Tempus drums?

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Product aside, I would hesitate to do business with anyone who conducts his business in such a shoddy manner (not returing the calls or responding to e-mails of dissatisfied customers who just paid a huge sum for a custom product is unacceptable). I bought my Pearl Session Maple kit a few years ago, and had a minor problem with one of the spur tips being broken/flattened. Very minor in the fact that it did not in any way prevent me from playing or enjoying the drums. I sent an e-mail to Pearl customer service and to my surprise received a prompt response from President Gene Okamoto. He apologized for the problem and within 3 days I had a new spur delivered to my door, the whole thing, not just the end piece. And there was a Pearl t-shirt and some stickers included in the box. This was the President of the largest drum company in the world taking the time to respond to a problem that some nobody from rural New Jersey was having. This, my friends, is the proper way to do business, and Pearl made a customer for life. After reading about the problems people here are having with Tempus, I must come to the conclusion that the owner is a turd.
 
shilohjim said:
Product aside, I would hesitate to do business with anyone who conducts his business in such a shoddy manner (not returing the calls or responding to e-mails of dissatisfied customers who just paid a huge sum for a custom product is unacceptable). I bought my Pearl Session Maple kit a few years ago, and had a minor problem with one of the spur tips being broken/flattened. Very minor in the fact that it did not in any way prevent me from playing or enjoying the drums. I sent an e-mail to Pearl customer service and to my surprise received a prompt response from President Gene Okamoto. He apologized for the problem and within 3 days I had a new spur delivered to my door, the whole thing, not just the end piece. And there was a Pearl t-shirt and some stickers included in the box. This was the President of the largest drum company in the world taking the time to respond to a problem that some nobody from rural New Jersey was having. This, my friends, is the proper way to do business, and Pearl made a customer for life. After reading about the problems people here are having with Tempus, I must come to the conclusion that the owner is a turd.
Click to expand...

Gene Okamoto is a great guy! I agree with you 100%. He should be the role model for how to handle customer problems. And HE is the president of Pearl drums one of the biggest companies out there. I'm not big on Pearl drums, but Gene Okamoto is the very best! Thanks for giving an example of a real good guy!
 
I like the way Tempus drum shells look from a distance...not too crazy about the soundclips on the site though...or the hardware..
Never owned a Tempus set..and from the remarks here..would only buy in person or thru a dealer..w/MC/Visa..

Anyway..
I used to rep for the similar kind of small custom operation..(in another manufacturing field.....not drums..) of handmade and very expensive custom goods..
And the story was pretty much the same..you could just substitute the names..and it was an exact match for what has been described here..

All friendly and nice before the sale..but months or even years late on shipping..rarely made good on defects...and you couldnt find them after the sale to make good on defects..
And people who purchased from out of the country..got screwed the worse..

There are 3 kinds of people that buy from these type of guys..and tell their stories this way..
1. Satisfied customers
2. Borderline
3. Outraged

The satisfied customers in their heart of hearts..dont want to believe the dissatisfied customers..
The borderline..will give the guy a 2nd or 3rd chance
The outraged..will never buy again..

Bottom line..
Dont be fooled by good salesmanship or a charming exterior expression or speech from the "president" of the company..ripoff artists are exactly that..skilled at charming you out of your money..before the sale..and unreachable afterwards..in a sense..sociopaths..
Its the customer service after the sale that tells the true story..

No doubt he ships some good drums too..and no doubt he ships some lemons as well..but even if the ratio of Good to Lemons is only 80%/20%..
It is how he handles the 20% that reveals if he is a worthwhile company to buy from or not..
We as musicians want to play as good as is humanly possible..having great time and groove..dynamic and expressive..and supportive..
Could you imagine dropping beats..or messing up the time..or not showing up for the gig on time..and expecting to stay employed..
No matter how charming you are..sooner or later..if you dont shape up...you are fired..
Same thing most likely with this guy..a somewhat charming not true-er..who ends up being a dollar short and an hour late..

