# Big Boxes vs "Specialized" Shops vs The World!



## Vestax

Gotta love the initial response from the big box boys, especially the fired dogs... they are furious that their store is used in the picture. Well maybe... it's the truth? 
http://www.me-mag.com/CurrentIssueReader.aspx?Num=1436&curPage=1





> Beating Big Box Blues
> 
> by Eddy Kay
> 
> (Page 1 of 1)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> For the past several years, I have been astounded by the concerns of the specialists when it comes to competing with mass merchants and the Internet. Astounded because neither can compete with the specialist, unless the specialists allow them to. And that happens by abdicating the things that make them special — focus, long-term talent and love for the category.
> 
> There is a wonderful old sales story that illustrates this point. When a customer comes into a store looking for a 1/4-inch drill bit, he's actually looking for a 1/4-inch hole. Not being a hardware specialist, he doesn’t know there are a dozen ways to make a quarter-inch hole. He only knows what he knows, and that's limited.
> 
> Now let's apply that story to what we do for a living. A customer goes into a mass merchant store, walks into the "car stereo department" and asks for a high-quality pair of speakers. The salesperson sells the customer exactly what they asked for. The customer takes the speakers home to do the simple install himself. He plugs them in, buttons up the car, and sits back to hear his new $250 purchase through his seven-and-a-half watt factory system. A major disappointment. The speakers actually sound worse than the ones he just took out.
> 
> You could call this customer a jerk for not knowing the speakers won't work without proper amplification. But why should he have to know? The salesperson is supposed to have the job of knowing.
> 
> Now, here's what should happen at the specialist's. The customer walks in and asks for a really good pair of speakers. The salesperson asks why. "Why do you want a good pair of speakers? What are you trying to achieve?"
> 
> "Well, I want to upgrade my stereo and I only have a limited amount of money," the customer would say. "Since the speakers are the most important part of the stereo, I thought I'd start with them."
> 
> "Mr. Customer, the fastest way to give you what you came in for is to sell you an amplifier for the speakers you already have in your car. After the installation of the amp, your stereo will sound 10 times better than it does now, and that's what you’re after, rather than a new pair of speakers."
> 
> The customer spent the same $250, but left with what he came in for.
> 
> You see, car audio is the only thing the specialist does. The company's entire focus is about knowing the category. The category is the only thing that keeps him in business, so he knows it inside and out. He doesn't sell computers; he doesn't sell Blu-ray DVDs. He's an expert at what he does.
> 
> All things being equal, I'll buy at the cheapest place. And if you are not prepared to be outstanding and unequal, you are going to have to compete on price. And you cannot compete against the mass merchant or the Internet on price. You can't make it up on volume, because you don't have that kind of volume.
> 
> When you discount as a way of doing business, you'll go out of business on the installment plan. You have to let your knowledge shine on the sales floor and in the install bay. Did you know that many mass merchants will not allow their people to work on a $50,000 car? It's because they are not experts. They're afraid they'll damage it. They’re not specialists.
> 
> Because mobile electronics is the primary focus of the specialists, the crew is savvier. The mass merchant goes to great lengths in order to train their staff. But their staff is so immense and the training so rushed that the crew never gets the opportunity to learn as they would in the intimate setting of a comparatively small store.
> 
> Once again, the specialist has the advantage of knowledge on the floor. Many of the salespeople I have met in the mobile department of the big guys tell me they're just passing through on their way to the department they really want to be in. They're not focused on the category, and they don’t even want to be there. That leads to rapid turnover with the crew, so the department is always filled with new, inexperienced salespeople. The Internet is a catalog box-moving machine that could care less if the customer is buying the right thing.
> 
> If these salespeople are getting into your shorts, you have not done your job or taken the responsibility to be any better. You haven't cleaned your store. You're still wearing T-shirts to work. Your boards have lots of equipment missing. Your sales skills need a professional tune-up, and you're still getting your product knowledge from the rumor mill and hearsay machine.
> 
> Even if you have addressed each item on the list just mentioned, do you know how to sell? Many salespeople believe that because they are making a living they know how to sell. They don't realize there's one-third more income to be had. Unless you have had formal sales training, you'll be operating on experience, and you need 20 years of experience to be really good. Personally I couldn't wait, so I took a course.
> 
> You see, the only difference between the other guys and the store you work in is you. You can sit around and complain how much they sell their product for, or you can compete with talent. A good deal on the wrong product is not a good deal. You can get more, if you are more.
> 
> I don't hear you complaining about how much the mass merchants spend on advertising to bring customers into your marketplace. I only hear you complaining that you can’t close the customers you do have. The funny thing is, you're walking them back to the mass merchant. Because if all things are equal, I might as well buy at the cheapest place.
> 
> This is the perfect time for me to talk about "personal trade" (otherwise known as P.T.). Personal trade is the key to making a real living in retail. By continuing to be the expert the customer came to see, you will continue to have that customer, his friends and family. They'll come back to buy from you. You’ll develop your own, personal trade.
> 
> You have to remember that each time you change jobs or change stores, you're leaving all that trade behind. The grass always looks greener someplace else. But most salespeople don't realize when they move on, they're taking themselves with them and the same problems arise on the new gig.
> 
> It makes more sense to stay in one place, hone your skills and reap the benefits of becoming a store fixture to the customers who come to shop. It takes at least three years to build up enough personal trade to never have to be concerned if traffic is slow.
> 
> Your store will always be filled with the same number of new shoppers in addition to the ones who come in to see you. Continue to sell your customers what they need and not just what they ask for, and you will never have a slow month.
> 
> With the price of oil what is today, everything we touch is going to become more expensive. That means your customer is going to be more protective than ever of each dollar they spend.
> 
> It’s up to us to help them realize that they should spend those dollars with us.


