I know this topic has been discussed at length before, but here's my experience. I visited a large music store which owns a chain in the Northeast US on Saturday. The regular salesman was not there but another stand-in guy was there - Mr. Clueless. There was a woman there going back and forth between a PSR1500(floor model on sale), and a brand new PSR-S700, trying to make up her mind. Mr. Clueless wasn't helping her. I couldn't take it any longer so I struck up a conversation with her. I demonstrated the S700 and its MegaVoices, gave her my opinion, and literally 'sold' her the keyboard on the spot! Mr. Clueless proceed to get one from the stock room, claiming the sustain pedal came with it. Of course, I knew it didn't and told him so. So anyway I did Mr. Clueless a favor by selling a new keyboard on his watch and made a customer very happy and thankful (to me) for being there. Just one thing I am wondering...should I call the keyboard dept. manager and ask for commission?

Tim

Of course.

Tim, you know the answer to your own question. We've all been there; we've done that. That's who we are.

You should have let him give away the sustain pedal!

If he can't do his job, and gets a commission from YOUR work, he ought to at least give a LITTLE back!

Chances are the sales staff work on an hourly rate and don't get a commission. That might be why they are not any good at being smart salespeople. If your paycheck depends on you selling something, your motivated in most cases to help the customer make a decision. You also are more likely to know the product that you are selling.
However, there is the possibility that they do work on part commission and this was an example of the current type of sales personnel the large brick & mortar stores have been reduced to hiring. Either way, it has become abundantly clear to me over the years that there are very few music instrument stores that employ staff that know very much about the product which they sell. Sometimes it's due to the many varieties of keyboards and how quick models change and sometimes it's due to the lack of concern. Either way it can be frustrating for some people trying to make a educated decision about which keyboard to buy.


Regards,

Dennis L. Almond
aka...TwoNuts