So, about that Guitar Center stock...

Interesting tidbit - Bain Capital also bought out Clear Channel (with some other investment firm) for 19 billion at the end of last year.

I know you were all at the edege of your seat about this, so yeah, it happened Oct. 10.

I cringe every time I go into Guitar Center, right before the dude at the register says "hey bro".

wooo Sam Ash

plz to define "wooo"

this usually means shutting down stores to kill overhead and stabilize the bottom line, I think

Cashier guy wanted my name when I bought guitar picks. I said why and he said he had to put it into the computer to complete the transaction. I told him my name was John Doe and he said, ah, you've been here before.

Fuckers.

Cashier guy wanted my name when I bought guitar picks

At Sam Ash, or Guitar Center? It is annoying (to ask for and to be asked for), but at Sam Ash it's so you can come in whenever and pull up all your old receipts by giving your phone number, which comes in handy a lot.

Dude, are you serious? That might be what they tell you if you ask, but it's for demographic research/targeted marketing, not some sort of cuddly "lets help the customer with his recent purchases and give him a big smooch".

Sam Ash sucks less than GC, but only because they've been much more inept at running real music stores out of business.

I will, however, admit to some element of bias here.

Well, customers can provide their phone number but choose not to give an address or even a name, which means they don't get any mailings but Sam Ash still has records of their purchases that can be easily accessed. It could be a fake name and phone number, as long as they're consistent with it and it isn't someone else's. If they don't give any info, their purchases don't get associated with a customer code and we can't look up their old receipts. Plenty of customers make use of the fact that we have their purchase history on file. I agree that it's kind of annoying, but at the same time I think it's stupid when people act like it's some huge affront. But I digress.

Guitar Center is awful but they did give me a credit card despite me having no other credit cards, which came in handy after the Great Practice Space Fire of '07. Last time I was there I ran into a friend of mine from another band and I think we were both embarassed.

At Sam Ash, or Guitar Center? It is annoying (to ask for and to be asked for), but at Sam Ash it's so you can come in whenever and pull up all your old receipts by giving your phone number, which comes in handy a lot.

It happened at Guitar Center. And there is absolutely no reason why any cashier in America needs to know your phone number or zip code.

Why is it important that they have your purchase history on file?

Why is it important that they have your purchase history on file?

Sometimes people come in at tax time and want us to print copies of their old receipts, or when they're trying to insure something, or when they want to return an item but lost the receipt, etc.

yes but steve the real reason is so they know which catalog to send you

Well, customers can provide their phone number but choose not to give an address or even a name, which means they don't get any mailings but Sam Ash still has records of their purchases that can be easily accessed. It could be a fake name and phone number, as long as they're consistent with it and it isn't someone else's. If they don't give any info, their purchases don't get associated with a customer code and we can't look up their old receipts.

Yeah, this is what I do. I always give my name as Steve G0ldberg, and since they already have my address on file so it's totally no hassle.

Well, just don't buy the extended service plan.

This is the reason why I buy online now.

Oddly enough, Guitar Center is about to open a giant retail store over on Pico & Westwood in West LA.