Re: Re: Another Brasswind Diary


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Posted by Rick Denney on July 16, 2001 at 12:08:29:

In Reply to: Re: Another Brasswind Diary posted by retail sympathiser on July 15, 2001 at 01:08:01:

I hear a Memphis accent, and the point underlying the comment is a good one that I suspect is born of the frustration of really trying to make a tuba sales business go. I remember those ads from the TUBA Journal years ago from a certain Memphis store--those ads with the picture of the Miraphone 188.

Here's my own scenario: I walked into Dillon Music (could have been the Brasswind or any of the reputable stores) with several hundred dollars worth of repair work that I have arranged (months in advance) to have done. While I am there, I ask Matt if it is okay to play a few horns. Of course, he says it is. If I may presume to speak for Matt, here are the the things he knows:

1. He knows I'm not buying, because I told him.

2. He knows I will take excellent care of the tubas in the store, and if an accident happens, that's what insurance is for (in addition to what I will pay to fix my mistake).

3. He knows that I will give him my opinion of the horns (and he did ask), which will add to his database of what kinds of horns are best for what kinds of players; information useful in making recommendations to those who can't travel to the store. Even though I'm a mediocre player, that information is useful to him because there are more mediocre players than good ones, and their checks are no more likely to bounce.

4. He knows that by allowing such play-testing, he will reinforce the reputation Steve Dillon has built for providing one of a select group of premiere tuba stores in the world, which will increase his sales overall and overcome the minor costs of keeping his store stock in good condition. And he knows that I will pass it along.

5. Finally, he knows, and here is the most important point, that though I'm not buying, if a tuba talks to me in such a way that I can't ignore it, that I will go home and talk to my wife and do everything I can to figure out how to buy it. And if I can't, I'll do my best to make sure some friend of mine gets it before it goes to some unappreciative stranger, heh, heh. In short, he knows that someday I will be a buyer, even though neither one of us might know when that day might occur.

Granted, I may be a bit more responsible than your average high-school kid, but that's why the pro horns are in a separate room.

Rick "with huge respect for those who provide such opportunities" Denney


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