First, I'd like to preface this post with the fact that I always receive great customer service at the Best Buy in Oceanside, California. I'll bet I'm greeted 5 to 10 times before I leave that store each time I visit their store. They appreciate me and want my business. It's solely because of the Oceanside store that I'm not trashing Best Buy on all of the ukulele and bluegrass forums.
Between 3:30 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. today I called the Murrieta Best Buy (our Oceanside store does not carry musical instruments) to ask about which acoustic guitar amps they had in stock. I was put on hold waiting for the musical instrument department to pick three times for about five minutes each time I called. I figured "wow!" this Best Buy must be swamped with customers for musical instruments, so I drove to Murrieta to check it out. I arrived at about 4:40. I was greeted by security at the front door. I scanned the aisles for musical instruments and headed to the back left section of the store. As I opened to door to the section, I noticed about ten employees playing on the instruments like kids in a toy store. I walked around looking at the amps, effects and guitars for about ten minutes and was never greeted even once by the employees "playing on the clock". I spotted another room with a door that had acoustic instruments. I opened the door and walked in. It's a small room and three employees were sitting on bar stools getting guitar lessons from another employee. When I almost stumbled over a guitar trying to get around them and take a look at the acoustic amps, the employee with the glasses (the one teaching the other employees "playing on the clock"), looked up and said "ya' lookin' for sumthin?". I replied "yes, a Behringer acoustic guitar amp". He took his finger and pointed at the amps (he and another employee were sitting on stools in front of the amps. I would have had to throw them and their stools out of the way to get a closer look at them) and said "we don't have those" and immediately started talking to and playing his guitar with the other employees. I left the musical instrument section, as they must have already made too many sales for the month and did not need my business. After all, I was only looking for a $70 buck Behringer AT108 acoustic guitar amp. The security at the door thanked me for shopping Best Buy. I immediately decided not to dump my frustration at the only friendly employee in that store...
...so I headed back home and decided to stop in San Marcos at the Guitar Center. I was greeted three times before heading to the acoustic guitar room. A sales rep, Jason, greeted me there and let me know to grab him if I need anything... "For sure, Ric, what do you need brother?". I replied "I'm looking for a Behringer AT108 acoustic guitar amp I saw online at Musicians friend". Jason said "We don't carry those in the store, but we have a good variety of other acoustic amps. What will you be using it for?". "I said "I play acoustic guitar and ukulele in three different groups in San Diego. I just need something that will allow me to hear myself better on stage". Jason showed me four different acoustic amps and explained what each one would do for me. I ended up buying a Crate Gunnison, a Shure SM58 microphone, a Shure SM57 microphone, two adjustable boom microphone stands, a ukulele instructional DVD and a heavy duty guitar cable for a total of about $800 bucks and and completely satisfied that my musical needs were met. I'm happy the Murrieta Best Buy is doing so well they do not need my business. Could you move their musical instrument store to the Best Buy in Oceanside? They appreciate my business, there.
I'm just guessing that the Murrieta store needs either more training or better supervision. I won't make that drive again. Feel free to call me, Ric {last name removed per forum guidelines}, Ukulele Society of America {phone number removed per forum guidelines}
Message Edited by Elizabeth-BBY on 01-27-2009 10:47 AM
