As someone who spends a lot of time in record shops (and who therefore tends to avoid them on RSD) I often hear people extolling the virtues of ‘knowledgeable’ staff at stores. Now, I usually go into a record shop for two reasons- I either know exactly what I want or I haven’t a clue and am quite prepared to browse. The last thing I need is ‘advice’ from someone behind the counter whose musical tastes might be completely different to mind and who might only be interested in showing me how ‘knowledgeable’ they are.
Also, if ever I do have to ask something of them (a release date or something, or a minor discography query) the first thing they do is search the internet. I can do that at home. And if they haven’t got the title I’m looking for they kindly offer to order it for me But, again, I can do that from the comfort of my sofa. I don’t expect a record shop to have everything I want and part of the joy is being disappointed. The offer to ‘order it in’ is kind and well-intentioned but it’s not what I go to record shops for. It’s not part of the experience.
The only time I can remember a member of staff at a record shop being useful was during a trip to San Francisco last year. I was in Amoeba (and it’s really huge) and I couldn’t find the Jazz section. I asked an employee and he politely pointed me the way. But, thankfully, he didn’t recommend some early Charlie Parker as he did so.
So, staff at record shops. Take my money, put the record in a bag. Show me the Jazz section if I need it and don’t say ‘we can order it for you’. Do that and we’ll get along just fine.
Oh, and one final point. Staff at Sister Ray in Berwick Street. Don’t sneer at Little G when she goes up to counter and asks for a Dolly Parton CD for her gran. I know you did it. She told me…
Tiggerlion says
“Part of the joy is being disappointed”
Afterword T-shirt right there.
Leedsboy says
Not a record shop but yesterday I was buying my 7 year old some football boots (Puma, black leather since you ask – he will be old school) at Sports Direct. I have very little expectations in Sports Direct but the following exchange was still impressive:
1st assistant – “Is there a squash racquet expert in the shop?”
2nd Assistant – “I don’t know. Why?”
1st Assistant – “This man wants a squash racquet. And I don’t know what they look like”
2nd Assistant – “Oh. I don’t either”
Martin Hairnet says
Priceless. I would have left the boots and gone elsewhere. I mean knowledge: it’s so 20th century.
deramdaze says
Cheers Eddie, you’ve saved me the trouble of being sniffy about RSD next week!
In Berwick Street in that there London I find that the staff are knowledgeable, or at least I presume they are, but mainly about things they know – punk, indie landfill post-1982, what would the NME have liked in 1994, Nirvana (not the Island duo), does it have Joe Strummer on it?
However, my port of call is always rock ‘n’ roll and the 60s, and I’ve found them not to be too hot on those areas, especially rock ‘n’ roll.
Many of my purchases (now CD, in the past LP) have been made because of what I presume has been a lack of knowledge and subsequent under-charging by the record shop.
And many of the things they do charge for, the CDs in the cabinets for example, aren’t particularly rare or desirable.
A recent example was the Bowie ‘Early On’ CD – anything from £25 to £110 on Amazon – £8.
Another – The Pink Floyd ‘Early Singles’ currently £50 on Amazon – £9.
Someone must have priced them up, although the guy at the counter did look twice when I handed the Floyd one to him.
I’d have paid £30, maybe £40, for that CD, it’s got the two ’68 singles on it.
Baron Harkonnen says
I have a promo EP of the Floyd singles – is it worth that much!?
deramdaze says
£50-£60 on Amazon at the moment.
I presumed mine was the one that came in that expensive box from about 25 years ago.
However, all the other digipack CDs from presumably some kind of box were also on the shelf and one was a ‘Piper’ and I’m not sure that was included originally.
Bootleg? Official? Import?
Either way, I finally have those 2 ’68 singles. Why on earth aren’t they easily available?
It’s like not being able to get ‘Lady Madonna’ and ‘Hey Jude’ or ‘Wonderboy’ and ‘Days’.
ip33 says
I do know what you mean but I will put in a word for the lovely people at Resident in Brighton. Always interested with what you have chosen and never less than helpful. And a super selection of stuff with a great website.
And don’t worry about Sister Ray they sneer at everyone. We were in London yesterday and I did both Rough Trades and they are a million times better than the tossers at Sister Ray. Plus we had great Pie & Mash at Chapel Market!
davebigpicture says
I like Resident and always try to buy something if I’m in Brighton but who writes their “descriptive” cards on the racks? Just nonsense!
ip33 says
I think that those cards are mainly press releases but some are written by staff but that is the same for most shops.
Tiggerlion says
If not press releases, they are filched from the Internet. I discovered this when I was impressed with the card describing Deadbeat & Paul St. Hilaire’s The Infinity Dub Sessions. It persuaded me to buy it unheard and it is a cracking album. Later, I found that exact description on the Internet.
davebigpicture says
I find Resident’s incomprehensible. They could do with simplifying them to Sounds Like or If You Like……… Try This.
Kid Dynamite says
I reckon they are all recycled press releases. I get weekly emails from Resident and Piccadilly in Manchester, and they both describe their new releases in similar terms. There’s definitely a common source there, very probably promo material from the label.
The Good Doctor says
Piccadilly usually list the name of the staff member who wrote the recommendation otherwise it’s lifted from a press release. Norman Records list is worth signing up to, they tend to write their own stuff and it’s often hilarious
Zanti Misfit says
I’ve always found the staff in Sister Ray quite friendly on the whole. We are talking about the old Selectadisc staff here?
No, if you want a misery guts, the old hippy bloke at Notting Hill Gate Record And Tape Exchange (if he’s still there) wins hands down.
deramdaze says
I’m not too far from the East London Rough Trade, I’ll give it a go.
