Haggling at Guitar Center

treymonfauntre said:
i'm kind of scared to go into guitar center now
i wamted a bass amp head on december 30th for the 31st, the one i picked out wasn't in stock. so he called up a store about a half hour away and they had 2 displays for no reason, and said i could pay for it now, take the display model home with me and come back after the weekend and get a new one in the box.
so i paid and went to the other guitar center to pick it up. the fucking place ended up being insanely far, like over 2 hours from my house. so i kept putting off going back to get the new one in a box and now its been like 3 months.

AM I BLACKLISTED IN THE COMPUTER AND FORCED TO NEVER GET A GOOD DEAL AGAIN?!
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Actually, they'd probably prefer that you just keep the one you got. Very few floor models at GC are actually in inventory as store demo units. The exception is a few computers and some of the furman power conditioners. Trust me, there's no blacklisting going on, and in reality the dudes there prefer you just keep what you got. We always throw out that option though because some people are pretty picky about having a new in the box unit rather than a new on the floor unit. Funny though, I've never had a customer ask for a guitar to be factory sealed in a box. Take care!
 
My experiences with the Indy GC have always been good. I just ask what the best price on a piece of gear is, they give me a quote and since I know in advance how much I'll pay for it I usually buy it or just leave, no hard feelings. The last guitar I bought there they had to special order and they gave me another new one (different color) to take home and use for over a month. This was a $700 guitar (Schecter C1 Classic). I thought that was pretty damn good.
 
Great advice here. I worked in music sales for a couple of years in the L.A. area and would just emphasize a couple of points already made here. Above all, try to get past the "me vs. them" feeling when doing biz. Most of these sales guys are just making a living and are not looking to screw people. Some know more than others, of course, but they are all working toward a weekly or monthly bottom line. Giving too many great deals (little or no profit) won't keep them around long, so they have to choose when to drop prices the most. Many of the posts here explain good ways to "earn" the best service and fair prices, and the best approach is seldom an aggressive, arrogant approach to buying. Building a good relationship, personally and professionally, has always worked best for me from both sides of the counter.

One other thought, though. I sometimes use a buying approach that I liked seeing when I was selling. In fact, I did this at GC recently when buying a bass guitar. I'll find one of my preferred sales guys and tell him that I'm definitely buying "xxxx" from him today, but that I'll need plenty of time to compare models and prices. As a sales guy, I always felt especially helpful when I knew that I wasn't wasting my time. (So many lookie-loos take their toll.) It's worth noting, too, that sometimes the extra help isn't just related to price, but also in setting up equipment or in searching for the back room for something. When I recently bought my bass after hours of comparing models, I had my guy bring out three more (boxed) of that model so that I could choose the best. He offered me a fair price, in line with what I'd found online, but his service mattered more to me that day. He certainly earned his pay, but at least he knew all along I'd definitely be buying from him that day, and that can really help the process. And now we've established a basic foundation for the next time I drop in to buy something else. Building that pro trust, from both sides, has been a key step for me in being treated fairly. It's just common sense really.

J.
 
Richard Monroe said:
The real key to getting good prices anywhere is to create a culture of cooperation, rather than an adversarial relationship, and prove that you actually are a buyer. If any of this helps anyone, I'm very happy about it.- Richie
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Richard- awesome post. Many shoppers forget they are dealing with actual people when they walk in a store. Many store employees forget customers are people too. The basics of decent human interaction are often forgotten by both sides.
 
