Loud music vs. A/C in a store...are they really that stupid?
By coffeebreak
@coffeebreak (17798)
United States
May 11, 2009 8:23pm CST
I hate to go to store cause they have the music on so loud, after 15 minutes I am walking out as it is so loud it has diven me nuts! I have been in a little while longer and had a cart full, and the music just got to me and I left the cart full and walked out.
Well last week at Kohl's, the music was loud and as I was looking through some kids clothes I noticed.. boy, it is HOT in here! So being hot and that loud music for awhile, I was really getting annoyed. Then over the PA it says something to the effect " to do our part in conservation, Kohl's is turning down the air conditioning...." So I know now why it is so hot, but still...didn't bother to look any further.. it was just to hot.. so they lost sales to me there. So just after this announcement, it just came out of my mouth and I said it out loud..."well if you'd turn down that dang blasting music, you'd save a whole lot more and your customers would be a whole lot happier". 2 ladies that were walking by heard me and said.."I know what you mean".
Then I'd just had it and took what I had in my arms and went to the register (had the music not been so loud and it hadn't been so hot, I'd shopped more) and put the stuff on the counter and literally out of no where, didn't even know I said it until I heard it come out of my mouth... I said in a VERY LOUD voice to the clerk guy " Could you turn up the music some? I can't hear it!" He looked at me like a calf looking at a new fence, and then chuckled and said something about it being a universal volume thing and they can't change it and I VERy LOUDLY said "What did you say? I"m sure if you turn it up louder, I could hear you better!!!". 2 other clerks were at the next register and as the guy was ringing my purchase up I heard them talking about how it should be turned down.
Why do stores do that? Why keep that music so loud it drives people away? And turn the AC off to save money? That will only cost them, cause people that get hot and sweaty, are not going to want to stay in the store and do much shopping(there was absolutely no air venelation going on) and they will loose shoppers which means loosing sales - plus, if people are hot and sweaty and they are trying on clothes, the clothes they don't take, are going to be going back on the rack, smelly and stinky... and no one is going to buy them if they smell.. so there goes more sales. Plus...if hte clothes don't sell cause they are stinky, they go "on sale" and maybe someone will buy them, but they will only get the sale price, not the original price.. which means more incomes loss. What part of this don't they understand? IT appears it has gone from "customer satisfaction" to "Make your customers really uncomfortable then complain about sales being down"
I just don't get it... do you?
1 person likes this
6 responses
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
12 May 09
You should have complained about the music to the manager. It is better to have no music at all than to have music that drives customers out, even one customer. I would have just left my purchases on the register counter and walked out. That would have left a bad taste in their mouths for sure.
If it is too hot, customers will not try on clothes because it is difficult to dress and undress, when you are perspiring. They could turn the air a little warmer to save energy, but not so much to where it is uncomfortable for the customers.
Shalom~Adoniah
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
12 May 09
I have left my cart and walked out... havent taken it to a register and told thwm why - although I probably should do that. I've walked out many a time. I was in this store yesterday and noticed is wasn't as hot... so maybe enough complained and they turned it back up to a more comfortable setting. But that music was still in outer-limits decibals!!!
1 person likes this
@Boffle (123)
•
12 May 09
I totally agree with you about the music. I just don't understand why these stores don't realize that if music is too loud, people will just walk out and they will lose money. I refuse to stay in stores if the music is blaring out; if I can't concentrate on what I'm buying, and can't talk to the people I've gone shopping with, there's no point in being there at all - you might as well just buy online.
I can't say I agree about the A/C though - every store I've been in recently has had the A/C on at full blast, even though it's already cold enough already. I guess that depends where you are, though.
2 people like this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
12 May 09
I am guessing they are hoping that we won't pay attention to what we are doing... thereby buying more or just taking whatever to get out of the store and not pay atention to the price and hopefully buy the more expensive item instead of searching through the sale items! It takes so much of the fun out of shopping. LIke you said, you can't even talk to your friend you are with, or chat with the kids about what they like or discuss which item is better and of course... do the math for the best price.. but that is probably why they do it.. they don't want you to do the math for the best price!!!
