REPLAY

I had a terrible experience here. I called ahead to ask about a product and was surprised at the irritation I sensed in the voice on the other end of the other line. I just don't get spoken to like that very often. I was simply asking about the availability of a product which he did have. I went in to the store a couple days later because I wanted to support a local business and avoid shopping on Amazon. When I entered the store, the man behind the desk did not greet me, even though there was no one else in the store. He did not even look up from his laptop until I walked right up to the desk. I don't trust my memory 100%, but I'm pretty sure he never greeted me or even said, "How can I help you?" or anything at all. To break the awkwardness I complimented him on a cool hand sanitizer dispenser in the store that operated by a drum pedal (it was really quite cool). The man did not respond. He simply stared directly into my eyes, saying nothing at all. No "Thank you", no smile, nothing. Just a cold glare. It was very uncomfortable and felt aggressive. I proceeded to ask for the product I needed and again was spoken to in a way that felt irritated and angry. I encourage you to read the review that was written before mine, by David Cohen. David was much kinder than I and gave the store 5-stars despite having a similar experience as I did in an effort to inspire the owner to do better. It seems that little to no change has been made. I actually regret supporting this business because my experience was generally very unpleasant, I felt uncomfortable by the way I was treated, and the way the man spoke to me made me feel stupid for not knowing exactly what I needed, which is not right. I was buying a gift and shouldn't have been treated the way I was. I encourage you to look elsewhere if you can for your music needs, because, based on the two most recent reviews (including mine), it sounds like you are likely to have an unpleasant experience.

I will start by saying that this review of Replay will be five stars only because I want to encourage this business to succeed. I do not actually think the shop deserves that score at this point in time, and it's time for them to do some self-reflection. I hope the positive review is an indicator that this message comes from a community that supports you in doing so. I have been frequenting this store for about a decade— back when they were in the much larger Greenfield Bank building. Although their selection now is smaller and less scenic than it was then, it still has the eccentric heart and fun aura it always has. I've bought so much from this store over the years: basses, cymbals, amps, cabinets, cables, pedals... It is always a fun experience to stop in and see what piece of crazy gear lost in history is now being sold at a reasonable price. This is the only music store in the area that primarily sells used equipment, and for that reason I stop in whenever I'm passing Turner's Falls. I have so many positive things to say about Replay, which is why it's so painful to feel that joy sapped by the store's one significant drawback: its owner. The owner of Replay is deeply unpredictable and a person I feel fundamentally uncomfortable around. Depending on the day you stop in, he may be nowhere to be found, he may be away in the back room, or he may be behind the desk. And depending on the day you stop in, he might be irritable, standoffish, or outright dismissive of you. He may jump from behind things to scare you. He may tell you that you cannot try out items just because he can't be bothered to set them up. I feel deeply awkward entering the store, because I know my peaceful time exploring unique music gear will inevitably be interrupted by a man who feels the need to terrorize his customers. I have more than a handful of friends who have written off the store permanently because of negative interactions with the owner. I don't want his behavior to keep pushing people away until this business has isolated its shopping base and closes, because this store, at heart, is both excellent and uniquely so. If the owner is reading this— please work on your social skills to the point where your behavior is as welcoming as the rest of your store. I can't tell you where to start but I'm sure there are decent resources online about proper store etiquette. Please take this seriously as someone looking out for you... you have a great store to save.