Opinion: Shop Smart

I sometimes wonder if we realise how lucky we are as hi-fi buyers to have what I believe are some of the best retailers in any market sector. I am not saying they are all brilliant. There are always the exceptions that prove the rule – you know, the ones that will sell you whatever you ask for, just so they can get your money in the till as quickly as possible, whether or not it’s the right product for your needs.

The good ones, however, are not looking for a quick sale. They will have invested heavily in premises where they can set up a suitable room, or rooms, where customers can listen in comfort, often for as long as they like, to the products they may be considering, without being disturbed by other customers browsing in the main shop. This also means a large investment in demonstration stock.

These listening facilities are just part of the extraordinary service that good retailers offer you, the customer. Before you even sit down to listen to anything, they will ask you about your current room and system and the precise reason for your visit. They ask these questions because the components that make up your current system, as well as the size and nature of your home listening room, will influence the solution they recommend. One retailer I know well always follows that initial consultation with a home visit, so they can hear for themselves how the customer’s system sounds and where it is situated.

Classic sketch showing how not to help customers

You are probably visiting a retailer because you have grown dissatisfied with your current system and are looking to improve it. You may have decided, for example, that you need better loudspeakers. You might indeed be right, but the retailer may, based on their considerable experience and what they have heard of your system, suggest that a better amplifier or source will bring greater improvements. Or maybe a subwoofer, or a high-quality mains distribution block and leads? Or perhaps some better interconnect cables between your source and the amp, or even some better speaker cables? These recommendations will be based on their experience over many years, selling many hundreds of products to people with similar problems and aspirations.

The next step will be to shortlist the various options they believe will achieve your desired goal within your specified budget. They may suggest you need to spend more or less, or that it is best to wait until you can afford the extra to achieve a more significant and long-lasting solution.

Either way, they will want you to hear their suggested solutions in their store demo room. I know some people are a little nervous about this, but good hi-fi retailers do not deal in the hard sell. They won’t be trying to force you into buying something just because they make the most commission on it.

Rather, they want you to get the best solution and be sure you are making the right decision. And most will let you listen for as long as it takes for you to be happy with your choice. This can mean several sessions. They may also suggest that you bring the component you are considering replacing into the demo room so you can hear it alongside their suggested alternatives.

They will encourage you to bring in your own LPs or CDs, although, of course, streamers now make it possible to put a whole world of music at your fingertips.

The service they offer will not end there, of course. Many retailers follow these initial steps with a home demonstration. They will bring the product you are considering buying to your home, set it up in your system, and leave it with you for a week or so so you can be certain it is right for you. And if you decide that it isn’t, they will have alternatives they can also let you try at home.

Then, once you have decided on what you want, they will install it in your home at a time to suit you, even if it is in the evening. And there is usually no extra charge for this; it is often part of the service. As you can see, a good hi-fi retailer is not interested in a quick sale, where they just sell you the product you have decided is right for you.

My local retailer says he has many customers who were sold components or systems that way and are now dissatisfied with them. These customers have lost faith in their original dealer and are looking for someone who will provide a real solution for their problem. He says that once he has solved their problems using the methods I have outlined, he gains a customer for life.

Good retailers are in it for the long haul, then. They want their customers to keep coming back. They will invest all the time and effort necessary to sell their customers what is right for them and what they think will provide a solution that will last them many years, or until the upgrade bug bites and they aspire to move further up the hi-fi ladder. You won’t get that kind of service in most retail sectors. So let’s all take a moment to reflect on how lucky we are to have retailers willing to go the extra mile to make our hi-fi dreams come true. If you find a good specialist dealer, they will greatly increase your enjoyment of music and likely save you a considerable amount of time and money in the long term – so do seek one out if you can.

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