Diamond Jewelry Shaws Store
There are probably lots of others. Will this work? Sure. I bought an
Infiniti, in large part because of how I was treated at the dealership. The
salesman made me feel important, emphasized their commitment to quality,
emphasized the service department and its quality, etc. After I bought the
car, they called me, wrote me letters, etc. Did I get a good price? I doubt
it, but I had a positive buying experience, and would probably buy another one.
Lots of people buy things they could get cheaper. Why do folks shop in
department stores instead of discount stores? Why do they get their cars fixed
at the dealer instead of the local gas station? Why do they buy diamond rings
at fancy jewelry stores instead of catalog stores? Can't pianos be sold like
this?
All this is somewhat tongue in cheek. However, I was really surprised when I
went to shop for a piano that they were not shown and marketed like other
luxury items. Almost every shop I visited was in an unsightly building with
cheesy furnishings. Even the Steinway dealer was in a very ordinary mall
store. Why is this? When I go to a Jaguar dealer, or any other luxury car
dealer, the place is nice. Just being in there makes you feel like a big shot.
It makes you want to spend money. When I find a roomful of pianos on a
concrete slab, it makes me feel like bargaining is appropriate. Maybe the
economics of the piano biz make this necessary, but it still seems strange to
me.
I imagine the comparison between new car dealers and piano stores is not
too germane since there are so many many folks buying cars and so
relatively few buying pianos. I cant imagine a piano store owner buying
into a pro football or baseball team with their profits.