many people will never actually go shopping for some things, finding a certain type of client pays off. They want better quality, they want it to be a simpler process and they WILL pay for it, even if they end up paying more than normal but one thing is certain- they WILL make people jump through some hoops. Not clearing out the area where someone will be working is somewhat rude- it's the same as saying "You can go ahead and do what the house cleaner could have done, for much less money". It's the same as taking a car or boat to have it serviced or a car stereo installed without clearing out the areas where the work will be done and when this happens with boats, it's REALLY annoying.

The right thing to do in these cases is to charge for ALL of the time & materials required, not to tack on a premium just because the people are wealthy but by the same token, wealthy people need to suck it up and pay what is charged because in the grand scheme, a few hundred bucks means nothing to them in real terms. OTOH, they do like to keep tabs on their money, that's for sure. I have actually had retired people with lots of money say that they need a good price because they're on a fixed income. Yeah, they'll get a good price, alright.

The problem is, most people have absolutely no idea what is required, in order to do the work involved. Should they not be paid for admin that's done on behalf of the client, especially when it requires code compliance? Expecting a whole-house generator for three grand is ludicrous- sure, someone can buy an 8KW model at Harbor Freight, but what about the transfer switch? What about contacting the utility and making sure the installation doesn't start a fire in the house or cause problems for the neighboring power company customers? Will the new generator be large enough, or will it puke in a few hours because it was treated like a farm animal by more than one HVAC system, a couple of wine caves, two SubZero fridges and a giant home theater, all wanting theirs at the same time?

Nobody is forced into buying a multi-million dollar home and wealthy people whining about a few hundred dollars is pretty lame. I had one client complain that the $300/day dockage fee for his >$1.25 Million boat were killing him, when HE chose to bring it here for me to change the audio system. I know where he keeps it and it would cost almost as much in fuel to return to that port as it did for the whole week of dockage.

I have no problem if someone has more money than they can spend, but they need to have realistic expectations and a clear view of life, rather than sitting around being self-satisfied and by telling people how much they have, like relaying comments about living in the most expensive part of LA. Ooooh, impressive........Don't give a rat's ass- just don't throw it in peoples' faces.

 

[Uncle_Big_Green]

You should have cleaned-out the crap under your sink before the guy got there. I changed a garbage disposal for an old GF and she had all the cleaning crap under her sink. I moved it onto the floor and out of the way, and left it there when I was done. Point being, contractors appreciate it when you clear their work area beforehand. It will usually be reflected in your bill.

For contractor who said "you can afford it," I would have told him to get lost, too. F class warfare. It's for losers. Contractors have to load their equipment and tools, and drive to your house, so that's worth at least a couple hundred dollars by itself depending on where you live. I'm sympathetic to that. That being said, there are far too many contractors who try to blow smoke up people's @sses. Learn to do things yourself or at least become familiar with what's required for an installation or repair. If you can hook-up your home theater system, then you can do stuff like garbage disposal replacement.

 

[lovinthehd]

Can't speak to the non-av part of the article, haven't had any issues like that to relate to particularly.

As to local AV stores, there aren't any where I live, and even in the small city nearest us (45 minutes away) only three. One is, a Best Buy (which doesn't even have a room for audio, just the main floor and not much gear either), a car stereo outfit, and one that identifies itself somewhat as an "audiophile" type place. I did drop in on that last place one day, and they didn't even bother to say hi to me; two guys, both on the phone, could barely make eye contact with me and certainly didn't ask whoever they were on the phone with to hang on a second and say hi and give me an estimate of how long it might be until they could help me. I waited a few minutes, checked out their messy and rather meager offerings and left with no desire to ever go back. They seem to sell used gear on craigslist, too. Not my cup of tea.

