My Teres 350 is on the way

Hi all,

Well ... as Frank's show guide entry on page 71 of this year's Rocky Mountain Audiofest states "worth waiting for ...".

Having said that, it's my opinion that your dealer should provide you with a bi-monthly status update. It's difficult for some folks to e-mail or make a phone call to essentially say "I don't know", and I think that this is the source of the problem for many individuals - they're just not that good at holding someone's hand through the process.

For the record, I have a couple of Reference orders dating back to Thanksgiving of 2005. If the stars align, I'll receive delivery of them at this year's CES. So, if you're waiting for 14-15 months, you are not alone. Much as all of us wish this were not the case, the good news is that when it arrives, the waiting will have been forgotten and the joy will begin.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier

.
Bill,
.
I know that the waits for a Schroeder Arm are extremely long, but I think in the end you will find it well worth it. My arm took a bit over 14 months, but I don't regret the wait at all for what I am able to now enjoy.
.
As you know, Frank is a one-man show and does all of the design, production, accounting, communication, traveling and marketing. Since the Arms are all hand made (Frank's), there is no way to speed up the process. I know that at times the communication is slow, but that is a result of him spending time at the workbench. Personally, I would rather have him at the bench instead of typing emails. If the waits seem unreasonable, I would suggest that they are only a by-product of the number people that want and have ordered a Schroeder Reference.
.
Frank works like a slave into the wee hours of the night and the delays are not born out of a lack of a work ethic. For those of you contemplating getting a Schroder Arm but are tentative about the wait…..I can only tell you that I do not regret the wait even a bit and would go through the process again.
.
Hopefully, you will see you arm soon and feel that the wait was well worth it.
.
Regards,
Larry
.

Friends,

We have are all in a bit of a "Catch-22" that Cello alluded to. The more time Frank spends with support e-mails, phone contacts, etc., the less time he has to perform his main task - which is building tonearms.

Frank has a hand-picked dealer network, which in the U.S. consists of:

1. Me (Galibier)
2. Chris (Teres)
3. Hart (Audio Advancements)

You would do well to work directly with us, and if we are in some way unable to help you, Frank needs to know this.

Since I work both sides of the fence (both selling product as well as being a manufacturer), I am by nature extremely sensitive to the necessity of a manufacturer having a quality dealer support network.

Wearing my manufacturer's hat, I would very much want to know if a dealer is unable to do their job - knowing of course that there are always exceptions and extenuating circumstances.

It is this single point (dealer responsiveness) which has resulted in my treading very carefully.

In many ways, the evolution of the Galibier Design business model is tracking Frank's, with me being the primary point of contact at present. This will likely evolve and I will face the same challenges that Frank currently does.

One of Frank's challenges is that he's very accessible - he hates to say "no" and is very generous with his time. If you, as the customer base collectively insist on consuming his time, then the wait time on Schröder tonearms can only increase. It's your choice.

There are other issues involving failed communications. I have one customer for example, who continues to e-mail me from an e-mail account which has a full mailbox. E-mail replies I spend half an hour composing to him bounce, and he follows up with questions as to my whereabouts. Can I be the only one who's e-mails don't get through? I doubt it. Is my job now to be an e-mail desktop support resource?

So, my humble advice to you is to give your dealer a chance to support you. Also, know that Cello's comments - about a 14 month wait - are not out of the ordinary. You're Schröder tonearm will soon be riding on your turntable.

Collectively, we can improve matters or we can make them worse.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier

no arm is worth waiting.....there are only hundreds of great ones, past and present. make hay while the sun shines. anticipation is always the best part of audio for some audiophiles...go figure.

Poor customer service is never the hallmark of a successful business, no matter how good the product. Not to question Mr. Schroeder's work ethic but he is clearly a better audio engineer than business man. One would think for the price of the product he could hire a minimum wage subordinate to answer his emails.
It would be a shame if this shortcoming was the ultimate undoing of a company that - by all reports - makes an exceptional product.
I hope someday to buy one but I would never tollerate 14 months without a word from the supplier. I wish you luck Indigorose and look forward to the report on the Teres!