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  1. #1
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    Default what would you do

    I recently had the occasion to take my mandolin to one of the higher end dealers looking to trade it on my next MAS. I was surprised to hear one of the employees tell me my instrument was junk and they would not take it on trade. He called the owner and got a curt reply that he did not want it. Now I don't fault him for not wanting to trade but it could have been handled with a little more diplomacy. I decided to never set foot in his place of business again even though his store is the only one within a 200 mile radius that carries what I was looking for. I really want to fondle whatever I buy before pulling the trigger. So what would you do give this place another shot or drive quite a was to get what I am after.

  2. #2
    formerly Philphool Phil Goodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: what would you do

    I try not to deal with folks who make me feel bad.
    But sometimes you have to if they are the only dealer with what you want.
    Phil

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  4. #3
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    Default Re: what would you do

    I would sure let them know about their attitude problem. See how they handle knowing and make a decision from there.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

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  6. #4

    Default Re: what would you do

    A letter or email, maybe. I had a similar experience with a bike shop and how they badmouthed my road bike. Not rude, just telling me every time I brought my bike there what a POS it was. I just found another shop.

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  8. #5
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    Default Re: what would you do

    Yeah ….. The world seems to have a great deal of (expletive deleted ) people in retail services. The whole my stuff is gold and yours is excrement attitude puts a damper on me wanting to do business with anyone. There is always a price to pay for decisions and it can be onerous. And crow tastes like crow whether is poached or fried. I understand that a business has to make a profit to stay in business. But I wonder about what a bottom line margin actually is. Don't take that stores attitude personally as they likely treat everyone the same if they don't know them. Go where you will and play what you will. I do. R/
    I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...

  9. #6

    Default Re: what would you do

    Just list your mandolin on the classifieds here. You will find somebody who does not think it is junk and would be glad to have it.

    Then--find a dealer you can contact via phone about finding the right instrument for you. Most will happily give you a 48 hour review period, and then all you are out is insured shipping back and forth.

    Or just buy from a trusted seller in the classifieds
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  11. #7
    Registered User Hendrik Ahrend's Avatar
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    Default Re: what would you do

    I find it more disturbing, when they claim that all of their own instruments are "great".

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  13. #8
    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: what would you do

    Could you have ever said or done anything that might have pissed them off?

    If not, the only effective way to deal with snarky proprietors and help is to not patronize them. I wouldn't waste time and blood pressure trying to communicate with them. It'll just set off a useless and time-consuming back-and-forth.

    When it comes to the mandolin trade, you do have to shop around, but it's not like you're dealing in black-market weapons-grade plutonium. There are plenty of good sellers and traders around.

    And by the way, get a second opinion. Just because one shop says it's junk that doesn't mean it's junk.

  14. #9

    Default Re: what would you do

    i would sell my junk and only deal with the rudesters if they had exactly what i wanted at a decent price.

    my dog might be ugly and dumb but there's no need to throw that in my face. i love my dog.

    dog is my co-pilot.

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    Default Re: what would you do

    Every time I go to town, the boys go to kickin' my dog around.
    Ain't now difference if he is a hound, they gotta quit kickin' my dog around.

    Sorry couldn't resist.
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  16. #11
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: what would you do

    IMHO - The person bad mouthing your mandolin was simply very rude indeed. Remarks like that are totally uncalled for - however !!.

    You might have got a taste of what other dealers might think re. your instrument on a trade. Your remark - " Now I don't fault him for not wanting to trade .." makes me think that maybe your were expecting a knock back ?.

    The bottom line for me would be - if that's the only store for 200 miles that has what i'm after,then maybe best to ''bite the bullet'' & go back, if you can afford the instrument that you're after without trading in the one that you have. What can you loose ?. If you come away with the instrument that you're after,i think that the memory of any rude remarks will fade pretty fast,
    Ivan
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  18. #12
    Registered User Doug Brock's Avatar
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    Default Re: what would you do

    Quote Originally Posted by spudpicker View Post
    I recently had the occasion to take my mandolin to one of the higher end dealers looking to trade it on my next MAS. I was surprised to hear one of the employees tell me my instrument was junk and they would not take it on trade. He called the owner and got a curt reply that he did not want it. Now I don't fault him for not wanting to trade but it could have been handled with a little more diplomacy. I decided to never set foot in his place of business again even though his store is the only one within a 200 mile radius that carries what I was looking for. I really want to fondle whatever I buy before pulling the trigger. So what would you do give this place another shot or drive quite a was to get what I am after.
    No excuse for the behavior of the employee or owner (other than that lack of competition can be a bad thing for the customer). Since that is the only store in your area that has what you want, I would absolutely take a deep breath, forget about my pride and the idea of trading in that mandolin, and appreciate that the store is even there to provide you the opportunity to "fondle" their stock.