 

So let's say we took car audio seriously, where is it placed in the professional world? Would it fit somewhere between an Auto Mechanic and a Macy's cashier? If it's curbed by demand, then it'll be curbed by the same amount of standardization. It is what it is. It's not a vital necessity. We don't need it. It’s convenient. It makes us happy…temporarily. The work, it’s not that hard. You don’t need to go to school for it. But like everything else, experience goes a long way. This is the argument for the “specialist”, and this is what consumers are suppose to pay for. 



If we threw everything on a scale, the good and the bad, for the big box vs the custom/middle box shops, why is it tipping one way? Is it consistent, does it go with the economy, is technology changing it, or is it just a phase?

Discuss.


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## ASCI_Blue

For now it's a phase, we are in a time where our economy blows, people aren't spending money on car audio like they used to. Also based off what I've heard some of the specialists aren't making near the income they're worth. Why work for a custom shop which potentially has a high stress level due to fear of breaking something (due to age) and have to pay out of pocket as some do vs working for a big box at a potentially higher wage and if **** gets broken it's no big deal cause the company is insured. This leads to getting ****ty installers who really aren't qualified to do any more than plug things in cause they simply don't give a **** as to what happens. If one looks hard enough there is a Best Buy employee who posted in a forum (footnotes version) that he really isn't concerned about damaging something cause BBY is insured. 

The statement about big box retail is 100% accurate as well. I'm employed by one, for now, because I choose to be and do car audio install. My boss has been doing it for a total of 15 years but professionally for closer to 6. That said 100% of my time should be in my install bay. The truth is 75% of it is and in the event I'm on the floor it's not guaranteed to be in car audio. I've been pulled from that area (due to low traffic) to go sell TV's or computers or some other stupid ****. I'm being prevented from becoming a specialist and at the rate I'm going it simply won't happen because there's very little profit (in the grand scheme) in car electronics in my area. 

There's also the fact that most people now don't give a **** about who does the work as long as it's cheap and gets done. This is a pretty big thing in my area cheapest price will get the income. That said it doesn't always pay off. For the little over a month I've been installing I've seen so much come back from my previous CREW of installers I find it hard to fault a customer if they say '**** you guys.' The only reason they come back is the labor is warrantied for the life of the vehicle. 

As for the scale question: Tipping toward big box cause it's cheaper to get the hardware. People aren't smart enough to know there is a difference between a $50 pair of speakers and a $400 pair of speakers (and plenty of options in the middle). Also stock car audio is FAR better now than it was 10 - 20 years ago when audio shops were the ****.


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## Oliver

I'm not sure :blush:

Can you tell me how to get free music for my IPod , Oh and I want to connect it to my car stereo system.

I'm willing to spend whatever i have to for sound quality 

For reference music i use rap or hip hop !

My preferred music is like compressed ... totally squeeze the **** out of it !!

boom szzz, sizz boom


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## ASCI_Blue

To *******...damn that's awkward.  

Yes but it's not my fault if the feds knock on your door later, you've been warned. 

Go find somewhere that sells better speakers, the best I can do if you're willing to wait a week or so are Infinity Kappas. 

