Arrogant dealer.......

[JackLu123]

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I just filed my business tax at my CPA office located at NYC, next to the office is a Leica dealership...... I figure after the CPA visit I will stop by the store, and introduce my wife to Leica, she hates BH....... She said it's toy store for me (I agree). We were standing at Leica section for good 10 minutes no one stoped by, it was 2 pm Tuesday, the store was virtually empty. Someone finally stopped by, I asked to see the Leica m9. The sales person said its a hand made German cmera that is $7000. He never took the Leica out of the shelf...... My wife and I looked at each other and walked out. She knew it was about 7k, she was impressed by how it looked at the shelf...... But she was not impressed by the sales reason. That night she got a Santos 100 from Cartier boutique at 5th ave after trying it on, it was double the Leica M9.

Maybe to BH next time

[steveclem]

You should have gone back and showed the sales assistant your new purchase, then walked out again. Your money, your choice.

[arminw]

There seems to be a certain amount of arrogance amongst some Leica dealers . I found that especially in the actual Leica stores. I was after a Leica S2 lense and found it in Germany Berlin. I wasn't dressed to impress and after entering the store I was screened by the shop person in a rather snobbish manner . I told him what I was after and instead of getting his ass off the chair and showing me the lense he looked at me and said its one of leicas top lense ranges and very expensive. I said yes can I see it please .... He went up slowly and opened the cupboard took it out and showed me the box . I really can't believe the service and after I convinced him about how serious I am and want to purchase the lense paying cash he changed his attitude . To be honest normally I would walk out of shops like that and think my part .... How very rude !

[RobertJRB]

Feel sorry for the salesman, probably can't even afford one himself. And with this attitude they will never do

 

I never had any like this in Holland or Germany. All leica shops here let me try the lens, are polite and are happy to help me. Also when I before tell I don't intend to buy something.

Most of the time I even stay longer to have a chat.

 

When I was in NY I visited 2 leica dealers because I was looking for a 24 finder. B+H and one on 5th. Both did not let me try the viewfinder, or even wanted to take it out of the shelf. I even had my camera hanging on my shoulder so should be obvious I was serious about buying.

Maybe they sell enough to throw away clients, but can't imagine this.

[steveclem]

I've no tie-ins but when I strolled into Red Dot with a query about selling my R system, the proprietor (Ivan?, Scots bloke) was most helpful.We talked about digital, of which I was a newbie to, he pulled an X1 and D2 off the shelves, showed me pictures, and generally acted in a very courteous and friendly manner.

I have my eye on a lens he has and I intend to buy it from there. Had he shown the same disdain for somebody 'just browsing' he'd not see my trade.Ever.

[DES]

Feel sorry for the salesman, probably can't even afford one himself. And with this attitude they will never do

 

I never had any like this in Holland or Germany. All leica shops here let me try the lens, are polite and are happy to help me. Also when I before tell I don't intend to buy something.

Most of the time I even stay longer to have a chat.

 

When I was in NY I visited 2 leica dealers because I was looking for a 24 finder. B+H and one on 5th. Both did not let me try the viewfinder, or even wanted to take it out of the shelf. I even had my camera hanging on my shoulder so should be obvious I was serious about buying.

Maybe they sell enough to throw away clients, but can't imagine this.

 

I am a jeweller and the jewellery business is notorious for looking down their noses at customers and to be fair, I have seen it happen hundreds of times through the years. Some pompas twit would look at a customer, and weigh up their perceived spending power by the way the customer looks, walks and talks.

Funny thing is, I have never seen the owner of any jewellers adopt this behaviour, and fortunately this is becoming a thing of the past, as jewellers are now very aware that their business is a luxury business, and people can live quite happily without it. I think that those Leica dealerships may well find the same.

[henby]

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A while back I was in London and went to Watches of Switzerland with my wife as she was after her first manual watch. Whilst there I asked to see a watch that I'd been considering buying and being in my normal 'scruffy' stuff (jeans, t-shirt and Vans skate trainers) I could see he really didn't want me to touch it and I was taking up his valuable time.

 

Anyway, we had arrived there quite late and they were starting to pack up the watches, taking them out of the display cabinets. One sales lady was literally taking these watches worth tens of thousands and throwing them in to their boxes on the floor. Hardly customer service for the people who are going to be buying them.

 

We left there and I'd never part money with them, the whole place felt smarmy. A real shame for the actual horologists who have the skill and knowledge to build these timepieces.

[vanhulsenbeek]

There seems to be a certain amount of arrogance amongst some Leica dealers !

 

Singapore Leica Boutique in the Raffles Gallery. Arrogance: yes.

But after I showed my M9 plus WATE, and asked for a new cap, for the shade of the WATE, after telling them that my request

could be challenging their inventory: arrogance vanished like a puff of smoke out of Mount Semeru, East Java.

No cap, figures!

 

Back home, my long-time dealer in Amsterdam had three of those caps

 

To get the idea:

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[earleygallery]

I remember once as a kid, walking past a Rolls-Royce dealer with my Dad. I was fascinated by cars, and stopped to look at the through the showroom window, hands and nose pressed up against the glass.

 

The salesman (I'm sure RR use a less vulgar term for them!) came out to talk to us. He took me inside, opened the drivers door and told me to get inside and have a good look around, after a while he came back and gave me a bundle of brochures and welcomed me back when I was ready to buy one!

 

Funny how one remembers things like that.

