On 4/28/2013 8:18 AM, John Hermanson wrote:
> Your extended warranty repair would be handled by a non-olympus repair
> shop in Texas and most likely farmed out to a low wage shop in Mexico.
> The days of getting Olympus factory service are over.
I'm mildly curious about what may be happening.
It has been, or used to be, true that some electronics manufacturers had a
repair model that involved only replacing
modules, no detail repair work at the consumer warranty end. Defective modules
deemed repairable were stockpiled and
sent from all over the world to a single repair station in a low wage country.
Actual repairs to modules were done on an as needed basis, to keep the
replacement module stock pipeline full. As
warranties expire and demand for replacement modules declines, little or no
labor cost is wasted.
It's actually a pretty good model for quick repair turnaround and minimizing
cost. Specific, limited training in module
replacement does not require otherwise highly trained generalist technicians.
A few, more highly trained techs, with
specialized test and repair equipment in one location, are again more efficient
than generalists all over the world.
Perhaps not applicable to at least some high cost, low volume, high end
cameras, with more complex design, nor, as you
know, to complex lenses, but good for much low to middle tier, high volume
stuff.
Unfortunate for highly trained and experienced people like you, but not
necessarily bad for the consumer.
I'm pretty sure that's how my first, and so far, only, digital camera repair
was handled. One of a couple of complex
plastic parts that held the lens elements and accomplished zoom and focus
simply snapped under high G force. I couldn't
fix it, but could see how the entire assembly could easily be taken out and
replaced in a few minutes, whereas replacing
the individual, broken part, relocating the lens elements, etc., would take
MUCH longer, probably require focus testing
and risk reversing an element, misalignment, etc.
The speed of repair turnaround suggested either such a repair or that the
repair center was not at all busy.
Another possibility is the use of highly trained techs from China, SE Asia,
India, any low wage country, working in low
cost facilities in Juarez. I know Mexico used to have a program to let parts
for assembly and finished goods in and out
without customs hassle in special manufacturing zones. These zones were, from a
customs standpoint, part of the US.
A combination of the two methods might work well for a whole line of consumer
through pro cameras, module replacement
tried first, where applicable, then either replacement or repair.
I have no idea what Oly may be doing. You may well be right that they are
pawning off repair work on poorly trained
techs just across the border or coming across as day labor. I just thought I'd
mention another possibilities of which I
am aware.
BTW, my first OM repair, on my first Oly, an OM-1, for a mirror that didn't
return, was done in Mexico City, by Japanese
techs in what looked more like a NASA clean room than a typical camera repair
shop. Complex job done overnight for very
little money. Obviously done right, as it functioned properly for many more
years.
Curious R. Moose
--
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
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