Cool, not my style of music but it works. 

Get a Pioneer deck, the 6000 model and up has an audio recreation technology and it ****ing works. Even I was surprised. 

I want some cake.


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## W8 a minute

Why would a customer not go to a specialty shop? I can't think of a few good reasons honestly.

The internet sells something for $20, the big box store sells it for $30, and the specialty shop wants $50 and another $50 labor so the teenager in the back (who only gets paid $8 per hour) can install it in 15 minutes. 
I don't know where you are from but I don't know where I can get a good quality amp for $250 installed at a B&M specialty shop. $250 barely covers the 4g amplifier install kit they want to sell me which I can buy online for $45.

Most of the time I don't get better advice at a specialty shop. I get a better sales pitch, but not better advice. So as far as "bettering your sales pitch" I think most specialty shops have that covered. Where as I get no sales pitch at the big box stores.


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## ASCI_Blue

I too would like to know where I can get an amp, parts, and install for $250. Maybe on a good day with my employee discount and installing myself off the clock can I get that for $250.


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## dogstar

ASCI_Blue said:


> I too would like to know where I can get an amp, parts, and install for $250. Maybe on a good day with my employee discount and installing myself off the clock can I get that for $250.


The internet can provide this... just look in the hot deals section, and I bet you could get about 700 watts for $100ish, 4 gauge kits can be had for around $50 and that leaves a fair bit of the budget open.

Can brick and mortar shops compete? Apparently... Best Buy doesn't seem to be hurting, at least in my area. We also have a good stock of specialty mobile audio stores, with a very large (11,000 square feet, iirc) shop opening just this coming weekend.


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## W8 a minute

I just noticed who wrote that article; Eddie Kay

This man has devoted his entire life to "selling" sales seminars.


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## MIAaron

For the car audio products I want, I have been able to find them at a cheaper price than I can find them on the internet. Fully authorized with warranty. It's a win-win.


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## Hillbilly SQ

MIAaron said:


> For the car audio products I want, I have been able to find them at a cheaper price than I can find them on the internet. Fully authorized with warranty. It's a win-win.


friend in the business?

todd crowder is the only person i'd let touch my truck that actually makes a living doing this stuff...well maybe the other guy that's been with him forever.


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## Oliver

ASCI_Blue said:


> To *******...damn that's awkward.
> 
> Yes but it's not my fault if the feds knock on your door later, you've been warned.
> 
> Go find somewhere that sells better speakers, the best I can do if you're willing to wait a week or so are Infinity Kappas.
> 
> Cool, not my style of music but it works.
> 
> Get a Pioneer deck, the 6000 model and up has an audio recreation technology and it ****ing works. Even I was surprised.
> 
> I want some cake.


That is the negative end of reality [ see it all the time ... Do you remember fishman Reviera ]>?


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## ASCI_Blue

Negative to fishman. am I taking that context properly?


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## crush

personally the biggest problem is not the stores it is our society.
we want to make a million but we want everything for free.
we buy online and send money out of our community and then ***** when we loose our jobs.

so as long as there are customers that are willing to buy an inferior "product". then there will always be places to sell them the ****.

now if you are looking for a superior "product" then YOU must wade through all the crap.

for example buying car audio 

you must first decide if you are capable of installing equipment yourself.

if you THINK you are then HOW do you KNOW what equipment to buy. truthfully how much experience have you have installing brands to KNOW which ones are really good.

if you want someone else to install then YOU must research not only the product but also the installers. ASK to see installation photos and ask how long they have been professionally installing then subtract at least 2-3 yrs for common bs. dont trust a store just because the have the biggest, best looking store. also don't count out the little store just because they don't have a million dollar setup.

either way YOU need to decide your level of experience and build a system that is geared toward that level and fits your budget. 
nomatter what warrenty is still the most important feature of a product. so buying offline my only cost you in the long run.


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## crush

oh and by the way

i tell anyone that 
NO MATTER WHAT YOU SPEND ON YOUR AUDIO SYSTEM
FOR THE SAME PRICE I WILL MAKE IT SOUND BETTER.

now can you find someone who knows a **** at every store. no
but maybe they were just being nice.