    This is a very tough time for local stores and survival is not assured for many of them.
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  19. #13
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    Default Re: what would you do

    There’s a local store at which I refuse to shop because they’ve been either rude or way too hovering the 2 times I’ve been in there. First time annoyed me, and I gave it a few months and some employee changes before I tried back. No difference, guess it’s just their culture...but I don’t have to engage in it.

    I was surprised when I considered trading my Silverangel in for a Weber Bighorn at a very friendly, welcoming shop. The owner told me basically that it was a nice mandolin but that it didn’t have the name recognition for them to move it quickly. He said that because of that he wouldn’t be able to give me an offer high enough to make it worth my while. I appreciated the honesty and the way he approached the situation, and will absolutely shop there again. Wasn’t the outcome I wanted, but I didn’t leave with. Bad taste in my mouth...
    Chuck

  20. #14
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    Default Re: what would you do

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    IMHO - The person bad mouthing your mandolin was simply very rude indeed. Remarks like that are totally uncalled for - however !!.

    You might have got a taste of what other dealers might think re. your instrument on a trade. Your remark - " Now I don't fault him for not wanting to trade .." makes me think that maybe your were expecting a knock back ?.

    The bottom line for me would be - if that's the only store for 200 miles that has what i'm after,then maybe best to ''bite the bullet'' & go back, if you can afford the instrument that you're after without trading in the one that you have. What can you loose ?. If you come away with the instrument that you're after,i think that the memory of any rude remarks will fade pretty fast,
    Ivan
    My comment about not faulting him for not wanting to trade is not a big deal I was fully prepared to just keep my mandolin and buy one with out a trade. If they would have just said we don't take trades if we don't sell that brand I would have bought what I was after and walked away happy. But the attitude just turned me off. BTW if I was to name the sore most here would know which one Im talking about. I went there based on what I had heard from members here and come away with a completely different opinion of the dealer. As I get older I am less tolerant of buttheads.

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  22. #15
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    Default Re: what would you do

    I wouldn't go back. Wouldn't even consider it. There are businesses here on the Cafe that support the Cafe with their advertising. If you're not comfortable buying without playing .... then consider a trip to a large store that has what you're looking for and a greater variety. Make it a weekend or overnight thing. I've done it and was pleasantly surprised about how appreciative the folks in the shop were over my effort.
    Ryk
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  23. #16

    Default Re: what would you do

    I think you should go back.

    Wait a while... maybe a month. Go to the store sometime when that salesperson is in. Don't even mention your 'trade-in'; just start perusing their best mandolins.

    Ask to see them all. Take your time and play as many high-end ones as possible.
    After careful deliberation, tell the sales guy you've decided on the most expensive one they have.

    While he writes up the paperwork, you fish out the cash or your shiniest credit card. As you're handing over the funds, you say "Wait a minute... I remember you. You're the smart-ass little turd that insulted my mandolin! Never mind."

    Pack up your wallet and leave.
    "I play BG so that's what I can talk intelligently about." A line I loved and pirated from Mandoplumb

  24. #17
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: what would you do

    1. No playable mandolin is "junk." Even a $49.95 Rogue might be just what some kid needs, or could be an experienced picker's "campfire" instrument (for music or for fuel, your call). That dealer may not want to put a set-up, new strings etc, into a mandolin from which he'll realize <$50.00 profit, but there's always "as is"; many reputable dealers sell problematic instruments that way.

    2. Different dealers have different trade-in policies; some only want to take mid- to high-grade instruments, and not "bother" with handling student grades. That dealer seems to be in a near-monopoly position, which could well affect his business plan, allowing him to be more picky about what he takes in. Does seem to me, however, that the lone quality instrument dealer in a 200-mile radius, would want to stock some introductory-level instruments for beginners. Both the quality instrument dealers here in Rochester have some "starter" grade instruments, as well as high-end ones.

    3. I've heard the "not a well-known brand" response before (CES, Post #13), and I understand that mandolins that don't say "Gibson" may seem strange to some dealers, especially those who don't often deal in mandolins. I've benefited from that attitude, as well; a really good Rochester dealer low-balled Martin Simpson when he traded in a Sobell, much to Simpson's chagrin, because in the mid-'80's no one around here knew what a Sobell was. I walked into the store a couple days later, looking for a mandola or OM, and grabbed the Sobell for a bargain price (even though I'd never heard of the brand). Still have it, too.

