Funny that, I love to solder and build as well because I can get better than I can afford. If I was rich then I'd be down the dealers for whatever I fancy.
Honestly how many of you given the finances would NOT use a dealer to buy the system of your dreams?
That's a remarkably good point, but it's a mark of how bad some dealers are that there will be people who would still choose to buy direct, even if they had near-endless resources.
But yes, if I had the finances, I would pay over the odds for good service, professional installation, store and home demo facilities, back-up, etc, etc, etc. I wouldn't pay a premium simply to allow some disinterested tobacco-stained snob to insult my intelligence and I certainly wouldn't shell out good money to help pay for the upkeep of a dust-filled, dated cobweb-collector of a 'shop'.
The crazy thing is I have no problems with people earning a living - even earning a very good living - if they are providing a service. I would rather watch some expensive car dealer get rich and fat off my money, but in the process provide me with all I need to enjoy that car for years, than I would hand over a few extra quid to some shonky dealer who will go bust every two years due and leave me with finding someone else to support my driving habit, but is cheap. What I resent however is someone getting rich and fat off my money and still behaving like a shonky used car dealer.
Here's a free tip, Mr Dealer. You are selling expensive, luxury goods. Go to the purveyors of other expensive, luxury goods (not just another hi-fi dealer). See what you are up against. Perhaps then it might dawn on you that you aren't just competing with internet retailers and other hi-fi shops... you are up against the Aston Martin dealerships, Armani's Bond Street store and the Mayfair Leica shop. You aren't high-street anymore, but even if you think you are, go look at the Apple Store. See what they all do in terms of presentation, professionalism, sales and support and then take a long, hard look in the mirror. Especially in the mirror; if you think wearing a once-white, formerly ironed shirt two sizes too small and with an interesting collection of food stains dripped lovingly down the front is the ideal dress code to meet new clientele... well, good luck in your new job.
As Richard Dunn rightly pointed out in another thread, many people today 'buy' because they don't know how to 'build' (in that case, 'buy cables' instead of 'soldering their own'). There's little point trying to show them how to build, because the expectation of wanting and needing those skills is just not there anymore. Until recently, we were in a culture that spent its way out of a problem; now it spends less, but supposedly spends more intelligently.
If dealers want to survive (and ideally live beyond a hand-to-mouth existence) they should strive toward facilitating that more intelligent expenditure. The dealer should provide what is right for the customer, not what's right for the dealer. They should be able to provide a service the customer would pay extra for, not just randomly selecting the best reviewed products and charging a premium for their selection process skills. They should keep abreast and ahead of the game, finding out about new formats, and mapping the best pathway through the computer audio minefield, not just dismiss any future business by pouring scorn on the whole concept. They should also do this with an open mind, but not so open that they will take any nonsense at face value.
If you can't do that Mr. Dealer, then hire people who can. Failing that, do us all a favour and go out of business, before you are forced out of business. Sorry, but it's step up or step off time.
Now, can someone send me a step-ladder? It's a long way down from my high horse.
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