Richard Monroe said:
Yeah, that's advice on car buying I don't subscribe to, but then again, in a former life, I was a Customer One certified Dodge sales specialist. My approach may be a little different- " I'm a Dodge Sales Specialist. I'll give you $100 over invoice. There's the car. Write it up." In the end, it's like this- The salesman knows he's going to make minimum comission on a car deal with me. That's usually $50 or so. He can make that money in 10 minutes, which sounds pretty good, or he can make that money with 3 hrs of mind games that won't work. His choice. It's still going to be $50.
Generally, I'll let the salesman go through his whole qualification process and the test drive, because I want him to have something invested in me. If he has taken an hour or so to present the car. that's an hour he wants to get paid for. It's always to my advantage if he wants to sell the car more than I need to buy one. Best rules for car buying- Buy a car before your old one dies, so you're not desparate. Avoid locates. Either buy a car that is sitting right there, or have the factory build it. Locates are a PIA that the salesman wants to get paid for, and the car will already have miles on it. Never give them your car as a trade. Sell the damn thing privately, or as a separate transaction with another dealer. Always deal from invoice. Refuse to play mind games-"How much will you give me in addition to your trade to buy this car?" Fuck that. In my experience, I've met pleasant, honest, thoughtful, hard working car salesmen, and I've never met a car sales manager who wouldn't stab his own mother in the back for a quarter. It's a job requirement.
Most of the suggestions I made above work in car sales also, except that it's OK to remember that the car sales manager is *always* evil, and *always* dishonest.
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I'm gonna agree with this time invested thing. I once spent about 4 hours playing these two Taylors at a GC. I really liked one of them, but there was this weird rattle when I played a certain low note, I think it was just a wire in the body or something. At any rate, this was stopping me from buying it. The guy that helped me wanted to make a sale so badly that he asked me if I would buy it if he made me the lowest offer he could (He was looking at his computer)...I ended up saying no and bought another guitar I had played at a different store, but I'm pretty sure that guy would have done anything to sell me the guitar.
 
boingoman said:
Richard- awesome post. Many shoppers forget they are dealing with actual people when they walk in a store. Many store employees forget customers are people too. The basics of decent human interaction are often forgotten by both sides.
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i definitely agree.
 
Richard Monroe said:
He can make that money in 10 minutes, which sounds pretty good, or he can make that money with 3 hrs of mind games that won't work. His choice. It's still going to be $50.
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astoebe quoted this, and it brings up a point. The opposite can be true as well.

If you spend a few hours on the internet finding prices, and a few more working deals hard at the store to save an extra $100 on a $3000 purchase, have you really saved anything?

Personally, I feel anything more than an hour or two total researching or haggling over price is a waste. And that's on big stuff. Spending lots of time time to get an extra $20 off a $200 piece is just silly, if you ask me. I'd rather spend the time working, enjoying myself, or building the aforementioned good relationship.
 
Doc Holiday said:
After years of retail sales management, I have become highly skilled in dodging customers. :D Just kidding!
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:D

Some customers deserve to be dodged. And it takes a lot to make me do it. My take is that if someone is a big enough prick, I don't care if he badmouths my business. Anyone he tells probably knows the guy is a prick, so his negative take on me is bound to be ignored by anyone he tells. I have "fired" customers before.
 
The guys at my local GC treat me very well. I got no complaints. There are different ways to get a better price. The first and easiest way is the price match. I've had GC price match to below their own cost. The second and other easiest way is just to say, "What is your absolute lowest price?" The third method is just to negotiate in your own style. Always be polite no matter what happens. The worst thing they can do is say no and you take your business elsewhere.
 
I don't know about GC's, but the music shops around here sound about the same. Whenever I really need something quick and don't have time to order it online, I must go to local places and pay signifigantly more. The method I use to get things at ridiculously low prices is by:
1- Acting very suspicious and cautious
2- Wear a large jacket; trench coat is even better
3- Continually reach under the chest area of my jacket (simulating a concealed weapon)
4- Whenever the salesman is yappin', continually look at the entrance and other people around you
5- Lastly, once the salesman starts discussing prices, start to shake and mumble when he does. Continue to do so until he comes down.

The sweatier the salesman gets, the more you're working him. He thinks you're some nut with a gun-you OWN the situation.


-Usually works for me. :D
 
boingoman said:
Personally, I feel anything more than an hour or two total researching or haggling over price is a waste. And that's on big stuff. Spending lots of time time to get an extra $20 off a $200 piece is just silly, if you ask me. I'd rather spend the time working, enjoying myself, or building the aforementioned good relationship.
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Your wrong on that.
Its kind of like a bonus.
I get payed to go to work, I surf the net while getting payed looking for the best deals, then go th GC and have them match prices or do better. :eek: :D :eek: :D :eek: :D
 
my experience is that they are a bunch of young punk know it alls half the time. they dont like to keep up with the current line of products and know little to nothing about using gear day in and out. it usually takes me about 45 minutes just to buy some strings or a freeking drum head. if they would just get off the phone with there jamb band buddies too. there always on the phone yapping about the big gig thats gonna happen. do yourself a favor and avoid shipping and sales tax and buy online. if your always maintaing your gear there aint no piece of gear i need right away. i can get most of my stuff in 3 days online if not sooner.
 
