Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

[Chistopher]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

Mistakes are one thing, incompetence is quite another. Heart surgeons make mistakes on occasion, but stay employed. Incompetent ones get sued into oblivion, and deservedly so. Also, just because a job is entry level doesn't mean you get license to suck at it.

They aren't so much incompetent as they are simply moving on to a better paying tech job once they aquire the skills to do so.

 

[RockinProf]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

Granted I haven’t been in a GC in 20 years, but I think their HR model is the issue. Unfortunately the universal big box retail HR model doesn’t work for precision tech work on musical instruments. This HR model is: hire at the lowest wage and filter off those who won’t cut it in the sales floor. Those who excel on the floor are given the chance to move up. At Best Buy, Fry’s, The GAP... this works as it promotes the idea that good effort is rewarded and make staff work harder. When it comes to GC or Long and McQuade up here in Canada.... that model puts people that shouldn’t be doing tech work in the tech role. I genuinely thin most GC and L&M “techs” do the best they can, and often think they’re doing work well. I also think that they’re setup to fail as a great team player, enthusiastic sales person hired for that role, is likely not well equipped to be a tech. I can almost see some of these guys trying to do a fret dress and muttering “forgive me for I know not what I do”.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

Mistakes are one thing, incompetence is quite another. Heart surgeons make mistakes on occasion, but stay employed. Incompetent ones get sued into oblivion, and deservedly so. Also, just because a job is entry level doesn't mean you get license to suck at it.

Respectfully disagree to this and most of the hyperbole on this thread -although I laughed with and at the read

-an entry level guitar tech at Guitar Center is expected to do basic setups on NEW guitars and some other mostly basic repairs but advanced repairs, custom mods, and especially used guitar repair work are skills that are developed over time onsite and off -reset your expectations and don't take a guitar there for moderate and advanced jobs unless you vet them.

The Heart Surgeon comparison is ridiculous -they have a total of almost 16 years of education BEFORE they are independent (4 pre med, 4 Med school, 4-5 residency and 3 yr Surgical Specialty) and it takes 6-7 yrs to be a Registered Nurse -and a medical technician goes for 2 years.

You have to assume a guitar Center Luthier/Tech has likely only a 1 yr luthier course certification or maybe a few years general experience. Although there are literally 2 week and 4 month certs from some of the most respected Luthier schools too. Who knows what minimum requirements their are for setting up guitars -Anybody know for certain -and if so did you expect more? If a guitar has even a moderate problem at Guitar Center -they ship it back -they don't indulge a repair at all -so why would you expect certain skills to even be honed at GC.

Do you guys dehumanize the kid at the quick Lube/Oil Change place when you get a transmission rebuilt there to save on hassle and money? Everyone from Doctors to Mechanics subdivide the labor under their professional credentials to RNS and PAs and apprentices (respectively) working under their only partial supervision to make lots more money -it's the way of capitalism -Guitar Center isn't going to pay or invest in a master luthier for their locations -It's lunacy to expect this -If you expect something done perfectly -take the work to a place that the actual journeyman or Master professional conducts ALL of the work themselves -like apparently ICTgoober does -and pay the true professional premium for it.

Just understand what Guitar Center's goals are, and what the position is -and everything else falls into place -These are not perfect robots at the tip of the luthier spear -these are average people and often younger kids trying to make it into and through this industry and world -and Guitar Center is a decent beginner filter for who will continue in the industry and some will eventually be an expert that you might rely on one day.

Ya'll jerks made me defend Guitar Center.... puke! :lmao:

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

Respectfully disagree to this and most of the hyperbole on this thread -although I laughed with and at the read

-an entry level guitar tech at Guitar Center is expected to do basic setups on NEW guitars and some other mostly basic repairs but advanced repairs, custom mods, and especially used guitar repair work are skills that are developed over time onsite and off -reset your expectations and don't take a guitar there for moderate and advanced jobs unless you vet them.

The Heart Surgeon comparison is ridiculous -they have a total of almost 16 years of education BEFORE they are independent (4 pre med, 4 Med school, 4-5 residency and 3 yr Surgical Specialty) and it takes 6-7 yrs to be a Registered Nurse -and a medical technician goes for 2 years.