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## WRX/Z28

W8 a minute said:


> Why would a customer not go to a specialty shop? I can't think of a few good reasons honestly.
> 
> The internet sells something for $20, the big box store sells it for $30, and the specialty shop wants $50 and another $50 labor so the teenager in the back (who only gets paid $8 per hour) can install it in 15 minutes.
> I don't know where you are from but I don't know where I can get a good quality amp for $250 installed at a B&M specialty shop. $250 barely covers the 4g amplifier install kit they want to sell me which I can buy online for $45.
> 
> Most of the time I don't get better advice at a specialty shop. I get a better sales pitch, but not better advice. So as far as "bettering your sales pitch" I think most specialty shops have that covered. Where as I get no sales pitch at the big box stores.


First off, I'd like to state that my perspective is that of someone who has worked for the "big box" retailer, and now works for an industry vendor, and a specialty store part time. 

I think these statements are a little off base. I think the internet sells things for $20, the big box's sell the same item for $30, and the specialty shop sells the same item for $30. The internet item, more often than not is without warranty (best case scenario), and sometimes Refurbished/Repaired and has a defaced serial #. Sometimes you get a perfect product, but for every one you buy that's fine, there's 2 that are not. 

My shop does not have any 18 year old $8 an hour employees. Everyone we have has a minimum of 5 years experience, and most of us have 10 or more. (I have 14 years industry experience). 

One man's sales pitch is another mans education. I often find myself explaining features, setups, and technology to customers. This could easily be called a sales pitch. I call it customer service. I never BS people, even customers that don't know anything about car audio can tell when their being fed a line. 

As far as a $250 amplifier install goes. It can be done at my shop pretty regularly. The breakdown goes like this. 

Labor= $85. This is similar to best buy/circuit city's labor rates. You can argue that the rate is high, but then if you go to the average dealership mechanic for service, how much do you pay per hour? Probably about that much for a single hour of labor. The average amp installation is 1.5-2 hours. 
Most of you guys out there can attest that it takes longer to do it yourself. Unless you do it day in and day out as an installer, i'd guess 3.5-4 hours to do the labor yourself. We'll call it 3.5. That = about $25/hour (at the DIY timetable) to have someone that installs professionaly to install your amp, take responsibility for the wiring (warranty the workmanship), and set everything up properly, and give you your much needed weekend day off to enjoy football, or something else you'd rather be doing. 

Wiring=$35 for an 8 guage kit. Yes, 8 guage. Let's be real here. If you're trying to get an amp for $250 installed, that amp will not require 4 guage power wire. This kit includes RCA's. 

This leaves you $130 for the amplifier. While this amount of money will not be buying you a 3000watt monster, it will get you a solid amp with a warranty from a company like Kenwood, MTX, Powerbass, Clarion, Alpine, JBL. 

At any rate, it's definately do-able. 

There are certainly shops out there that can't, or won't do this. There are also shops that perform sub-par installations. It's your obligation as a consumer to educate yourself, do the research, and find out which is which.


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## YzFool78

I think its leaning more towards major retailers because of all the hype thats place behind a single product, because its trendy & easy to get ahold of at any point in time because people hate waiting. To me, thats a major default with alot of retailers. To be honest I didnt hear about most of the car audio speakers/subs/amps until about 4-5 years ago & thats only because everything I got pissed me off because it didnt sound good IMO, although many others would say different. So, I started getting online & checking out different sites/forums & found out there is TONS of kickass products not even being sold or talked about at any of our local shops. 

2 examples: I had a pair of RESX 12's & Ascendant Audio 10's for sale on Craigslist & NO ONE new what they were! Not saying they are the best or that I expect people to know, but it kinda pissed me off because I keep getting a 1000 & 1 calls asking if these where better than kicker, mtx or jl (Which I dont like any of their products) or if these are such nice subs how come I never heard of them!! I basically had to bribe people to buy them inorder for that person to find out for themselves that hey, these really are some nice subs! I didnt lie or anything like that but just simply said if you can honestly tell me that you dont like them bring them back within 30 days for a refund, which has never happened. Just got calls saying thanks for introducing me to some different subs & that they where more than happy!!

So IMO, I think these other company's need to push their products harder so people know its there. Not saying mass market it, but just make enough to where its a tease to the buyers with making it mainstream.

Sorry for rambling...


