It started last Friday.
Before work I decided to pop into Rock Inn in Shinjuku. Online I saw they had a Zoom H4n stereo recorder for the best price I could find.
I showed the sales guy the page on my iPhone and he spent ages on the phone discussing whether they were going to sell it to me. In the end he says "that is web price" and I had to order it online from their web shop.
I don't understand that if you have a physical storefront, and there is someone willing to throw cash in your face to refuse, but that's just how it works in this country. I wonder how anyone sells anything here.
I walked out disappointed and went to every other music shop in the vicinity trying to haggle the same discounted price from them. Nobody was willing to match the price, so I gave up and just made my way to work.
I let it go for a day or two. Then I thought, what if I could order it online and then pick it up on Monday? The gf sent them an email of my intentions, but as Monday came around there was no answer so I just went back to Rock Inn to ask again. They told me it had been sold to someone else (They DIDN'T hold it for me), but I could still buy a different box at the normal price. Ah, don't think so buddy..
On Tuesday I looked it up again to find that it was relisted online again. I was ANGRY. I got the gf to order it straight away. They should have sent it free postage, but instead I had to go out of my way today to go into Shinjuku to pick it up.
They had it ready for me to pick up. It was discounted because there was supposed to be damage to the box. The English translation online said "pain in the box", but it was in great condition. The recorder was brand new! I was relieved to finally get it.
You'd think this was just a one off inconvenience, but this is what I quite often have to experience. Instead of someone making an executive decision, everything just goes around in circles leading to frustration.
Bargaining is practically a waste of time, yet recently I was told by a Japanese woman that English lessons were expensive. She was strongly hinting, "Can you give me CHEAP, private lessons?". I gave her suggestions to help improve her English with media sources and books. If people don't give me the time of day for a better price, I don't want the uncomfortable situation of stating my price.
Touché.
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
An Inconvenient Truth
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 6:33 pm
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4 comments:
What does that thing do? "Stereo recorder"??
It's pretty common for most places to have better rates when you preorder on the web, it's to save them time so they can get more orders out. If they break their own rules and sell it when you throw some cash in their face, the process doesn't work.
It's a stereo Sound recorder with mics as well as inputs for a guitar or external mics. It's also a 4 track portable recorder.
I have been to a WAREHOUSE where they let me buy the item that was online. Money is money. If they don't know how to accept a sure sale, I hope they go out of business.
The person that ordered ONLINE cancelled his order. That was a lost sale. I could and probably should have said "**** you!"
It's not that simple when you look at it big picture. If they're doing their job right, more money is more money at the end of the day.
Their job is to sell. If they don't want to sell, they are not doing their job. If they don't sell their products, they get NO money. I think it's pretty simple.
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