TromboneChat

Anyone else having trouble with the parts department lately? I ordered parts on December 7. Got a third of the order, with 2 of the items being out of stock. I usually give them a month or so before I start asking about out of stock items. So a month later, I emailed them and asked if they had an ETA on those items. No response. 8 days later I emailed again. Still no response. 4 days later, I emailed a 3rd time and finally got a response, citing a problem with the "email box". She said the parts were diverted to production and estimated being re-stocked first week of February. OK, fair enough - except the parts never arrived. I emailed again in March, and once again no response at all. So I phoned and got voice mail, left a message, and got no response. Then I called the main number a few days later and got someone on the phone who said she would refer it to the same woman who isn't answering emails or returning phone calls. I explained that I already tried to contact her and that she won't answer me, so she promised that I would get a return phone call. Nope, so far nothing. My poor customer has been waiting 3 1/2 months for me to do his project, which I can't do until I get the parts. This seems like a pretty serious decline in Conn Selmer's customer service. I wonder what's going on over there. In the past they were usually pretty helpful.

I'm waiting a year on a 62h bell, so ya, I feel for you.

LIBrassCo wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 6:13 pm I'm waiting a year on a 62h bell, so ya, I feel for you.

Yikes!

I have been waiting since early November for some King parts. Non-availability of parts and slow delivery seem to be Conn-Selmer's most consistent attribute in recent years. Prior to the merger, I felt that Selmer parts were slow and the UMI parts were much faster. Shame that most parts have now defaulted to the slow route.

I waited 11.5 months for a Bach 42G*!! October 2021 to September 2022.. several of my 2021 back orders just got shipped, I had gotten a new CC since then and I had to call in for those old orders.

I just got some other 42 parts that took 11 months to get... outer tuning slide parts.

***** I do not know anything about actual CS procedures *****

But, this problem SEEMS like a bean counting measure. Not keeping stock on hand reduces inventory tax....anything sitting around gets taxed. Being a business owner I know about having capitol locked up in inventory.

Theorizing over. There have been disruptions of metal supplies from Covid and possibly the major Eastern European Conflict.

Even before the strike in the 2000s the Bach plant was slow, so its not like delays are new. I waited 2.5 years for a replacement 2nd valve tuning slide for a silver plated LT180S trumpet. That was 2007 to 2009. Customer picked up their horn prior to the part showing up. I think I patched it, but its so long ago....

I have waited 10-11 months for parts from Kanstul (RIP), but most of the time 4-5 months for out of stock parts from Yamaha, Eastman (Shires), and Getzen

This is one reason why Allied Supply carries other peoples parts....

Benn

Reminds me of the back orders for Bach, back in the 1970s. Guess I'd better not damage my King 2BL! Could be out of commission for months!

A story of the slowest.
Around 1975 when I was still in High School I ordered a Miraphone mouth piece from the music store. Never showed up. Until…. About 1993. The music store had changed hands twice. I just happen to be at the music store looking at sheet music and a box appeared from UPS. They opened the box as it was from Germany and in the box was the mouthpiece I ordered. I overheard this and told my friend the owned the store about the order. He gave me the mouthpiece. So remember; when someone tells you the music biz is slow, know that it is normal and 18 years is slow.

Well they did call me finally. They didn't have an answer yet, but at least were nice enough to call me and tell me that.

Par for the course these days... I'm sure you have done this already, but you should look into the possibility of sourcing parts from someplace else or retrofitting some other part.

What parts are you waiting on?