Here, on the east coast at least, TWEETER, the leader in over priced electronics, has been running ads pimping thier "DIGITAL ARCHITECTS" and praising TWEETER AV installations as being the only correct way to go.

So, my question, to those of you who have heard these ads. What is your reaction:


A) "After hearing the merits of TWEETERs work I'm going to close up shop, sell everything, and live in a cave."

B) "I want to get a job with TWEETER! These guy really know ther stuff."

C) "Get out of my way, I gotta throw up."

Ha! LOL... You should add a 4th choice though. "D) 'Oh no... I gotta run out and hire more people to handle the jobs they mess up that we'll get called in on.'"

In my area a smaller chain has tried many times put themselves forward as the place to buy the box and arrange the perfect custom installation.... I swear they just keep getting me business when it's clear that they don't know what they are talking about right there in the store, let alone the customer's home!

I know only too well!
I once, just for the fun of it, asked one of their DIGITAL ARCHITECTS for an "S-Video distrubition box".

The ARCHITECT got that 'Bambi in the headlights' look and called his manager.

I repeated my request and the manager and the ARCHITECT left me on the showroom to "ask AUDIO guy" in the back.

I waited 15 minutes, they never came back.

You get what you paid for. Then you have to pay to do it right.

I'm all for the Tweeter adds. The more general awareness of the industry the better. Market penetration for WHole House A/V is still under 10%, Surround sound is around 35-40 now....

Thats a LOT of people that need A/V Gear. ANd the more advertising the better. Tweeter has a significant presence here in the CHicago area as well, and although their adds are goofy, they do help spread the word so to say.

If someone is intriqued by one of those adds, chances are they are going to stop by my shop as well.

They client who hears the add, then runs out to tweeter and buys something is not out client usually anyway... But their firends that see the system next time they are over are going to come see me because I dont hear a lot of positive reviews on after the sale or instore support.

What killed me was the CEPro Magazine top 100 dealers issue listing them on top with something like $800,000.00 generated PER CUSTOM INSTALL EMPLOYEE!!!!!!! for like a few hundred million dollars in revenue. S__T!!! I wish I could get $800,000.00 of revunue per employee... I'd bloody retire next year. Obviously someone's data is a little skewed somewhere.

Maybe the DirecTV jobbers have their acts together now, but I knew an installer who was quite amused that a good portion of his income came from charging $78/hour to fix free satellite installs. Could the tweeters be any better?

And, Impaqt, you are so right that general awareness is a good thing overall. I am reminded of girlfriend of mine who marvelled, in 1971, that you could actually run a business and make money selling hi-fi equipment. Her logic? "Doesn't everybody already have a record player?"

the tweeter stat is prob right, but they have fifteen salesmen per installer and they only install about 10% of what they sell. So '800k per installer' is an irrelevant but possibly true stat

We have a regional retailer "The Good Guys" (???!!!) who used to sell Advent speakers when they were a pretty good brand. We sold them at the same time and sold a ton, even though we were only 1-1/2 miles from them.

When they dropped Advent, our sales dropped as well. I think the awareness a large retailer adds for products benefit us all.

There is one smaller retailer in the south somewhere that had a store down the street from a big retailer. He let them drum up the interest, and he made lots of sales because, as we all know, the smaller guys have the expertise. When the large retailer opened a second store in his town, he started looking for a spot and found a place to rent very close by. He opened his second store and had built in advertising, again.

The big guys will always be there. They are enemies in some regards, a huge help in other ways. We have to make sure we do what we do best: Have the expertise, the quick response, and be ready to serve the client well.

800k per installer could be right- thats only 3,000 a day for material and labor - if they work every day.... and everything goes right.. and no call backs... and no warranty issues.... and someone is always home and you can finish on one trip ....... and, well you know the rest

I am all for the Tweeter ads. The awareness to our industry is needed. We have Circuit City and Tweeter in my area and between the two, we get some customers with some general info. Since either do installs here yet, we benefit. Plus some of the customers they get, we ,as custom installers, would not like to have. OFTB customers, you know the ones.. Some of my clients went to Tweeter first, and yes they do buy some gear there, but we always end up installing it. Tweeter does get some sweet deals on some gear, and they will do special pricing here and there. But if they are a serious customer, they only go there to look around and fact find. The serious customer needs you to come to their home and do an walk thru. Plus , who has the Moola that they spend on advertising in their budget?? So keep them coming Tweeter..

Im all for the tweeter ads, they do create more awareness about our industry.

Furthermore, alot of the AV shops I visit, and my rep friends tell me about, are complete snobs. Furthermore, Tweeter has much more knowledge about product the BB or CC. Moreover, every time I visit the forum someone is complaining about whoreing out product, but now people say customers are stupid to buy from Tweeter because they are too high?! C'mon guys, you can't have your cake and eat it too.