On Service and potential-buyer reactions

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siphiwe

AVForums Veteran
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Joined
Jul 18, 2005
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Location
Durban
So, I've just been to fetch my previously broken CD Player from a local audio shop. This is a shop I've sworn before never to attempt to buy anything from. However, with my broken player and at HFX's advise, I had to swallow my pride and go to them. They were the only local guys who'd ship it to HFX.

What prompts me to write a post like this is I just managed to strike up a very good conversation with the same people that seemed so dismissive all these years. It raises a question that always comes up in service related issues, someone has to somehow tell you who to speak to, or someone has to know you before they can give you the time of day. It really shouldn't be that way. I'm going to briefly relate my experience at this dealer, feel free to tell me if I've been harsh on them by no longer considering them prior to today.

March 2003 - I'm shopping for a replacement for my then aging CD player. I have R8k budget, a stack of cds. Have researched the market and around Durban I understand what brands the dealers stock. I have a Toshiba DVD player, great with DVDs, too aggressive with music. I think I like Rotel RCD-1072. I'm slightly partial to Marantz players but hate the then association with Philips(my philips had intermittent transport issues out of the shop that never got completely sorted out). This shop magically stocks both brands so off I go. Cash and CDs in hand.

I state my case(except that I have a DVD player). Why do they tell me CD Players are old news? DVD-P's are taking over. "No one buys CDPs now, DVD players a just as good and play both". "Look, this is a very good DVD player". Didn't I say I want to audition CD Players. Well, they also didn't have the Rotel in stock but it would take anything from a week to 2 weeks before they can get it in the shop. I didn't want to listen to a DVD player either. Slightly disappointed, I drove all the way to Kloof to the place where I'd bought my Arcam amp a few years before. There I got service I'd never imagined possible. It's not like I told them I'd bought from them before. Again, no Rotel but I got to listen to every CDP in the shop. Linn, ML, Marantz CD17 all the way down to the 5XXXX. So, they got my business. Because they gave me such a good deal, I managed to fit not only a CDP (the recently broken one), but also a demo pair of B&W 602S3. Happy man.

FastForward to May 2006 - I now have had the Class? pre/power combo for a year and a bit and feel like some change. I'm happy with the sound and feel comfortable to now venture into the mucky areas of a tweak here and there. Where to start? I always wanted decent speaker stands for the B&Ws but was a bit unsure if I'd really hear the sound benefits. Besides, in 2004 when I attempted to pursue some custom-made local ones(no names), the guy decided to diss my beloved B&Ws instead and told me a certain local brand will kick their asses. I sulked and left the whole exercise right there. Anyway back on topic, I go to _the_ shop. It's so easy to go there as I can just walk for 8 mins. They stock B&Ws too. Long story short. "I'm looking for decent stands for 602s3, what you got?". Aah, those are good speakers, you need good stands. See, I can have these ones made for you. Shows me the stands. Largely ok... but I also know there were specific stands that came out with the Series 3. Why does he think I need the R900 custom ones? Anyway, I'll play along. Either way I have my doubts about the perceived sound benefits. So how long does it take to make these? One week. Give me your name and contact details, I'll have them made for you. Here's my card. A week later I go there, and he says "Aah, the guy is short on wood and should be getting some this week, just called him. I'll let you know next week". I eventually gave up. Guess where I got my speaker stands, from the Kloof guy, except he'd now moved to Pietermaritzburg.

2007 - My brother's house gets broken into and they clean up his system. After his insurance sorts him out, he enlists my services looking for B&W speakers. The new 600 Series had just come out. I knew _the_ shop had B&W and is so close to my work. Off I went. This time I was just more interested in the prices as well as what is available, hadn't kept up to date since I'd been a happy camper with my stuff. Not only did I had to wait for attention, when I eventually got attended to, I was told to be careful not to scratch their speakers which were so clear to see as you pass them on the passage to the listening room. No prices yet, but I will be called. Business card dished again. I'd explained in detail that we will be buying B&W speakers because we need them to replace a stolen system. Why did I not hear from them ever again. That was the final straw. I knew I'll never recommend them to anyone ever. Where did my brother eventually get his stuff from? Same old guy that sold me mine, and a damn good dvd player as part of the deal. Maybe the old man is just good but there has to be a reason why no matter where he moves to his customers follow him.

Now, I'm posting this because I went to _the_ shop to collect my player and _the_ man, on seeing the 5 cd's I'd sent with the player at HFX's request, he wouldn't keep his mouth closed. He wanted to listen to them, he wanted me to buy them, he wanted me to burn a copy, I had such good taste in music, duh!. He even made a photocopy of the covers of the one cd he really wanted. What took him so long? He's complaining to customers that they can't compete with the likes of HiFi-Corp but I've been trying to give him business for the past 5 years and he's done his best to brush it aside. Tell me if I've been unreasonable from not buying from their shop.

I'm gonna go home and burn him the music he so wanted. It really is nice to know someone who shares your musical tastes. I'm still not sure I'll buy from him though.

Sorry for the long post. Just had to write this after following Gerhard's happy ending service post.

 
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