Guest Ornello Posted March 11, 2012 Share #21  Posted March 11, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) 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  Hard to know what to say here. In retail you get lots of 'lookers'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 11, 2012 Posted March 11, 2012 Hi Guest Ornello, Take a look here Arrogant dealer........ I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Messsucherkamera Posted March 11, 2012 Share #22 Â Posted March 11, 2012 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! Â It's not your fault you can't afford a Rolls Royce - the blame for that falls squarely on Herr Kaufmann and his merry band of extortionists in Solms! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted March 11, 2012 Share #23 Â Posted March 11, 2012 When my father was a young bank clerk, when a beat up old man walked into his bank, laving minor clogs of cow manure across the pristine marvel floor my dad would smile and think "Now, there is a client with money" He was invariable right. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rramesh Posted March 11, 2012 Share #24 Â Posted March 11, 2012 Arrogance is inexcusable for any shop keeper or manager. Â When I was ready to buy my M9-P I went to the Leica boutique. Issues were: Â No camera to hold and try. Only camera available was boxed and was only allowed to see but not touch. Very curt responses to questions. Generally put off. I still don't understand why Leica needs to open boutiques in expensive locations if all they have are posters, brochures and minimal inventory to show, try and sell. Â A week later went to a Leica authorized dealer. The manager spent a good 40 minutes with me, showing me all the features, comparing with other cameras and trying out various lenses (28, 35 cron, 50 cron and lux). He even walked me out of the store to take some pictures. He closed the deal and at a price lower than what I would have spent in the Leica store. He now not only got the camera deal but possible all lenses that I may buy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeicaPassion Posted March 11, 2012 Share #25 Â Posted March 11, 2012 This thread is terrific. Leica should read it. I can't help but wonder how many potential sales have been lost due to salespersons looking down their noses at lowly customers. Just after I finished grad school decades ago, I bought my first Leica not from the first store that dismissed me (age, jeans?) but from the second store that quickly put an SL2 in my hands and hooked me for life. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecaton Posted March 11, 2012 Share #26 Â Posted March 11, 2012 Next time, let an arrogant sales clerk understand that your Leica inventory is bigger than theirs, the only language such characters get;). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiver Posted March 11, 2012 Share #27 Â Posted March 11, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) In Melbourne there are no Leica boutique stores, unless you count the newly opened section of Michaels Cameras in Elizabeth Street. There are, however, a number of very good authorized Leica dealers. None of them have ever been anything but friendly and helpful when it came to looking at gear or trying it out. Steve Mills at Teds in Elizabeth Street, Alan and Venus at Camera Lane, Paul and John at Camera Exchange which has now moved to Box Hill, and Ross(?) at Vanbar are all great. Â Tangent: when I was at Camera Exchange in Box Hill a couple of days ago, there was a brand new 50mm Summilux in the cabinet. Retail price, not some hyped up through the nose figure, either. I'm surprised that no one has snapped it up yet. Meanwhile I'm counting my pennies and putting that little dream on hold for a while. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlaw Posted March 11, 2012 Share #28  Posted March 11, 2012 In Melbourne there are no Leica boutique stores, unless you count the newly opened section of Michaels Cameras in Elizabeth Street. There are, however, a number of very good authorized Leica dealers. None of them have ever been anything but friendly and helpful when it came to looking at gear or trying it out. Steve Mills at Teds in Elizabeth Street, Alan and Venus at Camera Lane, Paul and John at Camera Exchange which has now moved to Box Hill, and Ross(?) at Vanbar are all great. Tangent: when I was at Camera Exchange in Box Hill a couple of days ago, there was a brand new 50mm Summilux in the cabinet. Retail price, not some hyped up through the nose figure, either. I'm surprised that no one has snapped it up yet. Meanwhile I'm counting my pennies and putting that little dream on hold for a while.  yes, I agree, I bought my 24mmf3.8 at Michaels Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted March 11, 2012 Share #29 Â Posted March 11, 2012 I had a patient who was a luxury car dealer who told me that when someone came into the showroom the salesmen would look at the shoes as the sign as to whether they could afford the car. Â However, he said that was in the past and sales staff make assumptions about the spending power of potential purchasers by their appearance at their peril and profit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted March 11, 2012 Share #30  Posted March 11, 2012 That is a real shame.  My experience of Leica Mayfair has been fantastic, smiles when you walk in excellent advice, I had my 21mm looked at for an opinion on some small marks on the front glass. I took an 18mm for a stroll with my M8 and a demo M9. I tried a Noctlilux in full knowledge it may never be justified to be on my buy list.  I had a one day Leica M9 experience and look forward to a Lightroom course with them and Brett.  I think the guy in the shop needs a chat with his manager to understand customer care. The Rolls Royce point is a solid good one. I sat in a Porsche way back when and eventually I bought one :-) ( now driving a diesel unfortunatley ) and just loved the day I picked up my 964 C2RS in Germany, I'll never forget that day  Buying a Leica should be a wonderful experience its a privalidge to own one IMO Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Black Posted March 11, 2012 Share #31  Posted March 11, 2012 diferent persepective...   When i was in college, i worked in a shop, graphic design fancy shop...  Most of the customers were artists,business men, students...  There was one man, who use to go there, working class clothes,dirty (from working) with this kind of clothes that harbour labours use(do not know enlgish word)  He had this kind of look from a Fellini movie...  