You have to assume a guitar Center Luthier/Tech has likely only a 1 yr luthier course certification or maybe a few years general experience. Although there are literally 2 week and 4 month certs from some of the most respected Luthier schools too. Who knows what minimum requirements their are for setting up guitars -Anybody know for certain -and if so did you expect more? If a guitar has even a moderate problem at Guitar Center -they ship it back -they don't indulge a repair at all -so why would you expect certain skills to even be honed at GC.

Do you guys dehumanize the kid at the quick Lube/Oil Change place when you get a transmission rebuilt there to save on hassle and money? Everyone from Doctors to Mechanics subdivide the labor under their professional credentials to RNS and PAs and apprentices (respectively) working under their only partial supervision to make lots more money -it's the way of capitalism -Guitar Center isn't going to pay or invest in a master luthier for their locations -It's lunacy to expect this -If you expect something done perfectly -take the work to a place that the actual journeyman or Master professional conducts ALL of the work themselves -like apparently ICTgoober does -and pay the true professional premium for it.

Just understand what Guitar Center's goals are, and what the position is -and everything else falls into place -These are not perfect robots at the tip of the luthier spear -these are average people and often younger kids trying to make it into and through this industry and world -and Guitar Center is a decent beginner filter for who will continue in the industry and some will eventually be an expert that you might rely on one day.

Ya'll jerks made me defend Guitar Center.... puke! :lmao:

Very well said.

 

[devastone]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

You have to assume a guitar Center Luthier/Tech has likely only a 1 yr luthier course certification or maybe a few years general experience. Although there are literally 2 week and 4 month certs from some of the most respected Luthier schools too.

I think your expectations may be a little high.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

Respectfully disagree to this and most of the hyperbole on this thread -although I laughed with and at the read

-an entry level guitar tech at Guitar Center is expected to do basic setups on NEW guitars and some other mostly basic repairs but advanced repairs, custom mods, and especially used guitar repair work are skills that are developed over time onsite and off -reset your expectations and don't take a guitar there for moderate and advanced jobs unless you vet them.

The Heart Surgeon comparison is ridiculous -they have a total of almost 16 years of education BEFORE they are independent (4 pre med, 4 Med school, 4-5 residency and 3 yr Surgical Specialty) and it takes 6-7 yrs to be a Registered Nurse -and a medical technician goes for 2 years.

You have to assume a guitar Center Luthier/Tech has likely only a 1 yr luthier course certification or maybe a few years general experience. Although there are literally 2 week and 4 month certs from some of the most respected Luthier schools too. Who knows what minimum requirements their are for setting up guitars -Anybody know for certain -and if so did you expect more? If a guitar has even a moderate problem at Guitar Center -they ship it back -they don't indulge a repair at all -so why would you expect certain skills to even be honed at GC.

Do you guys dehumanize the kid at the quick Lube/Oil Change place when you get a transmission rebuilt there to save on hassle and money? Everyone from Doctors to Mechanics subdivide the labor under their professional credentials to RNS and PAs and apprentices (respectively) working under their only partial supervision to make lots more money -it's the way of capitalism -Guitar Center isn't going to pay or invest in a master luthier for their locations -It's lunacy to expect this -If you expect something done perfectly -take the work to a place that the actual journeyman or Master professional conducts ALL of the work themselves -like apparently ICTgoober does -and pay the true professional premium for it.

Just understand what Guitar Center's goals are, and what the position is -and everything else falls into place -These are not perfect robots at the tip of the luthier spear -these are average people and often younger kids trying to make it into and through this industry and world -and Guitar Center is a decent beginner filter for who will continue in the industry and some will eventually be an expert that you might rely on one day.

