Ultimate Drummers Weekend

[McKenzie]

Have had a pretty good experience dealing with Audiophile. I have always received my orders fairly quickly. And I got to give them credit for being a great resource for Jazz, fusion and progressive music. Yeah, sometimes their release dates might be a little off at times but I know that they are taking the artists direct word on these issues at times, sometimes it is out of their control.

And I agree that Virgil and Dave put in Great performances but the rest of the tape is O.K. I guess, and some of it well, uninspiring. It is somewhat overhyped. You win some and you lose some.

Digital

[PocketPlayer]

Hey Guys
I always have had good luck w/Audiophiles and wondered what was up so I fired off this thread to them. Here's Mark's Response:

Hi
Thanks for forwarding this [thread] to me.
I try to give customers as accurate an answer as I possibly can regarding orders they have placed. However we are dealing with independent artists and imports so things aren't always arriving as timely as we'd like them to be. I have never lied to a customer regarding an order and I handle most of the phone orders, occasionally if I have to be out of the office, my business partner Mike Kermisch will take phone orders. We are a small company trying to promote jazz fusion and we try to do our best and greatly appreciate the loyal support our customers have given us over the years.
Mark Tessier/Audiophile Imports

[five eight]

I agree, Derek, and respect that they perform a valuable service; their pure jazz mission statement is admirable. Since Lee asked for the lowdown I spoke from experience.

The thing that finally got my goat about Audiophile is the guy on the phone lied to me. Not once but twice. This happened during each of my last two orders. I'm understanding and patient so lying to me in the face of that is not only going to piss me off but it's going to make me seek alternate merchants.

[PencilZ]

Lets face it Audiophile do stuff that others dont seem to be able to get hold of.

I've had two times when i've rang and ordered personally only for the shipments not to turn up. Had to reorder and wait again. [img]frown.gif[/img]
I cant fault the service really apart from some of the recommendations.
(5/8 I expect, like England expects :-) not to recieve some dirg when they tell me its great! I cant take it back like i can at tower I'm only going by THEIR recommendation. Ok, i learnt my lesson Expensively the hard way, i ignore their recommendations now).

The thing i dislike the most is the $8 shipping fee. That sucks.

[five eight]

I know Mr. Tessier well, having spent over $500 with Audiophile in the last 15 months, and welcome him to the discussion. In a public forum I have neither the desire to appear on the defensive nor like a kicked dog retreating into cowardly silence. So I offer this true story.

On Thursday April 24th I asked Mark (not Mike, I know his voice too) if the new Jing Chi CD was in yet. He said yes. Since I was on the waiting list I asked if all those orders had been filled yet. He said every one of them had been shipped. On Thursday May 1st I asked Mark when I might expect it since seven days had elapsed. This is when he told me things had been hectic around Audiophile, that the boxes were still on the table. Mark admitted they hadn't shipped the backorders yet.

Now all my dawgs in Cali may call that one thing, and my homeys in Canada and the UK might call it another. I don't know what it's known as in Maryland but in George Bush country we be callin' dat a lie.

[Randy walker]

I don't know Mark to ever lie, first you need to know that Mark and Mike do not work in the same room. Mark works in Jersey out of his house and the werehouse is in Marlyand. So Mark does not see everything that's going on and can only go by what he is told from Mike and any other helping out at the Maryland office.
So I think it's more of any error than a lie, he just reports what he has been told.

[five eight]

Thank you, Randy, I can accept that. With all due respect allow me one equivocation.

Looks like I stepped barefooted in a sacred cow pie, LOL, stuck between an Audiophile rock and a HOD spot. I read every word of every topic. The informed sources in HOD tell it like it is. The opinions of others here have reshaped and sometimes changed my own opinions. Some of yours, too, I'd wager. Damned few people can change my mind, but the lively cast of characters at The House can. HOD is a powerful opinion-making apparatus equal to (but more immediate than) any drum magazine. The reason for this is the cross-breeding ground of ideas and a genuine desire to see one’s fellow drummer succeed. If I didn’t call ‘em like I see ‘em I wouldn’t be contributing jackshit here. Every word I’ve written about the matter has been true, and fair. What’s unfair is not to be true to oneself, so I’m not. It wouldn’t be fair to my distinguished colleagues either.

[Steve Holmes]

Reading this thread makes me very proud at the people involved, the maturity level and the quality of info shared here. When I started the forums I had no idea what to expect and when I read HOD is a powerful opinion-making apparatus equal to (but more immediate than) any drum magazine I gotta take a second and say thanks to you all for making it what it is. I'm just the messenger boy.

[Randy walker]

I can respect FE, my dealings with Mark and Co have always been fair and I have been buying from them since 92.
Agree 100% Steve. The people whom post here are very kewl indeed unlike some other forums out there on the net.

[Clintuplet]

If I may add a quick comment to Steve's post. I failed to mention when I posted about the pleasure of meeting Mr. Peter Erskine, that he had VERY high praise for the HOD site and forums and was in fact recommending frequent visitors to his own forum to check out this one. I couldn't agree more.

Clint