Lessons in Customer Service from an Acoustic Guitar Shop
One of my personal goals for 2008 is to get a new acoustic guitar. I’ve been playing guitar for about 3 years now and I love it. Now that I can hear the difference, I’ve decided that it’s time to get a new, more refined acoustic guitar.
I’ve had many different experiences in Music shops. I’ve encountered shopkeepers and sales people who treat you with indifference or even disdain, like you’re a shoplifter. I’ve also had the hard sell. So it was with a little apprehension that I stepped into the Acoustic Centre in Park Street, South Melbourne.
I went upstairs and entered a shop that was wall to wall with acoustic guitars. I was thinking to myself, “Where do I start?”
The first thing that the guy behind the counter (Michael) did was ask me a few questions. What style to you like to play? What are you looking for? What do you like?
Now these guys are a cut above most shops already because they started by showing personal interest. Those few simple questions established that this was about me, the customer. I said that I like to play finger-style, and I mentioned that my friend has a nice Maton. What followed next sealed the deal for me.
Michael started to arrange a series of guitar stands around the central couch in the Maton room. He disappeared for a few seconds at a time and resurfaced with an acoustic guitar each time to place on the stands in front of me.
He spoke a bit about the styles, differences and benefits of each guitar and then said to me, “Have a play with each of these, see what you like.”
I took good time and played to my wife Donna in the store. We both decided that the guitar for me was the Maton EBG808C Michael Fix Custom. What an awesome guitar… I’m still excited about it, even though I haven’t bought it yet!
Michael came back to me with an awesome price that was much less than the RRP. No pressure. Do you think I’m going to bother to shop around now?
The thing is, what this guy was doing wouldn’t be considered “selling” by most people, probably even him. In fact, this was selling at the highest professional level because professionals are genuine. They never make you feel like you’re being sold to.
The professional service that the Acoustic Centre offered included:
- Showing personal interest and genuine intention to help
- Knowing their products extremely well and communicating on the customer’s level
- Offering a selection of products (solutions) that would be likely to suit me and my budget
- Allowing hands-on time so that the customer can make their own choice
- Offering a great deal.
The question is, how you can apply each of these professional service qualities to your website? You can apply each of them.
From the author: If you regularly advertise for leads in the Yellow Pages®, in the newspaper or on the radio, then there’s a good chance that your website could be generating more leads for you than it is. The key is in your website’s conversion rates.
Yellow Pages®is an Australian registered trade mark of Telstra Corporation Ltd. This company has requested and has been granted permission from Telstra Corporation Ltd to use the Yellow Pages® trade mark. This company is not otherwise associated with Telstra Corporation or any of it’s subsidiaries.
March 18th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Hi, I too am a customer at ‘The Acoustic Centre’ I have purchased several guitars from them, ranging from new to second hand. I have never had a ‘dud’ and have been happy with every guitar and the service throughout my dealings with every memeber of the business. I think maybe the key to their business is the fact that everyone who works there is a ‘working musician’ and knows their stuff inside out, (including what it’s like to be a new musician) also the shop doesn’t confront you as an intimidating environment as do so many other shops. I agree that the staff don’t do the ‘high pressure’ sales job on you…their philosophy is simple…’If you like the guitar and it likes you, you’ll probably buy it and take it home! I know this sounds like an ‘inside job’ but I am a genuine customer who has bought and sold through this shop with no hassle’s. I usually layby my purchases with no pressure or annoying ‘reminder phone calls’ if I need work done to any of my instruments, like pick-ups or re-strings, it’s done with the minimum of fuss and at/with the best possible technician and price. I have purchased vintage and new equipment that always has a money back policy expressed to me. So, if your a new ‘muso’ or a bedroom player or a polished performer and your happy…tell me, tell them…tell your mates. Happy Strumming J.J.