Camera Store idiots...

[Don Parsons]

I went to one of the two remaining non-chain camera stores in town yesterday. It's quite a drive for me, probably 20 miles. About twice as far as their competitor, but they carry hahnemuhle paper and the other store doesn't.

I picked up the paper, some ink cartridges and went up front to get some "gasp" film. There were three girls behind the counter. I stood looking for a couple minutes at the few remaining stocks of film they had, and then stepped up to the cash register.

All three girls then went to the back of the store, leaving me and two other customers in stunned disbelief. :bang: There were no salesmen behind the counters, no one at the cash registers and only 1 employee helping with a person dropping off some files via the instaprint machine.

Later when I calmed down, I called the manager and explained what happened. He asked if they had been able to help me. I laughed at him. I told him when the store employees walk away from the register when I'm trying to pay, I wallk away from the store. He apologized and said "They're new". I told him it was managements fault them for not training them the obvious-help the customer.

I told him I would just order the stuff from B&H, it would be here tomorrow.
You try and help the local guys out, but when they walk away it's impossible.

I guess I won't be making that drive any more...

don

(Mods: Move this if it's in the wrong forum-thanks!)

[shadowfox]

Don, I've been trying to help local camera stores also, but most of them are so far down the slope it's beyond help. :)

In fact, if more of us buy film online from B&H or Adorama, we're forcing them to re-stock from the factories. Most local shops just want to get rid of their inventory and not order film anymore.

Sad, but I think it's true. The only local shop I frequent develops 120 within an hour or two, that's the only reason I went there.

[photogdave]

They were new. The manager apologized. Maybe he hasn't had time to train them properly. Maybe there was a reason they had to disappear at that time.
Yes that was poor customer service, but I find your reaction a little over the top. They are probably happy to have you shop at B&H.

[Nikon Bob]

don

I can see why you are upset. At a minimum, one of the clerks should have stayed at the cash register with customers waiting to pay. There should be no need to train sales staff for this situation. The right thing to do should be self evident to even a two year old.

Bob

[cmedin]

Don, I've been trying to help local camera stores also, but most of them are so far down the slope it's beyond help. :)


Sadly, I agree with you. As much as I want and try to support the few remaining locals, it's getting pretty difficult. The place near me stopped carrying Ilford films altogether, and don't seem to have any plans on replenishing the remaining Kodak stock. I wanted to get some contrast filters from them, and every week they were 'on order, should be here in a few days'. I wonder if that order even exists. The only thing they seem to be replenishing is Kodak chemicals.

[lic4]

For me, the local store is B&H, and for what it's worth, I've had extremely terrible customer service experiences there as well.

[cmogi10]

I'm in the exact opposite position, my local store is incredible, everytime I go in there I'm blown away with the personal level of customer service and knowledge the staff has. They go above and beyond any staff I've seen at any other store.
I guess I'm just lucky...
They also have a beautiful assortment of Leica stock for me to drool over.

And since im glowing, the store is Bergen County Camera in Westwood NJ, I've delt mostly with Rob and Paul and they've put up with me enough to have me as a customer for life.

[nikonhswebmaster]

B&H is my local store (20 min away), and believe me shopping there is not always pleasant. The whole store sort of walks away from you, since no one is really much interested in photography. If you found a couple of young stupid kids intolerable, you would have to go on a rampage at B&H.

Which is not to say you cannot find wonderful people at B&H, but the service is very "laid back," for want of a better way to put it. Sort of "You wanted to look at this camera? You like it? I have no idea, but lots of people buy it. OK -- can I make an order out for you? Do you need a filter for that?"

St. Louis used to have one of the best photo stores in the world, St. Louis Photo (before they moved and were bought by Wolf Photo). A totally professional store, where I bought my first Nikon RF motor drive and my first Leitz enlarger, and all the photogs from the Post Dispatch bought their gear (also once a great paper with a Pictures Magazine).

I assume you were at Schillers, never a hot spot for cameras.

