Guitar Center — Local services in Villa Park

I haven't been in a Guitar Center in more than a decade, and I do regret that, because these guys are AWESOME! Here's what happened on the night of Sunday, 13 December 2020:

I walked in to the store and went to look around. Immediately, the sales staff greeted me, but let me poke around without the stereotypical "salesman harassment." I was looking for a karaoke machine, specifically. I couldn't find one (but yes, they had them). I went to the counter, asked for help, and they brought a man named Deshon to the register.

It sounds like an exaggeration, but Deshon SAVED CHRISTMAS! At least for me. In an uncannily serendipitous moment, he admitted "I'm not the best with Karaoke systems, but something told me that I needed to learn more about them just this morning."

Well, "not the best" is still light-years more than I know, and in about a 20 minutes long conversation, I figured out that Deshon does in fact know his customer's needs, and he is an honest, EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE guy! He showed me the Voco-pro (I think?) System. It's exactly what I need... One problem... It's $229... My budget as of Sunday night was around $150, so sadly I didn't buy it that night, so I left empty-handed...

Then I started thinking in the car... I know for a fact I can stay in budget by buying a different machine elsewhere, but it doesn't have the same features... But it didn't sit right with me, deep inside. Deshon showed me the EXACT machine that will fit my needs, and it's one I will be happy with for years to come... Yeah, I'm coming back and buying that machine after payday, and it's because of Deshon! He was knowledgeable about the product, he was engaging and funny, and more importantly, he sought to understand ME as his customer, and that's a big deal for me. Seriously, if you need with sound systems, seek out Deshon at...

First I would like to say that I have been shopping at this location for years and this place has served me well throughout my time spent shopping there. I have noticed the staff is pretty knowledgeable about helping beginners understand what they are buying. I have only experienced a couple of sales people try to sell me things I did not need. That being said.... I went to this location to test out a new keyboard workstation, and there was someone else making a "rap beat" on the particular model I went there to see. No big deal, I went and checked out their selection of acoustic guitars, even though I have no need to purchase a new one. We were alone in the acoustic guitar room, so I ended up spending about 15-20 minutes playing songs for my wife and son and when I noticed so much time had passed I put the guitar back on the wall and went to see if the guy was still on the keyboard... He was and had no signs of finishing up anytime soon. I ended up walking out of there and will probably have to see the keyboard at another company's store. They seem to have a problem at this location with people sitting on floor models of instruments for hours on end. Unfortunately, the staff doesn't seem to notice the issue and therefore does not remedy the situation. This same situation of going in to see an item and having someone holding it hostage has happened to me more increasingly over the years and each time it is more and more...

Went in to the Villa Park Guitar Center today to buy a new drum throne and crash cymbal, roughly $600 worth of gear, left with nothing. Had a few different cymbals I wanted to try out, so I drove to Villa Park from the South burbs because GC.com showed they were all in stock at this store. None of them were on display. Same deal with the throne. Actually, the throne MIGHT have been among the stacks of unpacked boxes in the drum section, but I couldnt find it. There was probably enough on the floor to fill a 53' trailer. I spent 45-60 minutes in the store and not a single sales person acknowledged me. Not a "hello", "can I help you?", or anything. Tried to get their attention but it was like I was invisible, even though I am wandering around the store with a single drum stick like a complete idiot.

I used to be annoyed by the GC of old that had salespeople swarming you as soon as you walked in the door. While it was slightly irritating, it did not prevent me from spending my money there.

If GC wants any chance in surviving as a brick and mortar in today's retail environment, they need to step it up with the service aspect. This is not my first bad GC experience in recent memory, but it will certainly be my last. I will not...