But...
He should thank his lucky stars though..that he hasnt had a vengeful and dis-satisfied customer go at him for real...legally..or via the internet..
People on the forum here are particularly nice...surprisingly so..for just getting ripped for thousands..
And as to the company I used to work for with the exact same business practices..they are out of business now..they were tops in the world..but with the same problems..lost the respect of their customers..and one guy was so furious..he spent about 5 years going at him tooth and nail to put him out of business..all via the internet and finally succeded..it only took one determined guy to do that..
The funny thing is..it would be a relatively minor effort to straighten all the problems out..either at the source..or thru an iron clad warantee program..that actually solves the issues in a quick and reasonable manner..but these guys dont care anything about that at all..they really dont care..or they would do this..

But...
Tempus better hope his luck holds out..and no one goes after him legally..he knows.. how many out of work musicians are going to do that..not many..if any..
Or...
Maybe he should change his company name to "Ripp-off" drums or something similar and then people will know what they are actually getting..
 
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The longer this thread gets the better writers seem to be coming out of the wood work... especially this last one..

very nice...

I think it's funny that all of the people who think Paul can or did no wrong, clam up now that all of the cards are on the table so to speak. Those pictures don't lie. I think the 3 types of people line was spot on.

I would wager that this and a few other threads around the net have cause a major shift in peoples purchasing habits toward tempus drums.

and sadly, Paul will never come here and address the issues at hand.

I think he could have saved face over 1 1/2 years ago if he would have made right on 3 or 4 beefs customers had with a few very serious issues.

Once the word gets out like this, it's very hard to recover. I wish no one ill will or wish a business to go under...especially in this market. Its hard enough when you are on top and doing great to stay there, but he made his bed.
 
This forum may not be the make him or break him kind of threat to Tempus drums, but each person who reads this is a potential spoke on the wheel who can spread the word about this company to their local drum shops, schools, friends, etc. Eventually, his refusal to make things right with all these disgruntled customers is going to cost him his business. Word of mouth is one thing, but the internet makes it real easy to spread the word even faster and farther.

Paul Mason: I'm pretty sure that he played his hand thinking that his former good guy status would carry him through any storm. It used to be that when one or two people would complain about a forum "good guy" then those complainers were run out of the forum on a rail and the victims would often be the ones who got the shaft for merely being victimized. Glad that's changed. I'm totally thankful for the few people who had the courage to make their complaints public enough for me to be able to find them with a search, because I think I might have bought a set of tempus awhile back when I had some stupid money. Fortunately, I did my homework. And that's why I am thankful for the people like Sonorlite and others who spoke up when everyone else was going along with "overlooking" those details. Whoever started the ball rolling, I'm just glad that so many other people were allowed to tell their stories about this charlatan.

It totally sucks when some regular guy tries to buy a set of drums from an independent operation like tempus to show support for the small businessman and all that and then to have the small businessman turn around and treat the customer as if he should have known better than to try and show that kind of support to begin with. Speaking of changing the name of the company, How about "Caveat Emptor Drums, Inc."?
 
There are some assumptions being made in these last few posts that may be good writing, but that doesn't mean the generalizations are true. For example, from EDL's post I guess I would get lumped into category #1 - I own a Tempus kit that I ordered from Paul, and I'm satisfied with it. As a result, I'm not supposed to believe anything negative about Tempus drums or Paul. Well, I hate to ruin it for you guys, but I've read enough valid complaints from credible forum members (on this and that other forum) to conclude that there are very real problems at Tempus, both in the shop and in the office. I guess that puts me in my own category.
It's too bad there is no middle ground, according to these posts - you're either outraged or you believe he can do no wrong. Once again, no middle ground. And, if you don't weigh in everytime the subject comes up, you've clammed up. Maybe we've said all we care to say and have moved on.
 
There's a fourth: irrelevancy and indifference. It's a sow - reap thing. Soon after comes the laughter, then it's over.
 
What began as a reputable,honest company to deal with a few years ago has done a 180 degree turn around.Its sad to see this mud slinging going on but i cant help feel he has been influenced by someone who thrives on this crap,and actually enjoys it.
 
What gets me is that the tempus guy doesn't just cut his losses and refund the unhappy customers. What's the big deal? Like I said already, I was considering a set of them before I saw the way some of the drums were turning out and then the horrible customer service reports kept adding up too. I'm sure there were at least a few others like me who wanted to buy them, but were put off. It's like he sweeps anyone who complains under the rug and hopes that nobody else sees the dirt. But after awhile, that lump under the rug starts to get bigger.

