Snobby Salemen Selling High End

[Yamaman]

Just thought I'd share my experiences. I went to this home theatre store looking for a projector. I asked the salesperson what brands they carry and he stated "well, we used to carry Sharp and Panasonic but we found that they weren't moving too well because most customers choose the Runco". He went on to say that "you shouldn't spend any less than $5,000.00 (CAN) for a front projector, otherwise don't even bother"

WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP! First of all, that projector wouldn't even fit in my room its so massive. Secondly, I don't think your home theatre experience would diminish at all if you buy a $2000 pj (I'm planning to buy an InFocus Screenplay 4805). Case in point, if you're looking soley at image quality, going out to a theatre in a mall doesn't give you better picture quality and that doesn't negatively impact your viewing experience.

I'm not bashing those people who have high end equipment. If you can afford a $50,000 system, then that's great. But if a person like that salesman gives me an ignorant, general statement like that, without even asking questions about my set-up, room dimensions, etc. than he's really insulting my intelligence. I'll admit I'm only a novice when it comes to home theatre knowledge, but I'm not stupid.

Anybody else have similar experience? This kinda stuff really burns me up!

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

yeah well, you're gonna find salesmen trying to shovel BS down your throat if they're selling $29 cordless phones or $200,000 eye-talion muscle cars. And I'm sure the salesman is working off commision, all the more reason to push high-end projectors.

 

[Rob Babcock]

A switch to selling Runco probably had more to do with profit margins than customer preference. While I'd no doubt love to have a Runco, there are some very good projectors from a wide variety of other companies. Sharp's DLPs in particular have received stellar reviews from virtually every HT publication I've ever seen. Ditto for Marantz. It used to be hard to find a decent cheap PJ, but now the market is flooded with good buys.

Sony's HD Cine-eza PJs have recieved lavish praise in the HT press while the prices run about 40% of the cheapest Runco model. That's another one I'd like to check out sometime.

 

[djoxygen]

Several years ago my aunt and uncle were building a new house and wanted me to go check out the HT system they had already selected at a local high-end boutique HT retailer. The system was no slouch - Rotel components, NHT speakers, Proton TV - and was priced accordingly. I brought in some reference material and was being as nitpicky as I could because that's exactly what they asked me to do - verify that they were getting their money's worth out of it.

Any (all minor) criticisms of the system were countered by the salesman telling me that my (recording engineer) ears weren't properly trained, that my (carefully selected and back-of-my-hand familiar) reference materials weren't well recorded, or that his golden ears didn't hear it that way, so I must be mistaken.

I relayed my impressions (minor criticisms though they were) to my relatives, they bought the system, and I have recommended to anyone I know who's in the HT market that they avoid the store in question.

A good salesman of any type of product will sell a customer the best match for that person's needs regardless of the commission or profit because the most reliable way to gain more business is word of mouth. This is especially true for the boutique HT stores that don't have the advertising budgets of Best Buy and Circuit City.

 

[Yamaman]

I agree. A saleperson will get repeat customers if he/she is sincere and has the client's best interests in mind. It's funny how some people who work in retail don't understand this concept.

I'll be going back to the same store that I bought my receiver and speakers from because of their excellent service and advice as well as giving me a great package deal.

 

[Unregistered]

I, for one, go out of my way to avoid Runco products as they have seen tremendous reliability issues since their CRT days.

There are tons of companies out there who not only are producing good projectors, but are making the RELIABLE and/or AFFORDABLE. A Runco is like an old Ferrari. Fun to drive as long as you don't mind it being in the shop 80% of the time.

Most people (including me) prefer the Mercedes, but can only afford a Honda. So, I have a Panasonic - zero problems in over a year except one blown bulb which I replaced in ten minutes. That would be my sub-$2,000 Panasonic projector.

The MOST important thing in my opinion is that you want a home theater projector for your home theater. You don't want some 4500 lumen data projector struggling with motion graphics and putting out an actuall 20 to 1 contrast ratio.

Make sure to look at www.projectorcentral.com for some good info and user reviews on projectors no matter what you decide.

 

[JoeE SP9]

I walked into Soundex one day with $2K in my pocket to spend. It was a saturday and the place was full of people wearing suits. Me in my jeans and sweatshirt were ignored. I went elswhere. One of my buddies and I walked into David Lewis Audio 10 minutes before closing. They kept the store open for an hour while my buddy purchased a pair of Morduant Short's. They even tossed in an 8ft pair of Kimber TC4 cables for free. We both now frequent David Lewis Audio.

 

[djoxygen]

I walked into Soundex one day with $2K in my pocket to spend. It was a saturday and the place was full of people wearing suits. Me in my jeans and sweatshirt were ignored. I went elswhere.

