Guitar Center — Local services in Paramus

The salesman that helped me with my purchase was nice and helpful, but they are very pushy trying to sell their warranties. When I declined the offer for the warranty, the manager that was standing right there decided to step in and say that I really should get it because the brand of keyboard I was getting - a Williams - never last more than a year. Not really the smartest thing to say about your merchandise, but I let it go. The keyboard was a floor model and didn't come with a box. The sales rep let me know that I had 30 days to return everything and after a few weeks I decided that I did want to return the keyboard since I wasn't using it as much as I had hoped. I called the store to double check that it was okay for me to return the keyboard even though it didn't come with a box - he put me on hold to find out, and then confirmed that it wasn't an issue.

A few weeks later when I went in to return my keyboard, the same manager that was there when I bought it helped me. When I told him I was returning the keyboard, he immediately asked where the box was. I told him that it didn't come with a box, it was a floor model that was on clearance. He rudely asked who sold it to me and I said I didn't know, but I had the receipt so maybe it was on there. He started doing something on the computer and said this wasn't right. I let him know that I called to double check if it was okay to return it without a box and was told it wasn't an issue, and he asked me who I spoke to. I told him I didn't remember the person's name. He said, "Well I'm the manager and I'm here everyday until 5, and you didn't talk to me." Okay, so maybe I called after 5? He had someone come over to look into the situation further and was talking about me like I wasn't even there. "He's saying there wasn't a box when he bought it. Why would we sell it to him without a box?" "He doesn't even have the power supply for it," etc. etc. to which I told him that actually I DO have the power supply with me. I handed it to him and he said "this isn't even the same brand." This is the only keyboard and power supply I've ever owned, and it's what they sold to me.

After a few minutes of him talking to me as if I was lying and trying to swindle them, he had someone else come over who gave him the approval that they could refund my money, so fortunately everything worked out. Regardless, it's pretty clear that they don't have their stuff together and their manager is way too rude to be working in customer service. Definitely not...

Updated from last week: I have to say that this companies management leaves one wondering how they are still in business. While I was happy with the service from Andy in Drums and Mark in Tech, I will say that their General Manager Dylan has a lot to learn about how to deal with customers and customer service issues. I went in on Feb. 14th to purchase some gear and while I was checking out another gentleman invaded my personal space and started asking the sales associate who was checking me out questions about a purchase he wanted to make. I felt it was rude and unsanitary to be so close to someone that I didn't know and the sales associate made no attempt to protect me, so I had to advocate on my own behalf. I explain to the gentleman that I would like him to back up and let me finish my transaction and then he could ask the associate anything he wanted. The gentleman decided to get smart with me and I told him simply "We can take this outside". He left and I proceeded to finish my transaction and even apologized to the staff present, which include Kara, Andrew, and the sale associate who was taking care of me Alec. They all were conciliatory and understood that the gentleman was wrong in his actions and even welcomed me to continue shopping after I finished with what I was doing. I left that store that night with a brand new guitar and thinking everything was okay.

Today, as I was perusing the different departments, General Manager Dylan asked me to come to the front of the store to have a chat. I asked him, "Is something wrong" to which he started to discuss this issue in front of store customers and staff and asked that I not shop at this location anymore.

I have done business and work with a multitude of different companies in my line of work but I have never witnessed such a lack of customer service as I have seen today. I hope that in the future, Guitar Center trains their management team to have a little more tact when dealing with issues such as this and I advise that anyone looking for a good customer service experience try one of their competitors for your musical...

I went to the Paramus Guitar Center to check out a synthesizer they had in stock and called ahead of time to make sure that it was on the shelf and available to try out and play before I committed to buy. Unfortunately after driving a half an hour in a snow storm in rush hour traffic and got to the store, no one could find the power cord for the display model. At this point I was very frustrated because of the lack of care coming from the sales associates after all that i had already gone through. This instrument was on sale and I was tempted to purchase it, but I really did not want to commit to buy this instrument without first testing it out and making sure that it was what I really wanted.

I spoke to the manager who apologized to me for this inconvenience and that corporate would not allow them to buy replacement power cords for clearance items. To me that still is not a good enough excuse for a retailer who markets their store as a place where customers can try before they buy. I traveled all the way to this store in a snow storm because I was told I could try out an instrument they had in stock and I was met with nothing but excuses and apologies.

After all I went through I was still determined to find this synth so instead of going in circles with Guitar Center, I called their local small business competitor Three Wave Music in Hawthorne NJ. To my surprise and delight Sam at Three Wave Music had the exact model on his shelf WITH THE POWER CORD because his business values TRUE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE. I went to Three Wave Music and Sam had already setup the floor model for me before I even arrived (GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE). I played the keyboard and walked out with it within 30 minutes. Guitar Center blew a perfectly good opportunity to have my business but I'm glad I gave it to the little...