I think you need to find a new store, Gem. I buy a lot online, too, especially when I know exactly what I want, but sometimes I need to listen to and compare products before deciding. When I do, nothing beats a store. That's when I want to play fair so I buy from the store and sales guy that helped me the most. And that's where the relationship part comes into play. With minimal effort on my part, two of my local stores treat me well these days. I just make sure to take some of their opinions with a grain of salt, as I would with anyone selling something.

J.
 
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reshp1 said:
I've seen many people claim they've talked GC salespeople down to ridiculously low prices. How do you go about doing this? What's your technique/angle?
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I always get great prices. But, i did not happen overnight. You have to target a salesperson that is easy going. Go in when they are totally dead. Always go to your chosen target and talk. Talk until you find something in common. It could be bands, recording techniques, baseball, ANYTHING.

Now, arm yourself with current prices and buy some low cost things from your salespuppy. Work on a quick relationship.

Once you are there for the tenth time, and salespuppy knows you pretty well, then bargain on a high ticket item. If your price is too high, let them know that your budjet is not there yet.

Waht the salespuppy is looking for is a solid record of purchases through him/her only. Don't buy from anyone else and tell them the next time you are there that he/she is the one you are looking for because you only trust him/her.


I have been getting prices from 30% to over 50% off (not on sales) because I know about the demo equipment in the back room. I raid it now and then.


Once the salespuppy is trained well, you can tell them what you are looking for and maybe, just maybe, you will get tapped into great demo/used stuff that is usually collecting dust in the backroom/warehouse. They forget about this stuff.

That other approach is to buy many items and ask "can you do anything for me?"

If he/she goes to the computer and actually reads, searches for you, he/she is trying hard.

Good Luck.
 
I hung out there every day during summer till i personally knew everyone, and had a band practice with most everyone, just for fun. I get below cost all the time. I haggled a 350 dollar paiste ride cymbal to 172.87(cause i had that was EXCACTLY how much i had left on my card.) They figured I was desperate so I got it. It was a credit card....so there wasnt an excact amount on it anyway :-)
 
My main advice is this: don't fall into the trap of wanting to buy right away. You can get some great deals by being able to walk away.


I was looking at an SG standard, and I was ready to buy. I'd looked online to see what I could get it for. It was going for about $1170 or so. I talked to a sales person and he hooked me up with one to try out. It was marked at $1199. I'd been trying out the guitar for about five or ten minutes when the salesman came back to check on me.

He asked, "What do you think? Pretty sweet huh?"

I said, "Yeah, but I'm not crazy about that price."

He said, "Well, let me see what I can do on that. I don't think I have too much room to wiggle, but I'll check." He came back and told me they could $1100 even.

(So right there, just by saying I didn't like the price, there was $100 saved.)

But the good thing was that I wasn't desparate and was OK with not buying it right away. So I told him, "Well, I found one on line that I can get for $900, shipping included."

He said " well, man ... I'm sorry we can't do that ..." So I thanked him for his time and started to walk out. I got about halfway to the door and he said, "You know what? What the hell, let's do it."

So he starts to ring it up and said something like $974. (I had my wallet open so he could see the $100 bills at this point.) I told him no, the $900 included tax and everything. He said, "Oh .. no man. I really can't do that. This is the best I can do."

So again, I thanked him for his time and started to walk out. I almost got out the door this time when he called me back again and said "all right man, let's do this." So I told him, "Great! Throw in two packs of strings and you've got a deal."

So I got a brand new SG (that was marked $1199) and two sets of strings for $899.75 when all was said and done.


You should really not ever pay the marked price for anything that's over $50 or so. Just be willing to show them that you're going to give your business to someone else. A lot of times that's all it takes.
 
Haggle now folks, within a few years, most all company's are going to start setting hard minimums on their products much like Bose, Apple, Monster and Mogami do.
 
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