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A gripe
September 4th, 2008Is it that hard, Canon? I love your cameras. I love your optics and their sexy red collars. But your service? It is hard to imagine how it could be worse. I’ve yet to hear a good service story - from anyone - anywhere in the world. Sure, you can get CPS in some places. And it’s free. And time and time again I hear about working professionals who trust you to do right by them, fix the gear their livelihood depends upon, and do it in a timely fashion. What I do not hear is stories of how you blew them out of the water with your excellent service. Only how you blew them off.
I bought an EF 85/1.2L lens recently. It cost $2000. Not a cheap investment. But when I found - 3 weeks after my purchase - an artifact the size of a corn flake had worked its way loose (ok, it only looked like a corn flake) - the service I got was nothing but a maybe. Maybe it’s warrantee-able. Maybe we’ll get it to you in a couple weeks. My local vendor went to bat for me, and they got the blow off too.
Nikon makes exceptional cameras. They make damn good optics. Their strobes are better. All you’d have to do, Canon, is step up to the plate and honour your customers. You know how when we were all in high school and we wanted to make a break-up easier? How we used to say, “It’s not you, it’s me…”? Well, it’s not me, it’s you. And you’re on thin-ice baby.
**
I almost called in sick today and didn’t post, but why waste a chance to vent, right? I love my gear, and I love my optics - when it all works. But a fan boy for Canon? I just lost my innocence. Where are the consumer advocates? And why in the tight-run race between Nikon and Canon does the Canon Mothership not see a chance to score some serious points with professionals? Maybe I don’t even want to hear the answers…
Thus endeth the rant.
Hmm - Seems like rants are all the rage as of late. I feel your pain! Maybe Nikon will call with a sweet deal. But don’t hold your breath.
I think you’re right to rant David. Canon’s customer service has a poor reputation and, as we’ve discussed before, their CPS setup in the UK is laughable. The web site doesn’t work, the contact details on it are years out of date and, in my experience, it’s more of a hindrance to working professionals than a help.
I like Canon gear too and it’s been mostly reliable but my attachment to it begins and ends with the fact that it’s a tool of my trade. I honestly don’t care who makes it.
Your experience and the experience of others I’ve spoken to does make you wonder what Canon are playing at. Perhaps this is one of the reasons they’ve lost so much of the ground they had over Nikon a couple of years ago.
Let’s all go Holga and teach the big boys a lesson.
When you couple this with some of the quality control problems they’ve had recently, you gotta wonder what’s going on with Canon. Seems like they’re losing their grip, cutting expenses in all the wrong places.
I echo that sentiment. I’ve dealt with both Nikon and Canon customer service (although much more with Nikon), and I must say, Nikon probably has the best customer service of any company I’ve interacted with, camera related or not. It really surprises me that Canon hasn’t stepped up in this dept.
Nikon currently seems to be winning all of the battles but as one coworker mentioned to me yesterday, it will be years before Canon realizes it.
I think the problem, and this is purely conjecture, is a focus by Canon on the entry-level, consumer market. I get the feeling they are willing to sort of let the professional high-end market slip away, because they’d rather sell a million Digital Rebels and 18-200mm lenses to soccer moms than more pro gear. I wonder if their margins are bigger on the entry level stuff (likely, as the R&D that goes in to top level stuff works its way down into the smaller lines), so maybe it’s just a business decision.
Nikon is certainly becoming more and more attractive, and not just for their gear…
We had good service with Canon last year when I was havign my err99 issues. Great service over the phone trying to help me diagnose the issue just in case I didnt have to send it in and speedy service after having to send it in. But right now I need to send it in again for shutter button issues and this time I am out of warranty and I dont have all the paperwork yet to apply for the CPS program.And worst of all I dont have a solid backup right now. I am hoping and praying for service similar to my last round and that I get to post something here that may be a decent counter to the rant. Pray for me and my 30D.
I echo the experience, and the sentiments. Before a big doc shoot in Rwanda, I once had to have my 70-200 shipped back to me after 6 weeks on the bench at Canon. They had simply forgotten about it.
GKB, I think you may be on to something. I recently saw market data showing Nikon’s market share was very close to Canon’s when you include the consumer level cameras. So maybe that’s where Canon is focusing right now. It’d probably be cheaper for Canon to replace those cameras, under warranty, rather than repairing them. But whatever the reason(s), something’s clearly amiss with Canon.
My Dad recently took a lens into the service center here in Calgary because it had a dust bunny inside. With no questions asked they took, cleaned it, tested it and ended up replacing some parts related to the AF system, and sent it back in a week. He was very happy. I’m no fanboy either, but that one experience with Canon service was very good…
Sean - thanks for piping up. I don’t have an axe to grind with Canon, so it’s nice to hear a positive story. I only wish it were not so much the apparent exception to the rule…
I think you are sure right on with this posting. Canon L series lens are wonderful and I love my 5D but the service is just awful. The maze you have to go through to talk to anyone is a - maz -ing - and then once you do get a person the attitude is elitist and snotty. However I did get the camera body back in great working order. Thanks for doing this. Perhaps Canon will take note.
I haven’t had to do much with Pentax’ support, but the little contact I’ve had sort of assures me that I’m just lucky things keep working right. If Nikon has a better rep in customer service too, then that’s putting more pressure on me to jump ship. As if that D700 wasn’t temptation enough…
David:
I have to tell you I use Nikon and when my wife and I moved to the D300 she got one of the faulty ones. Went back to the Camera shop and the professional saleslady just wanted to know what was wrong and we had a new camera. Just keep thinking D700, but to change a syastem was costly, but I would if the service/caompany was that cocky.
Tell me about it. I am CPS and the service still sucks. I don’t get it either, Nikon is kinking butt with the D3, the SB900 etc. and Canon still acts like you’re a serial killer when you walk in to service with a $5000 piece of month old kit that doesn’t work.
You might not like ranting but I do, and I post it whenever I get a chance, check it out:
http://www.onewordphotography.com/blog/?p=124
http://www.onewordphotography.com/blog/?p=90
http://www.onewordphotography.com/blog/?p=42