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## AdamTaylor

i cant speak for every installer at circuit city, but personally i take pride in my work and make sure everything is done right from a simple headunit to a $4000 overhaul. the same goes with the other guys in the shop (were a micro store with a 1 car bay so we wind up working outside allot  ) but regardless if other dbags dont care about their quality of work i do, and have spent countless hours off the clock helping people out who pull up right as were closing...


im just saying....


in response to YzFool78's post:
i agree, customers come in and have never heard of focal, dynaudio, cdt, hertz etc. and think kicker and mtx are the gods of car audio until i let them listen to my hertz 165 comps (cant wait for my new HSK163's to come in) in my car... then they change


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## jmlaudio

It all comes down to each specific location. In some places the small shops are the experts in others they are the biggest hacks in the neighborhood. It's real simple GO to the place. See the cars they have built, and more importantly hear them. Just talk to you guys who work there and see their personal cars as well. Then judge for yourself. Also when was their last training? Do they have any certifications and not just MECP basic? Here is a link to our facility. Anytime you are in our area feel free to give me a call for a tour. We make it very clear we are experts and professionals. This is not something we do but who we are. Thank You for your time.

http://www.jmlaudio.com/behindthescenes.htm


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## AdamTaylor

EDIT: Fack Circuit city... we were one of 150 stores that got the chop even though we were #1 in the district.... bull ****e


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## BoostedNihilist

Double postaroni


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## BoostedNihilist

I work at a small specialty store.

If someone brings me 3rd party gear they pay more for the install. I explain this to them, most everyone understands.

If someone brings me a crappy deck from box store 'x' because they got it for a screaming deal, they pay more for me to install it. But I have to deal with every stupid little question they have about a brand that I don't sell. Consequently, I have a firm grasp on everybodies product and can provide proper guidance when it comes time to do the selling. This also means that I don't have to ********. Usually, unless someone has their heart set on 'product x' they will end up buying something similar from me... they know they're paying more than futureshop, or the internet, but they also know who to call (in the middle of the night) when they have accidentally put their remote start into valet mode and can't remember how to get it out... even though they have a manual... and a cheat sheet I have provided for just such an occurance.

Also, working in a small specialty store, I do the selling, and the installing. So I am not insulated by a sales spiel. The buck stops at me. I know when someone who has bought gear from me, as soon as they walk in, what car they have, what equipment they have, and how it has been wired. When there *IS* a problem (let's face it we all have them sometimes) I can fix it quickly and look like a genius.

Put yourself in the consumers shoes... isn't this worth $50 bucks extra at the end of an install?

Oh yeah, $250 for an amp including installation.. umm, yeah right. Our shop rate is $60/hr and you pay now. If I have a huge project sure, flat rate, but for every day work (and installing subs and amps is every day work) you pay the rate. I have to make my wage, plus my boss has to keep my shop heated. I have to stock my toolbox with an ungodly amount of tools in two different genres. Plus, you *WANT* me to take my time because you want your work done right.

You wanna ***** about $250 you come out and I'll laugh at you when you have three cars sched. in for three amps and I'll come back at 9:00 at night when you've finished your three while I've done three and gone for a few beers and maybe had some sex.

$250.. anyone even bother checking out the price of copper?

lmfao


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## shaneb

BoostedNihilist said:


> =
> 
> $250.. anyone even bother checking out the price of copper?
> 
> lmfao


I did, and it's nothing against you. But I work in construction and we scrap our remodels when we can.
Copper is under 2 dollars a pound right now. Last summer it was near 3 dollars.
I'm tired of this being an excuse for the price of wire.
We pay for the fancy clear colored insulation. Not the wire. Shoot half the time there isn't even the right amount of wire.


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## BoostedNihilist

> I did, and it's nothing against you. But I work in construction and we scrap our remodels when we can.
> Copper is under 2 dollars a pound right now. Last summer it was near 3 dollars.
> I'm tired of this being an excuse for the price of wire.


Hmm, have a clue how futures work? Since wire is a commodity you might want to check that out.

Since you're in construction you must have got the same email that I got from every one of my car audio suppliers. You know, the one that let us know that they have raised their cost prices 20% across the board.


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## GlasSman

ASCI_Blue said:


> Yes but it's not my fault if the feds knock on your door later, you've been warned.


Feds? 

Huh?


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## FREQBOX

jmlaudio said:


> It all comes down to each specific location. In some places the small shops are the experts in others they are the biggest hacks in the neighborhood. It's real simple GO to the place. See the cars they have built, and more importantly hear them. Just talk to you guys who work there and see their personal cars as well. Then judge for yourself. Also when was their last training? Do they have any certifications and not just MECP basic? Here is a link to our facility. Anytime you are in our area feel free to give me a call for a tour. We make it very clear we are experts and professionals. This is not something we do but who we are. Thank You for your time.
> 
> http://www.jmlaudio.com/behindthescenes.htm


Very nice shop! If i ever win the Lotto im going to have a place just like this for myself, just to build stuff =)


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## 8675309

I agree 100% 


Hillbilly SQ said:


> friend in the business?
> 
> todd crowder is the only person i'd let touch my truck that actually makes a living doing this stuff...well maybe the other guy that's been with him forever.