Ya'll jerks made me defend Guitar Center.... puke! :lmao:

Finally, someone speaks some reason into this thread.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

When I started out in the 70's, I only worked on my own stuff.... I bought more guitars to broaden my skills, and didn't do work on anyone's stuff until I proved my competence to myself and my friends who knew what good work looked like. I literally did a refret every month, and a refinish every other month, made new nuts almost weekly, and continuously sought knowledge and bought tools. It helped that I already had some mechanical ability from a child (which my parents noted and encouraged). There weren't even any guitar repair books written yet - only guitar construction books mostly focusing on classical and steel string acoustic stuff - no solidbody. I didn't even dare to touch a Fender or Gibson for almost 2 years. When I finally was asked to do repairs by a local store - I refused to charge, citing my need to gain experience. They gave me the leeway to develop, and thank God I never mucked anything up belonging to a client. My point is, I knew my limits and didn't rush blindly past them. These hacks at GC and elsewhere should exercise their own self-control and refuse to do harm. I mean - some of the broken and screwed up stuff I've had to fix in the last 3 years from GC is the results of wretched stupidity - obvious to anyone - especially to those actually wrecking the stuff. They should be ashamed, but apparently that no longer exists for them.

 

[akio]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

Chris - You might want to review posts 1 and 44. Sorry, but installing a bridge saddle upside down (twice!) is flat out incompetent, as is grinding off the top edge pitch radius.

Negative - Same sort of retort, the guy in the example can't even install STRINGS properly. Yet GC corporate advertises an entire menu of work their technician is expected to be able to handle, it's right up there on the wall at each location, then hires someone who can't do it. Again, even an entry level tech is expected to trained and adept at entry level work. Yes, a mistake or two will get by on less routine work. Shouldn't be the norm, and shouldn't happen PERIOD on freakin' strings and saddles.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

I guess I don't believe that it is the norm. Even if every person on here who talks about that bad GC messes up their repair (which is not really that many) is telling the story exactly as it happened, that represents the VAST minority of repairs being done. If they really sucked that bad, people would stop going to them.

I work in the service industry, and get idiots blaming their mistakes on me a lot. When I change wiper blades, I have to say, "Hey, you see this crack?" before I touch their car, otherwise they try to blame it on me. If someone comes in for a battery, we install one, and then it turns out their failing alternator is the reason they needed a battery, they blame us for an installation error causing the alternator to fail. As much as I love melodrama, crap like that makes me less quick to jump on the "Kill the ******* at Guitar Center" bandwagon.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

He asked for a raise, didn’t he?

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

Chris - You might want to review posts 1 and 44. Sorry, but installing a bridge saddle upside down (twice!) is flat out incompetent, as is grinding off the top edge pitch radius.

Negative - Same sort of retort, the guy in the example can't even install STRINGS properly. Yet GC corporate advertises an entire menu of work their technician is expected to be able to handle, it's right up there on the wall at each location, then hires someone who can't do it. Again, even an entry level tech is expected to trained and adept at entry level work. Yes, a mistake or two will get by on less routine work. Shouldn't be the norm, and shouldn't happen PERIOD on freakin' strings and saddles.

Yeah, i really don't want to believe the story, it's hard to believe he would be put in that position but couldn't install strings or which side is up on a saddle.... crazy...I know it's likely true -but it isn't and can't the norm.

I believe the children are the future :lmao:

 

[devastone]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

Yeah, i really don't want to believe the story, it's hard to believe he would be put in that position but couldn't install strings or which side is up on a saddle.... crazy...I know it's likely true -but it isn't and can't the norm.

I believe the children are the future :lmao:

I have a nephew in high school, unless the future becomes a video game we are in trouble.

 

[Meelerman]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

Ok…. I gotta chime in... The GC I frequent has only a few players in the sales staff. They kinda' play, but only one artist. The last tech they had was actually pretty good. But this is one store. I saw an ad for a guitar tech at one of the other stores in our area. (San Francisco/Oakland) Experience was not detailed in the description. Will train if necessary was in the foot note..... AAArrrrghhh!.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Guitar Center: Service hacks must be killed

Ok…. I gotta chime in... The GC I frequent has only a few players in the sales staff. They kinda' play, but only one artist. The last tech they had was actually pretty good. But this is one store. I saw an ad for a guitar tech at one of the other stores in our area. (San Francisco/Oakland) Experience was not detailed in the description. Will train if necessary was in the foot note..... AAArrrrghhh!.

That was a misprint. It was supposed to say, “Will take the train if necessary.”