What? You mean the GEEK SQUAD isn't knowledgeable about Keyboards etc, etc,?

No different then going into most Music stores now with all the so called minimum wage sales associates running around doing nothing hehehe .....no one knows anything about Keyboards & beyond or do they care. Thats if they even carry current models anyway....YOU are YOUR best salesman always! or find out first on SZ

We can't fault the young person (music enthusiast)..working at the GC's and other chain stores...The fault is with the Stores..for not giving the proper training..

This problem exist in all large retail stores...not just the music business..Go into a Lowes, or Home depot and try and get the right advice..it is impossible..The guy in plumbing sold curtain rods the week before...Training is a must..

This is why Mom and Pop stores rule...Most all.. know their business, and have a pride to give service too..

As for the Best Buy..selling instruments (on a larger scale than they have in the past)..I can see Best Buy closing a lot of stores rather than opening 300 new stores..The best way to go under is sell at a 15 point mark up..and spending 13 percent just to open the doors...

They will select models that won't be found in other Box stores (Sam's Club etc)...nothing totally new..same marketing concept...

Bargain hunters will buy there, many not knowing they can get just as good a deal from guys like George and Frank...and have a personal on hands advice to boot..

My experiences with BestBuy have been a mix over the last 10 years....When I shop there or any other place now..I tell them what I am willing to pay , and include the return policy..to meet my needs..9 out of 10 times..it is honored....There are too many places we can buy..for them to ignore our offer to purchase with return rights..

Service department has been excellent...to a total nightmare...

I will continue to deal with people I know personally..or have had great dealings in the past...

Also keep in mind that it's not by any means cheap for a small (mom-n-pop) music store to open up a keyboard department.., and many of these stores typically employ guitar/bass and drum players.

I cant agree with that totally....most there are not trainable unless you actually can play an arranger/synth properly at a semi to prof level to demonstrate these units.......besides they DON'T carry these new models to begin with so what is the sense??? The Internet as good as it is .....is as bad as it is IMO! It has improved many things in ,life but has really ruined many things we've become to know ....its a mess....& of course Money is the root of it all.

One good thing about the internet is these online retailers price matching their competition! They 99.99% of the time will match and beat the price. I'm about to score a Korg K61P midi controller from Zzounds.com for one hell of a price. MusiciansFriend had it at a closeout, Zzounds was listed more..., they sent me an email back and beat MusiciansFriend's price (and with free shipping).

The smaller stores cannot match these prices as often they're either at or under their dealer cost. Makes ya wonder if what we call the "WalMart Effect" will trickle down to these smaller music stores as stores such as Best Buy start expanding with music departments. Best Buy and other related stores themselves have suffered from the WalMart Effect already. Geeez, probably won't be too much longer before we see Wally-World carrying pro keyboards!

"Also keep in mind that it's not by any means cheap for a small (mom-n-pop) music store to open up a keyboard department..,"

I know 1st hand about this situation..

Yamaha's terrible IMO for mom and pop stores! Geez.., they come in basically to see if you're worthy of carrying their gear.., then tell YOU the store owner how and where they're supposed to go.., then there's the "minimal purchase" once you clear their Homeland Security Checks.

I know a few guys who own music stores that decided to have Yamaha stop by to discuss carrying their line of keyboards. Well, long story short.., neither of them decided to carry Yamaha keyboards, and were turned off to the whole thing at the start up costs it would take to get their keyboard departments going.

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 08-21-2008).]

I guess I mnost be very fortunate. I've been dealing with the same music stores for many, many years and everyone working at them has always been extremely knowledgeable about the store's products--all of them.

Keep in mind that Best Buy has pretty much screwed up every business they ventured into. Look what they did to the Music CD business, the PC business, TV business, you name it and they're screwed a lot of small business people out of business, then got out of the business themselves.

I don't think that BB will be the arranger keyboard, guitar or for that matter, any retailing of musical instruments for very long. I think they'll loose their ass just the same as MARS did a decade ago.

Just my opinion,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

I honestly don't see them keeping these music departments too long either. How in the hell do they expect to push something like a Motif XS or Fantom G in their stores..?? Do they realize the skill a sales rep would need to demo one of these units? Same goes for some of the arrangers too. Seriously..., how are these kids going to be able to address questions customers may have.

It would make more senes if they were carrying some of the lower end arrangers, but these top end synths is just nuts!