Need to vent

[PureRockFury]

First I would like to say this isn't directly towards Remo. I have used their products for many years and love them. I have tried other brands, but I always go back to Remo.

No no, this has everything to do with their main distributor in Canada. Direct Music Supply.

I placed an order 1 month ago through my local Remo dealer for a 24" Remo Ebony Powerstroke 3. We find out it's back ordered with no ETA. Fine, I'll pick something else. How about a 24" Remo Smooth White Powerstroke 3 w/out stripes. Same thing. Back ordered with no ETA.

So, we'll try this again. How about a 24" Remo Coated Ambassador Bass. YES! We have that in stock, you'll have your head late this week or early next week.

I just called my dealer today. He called Direct Music Supply to see why my order hadn't arrive at the store yet. They told him, they had a few in stock when he placed the order. So he called them up yesterday, they don't have any in stock and it's another 2 week wait until Remo ships some more to Direct Music Supply. DMS, then has to count it, put it into inventory, then ship it to my store.

How could they tell a dealer there is a few in stock and the order has been placed, then over a week later tell my dealer it's not in stock and he has to wait another 2 weeks?

This isn't the first time I have had trouble ordering Remo, only to have Direct Music Supply screw something up. I put an entire order of heads tops and bottoms, 10, 12, 14, 16 toms, 14 snare x2, 22 bass. THEY LOST MY ORDER. It was misplaced on someones desk at Direct Music Supply. So after waiting 3 weeks which is not normal when they have their act together, my dealer finds out what is going on. They tell him they lost the order so he placed it again right there. THEN, they proceed to tell him most of the heads are out of stock and he'll have to wait until Remo ships more to Direct Music Supply

I might sound like a brat, impatient or whatever, but when you have been screwed over this many times in the severity I have. You would vent too.

Thanks for reading.

[biggator6]

your local dealer doesn't seem to keep much in stock.. coated ambassadors are about the most commonly used heads around - and he didn't have 10/12/14/16/22 in stock?

Not that it helps.. but just sayin'.

[The Chemist]

I've never had a problem with getting Remo. Ever. And I live in buttlove no-wheres.

[joeq]

I think you are being too 'understanding' of your dealer.

If your dealer is not going to keep stuff in stock, and is going to 'order it' for you, why do you need a dealer? I find it difficult to believe that in the entire nation of Canada there is only one 24" bass drum head left, oops no, it's gone!

Not buying it. Something is fishy.

the whole point of a brick and mortar store is inventory. If they don't have the stuff you want in the building, why bother?

If you are going to order something, order it yourself. There are dozens of retail web merchants that you can deal with directly and they will ship the heads to your door.

I might not buy a cymbal or a guitar from a catalog, but heads?

I can see you are in a forgiving mood with respect to your dealer, but you have only his word that the Distributor is the one messing up. (and his word that there are no other sources in ALL OF CANADA for Remo Heads- maybe it's really no other sources that he has some special DEAL with) He should be willing to go the extra mile for you, and find other sources for the products you buy frequently.


If you consistently buy the same kinds of heads, he should keep them in stock if only for you. He knows you will eventually buy them. Where is his loyalty to YOU? And nobody else in your town plays Remo heads? It would kill him to have ordered a few extra the last time you wanted heads? Is the guy clueless? Does he not understand that heads wear out and that someone might want to buy them more than once every drum set?


You even show admirable flexibility in your willingness to substitute.

Seriously, if I did not have a great store in my town, I would just go to some catalog website and order the heads myself. It will certainly end up being less frustrating, and it might end up being cheaper.

[PureRockFury]

Originally Posted by joeq

I think you are being too 'understanding' of your dealer.

If your dealer is not going to keep stuff in stock, and is going to 'order it' for you, why do you need a dealer? I find it difficult to believe that in the entire nation of Canada there is only one 24" bass drum head left, oops no, it's gone!

Not buying it. Something is fishy.

the whole point of a brick and mortar store is inventory. If they don't have the stuff you want in the building, why bother?

If you are going to order something, order it yourself. There are dozens of retail web merchants that you can deal with directly and they will ship the heads to your door.

I might not buy a cymbal or a guitar from a catalog, but heads?

I can see you are in a forgiving mood with respect to your dealer, but you have only his word that the Distributor is the one messing up. (and his word that there are no other sources in ALL OF CANADA for Remo Heads- maybe it's really no other sources that he has some special DEAL with) He should be willing to go the extra mile for you, and find other sources for the products you buy frequently.


If you consistently buy the same kinds of heads, he should keep them in stock if only for you. He knows you will eventually buy them. Where is his loyalty to YOU? And nobody else in your town plays Remo heads? It would kill him to have ordered a few extra the last time you wanted heads? Is the guy clueless? Does he not understand that heads wear out and that someone might want to buy them more than once every drum set?


You even show admirable flexibility in your willingness to substitute.

Seriously, if I did not have a great store in my town, I would just go to some catalog website and order the heads myself. It will certainly end up being less frustrating, and it might end up being cheaper.

The market in Canada, is A LOT different than the US. My city which has a pop. of 150,000 has about 5-6 "mom & pop" shops. We do not have a chain store in my city. The stores here tend to carry what people ask for. Not many, and certainly not the drummers I know personally play 24" kicks but me.

Also, the dealer received the other half of the order within 1 week. The head order was placed at the same time for both...obviously. I got the Clear Powerstroke 3 in 1 week. And well...you know the story. I'm getting dicked around by Direct Music Supply.

When you have a kit that has head sizes 13, 16, 18, 24 you typically have to order heads. It's the name of the game. I can't expect every store to stock all my sizes when chances are no one else is going to ask for 18" floor tom head in my city.

The store I mainly shop at has a GREAT selection of heads in all types, but again, why would they carry stuff in store that is not too common and wouldn't sell? However, they are getting a few of each on-hand to avoid this problem 6 months down the road when I do an entire head change again.

[drumzealot]

Need to vent? Buy a grommet and a drill.

[chetatkinsdiet]

If you have a hard time getting heads when you need them, the key would be to order a few extras of everyting when you don't need them. Instead of ordering one of the kick heads, get two or three.

[joeq]

Originally Posted by PureRockFury

The store I mainly shop at has a GREAT selection of heads in all types, but again, why would they carry stuff in store that is not too common and wouldn't sell?

Because ONE customer- you - wants them.

However, they are getting a few of each on-hand to avoid this problem 6 months down the road when I do an entire head change again.

Good. All I am saying is this is what a dealer should have been doing all along with 'consumables'. Nobody expects them to have a zillion drum sets in every color, or a bass flugelhorn or a didgeridoo.

But heads, picks, strings and sticks? They should have you covered.

[dudeitsree]

I work for a very large drum and percussion dealer in Dallas TX, and we sometimes have a hard time getting things from Remo quickly because hey NEVER keep things in stock. They make orders as they come in, so when you order a single or a 1000 heads you have to wait 6-8 weeks to get them. UNLESS you order a single head that has been made for another dealers order such as Guitar Center or Sam Ash, ect. and you really really need it, they sometimes reallocate it to your order. We try to stock as much as we can but sometimes because a back line company buys all of our Remo heads we can't seem to keep up. I also try to keep 24" heads because that is what I play Hope that clears it up a a little.