He got a complaint he didn't like and so in response, he decided to "dare" the customer to do something about it, hoping that the customer would be intimidated into accepting something they didn't want. If something like this had happened pre-internet, then no one would be the wiser. Unfortunately, for Tempus, those intimidation tactics don't swim too well on the internet. Nobody likes seeing a company take advantage of a customer the way tempus did/does. It's nice to see drummers coming together and lending support to expose these mild criminals for what they are.
 
You study it long enough and the pathology becomes self-evident.
 
My experience with Tempus was very interesting. I ordered a kit from Paul at one of the Hollywood Drum Shows at the Remo facility several years ago. After waiting approximately 3 mos. My kit arrived. Well, not exactly my kit…somebody’s kit but the wrong color and configuration. I called Paul who apologized and made arrangements to have UPS pick it up and deliver to him at the Chicago show as a demo kit. I remember being very upset and nervous that this guy had my money and after 3 months I receive a kit that is completely wrong. It did, however, allow me to change my mind on color and finish which, to this day, I think is very cool (others think it looks strange because it istransluscent- different strokes ya know). About 3 months passed and I received the new kit. The bass drum and one of the toms had been damaged by UPS – I could see tire tracks on the box and though the drums survived just fine (a tribute to their strength) there were many marks on the shells where the finish was stressed to cause starburst like marks. I called Paul who, once again, had the kit picked up, we filed a claim with UPS and Paul made me yet another kit. At first he suggested I return just the damaged shells (at his expense) but then called and said he thought I should return the entire kit and he would make a completely new kit to be sure all the shells matched. The final kit arrived about a year after my initial order and was fine – exactly what I ordered. Paul apologized for all the hassle and included a matching 8X8 tom for all the annoyance.<br><br>Through this Paul was sometimes very communicative and sometimes weeks would go by without a response to a call or email. I remembe rconversations with my wife where I was concerned that I had not just paid the deposit, but made final payment before shipment of the first (but wrong) kit. So, some guy I had only met at a drum show had my hard earned cash (in Canada) and all I had, at the time, was a drum set that was not even close to what I ordered. It was hard to keep from totally freaking out.<br><br>Throughout all this the only sense of peace I got was from the many people on this forum (at the time) and the “other” forum who spoke so highly of Paul. And, having met him personally he seemed like a sincere person who loved what he was doing. Frankly, I had no choice at that point but to trust. It was clear to me by this time that Tempus was a one man operation. Paul and Tempus were one and the same. And, since I was currently in a similar situation – a one man operation – replicating CDs and doing artwork for independent groups and artists. I realized that Paul, like me, wasn’t in a position to refund money. Therefore, I never expected a refund but I sure expected to get what I paid for. And I did in the end. Tempus could certainly be clearer up front about this situation but I suspect it has been a learning experience. If youhave ever met Paul you will know instantly that this is NOT a guy with an MBA who decided to apply his business savvy to building a drum company. Obviously business savvy and marketing skill are not a Tempus strong suit.<br><br>After reading this, many will see it as further confirmation of their negative beliefs. But, I hope that those who have had virtually no direct experience with Paul will see that, at least in my case, all mistakes were corrected. It took a long time and if my best friend came to me and told me he was interested in ordering from Tempus I would share my story so he would not have unrealistic expectations. But I would also share that I never once felt like Paul was trying to take advantage of me or screw me. I would share that in the end I am so satisfied with the kit that I am not unhappy for the experience. If anything it pointed out to me the inherent risk of doing business with ANY one man operation. What would happen if the guy got hit by a truck or had a heart attack before completing my order - no matter the product? <br><br>I think Paul has a lot of other interests in his life that conflict with the business of Tempus Drums. That is unfortunate because it has lead to the experiences described by me and others in this thread. But when I read comments that he is a charlatan, a criminal, a turd etc. I can’t help but cringe. He is, in my opinion, none of these things. He impresses me as a kind and honest man who runs a small business sometimes very, very badly. It is my belief that my particular situation ended well because I chose to trust Paul/Tempus to make right on the mistakes. Others will, I'm sure, disagree. <br><br>
 
Bigsecret said:
Paul and Tempus were one and the same. And, since I was currently in a similar situation – a one man operation ... I realized that Paul, like me, wasn’t in a position to refund money. Therefore, I never expected a refund ..
Click to expand...
Any business owner is one and the same; do I sue their Facebook account? Oh, for the love of Mike I'm sick to death of this topic, this man, and his business.