[rogue_designer]

thank god for Central Camera in Chicago.

We have Helix and Calumet as well, but Central is still tops when it comes to customer service.

Sorry to hear about your experience Don.

[nikonhswebmaster]

Ah Central. It used to be the second stop in Chicago. First you went to Altmans, where all the pro gear was on display, then you went to Central to see if you could buy it used.

I bought a Nikon 1000 6.3 at Helix, maybe the best find of any purchase I have ever made. Flew to Chicago from NYC, when I saw it in their catalog, they were amazed I flew in, and VERY nice to me (maybe they thought I was crazy?)

[Joe Brugger]

My closest shop is trying hard, stocking all the new stuff, but it must be an uphill battle. At best there's one person at the sales counter and maybe another at the film/processing counter.
The 'big store' across town seems to be busy most of the time, with pretty decent help once you get their attention.
Friends at both shops -- one matches prices -- say a lot of one-timers come in, ask a million questions about some product, and then disappear forever.
The slacker service problem isn't just photo shops, though -- it happens in all retail.

[flippyot]

If you didn't say something to them (if you did you didn't mention it in your story), then you are over reacting to the situation. Yeah they should have recognized that you were going to make a purchase but not all peopel are bestowed with common sense.

I've travled the world over twice and I've dealt with my share of problems, I was once yelled out of a store for asking if the owner might consider selling his expired film at a lower price (I mean he was pricing it as if iit were new...) If you're not proactive in trying to get what you want then you are not going to get what you want, simple as that.

[Anupam Basu]

I agree that B&H sucks as a shopping experience. Why pay NYC taxes in-store and get bad customer service in the bargain? I just order online. Central Camera is just the opposite - lovely lovely store but I wish their web front was a bit more organized. Most smaller stores suffer from hourly wage part-timers who know a few platitudes about zoom factors and megapixels. Not really their fault but it makes shopping an unpleasant experience.

-A

[Al Patterson]

My loacl store in Delaware, Cameras Etc., is a really great store. They carry and develop film. Customer service is top shelf.

As for Bergen County Camera, I went there a few weeks back and it is also a great place. More staff on site than at Cameras Etc., but then again I think more people live in Bergen County than in the entire state of Delaware.

[cmogi10]

My loacl store in Delaware, Cameras Etc., is a really great store. They carry and develop film. Customer service is top shelf.

As for Bergen County Camera, I went there a few weeks back and it is also a great place. More staff on site than at Cameras Etc., but then again I think more people live in Bergen County than in the entire state of Delaware.

Hah I wouldn't be surprised, Bergen county has a ton of people crammed into a less then large area

[jack palmer]

If you didn't say something to them (if you did you didn't mention it in your story), then you are over reacting to the situation. Yeah they should have recognized that you were going to make a purchase but not all peopel are bestowed with common sense.

I've travled the world over twice and I've dealt with my share of problems, I was once yelled out of a store for asking if the owner might consider selling his expired film at a lower price (I mean he was pricing it as if iit were new...) If you're not proactive in trying to get what you want then you are not going to get what you want, simple as that.


Over reacting? would it be over reacting to ask that your hamburger be cooked when you order it or to get the correct change back or any other service that you expect as a paying customer. If I want to be "proactive" I would cook it myself. Should he have to wait on himself. unbelieable

[nikonhswebmaster]

Over reacting? would it be over reacting to ask that your hamburger be cooked when you order it or to get the correct change back or any other service that you expect as a paying customer. If I want to be "proactive" I would cook it myself. Should he have to wait on himself. unbelieable

Boy do I agree with that.

These days I cannot believe that stores actually ask me if I would like to order something? They actually believe that I would rather make another trip to their store rather than have my nice UPS man Joe, bring it to my door.

These days stores are mostly for clothing, the rest I see because one of my friends owns it. I would never be the first to buy a camera. I am going to pay attention to forums like this, and what my friends have, before I buy. For me there is no such thing as an impulse camera buy.