Now, I could drive another two hours to a bigger city that has a few audio stores I've read of (and even seen a pic or two of), and even a speaker manufacturer is there I wouldn't mind a tour of.....but that long a drive to shop for something I don't particularly need at this point doesn't make much sense. I've done fine shopping on the internet and don't mind supporting a few internet-direct operations as well as Amazon. When I lived in a major metro area (SF Bay Area) by the time I moved out there were few audio stores, and would entail a long drive generally from where I lived; it hadn't been like that 40 years earlier, but they slowly disappeared over the years.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Friends don't let friends buy Generac (or even worse Cummins) gennies. Buy Kohlers for home genny. I've heard it from several professional electricians.

 

[mns3dhm]

I live in Dallas Fort Worth, the fifth largest TV market with nearly three million households, and I can count the number of AV shops on one hand and have a couple fingers left over. The survivors are all heavily involved in home theater, smart home management, and especially installation and integration of these items. Their clients are mostly rich folks who know practically nothing about what they're buying and are largely concerned with simplicity and reliability of operation. If you want to visit one of these retailers you'll discover they carry a limited number of brands that all have heavy markups and they'll imply you are too ignorant to possibly manage the installation yourself, even if it's straightforward two channel setup. They'll also try to close the sale on your first visit and bad mouth brands they don't carry and any mail order business that they compete with. In other words, the survivors are largely self-serving jerks and I have absolutely no sympathy for them. The retail audio industry is dying because it deserves to die.

 

[highfigh]

Can't speak to the non-av part of the article, haven't had any issues like that to relate to particularly.

As to local AV stores, there aren't any where I live, and even in the small city nearest us (45 minutes away) only three. One is, a Best Buy (which doesn't even have a room for audio, just the main floor and not much gear either), a car stereo outfit, and one that identifies itself somewhat as an "audiophile" type place. I did drop in on that last place one day, and they didn't even bother to say hi to me; two guys, both on the phone, could barely make eye contact with me and certainly didn't ask whoever they were on the phone with to hang on a second and say hi and give me an estimate of how long it might be until they could help me. I waited a few minutes, checked out their messy and rather meager offerings and left with no desire to ever go back. They seem to sell used gear on craigslist, too. Not my cup of tea.

Now, I could drive another two hours to a bigger city that has a few audio stores I've read of (and even seen a pic or two of), and even a speaker manufacturer is there I wouldn't mind a tour of.....but that long a drive to shop for something I don't particularly need at this point doesn't make much sense. I've done fine shopping on the internet and don't mind supporting a few internet-direct operations as well as Amazon. When I lived in a major metro area (SF Bay Area) by the time I moved out there were few audio stores, and would entail a long drive generally from where I lived; it hadn't been like that 40 years earlier, but they slowly disappeared over the years.

You wanted to be acknowledged? Welcome to the 1980s. I don't think store owners teach anything about how to be a good clerk, never mind being a good salesperson. Those ships have sailed, unfortunately.

Having sold various items at different places, we were trained to some degree, more at the later jobs, not much at the first. We made decisions about how to interact with customers and it was easy to know if it worked- people either came back to us by name, or they didn't. Those companies also grew over time, a lot. The problem with Best Buy is that they fired all of their commissioned sales staff and offered them the opportunity to re-apply, at an hourly rate that would have insulted an eight grader. Magnolia is supposed to be better and I have heard that it is in some places, but not here.

 

[jeffca]

Unfortunately, Gene, I am not. Not for any particular reason, but because they don't usually have the equipment I want would be the biggest one.

Also, most of the equipment I do want can be bought directly from a manufacturer. Using proper reviews that include measurements, you can get a very good idea of how a product sounds. For electronics, it's very straight forward. If the noise and distortions are low enough and the linearity great enough, you aren't going to notice much if any difference from one product to the next.

Speakers and subs are a bit more problematic unless you know how to read the measurements. Add in proper room treatment and DSP correction of the room & speakers and you have a great sounding system.