This violin concerto of compassion is where every Tempus story completely chaffs my ass. Who in their right mind truly believes that anyone refusing the option of a refund for admittedly faulty product priced in the 1000s of dollars is doing business in good faith? It's utterly ludicrous and wholly without justification on any level to claim that any company -- one man or one thousand -- can sell product, then admit fault but refuse refund on tenuous grounds at best. Yes, he has a policy. But examine that policy with your gut.

If there were a shred of decency and/or integrity and faith in the product for sale, a refund upon return occurs without question. I reject counter arguments on face and with extreme prejudice because they're horseshit. For god's sake, Joe Blow on Ebay coughs up a refund for a faulty product that's used, but this guy is immune because a no-refund clause is buried somewhere on a web site? The entry for "A fool and his money" should have a link on any Wikipedia page devoted to this company.

If not for the Internet, combined with an innate ability to smooze and ingratiate oneself by hook or crook, businesses like this would not survive.
Having a firewall over yonder helps too.
 
I agree wth Titus 100%.He said it a lot nicer than i would have though.How things change in a couple of years.I feel for any company that gets hit with this horrible economy,but to blatantly ignore customers is wrong in so many ways!
 
My experience with Tempus was very interesting. I ordered a kit from Paul at one of the Hollywood Drum Shows at the Remo facility several years ago. After waiting approximately 3 mos. My kit arrived. Well, not exactly my kit…somebody’s kit but the wrong color and configuration.He didnt even take your order right...or call to confirm it was correct before shipping late...WOW..! I called Paul who apologized Typical smooze tactic..and made arrangements to have UPS pick it up and deliver to him at the Chicago show as a demo kit. Stall tactic...?I remember being very upset and nervous that this guy had my money and after 3 months I receive a kit that is completely wrong. Yep...you got that right...It did, however, allow me to change my mind on color and finish which, to this day, I think is very cool (others think it looks strange because it istransluscent- different strokes ya know). About 3 months passed and I received the new kit. You lucked out..but that does not change Tempus problems..The bass drum and one of the toms had been damaged by UPS – I could see tire tracks on the box and though the drums survived just fine (a tribute to their strength) there were many marks on the shells where the finish was stressed to cause starburst like marks. I called Paul who, once again, had the kit picked up, we filed a claim with UPS and Paul made me yet another kit. What else could he do...? At first he suggested I return just the damaged shells (at his expense) but then called and said he thought I should return the entire kit and he would make a completely new kit to be sure all the shells matched. The final kit arrived about a year after my initial order and was fine – exactly what I ordered. A whole year of not true and mental anguish....a wasted year of your life...just waiting for product to arrive..correctly..Paul apologized for all the hassle and included a matching 8X8 tom for all the annoyance.This is a typical vendor response to the customer who they have bamboozeled....<br><br>Through this Paul was sometimes very communicative and sometimes weeks would go by without a response to a call or email.Typical response.. I remembe rconversations with my wife where I was concerned that I had not just paid the deposit, but made final payment before shipment of the first (but wrong) kit.You had a right to be freaked out... So, some guy I had only met at a drum show had my hard earned cash (in Canada) and all I had, at the time, was a drum set that was not even close to what I ordered. It was hard to keep from totally freaking out.<br><br>Throughout all this the only sense of peace I got was from the many people on this forum (at the time) and the “other” forum who spoke so highly of Paul. And, having met him personally he seemed like a sincere person who loved what he was doing. They all do this and seem sincere...it's a $$ tactic..this is how they keep business "flowing..." And they use your prepaid cash to pay the rent or such..and then down the road.. use someone elses cash to fund your set...usually months or more later.. Frankly, I had no choice at that point but to trust. Thats the plan...after they have all your cash..It was clear to me by this time that Tempus was a one man operation. Paul and Tempus were one and the same. And, since I was currently in a similar situation – a one man operation – replicating CDs and doing artwork for independent groups and artists. I realized that Paul, like me, wasn’t in a position to refund money.It was already spent the min it arrived.. Therefore, I never expected a refund but I sure expected to get what I paid for. And I did in the end. You got very lucky dude..Tempus could certainly be clearer up front about this situation but I suspect it has been a learning experience. For the buyer no doubt..If youhave ever met Paul you will know instantly that this is NOT a guy with an MBA who decided to apply his business savvy to building a drum company. Obviously business savvy and marketing skill are not a Tempus strong suit.It doesnt take an MBA to conduct your business in an ethical manner..this is not rocket science.. <br><br>After reading this, many will see it as further confirmation of their negative beliefs. How could it appear otherwise..?But, I hope that those who have had virtually no direct experience with Paul will see that, at least in my case, all mistakes were corrected. So what...? These were HUGE mistakes..that could have been solved at the source..if Tempus cared to..and not take a year to enact this..It took a long time and if my best friend came to me and told me he was interested in ordering from Tempus I would share my story so he would not have unrealistic expectations. But I would also share that I never once felt like Paul was trying to take advantage of me or screw me. They are good at that..thats how they stay in business..I would share that in the end I am so satisfied with the kit that I am not unhappy for the experience. Tempus drums...should change their name to "Smoozy Ripp Drum company"If anything it pointed out to me the inherent risk of doing business with ANY one man operation. What would happen if the guy got hit by a truck or had a heart attack before completing my order - no matter the product? <br><br>I think Paul has a lot of other interests in his life that conflict with the business of Tempus Drums. That is unfortunate because it has lead to the experiences described by me and others in this thread. But when I read comments that he is a charlatan, a criminal, a turd etc. I can’t help but cringe. He is, in my opinion, none of these things. He impresses me as a kind and honest man who runs a small business sometimes very, very badly. Thats the plan..they count on the customers blind love of the product...and use charm and guile to cause the customer to over look all trespasses..no matter how aggregious.. It is my belief that my particular situation ended well because I chose to trust Paul/Tempus to make right on the mistakes. Others will, I'm sure, disagree. <br><br> He bamboozeled you good..he is a master of that it appears..
Imagine that..taking the customers order and money in full..then shipping him the wrong set..then various drums going back and forth for a year..wasting the customers time and energy...and finally.. including (1) tiny 8" tom as recompense..and in the end...the customer loves you for it..
All I can say is WOW!!...that guy is a beaut...
 