I now even buy clothes online, because they have my size. The Gap for instance only sells TALL on the web.

[jan normandale]

Toronto is fortunate to have a good selection of camera retailers,

• Henry’s
• Downtown Camera
• Vistek
• Wongs
• West End
• Toronto Image Works for Lab / film work
• Pitko for Lab / film work

[sooner]

I see the problem not so much about a camera store but service in general. Isn't this partly the same as people who let the door slam on you behind them or don't thank you when you hold the door for them and their family? The only problem with my local pro lab is the sales people generally act conceited, as if I'm not serious enough to step foot in there or chat them up. I would say you can't necessarily judge a store from one encounter, but then again if it were my store I would make dang sure my people were trained because great service is the only competitive advantage of the brick and mortar camera stores anymore.

[dmr]

Obvious customer service issue. My guess is that the employees were not really in tune with the level of service which is expected at a camera shop. A little bit more than "... ya want fries with that?"

At the local indie shop here (one of three branches) they always have 2 people staffing the film and processing counter and there is seldom a wait. There are, of course, always a couple over at the expensive stuff counter, and it seems like there's usually one just walking the floor and assisting as needed.

If they were just a wee bit more competitive with the common films, I would give them more business.

Speaking of which ...

thank god for Central Camera in Chicago.

I finally got to Central Camera last month, after passing it umpteen million times. Picked up the new Velvia 50 to try.

They aren't cheap, but I did notice that the level of customer service was high. Even though it was semi-busy, there was not really much waiting. I just made eye contact with a salesman who finished with another, stepped up, and he knew exactly what I wanted.

My guess is that Central Camera has a strong local customer base, and they would not keep that without good service.

[Trius]

I see the problem not so much about a camera store but service in general.

I couldn't agree with this more. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but there seems to be a culture of indifference (to say the least) and entitlement rampant. I do find exceptions, of course, but the number of (young) employees who exude an attitude that you are somehow inconveniencing them to expect them to stop chatting each other up, talking on their cell phones, etc., to provide even the minimum of attention ... is absolutely astounding.

[nikonhswebmaster]

I see the problem not so much about a camera store but service in general. Isn't this partly the same as people who let the door slam on you behind them or don't thank you when you hold the door for them and their family? The only problem with my local pro lab is the sales people generally act conceited, as if I'm not serious enough to step foot in there or chat them up. I would say you can't necessarily judge a store from one encounter, but then again if it were my store I would make dang sure my people were trained because great service is the only competitive advantage of the brick and mortar camera stores anymore.

Oh I think it is completely the store management. I am always amazed at how nice the workers at my Lowes in Brooklyn are. One day recently one guy kind of brushed us off and we made such a fuss laughing about him that two others came up and helped us. Now Lowes draws on the same labor pool as everyone else in Brooklyn, but they have nicer workers...

Ditto with the Apple store in SOHO, of course a little snotty, and a little private school, but they are trained to be that way. Apple wants a certain type of worker attitude and they get it. Smart and snotty, as though your kid, who is a med student, is working there as an intern, very helpful in a "you are so yesterday" kind of way.

If you want horrible workers, you can "train" workers to be awful, look what a good job Best Buy and Circuit City do at it.

[photobizzz]

As I remember it (15 years ago) when I was in the market for a "retail" job the management was very intent on insuring that customer service was a priority. I have experienced the same "indifference" that you all have more than once. In my opinion it stems from a general decline in socital morals. If we do not teach our children respect for others it bleeds over into all aspects of their personality including their professional lives, retail or otherwise.

[endustry]

Try getting prints made at a Duane Reade in New York City. Any Duane Reade. You will lose all faith in humanity within five minutes.

[nikonhswebmaster]

Try getting prints made at a Duane Reade in New York City. Any Duane Reade. You will lose all faith in humanity within five minutes.


