Have your say & ask the experts

So today I decided to have a stroll around the dealers in Yeovil, a quick google will reveal both. The 7oaks was ok until I told them what amp I was using, see below, and then I was bombarded with request to upgrade taking advantage of the current trade in offer with Cyrus. Ok this is a great deal but I only paid 450 for the new V2 a few months ago, I have a very limited budget and the extra expense is not an option at the moment, what I am really after is some new speakers. “Oh no” I was told, “you must upgrade to amp, the new 8XD is far superior”, and something like, “You would be a fool to pass this opportunity”. I left the store shortly afterwards because the dealer failed to address my enquiry. This was a few weeks ago, so today I visited the other independent outlet who shall remain nameless.

There were no other customers in the shop, I had a feeling that there hadn’t been for quite some time. I was sprung upon from the demo room outback and I was instantly quizzed on the nature of my visit. I felt like I couldn’t just say ‘I’m browsing’ so I explained that I was looking for some new speakers. Again I mentioned my amp and he recoiled, the look of disgust said it all, I looked around and saw a shrine of Naim kit. Personally I like the Naim gear, but its a bit out of my budget. The dealer told me that Naim is what I wanted, and nothing else compares. I’ve heard of these folks before so I thought I would humour him for a while whilst he told me about the history of mission/cyrus, and how it is all made in china. Now I know parts and components are usually sourced from the Far East but there is still some element of a Britain in their brand, he thought not. Ok so what is wrong with that I asked, but obviously I was speaking out of turn, he was already telling me about Naims history and his many visits to their HQ, and something about transistor testing in something called the naughty room!?? He then turned on the hi-fi press, informing me that they are all bias, but that he doesn’t really read any publications and that he’s really not all clued up on recent developments. I thought this would be a key element to a dealers responsibility, obviously not. I managed to claw the ‘discussion’ (monologue) back to my original question about speakers, but by this time he challenged me to a Hi-Fi off!! “Bring in your Cyrus amp and pit it against the Naim Nait 5i”, I explained that I only paid 450 for the cyrus so pitting it again a Naim was useless because I don’t have the money for it. Pistols at dawn! I made an empty promise to comply but have no intention of following it up. Exhausted and peed off I withstood another bombardment about his satisfied customers and legal action concerning the local competition, god knows why, until I received and SOS from my mother who needed a help with some heavy bags, I told her she shouldn’t have bought so much but took the opportunity to escape the situation. Needless to say I don’t think I will be dealing with these stores, and that I am pleased that I will be moving to Bristol soon where I can escape their self centred approach to serving a customers needs.

Rant over.

I understand your frustration! It is annoying having these type of dealers.

There are some good dealers out there though so save your money until you find one!

I thought it was just me. Maybe its a South West thing, maybe its wider spread then that. I am in Plymouth and apart from Richers we only have a 7Oaks.

Richers is Richers...so we will leave it at that.

7 Oaks.....I'm sorry if I offend but I absolutely refuse to go in there. The service you receive is very much like you have said. Not prepared to listen and very dismissive of anything you have to say. Wouldnt worry me in the slightest if they closed............

40 miles up the road and its a different story...along with a very good independant shop, I have been into  7 Oaks and received a completely different service. 

My question is this....is 7 Oaks a franchised outlet?

raym87:

My question is this....is 7 Oaks a franchised outlet?

Yes, it is. Their "history" part of the "About us" section on their website states that they became a national franchise in 1995.

[edited by mods - house rules violation: dealers must identify themselves in signature and bio; trade members posting under an alias will be removed. Poster banned]

I’m glad I'm not the only one. It really made me feel deflated about my kit selection, almost to the point where my enjoyment of music was effected. Then I realised that I don't care what one dealer says, taking opinion from a open-minded community and experienced reviewers, mad of course my own ears is what matters most.

Most of my dealer experiences have been similar. I've gone to places with a specific budget and item purchase in mind to be bombarded with something completely unsuitable or wildy wrong. When they start harping on about bunging it on the credit card I get upset.

Sevenoaks stores vary as they're franchises. Lincoln was very good to me and I would rate them highly. Peterborough is, well, closed now. Exeter seemed good too. Another little gem is Synergy AV in Congleton.

This does seem strange,i think some of the problem is the downturn i think it puts people in a bad mood.we are all only human but i think we need to respect what companys are dealing with at the moment.prices have gone up.and now people are watching there pennies.I think that we all have to relize that companys have to make a profit. i work in retail and the amount of people are very negative at the moment,but we as staff still have to smile.I will always ask a potentail cust what is there budget.to me it does not mateer if i sell a £400 tv or a £5000 tv the cust will always be importent to me,i just treat people how i expect to be treated. so called internet cust do not intrest me at all.they want internet prices they will get internet service.I read a photo mag thatb we get sent and there was a cracking story about a dealer who had a cust that asked if he would price match a dslr the dealer met him half way.the cust then paid,then the dealer put the product under the counter and told the cust to pop back in 48 hours.classic.

sonycentre:

I read a photo mag thatb we get sent and there was a cracking story about a dealer who had a cust that asked if he would price match a dslr the dealer met him half way.the cust then paid,then the dealer put the product under the counter and told the cust to pop back in 48 hours.classic.

Sorry if I'm a bit slow on the uptake, but I really don't understand that annecdote...