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## xtremeDAN

after 5 years doing this for a living and a few more as a hobby iv seen one thing very regularly, the time some one has been in the industry means nothing.

the latest example of this for me is, just before winter the company i am now working for hired a install manager from future shop that had 8 or 9 years in the install bay. with in a week he had blown up a head light switch in a ford and had asked many dumb questions like " do i isolate door pins with the door open or closed?" 

i have nothing against bug box stores they actully make me more money fixing there installs. people just get fed up and want it to work. 

like it has been said before, if someone brings 3rd party product they get charged more. and everything gets bench tested prior to the install. if anything doesnt work they still pay the bench testing fee. 

just muy 2 cents.


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## bigguy

xtremeDAN said:


> after 5 years doing this for a living and a few more as a hobby iv seen one thing very regularly, the time some one has been in the industry means nothing.
> 
> the latest example of this for me is, just before winter the company i am now working for hired a install manager from future shop that had 8 or 9 years in the install bay. with in a week he had blown up a head light switch in a ford and had asked many dumb questions like " do i isolate door pins with the door open or closed?"
> 
> i have nothing against bug box stores they actully make me more money fixing there installs. people just get fed up and want it to work.
> 
> like it has been said before, if someone brings 3rd party product they get charged more. and everything gets bench tested prior to the install. if anything doesnt work they still pay the bench testing fee.
> 
> just muy 2 cents.


I worked for BB for 3 years and i fixed the local shops F-ups allmost as much as i installed. my area has lots of shops and few i would trust. Not all BB and such have bad installers. over my 3 years we did have some bad onesthat i worked with but for the most part there were 4 of us that worked there and we did stuff right. I got a real eye opening when i started installing for a company that did Ignition interlocks(the DUI machines) O MY GOD there are people that must install with machetes. II would drop under dashes and then nothing would work, put it back up and then it would start working again. I would send thoes people along there way.


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## ellocojorge

well my experience with the big box stores and small stores has been more or less ****ty for both.

my brother was shopping for audio back when i was 15, we wen to frys they quoted him 550-600 for 
HU
sub amp infinty
1 infinity sub and box
4 door speakers
wiring and install

then he went to a local car audio store, the guy at the front is the owner and salesguy, he has what appear to be almost day laborers in the back, well he paid 550 at the shop
he got, even though i advised not too.
box for a dodge ram
2 memphis 10
a cheap 8 gauge wiring kit
a sony gtx 1100?
and one set pioneer 6x9
and install.

that same shop i came in with my car later, had them install some speaker for me, well they charged me 60 for front and rear in my avenger( i was 15 and didnt know **** lol)

later i wasnt confident in istalling the hu in my cavalier. they charged me 50 for wiring and harness, well they ****ed up the wiring and they disabled my abs. came back complained , and well they didnt give a ****.

later on my brothers truck got stolen and system got stolen. when he asked me to install him a stereo i installed, a sony hu, 5 channel jbl amp, some 5.25, 2 kicker comps , box for the truck, and nice 4 gauge kit.. all for 430. 


while installing i came to find that when they can the wiring for the previous install all the wiring was f'd up, wire twisted and taped, speaker not tightened, grounds looked horrible and the wire they used was really cheap crap.



i dont find it worth installing at any of the shops in my area, my stuff looks better than what they do, and their product prices are ridiculously overpriced. 


i prefer to just give my money to the big stores, at least im saving some cash and getting the same service.


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## bigguy

I will say i prefer top buy from small shops, they have the better brands and know there product better


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## dbxin10

yes,to know the need of customer is the most important thing,thanks for your sharing,realize the true need then we can server our customer better and better


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## Davidcmith

dogstar said:


> The internet can provide this... just look in the hot deals section, and I bet you could get about 700 watts for $100ish, 4 gauge kits can be had for around $50 and that leaves a fair bit of the budget open.
> 
> Can brick and mortar shops compete? Apparently... Best Buy doesn't seem to be hurting, at least in my area. We also have a good stock of specialty mobile audio stores, with a very large (11,000 square feet, iirc) shop opening just this coming weekend.


thanks for awareness!!!!


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