Well lets be fair. Something went terribly wrong with the transporter that was used to beam the workers from east Asia, and they are all captured currently in some kind of time rift, which makes their movement appear very slow. They are actually moving very quickly, but are still in Asia half the time.

Remember "Wink Of An Eye" episode 68?

--

[nikonhswebmaster]

In my opinion it stems from a general decline in socital morals.

Not from where I sit...

It seems far better than when I was a kid (40s~50s), but then I don't actually live in the US anymore, but am in Brooklyn.
___

[lZr]

I do things different. To be honored, one will visit the store periodically. Then you will be known and given discounts. Also, better to preorder films and ask the seller to phone you, when the stock is available. Do your C41 films developed here and take initiatives and challenge the store with items you need. Shoot the girls and print in the store some gorgeous results. Be a leader. I think this can help.
B&H is for me and guys far away. I pay $40 for shipment to get items I can't find.

[David Murphy]

I see this sort of thing happen a lot in stores staffed by low paid teenagers. There will be four people lolly gagging around, and maybe one employee helping customers (it often seems that the only competent employee will be a 20'ish woman who is the sort-of a mother/manager type).

The other thing I hate are stores that have computer systems that force employees to enter all sorts of data into a register or terminal just to complete a sale. Sometimes the employees can't handle the intricacies of this and your time is wasted while they fetch help. This is an example of marketers and bean counters screwing around with our time and getting into our business for their own convenience with little thought given to how the customer perceives this interference. Radio Shack comes to mind here.

[otaku]

my local store is great they've been in business for 60 years and have five locations. I'd love to work there-they're all photographers and know their stuff. I work at two department stores selling cameras and sadly am considered THE camera guy (I'm not very good at all which is why its sad!) I am passionate and care about what I do though so I think thats what helps.

[nikonhswebmaster]

I do things different. To be honored, one will visit the store periodically. Then you will be known and given discounts.

This does work. Or just be infamous like I am, I think they are afraid of me at B&H. Small stores like Kurland in NYC really work best if you get to know the staff.

The old days are over however. There is only one place left in NYC where I browse behind the counters, and just hang out, there used to be 20.

[fdigital]

My local store, Camera House on in Maroochydore, sunshine coast are the biggest bunch of douchebags and crooks I have ever met in my life.

I have probably spent about $5000 in gear there in the last 1.5 years. My father has bought his gear there. I go in to get e6 stuff developed (they send it to someone else) but it comes back nice. I won't get 35mm developed there, the film staff have absolutely a) no regard for film and b)no idea about film. They honestly don't know the difference between velvia 100 and tmax 100. The last time I took them my 35mm negs, they left them on the drying rack out in the open overnight and then the next morning when I came to pick them up, the guy just strode over, picked up the negs like you'd pick up a hamburger and while rolling them up on top of a counter, actually LEANED on the side of the counter, squashing the film between him the wood as he rolled it.

It doesn't end there either. The sales staff are actually sleazy and to be honest quite stupid. Considering I've spent quite a bit there, I feel that I have at least some of a right to be able to do things like pop a card in a camera before I buy it/handle a camera I'm considering/ask them for information on upcoming cameras/lenses etc. The first sign of trouble they gave me, I went in to buy a canon 70-200 f4L that day. They had one in stock, and wanted 1499 for it. The night earlier I had seen one for 1199 in a Brisbane chain store. I told Camera House that I wanted it for that price seeing as though the other store had it for that price. They dropped the price to 1250 and wouldn't budge lower. I ended up going to brisbane and the nice people there actually gave me the lens for $1050.

The next incident I can think of was when I was very seriously looking at a new 5d. I turned up at Camera house, asked a little about it, explained that I was looking to buy in a few days and asked if I could pop a memory card into the demo model they had to examine the images at home. Their reply, in their own words:

"You can touch that camera if you give me your credit card and let me charge $3500 for it."

I could understand that attitude if I constantly went in there and tried everything, but never bought. But considering how much money they've made off me - it's just rude and pathetic.

