the12volt.com spacer
the12volt.com spacer
the12volt.com spacer
the12volt.com spacer
icon

what brands are 'higher end'?


Post ReplyPost New Topic
< Prev Topic Next Topic >
soundnsecurity 
Gold - Posts: 2,711
Gold spaceThis member has made a donation to the12volt.com. Click here for more info.spacespace
Joined: November 10, 2008
Location: Louisiana, United States
Posted: March 23, 2013 at 4:46 PM / IP Logged  
thats not really a fair assumption, theres nothing wrong with wanting to gather opinions of other people in the same situation. with that said, i can understand you perfectly about having to deal with hacks destroying the industry, trust me i have to deal with the very same issues of mistrust from customers because they have had so many bad experiences. but honestly i dont know how you can assume someone doesnt know what they are doing just because you arent sure if certain brands are worth messing with. brands rise and fall all the time, what used to be good might not be good anymore and likewise something that used to be crap or is new to the market might be getting better.
everybody has their own opinion of what is good, me personally i have given up trying to sell customers equipment that i feel is good because my standards are too high for my market, all everybody wants is something that is loud, cheap, and durable and thats it. nobody wants to pay for the type of stuff i would buy for my own truck. its a strange balancing act that we have to perform to give people what they want and are willing to pay for but also not sell cheap junk product because i dont have the time to deal with any returns or warranty issues. in 2 and a half years ive only had to deal with a hand full of broken product, much of which was bad out of the box. ive had to try out a lot of different brands to see how they handle under the abusive nature of our customers, many brands that get recommended or look good on paper turn out to be not what we want to have and the only way to find out is to try it out.
the biggest shop in my area is nothing but a bunch of hacks, at least 6 installers and none of them are worth a dime to me. they probably do 3 times the business i do but i know they also deal with 10x the warranty and return issues. they sell mostly garbage, cheapest stuff they can find that has a name on it and their installers seem to use a lot of trial and error in their methods. ive taken apart more than a few of their installs and wondered to myself how did this stuff ever work to begin with, cars with panels that would barely snap back on because of the giant birds nest of wire behind them, and yet, they are still in business. the moral of the story is that in most areas, price sells and everything else is secondary to most people. id complement someone for actually trying to ask for opinions on a respected forum instead of just ordering the cheapest brand that fits the bill. a hack wouldnt have cared enough to ask.
speakermakers 
Copper - Posts: 231
Copper spacespace
Joined: January 02, 2003
Location: United States
Posted: March 23, 2013 at 11:16 PM / IP Logged  
Well said. There's nothing wrong for asking for public opinion. Glad you care enough to ask. Sorry I was harsh. Great response!
I know you didn't ask for my advice but here it is anyway.
Don't fall for the common excuse that it's all about price. It's not true. Logical; yes. True; no. The car audio industry has lost it's way largely because we are made up of a bunch of uneducated guys with out much of an industry structure to fall back on. For example plumbers make quite a bit more than car audio guys do (no offence to plumbers) yet they require a much smaller skill set, shop space, retail space, and tooling than we do. This is for a reason. Plumbers have a long industry history, union guidelines, educational and licencing requirements. We do not, and it is haunting our industry. The lesson to be learned here is to think twice before taking advice from a consumer or professional in this industry.
The key to getting a fair price for your work & equipment in car audio is to specialize, and focus on enthusiasm.
Value your business & your customers.
The most profitable item that you have to sell to your customers is, and always will be subwoofers. Our industry has forgotten that subwoofers make the most profound difference in the car audio experiance for our customers; and retailers have forgotten that subwoofers are the single most profitable item that they can sell. Subwoofers are profitable because they require an enclosure, an amplifier, RCA's, and an install. Every time for every vehicle. By focusing on subwoofers you will also be focusing on amplifiers and therefore have the opportunity to sell 5 and 6 channel amplifiers. And of coarse this lends it's self to speakers, custom work, and processors. I am not saying just sell bass. I am saying focus on whats not a dead end sale for your business, and what will make your customers happy.
All of this amounts to a great service to your customer because you will be able ,to deliver performance. Customers don't do this every day like you do so they are largely unaware that their primary goal is a great end result and often mistakenly think that it is a low price. We know all to well that this scenario will usually amount to a disappointing experience for all, but they don't. Second time customers on the other hand often spend much more on both equipment as well as labor because they have learned the value of not cutting corners. It defeats the purpose of investing in an audio system in the first place if you do. The whole idea is to upgrade. Right?
I chose to specialize in exotic and classic cars. That has worked well for me. Although I still deal with people that expect the moon for a dollar and think that I should be able to install it all in less than an hour. And funny enough that guy doesn't drive a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Porsche like the ones filling my bays. He drives a kia!
I am booked out for a week at a minimum and for 6 months out of the year closer to 3 weeks. I spend about third of my time dealing with people on the phone and in my shop that have misconceptions about price, time, and differences in quality. It's a waist of my time. Don't waist your time and money catering to people that think there is a free lunch at your place of business whether you have a store front or not.
Truth be told, I spend way to much time being nice and could have a lot less frustration and time if I was not so nice to people calling and walking into my store.
Be nice to your customers and push performance and enthusiasm. Price based decisions don't work out for you or your customer. Value however is an entirely different yet often confused topic.
offroadzj 
Gold - Posts: 2,043
Gold spaceThis member has made a donation to the12volt.com. Click here for more info.spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Mobile Security and Convenience. Click here for more info.spacespace
Joined: June 03, 2005
Location: New York, United States
Posted: March 24, 2013 at 9:01 PM / IP Logged  
I completely understand where you are coming from. The reason I asked was more for public opinion but also because I was out of the game for a few years and I know how much things can change in a short period of time. I had the feeling that the brands I am able to get currently are lower end but I wanted to make sure before I just brushed them off. I was also looking for opinions and 'reviews' on brands that I have no personal experience with. I prefer to know the products I am selling my customers to make sure they are happy with their purchase for a long time. I have easy access to the 'cheap' brand remote starters but I refuse to sell them even if they are so much cheaper because of their poor quality. I've just been away from the game for a while and wanted to be sure on what I was selling.
It looks like I will be primarily selling / installing Alpine; at least until I have a store front and can open up my options more. I have experience with Alpine and I have been generally impressed with their quality.
Kenny
Owner / Technician
KKD Garage LLC
Albany, NY 12205
Page of 3

Sorry, you can NOT post a reply.
This topic is closed.

  Printable version Printable version Post ReplyPost New Topic
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

  •  
Search the12volt.com
Follow the12volt.com Follow the12volt.com on Facebook
Friday, March 29, 2024 • Copyright © 1999-2024 the12volt.com, All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy & Use of Cookies
Disclaimer: *All information on this site ( the12volt.com ) is provided "as is" without any warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to fitness for a particular use. Any user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and use of this information. Please verify all wire colors and diagrams before applying any information.

Secured by Sectigo
the12volt.com spacer
the12volt.com spacer
the12volt.com spacer
Support the12volt.com
Top
the12volt.com spacer
the12volt.com spacer