I had a fantastic pie & mash in Greenwich last week and given its location it was really cheap.
eddie g says
I’ve just remembered another instance where record shop staff can be useful. In Paris earlier this year I stumbled across an enormous second-hand vinyl shop which was about to close in five minutes. I didn’t have time to browse so I quickly asked ‘Have you got any Turtles records- preferably in mono’. He did, he showed me and I bought one. It’s basically staff who know their stock and where it is that I admire. The recommendations I can well do without thank you.
johnw says
Times have changed. When I was a student in the late 70’s and therefore in the local record shop about twice a week with my friends, we got to know the staff and they got to know what we liked which meant they were far more likely to take a single from a rep hoping they could convince a regular to buy it – I even got a few freebies that way. It’s not like that these days is it?
It’s not just in record shops that staff may have a problem. I was recently reading an article about shopping in the US and they’re finding that customers (especially in department stores) are more knowledgeable about the items on sale than the sales assistants which is making it very hard for them to upsell and get the customer to buy associated items. The assistant is apparently wanting to give the customer “good service” but they’re finding that for many customers, that means showing them where the item they have already identified is on the shelves and only that.
Carl says
As JohnW points out there was a time when you could get to know staff and they could recommend stuff to you.
The late Steve Burgess (one time editor of Dark Star magazine) was one such guy. He ran record shops in Crouch End (Midnight Music > English Weather > Terrapin Trucking) in the 80s and into the 90s and he got to know his regulars well.
He recommend stuff and he would be so delighted when I (or anyone else) agreed that eg “Yes, Hunters & Collectors is brilliant and I’ll have a copy” or the hurt puppy dog eyes when you smiled and said “It’s OK, but I’ll have another listen another time…”
Or knowledgeable and accommodating as was Tim, the manager from the original Virgin in Corporation St in Birmingham in the 70s, with whom we had a bit of dialogue at the old place. Splendid chap.
Junglejim says
I’d put in a good word for the folk in my local proper record shop Spillers in Cardiff. I’m not super chummy with them & often think to myself ‘ what is this dirge they’re playing?’ as I wander in, but they know their stuff & show real passion for music.
Similarly, Sounds Of The Universe in Broadwick St is always enjoyable on my increasingly infrequent visits back to that London.
As for snotty attitudes from the other side of the counter, surely it cuts no ice these days? I’ve been buying music since before most of their parents were born as I’m sure have many of the Massive, so any would be Jack Black/ Hi Fidelity behaviour would get v short shrift these days.
eddie g says
Yeah, Spillers is ok but it’s not what it used to be in terms of stock. They used to have loads of country, folk and jazz. Now it’s nearly all indie landfill, alt or local so I very rarely go there these days.
Kid Dynamite says
I hate Spillers, as I vented in the old place. Their practice of displaying bad photocopies of album sleeves instead of stock is visually unappealing which doesn’t help to buy anything, but worse than that makes me feel that they consider anyone who walks through the door to be a potential thief, including me. Sorry, but you’re not having my money after that.
(DISCLAIMER: this was Spillers’ practice when I lived in Cardiff about ten years ago. It may have changed since they moved location)
thecheshirecat says
The purpose of the Record Shop Assistant is to make you feel sufficiently cool and therefore welcome to share their space. Asking ‘Do you want that on vinyl?’ even when you don’t, fills that role admirably. Thankyou Piccadilly Records.
Douglas says
I know what you mean Eddie, but …
If I am coming to a band or type of music with no prior knowledge, then I could:
(a) just try out various examples willy-nilly – fine in theory but very time-consuming in practice for popssibly no gain
(b) go with Spotify/iTunes/Tax-Dodgers “other people who bought X also bought Y” stuff, which gets into a bit of a feedback loop
(c) read the music press – be serious, I’ve been misled by them so much over the years I’m not oging back there, or
(d) ask someone knowledgeable at a record shop. Done that a few times and not been disappointed. If they’ve got a decent enough catalogue in stock then there’s no incentive to sell me X rather than Y, and you can tell the knowledge and enthusiasm in their voice.
Let’s face it, we all get delighted if anyone ever asks us to make some music recommendations, and I think that’s the same for (knowledgeable) shop staff too.
The Good Doctor says
I’ve never been one to ask for advice in a record shop, I like to browse or I already know what I want. I do pay attention to their recommendations or the website, most record stores have a display of recommended releases anyway.
Sometimes the counter staff will commend me on my choice or recommend something else to try so that’s nice….this even happens in HMV sometimes not just cool indie shops.
A mate of mine just makes a beeline for the counter and asks them to recommend stuff, Piccadilly are happy to oblige. He tried that in Probe in Liverpool recently and got short shrift…Probe are super old school, their website hasn’t been updated for 5 years either and they were never renowned for being particular ahem…customer focused. It really depends on the shop.
Baron Harkonnen says
Probe Records is a pale shadow of what it once was, trouble is the shop is small therefore the stock/range is small. I agree with the guys behind the counter, they don`t seem interested at all. I rarely go in there these days.
ernietothecentreoftheearth says
Anyone under the age of, I dunno, twenty in half of the country will be asking “what’s a record shop ?”
Douglas says
“… and who are these Beatles?”
retropath2 says
I’d love to be the git who sneers at the shite choices of the punters, playing my faves day in and out. applied once for a holiday job, aged 16, in Lewes, but the shop wouldn’t have me, so I sold veg instead.
Sniffity says
Did you recommend bananas to anybody looking for some reasonable, slightly exotic, but not too middle-of-the-road fruit?
timtunes says
If it looks like the person knows their stuff – typically the owner – I like asking for recommendations. You can always ignore them and it’s good to see what they enthuse about.