I had to make a Yelp account specifically to write this review.
I've been a customer at Williamson's for almost seven years now (unfortunately). The majority of its popularity in the area stems from the large variety of different beginner-level instruments they carry. All the middle schools in East Plano recommend purchasing instruments here or renting them.
They're making a big mistake.
I bought my first intermediate violin here because it was the only music store I knew of. Turns out, there are amazing (far superior) music shops online and some just a little further in Richardson. The main two that I can think of at the moment are Shar Music online and the J Rury shop. I've always found it stressful to go to Williamson's to buy things or even have a look around at the instruments and accessories. The staff are either unfriendly, clueless, complacent, lazy, or condescending. The store operates on two extremes: in the beginning of the school year, it's so busy and full that the workers couldn't care less about the quality of service they offer. It's all quantity over quality. Any other time, the store is silent, and when you walk in, they don't bother acknowledging your existence and carry on with whatever they were doing (read: nothing).
However, the luthiers in the back are extremely friendly and genuine. Charlie has an exceptionally warm and amiable character. Peter is also wonderful and is an effective translator for Charlie, who speaks exclusively Korean. Carol is very friendly and very helpful, and she's quite flexible with prices and deals.
But today, I had one of the worst experiences ever as a customer. I'm a math tutor who works with children and their parents, and I know how important it is to maintain a respectful relationship with the customer. Nick Sarabia, the assistant store manager, evidently doesn't. He was rude, sassy, disrespectful, and gave a general "I don't care and nothing you say will make me" attitude. He also had no idea what he was doing. I needed a soundpost adjustment, because my violin was too powerful in the higher registers and needed a fuller sound in the lower. Also, I wanted a richer tone instead of a overly brilliant one. This can be done by moving the soundpost, and if it weren't for the convenient and close location of Williamson's, I definitely would have gone to J Rury for this job. And I should have.
I wasn't expecting much, given that it was Williamson's again, but I decided to give it another try. I thought I'd end on a good note with this place before heading off to Berkeley for college, and I needed to get the soundpost adjusted before leaving. I walked in and received no greeting. Then I walked up to the counter and asked for a soundpost adjustment, and Nick wrote that down on one of those tags that the luthiers use to keep track of long-term repairs (at this point I knew that he had no idea what this was and how long it would take). He took my violin and walked to the back. Returned a few minutes later, and "that would be fifteen dollars." But I haven't even told you what I want yet? How could you possibly know what adjustment I wanted to make to my soundpost? It's not like it had fallen over or anything, so 1) you're blatantly trying to rip me off and 2) last time I came here for this same adjustment, I didn't have to pay a cent. So I asked if I could walk to the back and talk to the luthiers myself. As I was talking to Charlie, Nick rudely commented that "he (Charlie) has no idea what you're saying." Throughout the rest of my time at the store, Nick repeatedly commented on Charlie's English comprehension skills in a haughty and borderline-racist manner. That is no way to do business. Inappropriate.
The soundpost ended up in the right place and everything was good to go. I walked up to the counter and put my violin in the case, thinking that was that. But then Nick says "that would be twenty-five dollars." For a minor soundpost adjustment that was FREE the last time I came here?! I tried to explain my situation to Nick, who wouldn't listen. Even the luthiers, who REMEMBERED ME from last time, came to my defense. Nick was stubborn and refused to do anything other than charge me. Eventually he lowered it to fifteen, but nothing more. So once again, I was ripped off.
The prices at Shar are so much cheaper than those at Williamson's; I really regret shopping here for so long not having known of Shar earlier, because I've basically been ripped off everything (especially strings--GO TO SHAR FOR THOSE!). Shopping at Williamson's is kind of like a convenient, necessary evil. The only thing this store has over other competitors (like the two I've mentioned) is location for people living around here. They have a kind of monopoly going on and capitalize on the misinformed or otherwise confused beginners who don't know where to start.
I can tell you, start anywhere but here. read more