He talked loud, and in the midday hours he did smell a bit of wine and sweat,i imagine after hard working and a good lunch  Most of my colleagues gave him the look, i did not...  in my education at home, i was teached never to judge, im glad i learned it good...  I always took good care of him, with respect and helped him a lot with advice...  We become sort of friends,client-worker friendship but we did become friends...  It happens to be that he was a very rich men, self made men, who kept on working for his pleasure...  He was easy the one who spend more money at the shop, and he often treat me with football tickets,good tips and the most important with a deep mutual respect... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted March 11, 2012 Share #32 Â Posted March 11, 2012 Frank, a very moving and revealing story. Thank you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted March 11, 2012 Share #33 Â Posted March 11, 2012 I sat in a Porsche way back when and eventually I bought one :-) Â As a 13-year-old schoolboy, not scruffy but definitely not smart, I walked into E. Leitz's London basement in Mortimer Street and asked if I could see the then newly-introduced Leicaflex. They took one out of the display case and let me play with it. I can still remember the feel of the wind lever and shutter release. Â Fifteen years later I bought one - used. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
selavylisbon Posted March 11, 2012 Share #34 Â Posted March 11, 2012 Same experience with Leica Shop in Paris. I wanted to buy there my Leica M9-P during my last Cristhmas holidays, but the salesman was a young arrogant guy who look at me and wasn't very polite. I came back to my home town (Lisbon), waited a month and got my M9-P from my local dealer. Much better option! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulja Posted March 11, 2012 Share #35 Â Posted March 11, 2012 i understand the feeling ... myself (italian and the joe pesci sounding) usually gets the help hiding ,,i remember about 20 yrs ago while in PURDEYS of london (a bespoke gunshop) ,a tuesday afternoon i couldnt get anyone to look at me let alone handle a rifle......yet at RIGBYS,WESTLEYS or HOLLANDS where the managers both knew me as a serious buyer/collector from the states i was treated in a much different manner , in fact H and H,s daryl greatorex gave me the grand tour....... needless to say i dont own a purdey rifle...paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightwrangler Posted March 11, 2012 Share #36  Posted March 11, 2012 So to sum it up: You all need a sales-person to bolster up you self assurance? Come on…  Everybody has a bad day, maybe salespeople in up-market shops more then others. They are surrounded all day by stuff they can't afford themselves. But if i want something in a shop i usually know how to get it.  Complaining about bad-mannered shop runners would only make my life more miserable  Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted March 11, 2012 Share #37 Â Posted March 11, 2012 Last Sunday around noon my wife and I walked into the Leica Store in Shanghai on Nanjing Rd. West. This is a factory owned store, only around 25 sq. meters. There was a guard who opened the door for us, but nobody else in the store (customers or employees). After looking at lenses in the case for 10 minutes I asked the guard if any sales people were working who could answer my questions. He told me that all the lenses were sold and that the samples in the case were for viewing only. When I asked about the Noctilux he said the $14,000 USD price was after Chinese import tax and that they had only received one in the last year. He then went back to looking out the front door. Â As we were preparing to leave I walked to the sales counter in the back to try to find a manager's card, thinking that I might pass along my experience to Solms, however all that was available was just a generic store card. At this point a salesman (manager perhaps?) appeared from the back room, putting on his suit jacket as we were leaving. He said nothing to either one of us as we departed. Â I didn't expect to walk in and find a treasure trove of M mount lenses, but I also didn't expect to be ignored. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulus Posted March 11, 2012 Share #38  Posted March 11, 2012 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.  You are right IMO. The Leica dealers in Holland are very nice. When I planned to buy a M8 . The salesman in Delft gave me the camera, I put on my own lens and went for a walk in the town. I must say, I left my MP there as a security. After half an hour, I met him I the big Church in Delft and he politely asked me how it was. He never said anything about the fact that I was walking with a uninsured M8 of € 4000,- in the middle of the city at his expense. This is a real Leica dealer!!  Only once in Amsterdam in the Kalverstraat, I wanted to try a apo telyt 135mm. The boy who helped me was very rude and declared I couldn't try the lens on my M6 titan. I walked away and never set foot in the store again. There are plenty of nice dealers!  Now he's no dealer anymore and has to beg on the internet to buy secondhand lenses, which he sells at America tourists. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulus Posted March 11, 2012 Share #39  Posted March 11, 2012 I had a patient who was a luxury car dealer who told me that when someone came into the showroom the salesmen would look at the shoes as the sign as to whether they could afford the car.  However, he said that was in the past and sales staff make assumptions about the spending power of potential purchasers by their appearance at their peril and profit.   Years ago I had to have a new bank account. I went to the bank and asked for a new account. The clerk asked me if I would put my salary on it. I said no. Only that I would put money on it on non predictable occasions but not monthly.  Then he said he would not give me a bank account.  I asked for the manager. He explained that it wasn't done because there would be no regular income on the account.  I asked him: " How do you no if I put € 100,- or €100.000,- per occasion on the account? " He said he didn't . He appologised for his thinking and gave me an account with three zero's at the end.  I got the account but never set foot in that bank again and never put any money in the account! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpalme Posted March 11, 2012 Share #40 Â Posted March 11, 2012 How do these stores pay the rent? A lot of money in Dallas but no Leica store. Doesn't really matter to me because I know it will just be an empty store anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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