This is the first place that has done the AC thing... Granted some keep them really cold, but this was just to hot and stuffy to be even reasonably comfortable to continue shopping. I did only cause I was buying towels and rugs.. had I been trying on clothes, I'd a walked out. ANd I didn't notice any fans or any kind of venillation - it was just stale, stagnant and nothing moving!
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
9 Sep 09
We don't really have that problem up here in Canada, unless it's some kind of special teen-themed store, or a music store. I haven't been in a music store in years. I buy all my music on line, now. Groccery stores, department stores, book stores... no loud music, and it's great. It does get a little loud in the coffeeshop, sometimes.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
10 Sep 09
You are so lucky. It is bad here in SO CA. Every where you go - even gas stations have music playing! Target doesn't so that is where I spend my time when possible if they have what I need. But every where else...blarring to all get-out. Needless to say, I don't like shopping!
@Qaeyious (2357)
• United States
12 May 09
The music would drive me away more than the lack (or abundance) of AC. I walked out of a theater once, and waited for the previews to start, when that noise they played during the time finally stopped. It wasn't loud; it was just very VERY bad. I tolerate rap (unless it's very violent, sexist, or racist) but this was much worse ... I couldn't understand the words, and it was horribly out of tune. It was kind of like the screaming punk rock with a small attempt of a melody.
Perhaps they just want their clientele to be the kind who want loud music? Seems silly to me, limiting your customers, especially now, the economy being what it is.
(or maybe you were just cranky for being so hot 
)
(Yes, I'm so terrible at times ...)
)
(Yes, I'm so terrible at times ...)1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
12 May 09
You're funny! No, honestly I wasn't cranky cause of the heat...it was just the loud music...at this Kohl's they have a habit of playig the same song over and over too! I could handle the heat but that music.. just drives me nuts! Ijust don't see why it has tobe so loud! Turn it down and let us hum along, but the blasting so loud... just has not point!
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
12 May 09
Well I found that people always tend to take things literally and exaggerate.From the fact that some soft and soothing low background music that can actually keep costumers content, most stores took it to the limit and follow the psychology that more is better and inundate their stores with loud music thinking they're doing it right. Humans LOL
I also really like it when they always turn things and make it look they're doing something for our benefit instead of theirs ( to do our part in conservation we are turning down the air conditioning? You translated it perfectly: to save us some money we are going to let you boil inside this store but make it like it's an environmental sacrifice so you might feel better about it! " LOL ) I hate this even more than the music!
Actually the music doesn't bother me much unless I have a headache which I always develop if I'm too long on a mall. I am so good at separating things that I usually don't even notice the music after the first minute or so even if it's too loud.
THings have changed in our worl. Many things. Shopping is not the same thing or follows the same trends it used to. It's not anymore about getting the costumer to enjoy the visit and spend money and/or come back, because they know there will always be costumers. We are a consumer society. Buying is our thing. It's not like before when people only went shopping when they really needed, and would bargain and check prices. Now one thing that they have certain is costumers, so they don't really have to please them or even be nice to them ( if you don't want , there are many more that will )
No, I don't get it, but I can see why it works.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
12 May 09
Most definately they have us over a barrel! If the music is mellow, many of the 70's songs, they aren't so bad, but this new stuff that just rants the same verse over and over and loud backgrond stuff... that drives me out of the store.. granted.. they haven't lost much, and Yeah, I'll be back for the next sale.. but like you said... I don't get it, but it works! And you are right... they don't care if we enjoy shopping or not... they know we have to come back.. but then again... internet shopping has become a huge injunction to store shopping.
Truth be known... they probably do this on purpose so people will just buy whatever they have in their hands, not paying attention to the price.. just get it and get out of the store!
2 people like this
@cuteboi_kc (25)
• Jamaica
12 May 09
i get wat u're sayin n i totally AGREE... i mean com'n folks and we r supposed to b educated! tsk tsk...
2 people like this