Hey, I'm not averse to buying from an audio store. If that's the only way to get what I want, sure. Unfortunately, that is becoming rare for anything, but the most expensive equipment. I doubt anyone is buying a $700 stereo in an audio shop anymore.

 

[lovinthehd]

You wanted to be acknowledged? Welcome to the 1980s. I don't think store owners teach anything about how to be a good clerk, never mind being a good salesperson. Those ships have sailed, unfortunately.

Having sold various items at different places, we were trained to some degree, more at the later jobs, not much at the first. We made decisions about how to interact with customers and it was easy to know if it worked- people either came back to us by name, or they didn't. Those companies also grew over time, a lot. The problem with Best Buy is that they fired all of their commissioned sales staff and offered them the opportunity to re-apply, at an hourly rate that would have insulted an eight grader. Magnolia is supposed to be better and I have heard that it is in some places, but not here.

It wasn't the BB, tho, where you always have to beat the associates off. That doesn't sound right.... I usually have to tell at least two or three "associates" at a BB that I'll come get one of them if needed.

At the self-designated "hifi" store I wouldn't be surprised if it was the owner and his son that ignored me. Their loss altho they really didn't seem to have much of interest otoh.

 

[highfigh]

It wasn't the BB, tho, where you always have to beat the associates off. That doesn't sound right.... I usually have to tell at least two or three "associates" at a BB that I'll come get one of them if needed.

At the self-designated "hifi" store I wouldn't be surprised if it was the owner and his son that ignored me. Their loss altho they really didn't seem to have much of interest otoh.

Hey, at least it's not Guitar Center, where everyone is called 'Dude!!!!!!!!" far more than necessary (once is too many). If you want the BB people to go away, or start asking questions, ask about something they're not likely to know. They either scatter like cockroaches or have that look as if they're a dog that heard something strange.

 

[j_garcia]

I have a number of record stores that primarily sell only vinyl, no real "music" stores like before. There are almost no audio stores anymore in my area.

 

[Mikado463]

I'm lucky to live within 35 min drive of one the best 'Audio' stores in the country......... www.overtureav.com

While I have not bought all my gear through them I have given them a fair share of my audio dollars over the years.

 

[VonMagnum]

@highfigh - "... wealthy people need to suck it up and pay what is charged because in the grand scheme, a few hundred bucks means nothing to them in real terms."

Wow. I don't know anyone that got rich by not caring about getting ripped off by someone like yourself that thinks well off people should just 'suck it up' and pay whatever you feel like charging them.

I'd rightly tell you what you could do with yourself.

 

[lovinthehd]

@highfigh - "... wealthy people need to suck it up and pay what is charged because in the grand scheme, a few hundred bucks means nothing to them in real terms."

Wow. I don't know anyone that got rich by not caring about getting ripped off by someone like yourself that thinks well off people should just 'suck it up' and pay whatever you feel like charging them.

I'd rightly tell you what you could do with yourself.

If someone were that knowledgeable with their audio purchases why would they hire someone to plug it in for them?

 

[VonMagnum]

I thought we were talking about plumbers in the original article. But hiring someone to do physical labor projects doesn't mean you don't know what things cost just like the original article suggests or that professionals get to charge more for the same job just because the person lives in a nice neighborhood. Some of us are reasonably well off, but far from millionaires.

 

[highfigh]

@highfigh - "... wealthy people need to suck it up and pay what is charged because "in the grand scheme, a few hundred bucks means nothing to them in real terms".

Wow. I don't know anyone that got rich by not caring about getting ripped off by someone like yourself that thinks well off people should just 'suck it up' and pay whatever you feel like charging them.

I'd rightly tell you what you could do with yourself.

You should have read the comments and tried to understand what I wrote- I didn't mean pay the bill when it's excessive, I meant that they should pay it when it's no different from what is charged others because they didn't consider what goes into a service call.

