Friends,
I guess some of you have bad experience with people dealing or repairing
cameras, so what I now will tell is something you might recognize.
In the middle of July I was in contact with John Hermanson of Camtech. I
was suspecting a light leak in my OM-10 and I was thinking whether I
should send the camera to John or to a Swedish authorized Olympus repair
company. I knew the OM-10 was not worth as much as other OM cameras so I
wanted to get the lowest cost of repair as I could.
So, I was in contact with John to learn the repair costs and how much
extra I had to pay for shipping. It turned out the final cost would be
*about* the same. So, to have the camera back as soon as possible I had
the Swedish company to do the job - *only* because of faster shipment
due to the distance.
Faster I thought. Yeah right...
It took way too long to get the camera back - I had to call them a
couple of times! Not only that appeared to be the problem. The guy who
was going to do the repair job wanted to do a shutter job (the sticky
magnet problem you know). I said to him that I thought it was strange as
I mostly use slide film and I had never seen anything that indicated a
problem. So I asked him how much the shutter was wrong. He then was
pretty vague in his answer and said it was "within tolerance".
I said to him only to fix the light leak and *not* the magnet.
Well, after a long time - too long - I finally had my camera back and a
cost *including* a work on the magnet!! I became pretty upset as I did
not want to pay for a job I did not order, so I phoned them up but the
guy was on a vacation...
Later, after he was back, I phoned them up once again and this time I
had a talk with the repair man. More or less an "oops!" was his answer -
he said he had forgotten to change the order in his computer but
promised me I would have money back.
No money came and I had to call them again asking what was going on.
They seemed to not remember the situation but after a while they finally
did. Once again they promised me to send money back. So far so good I
thought...
Once again there was nothing from them and I started to wandering what
kind of company this was. In my eyes they had been acting very bad to a
customer.
Another phone call, another and another and...
Today I did my last (?) call and they said the guy who should send the
money had been on a vacation so that was the reason why they had not
send any! A lot of vacations for the people I say! Do they actually work
at all or what?
Anyway, this time they said the money was on the way. I should get them
tomorrow I guess.
I said to them that I think they have been acting incredibly ignorant,
and I really think they are showing an un-professional attitude.
Net time I will be wise and *not* use this company again. Ever! I will
delete the bookmark address and never visit their website or in any
other way ever even think of them as an possible repair company!
Next time I will send my stuff to Long Island and Camtech! That is for
sure!
So, what have I learned?
That sometimes the smoothest way is not always the smoothest, and the
easiest way is not always the easiest.
That a shortcut might be a detour.
That a company should take care of their customers - they are their
bread and butter. Obvious perhaps, but not all seem to be aware of it.
It is hard to get customers - happy customers.
It is easy to lose them...
--
Regards/
Ingemar Uvhagen
Gislaved, Sweden
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