Chris Pile wrote: Yes, it seems at the national level that customer service is dead, but locally - the places that are really thriving are the places that still offer excellent customer service. Which explains why I am still in demand despite not advertising since 1990 and telling anyone who will listen that I am retired. I say NO all the time. I keep raising my prices. And yet - I keep getting phone calls and emails, and my bench is nearly always occupied.
Personal service is always in demand, never goes out of style, and is always appreciated. Period.
Agreed!
Had my 26 month old Honda with 17K miles on it.... in the Honda dealership where I bought it yesterday for an oil change, software update and tire rotation. What has taken 45 minutes in the past and was anticipated to take 1 hour as they told me took 2.5 hours. The tires were not set to what I asked for 34 lbs and one of them was at 27 lbs.... The car was not washed as they always do.
Honda is legendary for great service and fast too..... Not yesterday....
I was one of the first people in the air after 9/11 and I took a flight to Evansville, IN to see a client and then to SFO where I was stationed. Service was non-existent, lunches no longer served, liquids not permitted on the aircraft and the airline people were nastier than usual using the change in our nation after 9/11 to throw service out the door.
This is happening too with the pandemic and I've noticed some businesses have stepped up and many have adopted a "take it or leave it, my way of the highway attitude."
I made a good part of my living after my early retirement consulting with smaller business as to how they can thrive in the Internet age and have what I called "a parasitic relationship with the big box store's marketing spend" where say G*itar Center spends the big bucks promoting a product and the local music store gets the sale. Why? Because people WANT to buy from people. We want a like minded sort who may even appreciate our choices to help us with a transaction where we can hold the item, play the item, take our time and then ask for a new one in the box to take home  We also want service and we also want to be treated like family when we spend big bucks somewhere.
I still think that the Mom and Pop's will come back, someday... and the main reason why is going to be service or more specifically lack of service from the Internet sellers. Keep an eye too on "right to repair" laws that are being created that would help local businesses in the future too and deny manufacturers a monopoly on the service side of computers, cars, guitars etc.
I don't see SM ever hurting unless they spend too much and can't pay their bills. There will always be demand for what they do and very little competition because frankly you have to be nuts to sell to aspiring Luthiers who in my experience are some of the cheapest, I'll make my own.... SOB's that I've ever been proud to be one too.
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