Kick butt! One of my favorite stunts, too! If Mr. Salesman thinks that the way I dress and cut my hair bears any relation to the amount of money I'm willing to spend on my music, computer, car, house, girlfriend, etc... then my business is none of his business. (Any of these jack@$$es ever seen the way Steve Jobs dresses?) I hang around the high-end of the showroom for about 10-15 minutes reading specs, narrowing my choices, learning what I can, then if I haven't been approached I'm taking my cut-off shorts and the Gold AmEx hiding in their pocket elsewhere. >:-D

 

[Unregistered]

Excellent point dj. Clothes don't make the man and snooty salesmen would do well to learn that.

 

[Unregistered]

shadow

Your point is kind of hard to get. Just cause you had money and sloppy clothes on does not mean the average guy similarly dressed buys much. Most guys just go to kick the tires. For every guy in ratty jeans that spends real money ten guys in suits do. Remember the salesman works on a commission so he learns pretty quick who are the better prospects or he gets another job. Regarding the original post, why is this saleman snooty? He gave an opinion which is what customers pay for. You are not required to agree and you certainly should ask questions to see what is the factual basis for his opinion, but Runco is a great projector company. Many people who shop for these products know nothing about how to evaluate the equipment and appreciate the opinion. BTW, Runco does not have to weigh much, their new DLP projectors are compact and quite light. The also are extraordinary performers albeit at a high price. I have never sold anything for a living but have good friends in high end retail who have had years of experience in sales and I am frequently regaled with stories. One is about the guy who thinks he knows everything about the gear in question but upon further inquiry, he only knows what he has been told by others or what he has read on the internet. Oddly enough, when this customer is gently confronted with the error of his ways, he usually walks out in a huff.

 

[Rob Babcock]

It may depend on where you live, but I've found by and large that audio salesmen generally know very little about audio. They do know sales, however. That's just the way the world works, and mediocrity is the norm. I can't tell you how many salesmen I've talked to that didn't understand the simplest things. A few examples: I talked to a hack at one of the stores that didn't think a digital coaxial out really output a digital signal- he reckoned only an optical could do that. Another didn't know what a "slew rate" or "slew factor" meant. Still another incredibly didn't know what a potentiometer was .

Salesmen are hardly public servants, and of course carry the same bigotry and narrow minded perspective as they would if they didn't sell things for a living. They may equate the way you dress with the amount of money you have/will spend, but obviously the two aren't remotely linked. The next suit you see me in will likely be at my funeral, but that hasn't stopped me from spending whatever I need to for a given peice of gear.

At any rate, I'd imagine calling that particular salesman a "snob" is based on the whole experience, and since he was there and you were not, "unregistered," I'm inclined to allow him the right to his own opinion.

Bear in mind, too, that "extraordinary performance" claims aside, TI is the only manufacturer of DLP chips, and all PJs on the market use the same ones. There are diffs in performance based on implementation, but Runcos have no corner on gushing reviews.

 

[JoeE SP9]

I should have added to my original post that I did approach one of the salesmen who was standing around doing nothing but supporting a wall. He was not quite rude but certainly not friendly. He and the other salesman appeared to be busy discussing the merits of Easter over Christmas.

 

[Westrock2000]

I have a Stereophile thats several years old. I believe it was the guy the does Analog Corner (Sam Tellig??) maybe (may have been a letter to the editor though), anyways they talked about a Hi-Fi shop up in the New England area, that charged like a $50 "consultation fee" just to enter the store, but you got the money back as a credit if you bought something.

Definenetly pass that shop up

 

[Yamaman]

Regarding the original post, why is this saleman snooty? He gave an opinion which is what customers pay for. You are not required to agree and you certainly should ask questions to see what is the factual basis for his opinion, but Runco is a great projector company. Many people who shop for these products know nothing about how to evaluate the equipment and appreciate the opinion. BTW, Runco does not have to weigh much, their new DLP projectors are compact and quite light. The also are extraordinary performers albeit at a high price. I have never sold anything for a living but have good friends in high end retail who have had years of experience in sales and I am frequently regaled with stories. One is about the guy who thinks he knows everything about the gear in question but upon further inquiry, he only knows what he has been told by others or what he has read on the internet. Oddly enough, when this customer is gently confronted with the error of his ways, he usually walks out in a huff.

I would have to disagree to a certain point. A good saleperson will find out the needs and budget of the customer and hopefully come up with something that will meet his/her expectations. I told him what my price range was, and right away he gives my a statement and I quote "well, if you're not paying at least $5000.00 for a projector, then you might was well not buy one"

Now if that isn't snooty, then I don't know what is. How can I respect his opinion if he starts off with that kind of generalization. And, he didn't even explain his position- and I didn't bother to ask because why should I waste my time with that kind of delivery. It could have been any brand, it just happened to be a Runco; in any case, that was not the point of this topic.