Your best hi-fi dealer experiences
Reading the 'narrow minded dealers' thread, I couldn't help but think how lucky I've been (excluding a certain national chain). Unfortunately I can't afford to frequent my favourite dealer too often these days, but these are two of the fab experiences I've had at O'Brien Hi Fi in Raynes Park (sw London):
Must be over 10 years ago now, but went in with my heart set on an Arcam amp (an '8' I think), with the novelty of a remote control being a factor in my thinking. To cut a long story short, I was soon in the demo room comparing the Arcam with the Onix (no remote) I still have, and the Onix for my ears was just all over the Arcam in every respect. This was my first real experience of the local hi-fi dealer experience, and I was champing at the bit to get this Onix home. Trouble was, I couldn't afford the £450 until next pay day... so what did these guys do (having just met me for the first time that day)? They took £100 deposit off me, and let me take it home then and there with the balance to be paid when pay-day arrived in 2-3 weeks time. Service!
Been back a few times, but earlier this year went back again for the first time in several years. They remembered me straight away, asked how the kids were - it was as if I'd been in only the week before. On this ocassion, I was toying with the idea of upgrading aforementioned Onix. Was thinking of spending around £1000, but they suggested I should really be thinking around the £2000 mark to get a worthwhile improvement. They clearly saw the disapointment on my face (£2000 was never going to happen), and without a moments hesitation suggested I take home a couple of amps for the weekend (one around £1200, the other about £2300) and have a play andsee for myself! Unfortunately I had to decline as I knew I was never going to be able to afford to go through with a sale at the time, but the gesture was just fantastic.
I can cite a couple more experiences from the same guys too, but those two moments are to me what old fashioned customer service is all about.
I recently bought my Velodyne MicroVee from Loud & Clear in Glasgow. I went in at half past five (they close at six) and I left an hour later with a deposit down on the sub. The guys stayed back until they had answered all my questions.
I also got a link or two to some internet radio stations and sites for downloading obscure Jazz.
I'll be looking for a CD player some time soon and they have made some suggestions in my price range and offered me a home demo. When I get round to it I'm sure I'll pay them a visit.
I've also bought from The Home Cinema Center in Edinburgh...Nick there helped me source a Yamaha RX-V3900 when they were like hen's teeth. I went back and got stands from them as well. They let me play about with a Tannoy speaker same as mine on various different stands for about an hour. I ordered Apollo AZ stands and they were delivered when they said they would, called me before they were due to make sure the date was OK, then after it to make sure everything went OK and I was happy. If you're in Edinburgh, I'd be happy to recommend them.
Well for me in Portsmouth I had two main dealers to go to. The first was Jeffries (which is now an Audio-T). They stocked some nice gear from Meridian, Linn and Naim along with some gear that regulars could afford like the Award Winning Kef Coda 7s. So they did a nice range of equipment and they have a nice shop but they also had one failing. The staff. Whilst they were friendly enough and helpful enough my friends and I always felt a pressure to buy along with a bit if Hifi snobbery that came when asking to listen to some Meridian or Linn kit. There was always the 'you can't afford Meridian' vibe..
So, there was another dealers - 'Now That's Hifi' in Commercial Road. (Sadly no longer there as they have moved to Chichester.) Now whilst they did not do Meridian, Linn or Naim they did do Mission, Cyrus and Marantz (amongst others). But more importantly the staff were excellent! There was the owner Francis and his wife Maureen and their colleague Mark (among others). These guys were always very friendly, very helpful and did not make us feel under any pressure to buy or suggest only the stuff they stocked. We could always try stuff at home, part exchange pretty much anything we had bought and were often given discount. What does that equate to? Well the guys at 'Now That's Hifi' probably saw the best part of £30,000 from my friends and me. Jeffries - £0
So 
to 'Now That's Hifi'
Messiah, interesting post I have had the exact opposite of what you described. Again my two loca stores are Audio T and Now Thats Hifi.
When I first walked into Audio T, they did not know me from Adam, I was welcomed warmly and asked how they could help. I was given a cup of coffee and an hour and a half chat, no pressure on sales etc. I then spent the next three months contemplating my decision with many visits to the store to audition various kit. I finally bought all my AV gear from them and was given a huge discount, they had the patience of saints and at no point did I feel pressured to buy, certainly did not feel any sort of hifi snobbery. This year has been spent deliberating my HIFI set up and again various demos, they will get my business again and again, well done to Nick, James and the other one (sorry can never remember his name).
Now Thats Hifi on the other hand in Chichester. I walked in, walked around for twenty minutes, looking at dusty on display componants, was not approached or even asked what I was looking for. The salesman was far too busy reading a magazine!!! did not even acknowledge I was in store. Therefore left empty handed,never to return again.
True Blue, the staff in Audio T now are certainly better than they used to be!
Nick still survives from the Jeffries days and to be honest he was the one that was pushy with the sales. He does seem different now. Maybe there is less pressure on him?? Maybe he has realised the error of his ways before??
I suppose the previous post was based a lot on my experience from years ago. So to be fair to those guys I can say that it is a lot better in there now. Nick, James (and I forget the other guys name...oops) are very friendly and helpful.
So to Audio T
(as for the experience with 'Now That's Hifi' maybe they have gone the other way?? I'll have a word with 'em 
)
In the main, I've had pretty positive experiences with many of the dealers in Glasgow.
The staff in Loud and Clear were great when I visited. They didn't have the product I was looking for, but they couldn't have been more helpful or courteous. Top stuff. Hi-fi Corner were excellent a couple of times, but not so good on a couple of other occasions. Overall though, I'd go back, if it hadn't closed! Sevenoaks gave me a demo without an appointment with no fuss at all, left me for as long as I wished to listen, and were very friendly and polished throughout the sale.
Outwith Glasgow, Lintone Audio were very good when buying a CD player over the phone.
Ultimate Audio in Jersey could have been fantastic, but after receiving a couple of incredibly friendly and informative emails from them, communication stopped. Don't know what happened, but as it's an appointment only thing and they stopped replying to my emails, I had no way of finding out. I was only initially enquiring about some cables, but would possibly have taken advantage of their VAT-free prices to buy something bigger if I'd been impressed. Might give them another try, actually!
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Going back a good few years, but Loud&Clear at Finnieston in Glasgow were very helpful dealing with a faulty amp and even delivered the replacement personally, a 280 mile round trip for them. More recently I went with a friend to the branch in Edinburgh. He was looking for speakers. We did not realise that they are far more high end than the Glasgow branches stock, so way above my friends price range. Even so, they were very pleasent and let us have a good look about and listen to various bits of kit.
A few months back I went to the Belfast branch of RS looking for portable headphones. They had sold out of the ones I was thinkng of, but with no pressure they suggested a couple of other brands and showed very good knowledge of the product. So I bought it and they were spot on.
Recently I wandered into Audio Merchants in Howard St, Glasgow to have a look at headphones, again. Even though they did not have the brand, or price range I was looking for they let me have a listen to what they had, knowing fine well they were not going to get a sale, that time anyway. That for me is very good customer service.
Internet - laptop - DAC - amp - lots of headphones.
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"A music lover will stop what he's doing and stay glued to a favorite piece of music even if it's coming over a 3" speaker or a public-address system..." - Ken Rockwell