Dealers can be a nightmare to deal with, if you don't have a clear idea and knowledge about what you want.
It can be hard sometimes to get clarity off them. (in what they stock and how well it will fit into your system)
They also (i find) have limited awareness as to the big improvements that can be gleaned off a system by addressing power supply / cross contamination issues which can breath fresh life into a systems performance.

That said they are good at finding synergy on separates from the ideal partnerships to produce the sound you are looking for.

Just remember it is all about cash flow through the till at the end of the day.....(Grumpy old man!)

oldleodensian:

sonycentre:

I read a photo mag thatb we get sent and there was a cracking story about a dealer who had a cust that asked if he would price match a dslr the dealer met him half way.the cust then paid,then the dealer put the product under the counter and told the cust to pop back in 48 hours.classic.

Sorry if I'm a bit slow on the uptake, but I really don't understand that annecdote...

If you buy on the web you need to wait for it to be delivered...the shop customer wanted the internet price, but the instant availability at a store can be viewed as having a "value", so if he wants it cheaper, then he'll be happy to wait for it...but clearly that's not why he walked into the shop, so the point is that it's sometimes unfair to expect shop service at internet pricing.

My recent experience of buying major purchases online from companies I hadn't dealt with before was more along the lines of them charging me from the goods then admitting they weren't in stock and they had no idea when they would get them. A good dealer with stock could give you the item home with you...how much is that worth to you?

On the flip side...if I walk into a store and say "I want to buy an ABC, what is your best price?", then I am mighty disappointed to be quoted the RRP and no sign of any discount. I realise they have listening rooms, loan units, advice, etc, all on tap, but I don't need any of that sometimes, thank you very much, so don't charge me for the use of it! I do, however, accept that I should pay a bit more for having instant access. Also, if I have travelled some distance to get to the store, remember that is my time and my expenses (petrol, parking, etc) I have used, so you need to meet me half way a bit. There has been some investment on both sides, RRP only discussions will inevitably lead to the loss of a sale.

sonycentre:

then the dealer put the product under the counter and told the cust to pop back in 48 hours.classic.

As he'd met him half way and many deals on t'interweb are next day (before 1300hrs)  then I'd have said ' no probs mate... see you here at midnight'

Acciesboy:

oldleodensian:

sonycentre:

I read a photo mag thatb we get sent and there was a cracking story about a dealer who had a cust that asked if he would price match a dslr the dealer met him half way.the cust then paid,then the dealer put the product under the counter and told the cust to pop back in 48 hours.classic.

Sorry if I'm a bit slow on the uptake, but I really don't understand that annecdote...

If you buy on the web you need to wait for it to be delivered...the shop customer wanted the internet price, but the instant availability at a store can be viewed as having a "value", so if he wants it cheaper, then he'll be happy to wait for it...but clearly that's not why he walked into the shop, so the point is that it's sometimes unfair to expect shop service at internet pricing.

Still don't understand the point of such a "cracking story".  Clearly I can see it is intended to demonstrate how a clever dealer took money from a stupid customer and then refused to give the goods over in order to prove how foolsih it is to expect a hi-fi dealer to compete with internet prices, but then again, maybe it's just quite simply

a) not true, like many annecdotes of unknown origin

and, more pertinently

b) a rubbish joke

Sorry

If it's internet prices it's going to be internet delivery times as well isn't it.

oldleodensian:

Acciesboy:

oldleodensian:

sonycentre:

I read a photo mag thatb we get sent and there was a cracking story about a dealer who had a cust that asked if he would price match a dslr the dealer met him half way.the cust then paid,then the dealer put the product under the counter and told the cust to pop back in 48 hours.classic.

Sorry if I'm a bit slow on the uptake, but I really don't understand that annecdote...

If you buy on the web you need to wait for it to be delivered...the shop customer wanted the internet price, but the instant availability at a store can be viewed as having a "value", so if he wants it cheaper, then he'll be happy to wait for it...but clearly that's not why he walked into the shop, so the point is that it's sometimes unfair to expect shop service at internet pricing.

Still don't understand the point of such a "cracking story".  Clearly I can see it is intended to demonstrate how a clever dealer took money from a stupid customer and then refused to give the goods over in order to prove how foolsih it is to expect a hi-fi dealer to compete with internet prices, but then again, maybe it's just quite simply

a) not true, like many annecdotes of unknown origin

and, more pertinently

b) a rubbish joke

Sorry

Its certainly the sort of behaviour I hope would never go on in a Sony Centre. That sort of horse-play and lack of professionalism is completely against Sony Standards, and regardless of whatever point the dealer was trying to prove, its hardly a great advert for buying from a bricks and mortar store.

By getting the customer to meet half way the sales person has won the sale and made it at least a little profitable. Clearly he/she has provided a strong enough product demonstration and knowledge for the customer to justify paying the extra. By playing such an unprofessional game, the sales person has risked losing that gained ground. If that went on in a store I was managing it would result in a staff disciplinary.

Reacting to a customer negatively is never acceptable and will usually lead to a loss of business. One of the biggest mistakes I saw a colleague make when I was working in the car industry, was slagging off a customer's ancient part exchange. The customer had grown very attached to the car and had only just come round to the idea of selling it. Hearing the salesman slagging it off, instead of selling the features and benefits of the new car, put the customer on their back foot and they walked out. A £10,000 sale lost.