Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
JULY 4, 1925
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Industry's Evils Are Disappearing
Says Charles T. Gorbin
Weil-Known Pacific Coast Piano Man, Before Annual Convention of the Western Music Trades, Points Out
That Sensible Progress Is Being Made Towards Better Standards in the Retail Mer-
chandising of Pianos—Discusses Special Sales, Commissions, Etc.
T
H E existing evils of the trade form a sub-
ject from which many differences of opin-
ion may arise. There may be some who will
claim there are no evils in this trade, others
may consider that which I claim to be an evil
to be no evil at all. For this reason this ques-
tion may somewhat resolve itself into a matter
of personal opinion. Therefore, it is from this
standpoint that I shall discuss the subject.
Having been in the trade for a number of
years, I fully appreciate the many changes
which have taken place from time to time,
changes which tended to continuously elevate
this trade to a higher position in the confidence
of the public.
These changes have been brought about partly
through the splendid example set by the better
class of manufacturers, partly through the in-
fluence of the many worthy music trade jour-
nals which have neither asked nor given quarter
in their fight for clean methods in the trade,
partly through the excellent work of the Better
Business Bureaus throughout the country, which
most invariably have the support of the mem-
bers of the trade, and very considerably through
the tireless efforts of those dealers who are de-
termined to see that the business in which they
are engaged has at least an equal standing in
the estimation of the buying public with that of
the most favored business of other lines.
The Great Majority
I believe the great majority of dealers in the
music trade are honest and sincere men, who
endeavor to conduct their business on a fair
basis, and are willing at all times to correct any
mistakes for which they are in the least respon-
sible, and to adjust any reasonable complaints
from their customers. I may say that I believe
practically all complaints that come to the
dealer from his customers are reasonable, with
the exception of a limited few, which are made
for the sole purpose of having the dealer take
back an instrument which both the dealer and
the customer know to be faultless, but which
the customer, without good cause, does not care
to pay for. This is well borne out by the fact
that any reliable dealer will testify that he has
but few, if any, complaints from those who buy
for cash, though of course he is just as ready
to adjust a complaint from a cash buyer as one
from a customer who has bought on time con-
tract.
There are doubtless some few dealers still to
be found who refuse to allow any sentiment to
enter into their business, and who are not so
careful in following a well defined and equitable
policy as they should be for the best interests
of their own future businessand the reputation
of the trade in general. This is very regrettable,
for when we take into consideration the fact
that musical instruments are generally pur-
chased for the express purpose of enhancing
the happiness of the home, we can readily ap-
preciate the desirability of harmonious relations
between the purchaser and the dealer, and how
important it is that the very purpose for which
the instrument is purchased is not defeated
through some misunderstanding such as will
place a stigma upon the instrument in the mind
of the purchaser and act as a handicap to its
endearment to the home. This happens some-
times, much to the discomfiture of the pur-
chaser, and to the great detriment of the dealer.
But, happily, these cases are becoming less fre-
quent as time goes on and will almost entirely
cease when all dealers come to the full realiza-
tion that doubtful statements and careless prom-
ises not only lose many sales, both directly and
indirectly, but also have a tendency to weaken
the salesman to such an extent that if he con-
tinues to rely upon them for any great length
trade are of that class. Quite to the contrary,
I believe a large majority of salesmen are truth-
ful and reliable, have a pride in their profes-
sion, and a good standing, which they do not
care to jeopardize by resorting to methods con-
sidered in the least unfair. Yet there are some
few who have not kept pace with the times, and
do not seem to realize that the days of the un-
reliable salesman are past, and that they no
longer have a place of security in this or any
other business in which the confidence of the
public is necessary to its success. It is they
who are mainly responsible for the opinion occa-
sionally expressed to the effect that the buying
of a musical instrument is attended with consid*
erable risk and uncertainty, whereas, in general,
this does not apply to this trade any more than
to other well respected lines of business. H o w
ever, we know that there are still some evils in
this trade as there are also in other lines, but
our responsibility is mainly limited to our own
trade, and this responsibility we are not shirk-
ing in the least.
Special Sales
I see no reason) to criticise any dealer who
occasionally finds it necessary to have a special
sale on musical instruments, for if the goods
are as advertised and the prices reduced to
everyone alike who buy during the sale the buy-
ers are benefited by the saving, and the dealer
regains, through a larger volume of business,
that which he gives to the buyers in price reduc-
tion. But in the regular course of business, I
believe the one-price system should be followed,
Charles T. Corbin
partly for the reason that it is just and fair to
of time they will entirely destroy his real sell- all who buy, and partly because it is a safe-
guard to the dealer. In cases where two cus-
ing ability.
tomers discover that though they have bought
Dealers' Selling Cost
Probably little is knewn, outside of the music the same kind of instruments at or about the
trade, of the sincere efforts which have been same time the prices are different, at least one
made, especially of late years, both by the bet- customer has been treated unfairly, and the
ter class of manufacturers and dealers, to keep dealer badly hurt, and usually the dealer loses
the price of musical instruments within the the friendship of the one who paid the most and
bounds of reason. How well they have suc- the respect of the one who paid the least.
ceeded can best be understood by making com-
Commissions
parison of their price advances with those of
The paying of commissions on sales to those
other lines. But there is still a goodly saving not employed as regular salesmen is probably
to be made to the retail purchasers as well as the one outstanding evil of the music trade,
to the dealer, and this saving can be made partly on account of the amount of commission
through the reduction of the dealers' selling paid, which, of course, is added to the dealer's
cost, which is doubtless somewhat affected by selling cost and paid by the retail purchaser, but
the lack of perfect confidence between pur- largely on account of the unscrupulous methods
chaser and dealer, for it is certain that a sale of many who set themselves up as being com-
made within half an hour after a customer en- petent to pass upon the quality and price of in-
ters the store has not the same selling cost struments to be chosen for those who unsus-
attached to it as one which is negotiated for a pectingly place themselves in their hands. For
period of days before it is finally closed. It is instance, it is a common practice of this class
safe to say that this lack of confidence between
of guardian to take the prospective buyer to
the purchaser and the dealer can be attributed different stores to look at instruments, so to
mainly to prejudices created years ago, when ward off the suspicion that they are working
many dealers were not so careful in their busi- for any particular store. Though they may
ness methods as they are to-day. Therefore, it visit many stores from which the finest instru-
should be the earnest endeavor of all dealers so ments of the American market are sold and sold
to conduct their business as to gain the confi- at fair prices, yet they fail to find one instru-
dence of the buying public, and this can best be ment which exactly suits them until they
accomplished by eliminating the remaining evils finally reach the store from which they are to
from the trade. We might well start with that get their commission. Even at that store the
class of salesmen who have slight regard for the guardian may choose an instrument not at all
truth, and who spend more of their time in try- suited to the purpose for which it is purchased,
ing to injure a competitor, or his goods, which or probably an instrument which has a fairly
they well know to be beyond reproach, than good tone at the time, but may not be equally
they do in selling their own merchandise on its good in point of construction, and for this rea-
merit.
son later on prove very disappointing. Then,
of course, it is up to the dealer to see that the
Unreliable Salesmen
(Continued on page 8)
I do not consider that all salesmen in this