Titus Pullo said:
Bigsecret said:
Paul and Tempus were one and the same. And, since I was currently in a similar situation – a one man operation ... I realized that Paul, like me, wasn’t in a position to refund money. Therefore, I never expected a refund ..
Click to expand...
Any business owner is one and the same; do I sue their Facebook account? Oh, for the love of Mike I'm sick to death of this topic, this man, and his business.

This violin concerto of compassion is where every Tempus story completely chaffs my ass. Who in their right mind truly believes that anyone refusing the option of a refund for admittedly faulty product priced in the 1000s of dollars is doing business in good faith? It's utterly ludicrous and wholly without justification on any level to claim that any company -- one man or one thousand -- can sell product, then admit fault but refuse refund on tenuous grounds at best. Yes, he has a policy. But examine that policy with your gut.

If there were a shred of decency and/or integrity and faith in the product for sale, a refund upon return occurs without question. I reject counter arguments on face and with extreme prejudice because they're horseshit. For god's sake, Joe Blow on Ebay coughs up a refund for a faulty product that's used, but this guy is immune because a no-refund clause is buried somewhere on a web site? The entry for "A fool and his money" should have a link on any Wikipedia page devoted to this company.

If not for the Internet, combined with an innate ability to smooze and ingratiate oneself by hook or crook, businesses like this would not survive.
Having a firewall over yonder helps too.
Click to expand...


Well said sir :occasion5:
 
EXCELLENT post, EDL!

Hey Big secret,

You asked: "What would happen if the guy got hit by a truck or had a heart attack before completing my order - no matter the product?"

A better question might be: "What would happen if you die of old age waiting for the order to be made right?"
 
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