Also, when I wrote "suck it up....", I was referring to people who think they should get a deep discount just because they exist, are under the impression that having a lot of money makes them super great or the ones who might ask "Don't you know who I am????" in a restaurant.

You're right, though- people don't remain rich by pissing away their money. Wealthy people can, though, because they have more than they can spend in a normal lifespan. However, I have never inflated an invoice just because someone has a lot of money- that's intolerable but I have had wealthy people try to grind my price into the ground because they didn't want to pay anywhere close to retail. I had one retired wealthy guy tell me he needed a better price "because I'm on a fixed income".

BTW- one of my clients actually used ""It is an alliance that is strong and enduring" when I told him that the audio cables I had provided made no difference or improvement over my microphone cables and offered to return them without charge. He had asked about using more expensive cables, I resisted using something so expensive and he insisted so you can stop passing judgement on someone you don't know.

BTW, some people with loads of money buy things just to show off or compete with their friends and it's nothing they actually need- have you ever known anyone who bought designer clothes in wild patterns and colors, just to keep up with someone else whose colors & patterns weren't as wild? I have. Ever talk with someone who blew off the $26K bill for the new transmission in their car as 'First World problems, right?"? I have. Ever hear someone say "It's only money" after they paid a buttload of money for something they admitted that wasn't needed? I have. The same person who made a couple of these comments said "I wish I just had the money, rather than working rich, like me" and in his case, 'rich' doesn't come close.

I make no claims on anyone else's money or property- that's their life, I have mine. If my clients/customers thought I was screwing them, I would have lost ALL of my clientele or, at the very least, someone would have commented on it.

Nice try.

 

[highfigh]

If someone were that knowledgeable with their audio purchases why would they hire someone to plug it in for them?

Their time is worth more than what it costs to hire someone. They prefer to hire people who will take the time to find a good (or better/best) solution for what they need and they also want it to be connected & set up correctly- do the search for a new AVR and then order it, make sure it's in good condition, do the recommended hard reset/update, set it up and make sure everything is working correctly. How much time is required? Often, a lot more than most people think. Even a BD player needs some setup.

 

[highfigh]

I thought we were talking about plumbers in the original article. But hiring someone to do physical labor projects doesn't mean you don't know what things cost just like the original article suggests or that professionals get to charge more for the same job just because the person lives in a nice neighborhood. Some of us are reasonably well off, but far from millionaires.

Some contractors have made a very nice living by working only for rich and wealthy people, others have let their ideas that they have free reign to charge more just because of the location bite them in the a$$. Some of the latter charged people for goods & services and never delivered and it's easy enough to find out who, just by asking people, looking at BBB listings (won't be specific) or looking on a state's circuit court records. Some do this because they're addicted to alcohol and/or drugs and I know a few of those- one even did this to someone he knew from high school and they had been friends. Another who I had considered a friend and had known for over 25 years screwed me because he knew I would help almost anyone. I'm more careful now and I later looked at the court records for that guy, only to be shocked by the number of judgments against him with many suits filed by people he knew and one who didn't sue, but might have.

 

[highfigh]

I'm lucky to live within 35 min drive of one the best 'Audio' stores in the country......... www.overtureav.com

While I have not bought all my gear through them I have given them a fair share of my audio dollars over the years.

Assuming customer loyalty is risky- there's no guarantee that anyone who leaves the store will return to buy anything, even if the relationship has been good or even great. It's always best to work for their loyalty.

 

[fmw]

The reality is that most retailers are now on line rather than in stores. It has been happening for the last 20 years. I'm trying to think if I have anything left that was bought in an audio store. I have a Pioneer Elite AV receiver in a closet upstairs that was bought from a friend who used to operate an audio and AV store. It works fine but I replaced it with a smaller one. I have a pair of speakers that I Use in my exercise room. I bought them at a big box store. They aren't very good but they keep the beat while I exercise. Everything else came from an on-line source. Oh, sorry, my two TV's came from Best Buy. That's it.