I am 58 years old and have been a customer of Clarence Hermary's since I bought my first piece of real quality audio gear at the age of 16. It was a Harmon Kardon "Ballad" vacuum tube integrated amplifier and it was used, so I only paid $40 for it. Back in those days, 16 year old kids were not taken seriously by ANYBODY at Pacific Stereo, Mateo Hi-Fi or any of Clarence's local competitors. I know, because I took the Greyhound buses that ran in those days up and down the El Camino Real to visit their showrooms and was patently blown off by their high-pressure salesmen, especially after I'd told them I had only about $50 to spend.
Clarence's store in those days was sandwiched between a shop that made signs and a place that sold Genie garage door systems, just a hole in the wall, so to speak, on the El Camino in Belmont, 20 minutes walk from my family's home. In the back room of this place Clarence had a tiny service department where he did repairs of audio gear, the front area of the store being the showroom, maybe less than 350 square feet of audiophile Heaven.
The day I first walked into his store he was in back working on repairs and eating his lunch, which consisted of a large Canadian Bacon and mushroom pizza from The Round Table just down the street. When I came through the front door a tiny overhead bell tinkled and Clarence came out and greeted me. By his manner, you'd have thought he was talking with an adult who had tons of money to spend: there was no condescension or rudeness like I had experienced at the hands of his competitors, just this guy relating to a customer as though I were every bit his equal. He took me seriously, and after what I had experienced up to that point from the big-shot stores all over San Mateo County, I can assure you this was a wonderful feeling. I told him that I only had $50 to spend and I needed an integrated amplifier. He asked me what my existing system consisted of and I told him. It was not what one would call an impressive system, and I knew this, but Clarence's response was "You have some good reliable stuff, so what you buy now should be at least equal in quality". He showed me the "Ballad" which was in the back room in the "used" section, and told me that this was a unit that would not disappoint me. It sat there on a metal shelf with a service invoice on top of it, and I could see when he set the invoice aside that he had recently put $65 worth of new tubes in this thing, but he sold it to me for $40 out the door. After agreeing on the purchase, Clarence invited me to sit down and have some pizza with him and we talked about the sort of system I dreamed about owning. I was 16 years old with a very limited budget, and this guy spent over an hour and a half with me, treated me as an equal and gave me lunch to boot. How's that for customer service? To top it all off, when I was ready to take my newly acquired prize home he asked where I lived because he knew I was walking and this piece was fairly heavy. He had his assistant, a youngster not much older than myself drive me home in Clarence's T-Bird.
Over the last 42 years I have bought many items and systems from Hermary's and referred at least 60 friends, family members and business associates to him for their audio/video needs, and never once heard any negative feedback about Clarence, his son David or the store. I have personally witnessed countless demonstrations of Clarence's personal philosophy on customer service, especially after the sale, and have to say it simply cannot be improved on. I therefore cannot imagine these negative experiences people express here as being all that factual, especially any that say his staff is rude. I have always found Clarence, David and all the staff he's employed over the years to be extremely courteous, helpful and accommodating in the extreme.
Clarence Hermary's little audio store started out very small and humble and has grown over the years into something huge. Being in the business of "providing service" myself, I can only say that from time to time mis-communications happen and things fall through the cracks. It happens folks, but at Hermary's I'd bet my life it is very, very rare. I learned everything I know about customer service from Clarence Hermary, and between you and me, I'd have to credit him with having "written the book". I have also learned over time that some folks would complain if you hung them with a new rope, and nothing satisfies these types, so don't believe everything somebody who thinks they have a legitimate gripe posts in a negative review, because the fact is there are ALWAYS two sides to any story. As for me, I'd spend my money at Hermary's before I'd spend it anyplace else, even if I have to drive from Prescott, Arizona to San Carlos, California to do it, and I'd consider it well worth the time, effort and expense. Don't believe me? Call me. (928) 442-6677 and I'll tell you personally! read more
