The nerve of some salesman

[kgb540]

Here is a good one to help everyone unwind from their weekend. I was in my local "hifi" store today in Sioux City, Ia, just doing some lazy sunday browsing and a fellow customer started polite conversation about his need for a subwoofer. After a short time into the dialog I came to realize he didnt really know too much and was looking to spend quite a bit of money. He bombarded me with a ton of questions and finally the head salesman (who happens to be the owners son) came over and started giving the gentleman his sales pitch and product demos. This store sells Paradigm, B&W, Phase Tech, Thiel and DCM (not too much to choose from but enough) and the salesman quickly ushered him over to the Paradigm displays. Now I certainly have no issue with Paradigm and the point of this thread isnt to bash ANY speaker company at all, but I was curious as to what the customer was going to buy or how they subs were going to be pitched to him so I "tagged" along within earshot to observe. Now for those of you reading this with weak stomaches, this may be a good time to stop reading. After a quick audition of the PW-2100 and 2200 the salesman devoted the rest of the demo's to the almighty, $2500 Servo 15V2. After the usual "its the best sub ever", "it's won more awards than any sub ever", "these are really hard to get so you need to buy this one, its our last in stock" type approaches, the salesman went for the homerun. I swear to the almighty above this is what he said.............gulp..........."I have a customer here in town that bought one of these 3 months ago for his BASEMENT home theater. He has had the police over to his house 3 times since he bought the sub. When the police get there they tell him his neighbors are complaining about the subwoofer making things on their shelves fall off". The customer goes "WOW!! Are you serious?" and the salesman says back to him........."yeah...........and the crazy thing is the house next to him is for sale and vacant, it's the lady two houses down that is complaining." I burst out laughing, shook my head and walked away. I mean its one thing to embellish the truth, but the sales tactics of this person go way beyond what is the limits of morality and respectability. Needless to say I will NEVER go into this store again and will tell everyone locally I know what I witnessed and I won't leave out the names like I did in this post. I cant stand this type of salesperson, it ruins the industry. I wonder if that guy ever did buy a sub...........

 

[MDS]

Funny...but not that uncommon. The thing that strikes me is how people can be swayed by anecdotal stories. Why would it be impressive that the sub can knock things off the wall two doors down? If it could (which it can't) that would mean that it is WAY too powerful for the customer's home environment.

Like pretty much everything else in science, SPL follows the inverse square law and to achieve the kind of SPL two doors down that could knock things off the wall, the SPL in the customers's room would have to be in the hundreds of decibels. The customer would become instantly deaf with that kind of SPL if he were in the same room [190 dB will make your ears bleed].

 

[gmichael]

This guy sounds like our Sales Manager. Does he also take two week, paid, vacations on the company's dime, because he spent an hour of it with a customer?

 

[stratman]

Ignorance is bliss!!!! A fool and his money soon part company...true and sad anecdotes!

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

...if his father only knew...

 

[HiJon89]

Meh, happens all the time. That guy should do his homework before he walks into a store with a lot of money to spend or else he should assume he is going to be swindled.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Funny...but not that uncommon. The thing that strikes me is how people can be swayed by anecdotal stories.

I have a hard time at family get together keeping my mouth shut when I hear all about the latest homeopathic medicines, or psychics, etc. Then, I am the one who doesn't have an open mind


Like pretty much everything else in science, SPL follows the inverse square law and to achieve the kind of SPL two doors down that could knock things off the wall, the SPL in the customers's room would have to be in the hundreds of decibels. The customer would become instantly deaf with that kind of SPL if he were in the same room [190 dB will make your ears bleed].


I am surprised the guy with that sub has his house still standing, windows in one piece.

 

[Seth=L]

Ha, once I was at a Hi-Fi store some years ago when they had the first version of the Servo 15. The salesman laid claim "this sub will make your ears bleed".

 

[stratman]

You know as Christmas gets closer, their (salesmen of any kind of product)stories will get better and better.

 

[Seth=L]

Aren't we supposed to be happy about better stories. The better they are, the more we laugh. Now I want to go to the Hi-Fi stores and Best Buy and get some advise on subs. I need a video camera.

 

[stratman]

You want good video material, ask them to explain all the attributes of BOSE.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

You want good video material, ask them to explain all the attributes of BOSE.

Good Bose salesman even have the hand gestures choreographed. I guess "videostage5" is just makes more sense when both hands are doing the chop at a rapid pace near your head.

 

[Seth=L]

You want good video material, ask them to explain all the attributes of BOSE.

You know, I think while I am out on Monday, I will do just that.

 

[evilkat]

You know, I think while I am out on Monday, I will do just that.

Post video here please

 

[Seth=L]

If I had a camera, that is another project. What I can do is make a really long post though.

 

[Kai]

A fool and his money is soon parted.
An uneducated and unprepared buyer also gets what he/she deserves be it cars, china or speakers.

 

[gmichael]

A fool and his money is soon parted.
An uneducated and unprepared buyer also gets what he/she deserves be it cars, china or speakers.

What a cold cold world that we live in.

 

[stratman]

G,

Sad but true Hey forget Ultimate Fighters, you want a pack of rabid, nasty, backbiting, hell-bent-for-leather bunch that you wouldn't want to face, your worst nightmare, tell the guys here that BOSE makes the best of anything and their research is legit!!!!!!!!!LOL

 

[emorphien]

If I had a camera, that is another project. What I can do is make a really long post though.

I'll be looking forward to that thread

 

[gmichael]

G,

Sad but true Hey forget Ultimate Fighters, you want a pack of rabid, nasty, backbiting, hell-bent-for-leather bunch that you wouldn't want to face, your worst nightmare, tell the guys here that BOSE makes the best of anything and their research is legit!!!!!!!!!LOL

Or tell a snooty bunch of preppies that they don't. Almost got my head ripped off for telling a few "friends" who were looking to buy Bose that they could do better.

OK, who's got one of those tiny cameras with Blue-tooth? We'll make a short movie.