    4. None of the above considerations excuse rudeness. In this age of the internet, no one's got "the only game in town." You can sell your mandolin privately, and apply the revenue to an on-line purchase from a store with a reputation for good customer service. And, if you want, you can take your new mandolin into the dealer, and say "Look what I bought on-line, at a better price than you sell similar instruments for." However, think that maybe you will want repairs, adjustments, accessories, strings etc., and alienating the only local source for those may make you internet-dependent. As you say, you'd prefer to "try before you buy," and I won't buy an expensive instrument -- other than "rare birds" that never show up locally, like my Waldo mandocello -- unless I have a chance to play it. Just a consideration; I would, however, have a bit of frank talk with the dealer, and say that it's one thing to be honest and direct about a business deal, and another to be condescending and dismissive. That applies to Cafe posts, too...
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  25. #18
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    Default Re: what would you do

    Please keep in mind that many people, regardless of their profession, fall somewhere on the autism spectrum.
    While this behavior may be excused, you should not fail to bring it to their attention. Send them a link to this thread. Many socially stunted people can and do learn from their social faux pas.
    Be kind, as we are all facing some battle of our own.
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  26. #19
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    Default Re: what would you do

    I don't think that spending time like that would be the right thing to do. After all rudeness begets rudeness. And I can spend the time drive the 200 or so miles to a store that values their customers no matter how full their wallet is. After looking over the comments
    I think a weekend drive is in order and just bypass this establishment in the future.

  27. #20

    Default Re: what would you do

    There are so many tactful ways they could have handled the situation. I had a cheap Ibanez guitar once. I asked the store if they were interested in it. I had already bought a guitar from them. They suggested giving it to a local veteran's organization, which I did.

    This might be the one time I'd tell you to try out their inventory, find the model you like and then order it online. I hate even thinking like that. Perhaps a road trip would be a better solution. What are you looking to spend? If this is a significant amount, a trip might be in order, if not, time to play online roulette.
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  28. #21
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: what would you do

    Behavior that's reinforced goes up in frequency - every time someone "bites the bullet" and continues to go to that shop despite poor treatment they then end up unintentionally helping to make that rude behavior more resilient to change. There is a well known music shop that I refuse to ever set foot in again due to a consistent pattern of rude treatment I've experienced there. I'm not a tire kicker - I've gone in there and spent money every time I went in, always handled instruments with utmost care, have NEVER done or said anything that could be interpreted as rude or demanding etc., yet consistently was treated rudely. There was a marked difference in how I was treated vs. how other patrons in the shop were treated so I'm assuming my appearance and demographic informed how the staff chose to treat me. I did the whole "bite the bullet" thing for awhile and regret it - it wasn't worth it when there are other avenues to purchase high quality instruments and also be treated respectfully. I emailed the shop to share my experiences with them but not surprisingly never got a reply back. That shop could have my "holy grail" instrument at a giveaway price and I would still never darken their doorway.
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  30. #22

    Default Re: what would you do

    I can't tell you how many times I have sent beginners into a high end shop they were intimidated by. I just told them the shop would have a limited stock of lower priced instruments but they would be good value. If you just go in and tell the staff you are just starting, you get treated treated like someone who someday will be back for an upgrade.

    I've received many thanks.
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  31. #23
    Registered User Tom Haywood's Avatar
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    Default Re: what would you do

    Quote Originally Posted by spudpicker View Post
    I recently had the occasion to take my mandolin to one of the higher end dealers looking to trade it on my next MAS. I was surprised to hear one of the employees tell me my instrument was junk and they would not take it on trade.
    It's a little hard to believe that a reputable store recommended by Cafe members is in the habit of acting rudely toward customers. Of course, anybody can have a bad moment or a bad day. It is also possible to misinterpret what someone says.

    What would I do? Well, once upon a time I took a guitar that I had bought at a good store into a highly recommended store in Nashville to trade on something more suited to my goals. The owner glanced at my guitar and I swear I heard him say it was junk and he wouldn't take it in trade. After I calmed down, I realized what he actually said was that it had zero value, that whatever I paid for it was too much, that nobody in Nashville would pay more than about $10.00 for it, and he wouldn't pay that for it. I thought that was mighty rude. But he convinced me to play some guitars and pick out 3 that interested me. He sold me one that was exactly what I needed and with a very deep discount that negated any need for a trade. I kept it for 37 years. As I left that music store, the owner apologized for being blunt about my guitar, but said he wanted me to not be misguided and he didn't want to get into a long drawn out discussion about it. He more than did the right thing for me after I gave him the opportunity. And he told me the truth, though I didn't like the way he said it and I didn't agree with him at the time.
    Tom

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  32. #24
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    Default Re: what would you do

    Do you wish to be a contributor to this business person's profit? Use your voice, but if that fails, use your money as testimony against them. But we all walk our own paths. Blessings and good luck with your conundrum.

  33. #25
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    Default Re: what would you do

    I'd go in and play some instruments. If they ask what you play now, tell them about your previous experience in the shop.
    Since you haven't shared here the make & model of what you currently play, it is impossible to gauge what the instrument is worth. Maybe the shop is correct, though the lack of tact in telling you was off-putting.
    I have been in shops where the sales person insulted everything that was not for sale in their store. Made it hard to trust the information they provided regarding their inventory.
    While they may be brusque and uninterested in your trade, there is no substitute to playing the instruments that you're interested in. At the very least it will give you another chance to see if you want to buy from them. It will also help you focus your search for a used instrument in the cafe classifieds.

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