[rscheffler]

There seems to be a certain amount of arrogance amongst some Leica dealers . I found that especially in the actual Leica stores. I was after a Leica S2 lense and found it in Germany Berlin. I wasn't dressed to impress and after entering the store I was screened by the shop person in a rather snobbish manner . I told him what I was after and instead of getting his ass off the chair and showing me the lense he looked at me and said its one of leicas top lense ranges and very expensive. I said yes can I see it please .... He went up slowly and opened the cupboard took it out and showed me the box . I really can't believe the service and after I convinced him about how serious I am and want to purchase the lense paying cash he changed his attitude . To be honest normally I would walk out of shops like that and think my part .... How very rude !

 

If you have the chance, you should try the Munich Leica Store. The staff there have been very friendly in my dealings with them, and many also speak English. They've shipped equipment to Leica for me, and have let me spend as much time as I liked trying out various lenses outside the store. When the hood assembly of my 50 Lux ASPH fell off because the single screw holding it came loose, they spent the time sorting through their tin of screws to find and install a suitable replacement. Sure, it's not a high-tech task to do this, but it was nice to have such friendly service.

 

I was initially somewhat apprehensive about the service I would get there because the store is located in a high-end shopping area - obviously to attract high end window shoppers. I also don't dress to impress, but gladly was never served in a condescending manner, having dealt with at least four different staff on various occasions.

 

Not sure if it makes a difference - the Munich store appears to be a company store, whereas the Berlin store appears to be operated by a retailer, not directly by the company.

 

That said, I think I can understand why some retailers are reluctant to let one try out new-on-the-shelf Leica equipment... Because inevitably the eventual buyer will probably demand a never before opened box with pristine, untouched contents. Having worked in retail, this certainly also applied to any other higher end equipment, but unfortunately is likely more extreme for Leica products. And again, having worked in retail, it is unfortunately very easy to judge a potential customer within the first 5 seconds of seeing them, which is likely one of the reasons online shopping is so popular (among other obvious reasons).

[bocaburger]

You should have gone back and showed the sales assistant your new purchase, then walked out again.

 

Yeah, I was thinking he could've had more vindication flaunting that $14000 Cartier in the Leica dealer instead of just here, but maybe it's this economy has made me overly sensitive.

[AlanJW]

This is why I like dealing with a local shop that knows me. I give them a good deal of business and whenever I have a question or want to see something they know it is for real. It doesn;t matter how I dress. I come there after working out at the gym, my hair all a mess and in jeans and a polo. Where is it written that you have to wear jacket and tie to buy a Leica?

 

I am reminded of my first "serious" car purchase, a Mercedes. We were in a resort area and it was a rainy day and I thought it would be a good diversion, so I took my then 14 year old son with me. We were both in jeans and T-shirts and not looking very prosperous at all. We came in, I asked the salesman if I could test drive the car I was interested in, and he said yes, of course, handed me the keys and said come back in 15 minutes, not accompanying us. We had a nice test drive on local roads, came back and struck a deal. That dealership then had my business for 20 years.

[jneilt]

Where is it written that you have to wear jacket and tie to buy a Leica?

 

You must dress in your best to place your mere mortal hands on any Leica! Smart glasses as well.

 

I once had a salesperson (young) wipe my paw prints off the lens, box and instructions of a 21/3.4 religiously for about 5 minutes. When he was done I asked him to check me out, but to get his prints off the outside of the box first.

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[andybarton]

It's a bit like going into Harvey Nicholls.

 

First you need to go to Marks & Spencer and buy a suit. Wearing that, you need to go to John Lewis and buy a suit. Only then, wearing that, will the snotty oik on the door of HN allow you in, without looking down his nose at you.

 

Then you can buy the suit you wanted in the first place.

 

Alternatively, you could just be happy with an M&S suit and save your money. Like me.

[kokoshawnuff]

I'm young for any luxury brand (at least according to the attitudes of salespeople in the stores before I make a purchase), so no matter how I dress I don't get treated too well. I assume if I were to walk into a Leica boutique with a camera and expensive modern lens around my neck the treatment I'd receive would be different then if I walked in with nothing...

[steveclem]

This may be out of order but how about the forum get a ruffian club together, go to various Leica dealers and shove the assistant about a bit before spending thousands using notes we've pulled out of our socks and underpants?

I'm involved in a social event right now so will watch my posts, it's good to get away from the splurge occasionally.

[nikau]

I remember once as a kid, walking past a Rolls-Royce dealer with my Dad. I was fascinated by cars, and stopped to look at the through the showroom window, hands and nose pressed up against the glass.

 

The salesman (I'm sure RR use a less vulgar term for them!) came out to talk to us. He took me inside, opened the drivers door and told me to get inside and have a good look around, after a while he came back and gave me a bundle of brochures and welcomed me back when I was ready to buy one!

 

Funny how one remembers things like that.

 

So which Rolls-Royce did you grow up and buy?

[earleygallery]

So which Rolls-Royce did you grow up and buy?

 

Sadly although I'm now 'grown up' I still can't afford one, but if I could I'd definately go back there to buy it!

[JackLu123]

Cartier boutique wasn't that nice.... but they have no problem let my wife try on the watch.

I just had a shirt on with jeans.

 

Maybe Leica should have some kind of survey to rate the dealers. My BMW dealership always call after a visit, make sure I rate them high......

 

I thought Leica are very popular in Asian countries, they should know many Asians dress down. One of my HS friend his father owns a large oil factory in China, he went to a Porsche dealership asking to test drive, and he was turn down. Next day, he went back and asked another agent to test drive a Porsche, and paid cash on the spot.

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[darylgo]

The number of camera stores left in my area is almost zero, some may no longer be there because of what the OP says. The Leica dealer presented a real challenge, for several visits he would barely acknowledge my standing at the counter. It took a while but he now knows my name and greets me like an old friend.