I'm not a Bose dealer. I installed a basic keypad system (Nexus Audio) for a client. They THINK that they should get a Bose lifestyle 48 system with the remote control that displays artist, title etc... and not use the Nexus Audio system.

This started because we had a 5 disc HK CD player go on the fritz... which created a "quality concern" with the client... (understandable, but easy to replace the CD player) ....AND the customer happened to walk into a Bose store around the same time and get the slickness from a sales dude.

I'd be happy to pull the Nexus audio system out and refund it... and even recommend a company to install the Bose (I won't touch it)... but I have other, better options (Escient, RTI etc) that I would prefer to use. I'm looking for thoughtful AMMUNITION against the BOSE. Operational issues, reliability, etc. No mindless bashing please...

Can be expanded to 14 rooms, but with only 2 sources.

You could do a Nevo and an Escient and give them bigger storage, better sound, and display the actual coverart and current song on the COLOR touchscreen.

That should be easy enough to do right there.

Or you could do the RTI, you would just have to add the albums, and do all the legwork yourself.

Either way, I see your options as being pretty open there. Explain the basics, speaker size limitations, propietary, etc.....

Either way, Escient and RTI or Nevo give you a solid base to work off of. Not only will they get the song info, they will get the coverart in all its raging glory.

Sounds like you never properly qualified your client and never built any level of respect for your abilities. If you had they would'nt be taking the word of "a sales dude" over you. And if they were interested in a music server, why did the "sales dude " figure this out and you did'nt?
Not trying to be overly harsh, but we get jobs by selling ourselves and our abilities.

Hang on; the "sales dude" is just that; nothing but a selling machine. fluid-druid; I imagine you are quite pissed off by this. I had the same thing happen to me and it matters not a jot what you say or do, some people cannot help themselves.
It really is frustrating, you may need to let him go. Perhaps say you tried to offer him the best advice you could, but it's his decision and wish him well with the bose installer.

'WHY do you want to buy bose when I can sell you what you need with even better features and sound, and probably for less?'

Like Carl says, tell 'em like it is. Poor sound quality, no way to integrate(some people don't even know about whaat you do there), hard to add to once your 'in'.
Also, the boom module is of very poor quality and voices are clearly heard from it. Even after the auto calibration disc thing. The disc tray has to be the flakiest you'll see, and does not befit a 4k system, may be a $40 DVD player. No way to upgrade later to HD-DVD or bluray without replacing the whole shebang. Awkward to control in a system. Rigged demo's. That's enough now.

I see they are now doing tiny in-wall speakers. That was a little sales downer I used to use, saying those cubes are unsightly compared to in-walls.

The one I had to install (never again) was a 48 and I had nothing but trouble with the amp coding and handset 'seeing' the htib unit (that's what it is). Had to do a software update that the shop only found out about after the client had words about it all. Disc in the box that the instructions had no reference to.

Nightmare! And never again. No way. Made look like a fool. And I wouldn't recommend anyone to install. He's on his own if your advice is not good enough.

dpva59; just how do you build a level of respect for your abilities? Admitedly a lot of my clients will and do trust me to know my eggs, but how do you bring around the doubters? You make it sound a little too easy.

I genuinely would like a few selling tips, it's tough out there. Especially against slick 'sales dudes'.

I won't get defensive here for one simple reason: This wasn't my client to begin with. One of my partners put the system together originally. The customer did not want any surround sound options at that time, although we did prewire for it, etc... Basically, they didn't know what they wanted until they saw "it" demoed by the Bose store.

If it was me, I would have shown the Escient/Denon/RTI/Nexus combo that I use in 99% of installs in this type of application. And, now that is what I'm going to do.

BTW: I've talked to the client, and they are interested in seeing what we offer. So, I know that I'm going to "win" in the end. The client said, "I've just never heard anything better than the Bose, and it does some cool things"... Obviously it will be very easy to show a better sounding system, and once I show what I can do (for a little more than their original budget)... they'll be hooked.

Thanks for the input guys, especially stereoguy. The "I tried it and here's what went wrong" examples you gave are awesome (in a disturbing way) Thanks.

As for sales tips, The lesson learned here is: Show all the possibilities and give the customer the chance to say "YES"... instead of showing the "affordable" option and assuming the customer can't afford better.

OUCH!

I would not exactly call a Bose LS48 "affordable". At $4,000, Those bean counters at Bose are pretty proud of thier HTIB systems!

I was refering to the fact that MY partner didn't show the client everything that WE offer...

I'm not bashing the Bose. Personally, I think the concept is good... and I would expect many people to think the 4K price tag is attractive for what it supposedly offers in cool features...

I just would't install it or recommend it based on my personally opinion of the system, and the opinions of people (many of them here on this forum) for whom I have respect and trust.

Our company is 50 years old... but in the last 8 years or so we have gone from being a 'Ma and Pa' retail/service company to one of the top custom retail/installation companies in our area. Sometimes our staff members (ie my partner in this example) forget that most of our clientele are new customers coming to us for the full custom solution (ie: show all the options available) based on our strong reputation/referrals... and not "old" customers coming to us for our "good-guy" pricing and VCR repairs.

Even our old customers, who used to buy 27" CRTs and VCRs, are now "all grown up" and doing full plasma media rooms and multi-room distributed audio/video with control... as I'm sure is the case for most everyone here.

We should all take a lesson from the fact that a company can build really cheap and shitty systems yet demo them in such a way that people are blown away by them.

I've heard similar comments many times.

Oh My God!!!

I do not have as much experience in installation and products as some of you. But I do have a lot of experience in sales and marketing, and I am offended by this. I am not sure what part of the country (world) you are from, but you must not have a Bose outlet store nearby. If you have never been in one, it is time to go visit one. Those "sales dudes" are trained like used car salesmen, and are very slick. I would not say they are knowledgable, but they now how to sell the Bose line.

I don't think he picked up on the customer wanting the music server, the customer picked up on it having the ability to be a music server. The stores are laid out in such a way to make the speakers sound incredible. But once you get them in a real world environment they don't. It is very difficult to convice a customer of that, short of buying one in putting it on display.

I had a very good friend (known him for 20+) of mine finish his basement. He was planning on doing a media room with projector & the whole nine yards. I had everything spec'd out, H/K receiver & DVD player, JBL speakers, etc. At the time I did not have a showroom. Well he went into one of these Bose stores, and ended up walking out with one of the LifeStyle systems. I helped him set it up, and it sounded terrible. The bass was almost non existent, the speakers were very "tinny," and it was not very loud. He will not admit defeat. I now use his place to show clients what NOT to do.

Fluid-Druid,
Sorry for my rant yesterday. I was having a pretty rotten day and didnt realize how bad I sounded until rereading it today.
Youre second post cleared things up.
Again, sorry and thanks for being more civil to me than I was to you.

no sweat... cheers.

Refer your client to any of the Bose threads here.

Takes a big person to say sorry..nice to see (i am NOT being sarcy)

And a gentleman to accept


I'm with simon point customers here and to the masses of forums and threads about Bose and let them make there minds up .


love and peace

Bob