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[Doolie]

I had to make a quick stop at Sam Ash today, and the experience reminded me of why I usually avoid shopping there.

Today's agenda was to replace a mic cable for tonight's gig. Simple enough. It generally takes me 1-2 minutes to order one online, but since I needed it today and I was passing Sam Ash anyway, I decided to buy it there. Here's how I think the transaction should have gone:

Step one) Enter store
Step two) Select mic cable from display rack which is located in easy-to-find and well-marked area.
Step three) check out

Assuming there's no line for the cashier, the entire procedure shouldn't take more than five minutes.

Here's what happens in "Sam Ash world."

Step one) Enter store
Step two) Wander into potential "mic cable section" of store.
Step three) Make eye contact with Sam Ash employees who are happily ignoring the only customer in their department.
Step four) Browse section looking for mic cables with no success.
Step five) Tell employee who finally deigns to offer help that I need a mic cable... with an on/off switch.
Step six) Try to explain to uncomprehending employee what "mic cable with on/off switch" means.
Step seven) Follow employee to another department where mic cables are located.
Step eight) Wait for said employee to give you mic cable.
Step nine) Ask said employee, who is seemingly just hanging around, for mic cable.
Step ten) Listen to employee explain that it's not his department.
Step eleven) Employee calls for assistance.
Step twelve) Another Sam Ash employee shows up and locates mic cable.
Step thirteen) Sam Ash employee locates "grabber" tool and takes cable down from hook on wall near ceiling.
Step fourteen) Original Sam Ash employee is wowed by concept of switch on cable and takes a moment to "check it out."
Step fifteen) Employees discuss who should get the credit for the sale. (They're paid on comission.)
Step sixteen) Employee enters item into computer.
Step seventeen) Employee manually fills out paper slip listing items purchased
Step eighteen) Employee instructs me to take said paper and the mic cable to the cashier.
Step nineteen) Cashier rings up sale on old-fashioned credit card unit, manually taking imprint of credit card.
Step twenty) Security guard -- who has watched checkout from about three feet away -- checks receipt to verify payment.
Step twenty one) Finally leave store, further commited to shopping elsewhere in the future.

[Brian Adams]

Wow, that's crazy...








...I had no idea that real people actually used those mic cables with switched on them.

[Bennett Prescott]

B. Adams wrote on Mon, 24 January 2005 04:53

...I had no idea that real people actually used those mic cables with switched on them.

Ha ha ha! My thoughts exactly.

[Chris Davis]

Okay, so you are saying that place is not an effective audio training grounds for its own employees.  Why should it be...or how could it be?

I always found them to be rather marketing-centric with their employees...leaving them to view live audio principles as stumbling blocks, or (to pinpoint the philosophy) a "noble" achievement but just not on "company time".  

Chris

[Dan Whitehead]

Maybe it's an attempt to try and keep you in the store longer so you see/remember something else you need to buy

[Mike Chapin]

Hmph. Tends to make me appreciate my GC a little more.

[Bill Gruber]

They make mic cable with on/off switches on them?  Who knew?  Why would you need a mic cable with an on/off switch anyway?  It's kinda like the useless annoying on/off switch of some of my mics(why isn't this stupid thing working, after checking cables, inputs, etc oh look some idiot turned the mic off AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH).

-Sax

[Pete Sams]

   Two things here: 1. I hat emic cables with switches, a waste of time UNLESS there is a specific app for them but I haven't run across one yet.

  GC and Sam Ash (I worked at GC) are sales driven. Thier concept of training is WAY off. Info on new product trickles in while bread and butter basics just aren't covered. You'd be suprised by all the mis-information within the company. Really if they trained the pro audio guys the way they should they'd have to pay them more (you know they won't do that!).

p

[Scott Hibbard]

Doolie...NO KIDDING I had the SAME experience today at Sam Ash (only I was stopping in for 2 NL4P's).  The moment I walked into the store the "front door man" asked me what I needed.  I informed what I was there for and he had NO IDEA what I was talking about.  The rest of the visit turned out identical to yours (including the fact that I was also the ONLY ONE in the store!)

FUNNY!
ScottH

[Marc Schwartz]

Doolie,

Your story exemplifies why I avoid music stores. I have some sympathy for the poor souls who must labor in these stores, but not enough to tolerate the stupidity of "sales kids" when it costs me time, which is my most precious commodity. There are just too many other good sources for these same products online and mail order. I can find out the information that I need on the internet or from a catalog, place my order, and never have to leave my desk. OTOH, when an emergency comes up, and I need something in a hurry on show day, I will send a "runner" to a local music store to go and get it, but only after talking to the store owner or someone else who knows me personally on the phone, and making sure they have it ready for pick-up when my "runner" gets there. It has taken me years to properly train the local music stores how to deal with a pro audio company. After a while, they finally caught on to the fact that I wasn't going to spend my money with them unless they can provide me with good service.

-Marc