HoboTrumpet

Here’s a question: why, why, why do businesses make it difficult for customers to do business with them?

I tend to want to shop at the “local” store. For me it just feels better to know that I’m supporting someone in my community (or surrounding area) versus ordering from Woodwind and Brasswind or another large internet store.

The C trumpet bug bit me awhile back and I’ve been going through the process of trying horns and all that good stuff. Several weeks ago I finally decided on what I wanted to buy, so I called up the local music store (a dealer for this brand of horn) and asked the owner about ordering one.

He didn’t have one at the store, but he’d check to see if the company’s warehouses had one in stock. He told me he’d call me back later that day; two days later I eventually called him back. Yep, the horns were in stock and he had ordered one with a delivery estimate of about a week and a half.

I wait about two and a half weeks just because I don’t want to seem like I’m on the guy’s case. I call him up and politely inquire if he ever received the horn, or if the manufacturer had been delayed in shipping it out. He replies, “you know, I thought we got that in, but I don’t see it anywhere. It must be in a box somewhere.” He says that he will locate the horn and get back to me the next day.

That was Monday. Think I’ve heard anything yet?

Obviously, I’ll have to call him up today and see what’s going on. Is this a lot of run-around for an “in-stock” horn? Or, maybe I’m just being anal? (That’s been known to happen from time to time.)

Happy Friday,

Andy

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Bb: Yamaha 8335G
C:Yamaha 6445H

Manny Laureano

It boggles the mind, Andy. This is one of the reasons I think my colleague, Bob Dorer, has almost a second career buying and selling used instruments. He gets them in and out in a couple of days while the bozos that actually have businesses sit on their thumbs like we owe them a living.

You're probaby best off just coming down to The Cities and going to Groth or someone like that (always call first). It's irritating, I'm sure, for you.

ML

rowuk

When I hear of dealers whining about the competition on the internet, I think about stories, just like yours. It isn't just trumpets either.
You try to do these guys a favor and they aren't even grateful. I would suggest that you call the guy and tell him that his service is not what you expected, that you will only wait until day X and after that you will take your business to someone willing to at least call back.
He has the choice of being at least "reliable" even if the manufacturers or distributors aren't. If his word on a call back isn't worth anything, what will service or a guarantee issue be like!
You should not have to apologize for being a customer - HE needs your money - horns can be bought anywhere!

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

Pedal C

I don't know what sort of store it was that you went to, but if it's anything like the one I used to work at, selling a pro trumpet is about 447th on their list of priorities. My store made the vast majority of their money servicing the local public schools, renting student horns and selling sheet music. When they accidentally got a pro horn or two in, they would hang on the wall and watch it tarnish for months because everyone in the area knew that if you needed something like that, you just had to mail order it. I remember a piccolo that was sitting there the day I started and was still there the day I left, almost two years later. It's a drag for you and similar customers, but some stores just don't put much time or effort into that side of the business. The irony is, at least in the case of my old employer, I think they could have made money by trying to be a source for pro horns for all the local pros and college students in the area (there are very few stores in the area that ever have more a one or two pro horns), but they weren't interested in it.

Jason.

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"The oboe's A is to make sure we still play it 1 and 2" - Bud Herseth

"One way or another, every patient stops bleeding." - Scrubs

HoboTrumpet

Jason,
Yes, the store I'm buying the horn from is identical to the one you described, although they usually have a decent selection of pro-quality stuff in stock as they supply horns to the colleges around the area.

I'm putting up with all the delays because the guy is a musician I've worked with in the past, and he gives me a very resonable price. (The main reasons I've been pretty lax in pressing him about mis-quoting lead times, not calling me back, etc.) Otherwise, I think I would have done exactly what Manny suggested above about three weeks ago. But I think I am approaching deadline time . . .

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Bb: Yamaha 8335G
C:Yamaha 6445H