So, now I go to Brisbane for everything.

[ClaremontPhoto]

There are very few camera stores anywhere near me.

The local one morphed into a wedding studio, and then morphed again into a luxury leather goods store. The last thing I asked for was a 49mm lens cap about five years ago, and I'm still waiting!

Luckily all along they have kept the minilab out back and can still develop my C41 film. But for how much longer?

[Ronald M]

Do you really need to train them to not do that. This is what you get for min wage I guess.

A fw years back i went in a local frame store. The sales person just went to the rear to take a cell phone booty call. I could hear most of it. After 3 minutes we left and lost $300 in business. Never been back.

One local food store refused to man the registers. you know the drill, 10 registers, 1 manned, 50 people in line.
i just left the full cart and walked out. Can you imagine having to put all that food back? There was no frozen or meat to spoil. After a month or so the customers cured them.

[sweathog]

The other thing I hate are stores that have computer systems that force employees to enter all sorts of data into a register or terminal just to complete a sale.

I have to do that at work. Any sale over £100 and it flashes it up. I hate it, my colleagues hate it, the customers hate it. Blooming ridiculous it is.

[Al Patterson]

Well lets be fair. Something went terribly wrong with the transporter that was used to beam the workers from east Asia, and they are all captured currently in some kind of time rift, which makes their movement appear very slow. They are actually moving very quickly, but are still in Asia half the time.

Remember "Wink Of An Eye" episode 68?

--

Obscure Star Trek trivia? Now I've seen it all on RFF.

Live long and prosper...

[Solinar]

I hope that my sole remaining locally owned camera store isn't are so far down the slope that it's beyond help. Independent camera and photography retailers are a bit old-school. There is one left in the center of Austin where there once were four.

We as consumers have instant expectations - which doesn't dovetail too well with the old "high street" concept of retailing where one customer is served at a time and most goods are behind glass. Even the film is behind the counter at my local independent camera retailer.

The big box stores have taken their toll. I was once in a Costco discount store where they had a pallet full of Nikon D80's with the kit lens. It was all completely self-serve and then you needed to wait in line at the centralized check out. What struck me as odd, was that the time my local independent would have been fortunate to receive 10 of the above kits from Nikon and that Costco was selling them for only a bit above wholesale by the gross.

I'll miss both my locally owned bicycle shop and photography store if they ever close. Neither are an in and out type of errand, but both employ staff that are more knowledgeable than one finds at the corporate chain stores.

[Pherdinand]

there could have been no reason for all three to leave.
If there was a fire they should have told the customers.
If there was a blood puddle to wash up, two can do that, and one can stay to help out customers.
Ex-customers, actually.

You are right, it's annoying, you did the right thing.

[nikonhswebmaster]

there could have been no reason for all three to leave.
If there was a fire they should have told the customers.
If there was a blood puddle to wash up, two can do that, and one can stay to help out customers.
Ex-customers, actually.

You are right, it's annoying, you did the right thing.

We go to the bathroom together because we're doing coke.
-- Sara Silverman

[M. Valdemar]

That was the perfect opportunity to quietly walk with your stuff, and not pay.

[nikonhswebmaster]

Obscure Star Trek trivia? Now I've seen it all on RFF.

Live long and prosper...

For this particular thread this would be more appropriate:

By Grabthar's hammer... what a saving.

[endustry]

The other thing I hate are stores that have computer systems that force employees to enter all sorts of data into a register or terminal just to complete a sale. Sometimes the employees can't handle the intricacies of this and your time is wasted while they fetch help. This is an example of marketers and bean counters screwing around with our time and getting into our business for their own convenience with little thought given to how the customer perceives this interference. Radio Shack comes to mind here.

What bugs me is the pervasiveness of all of these membership cards for different shops that don't even actually seem to pay any dividends. I'm constantly asked if I have one and when I say no, I have to deal with a minute long upsell speech to "join" and/or I get stuck behind someone in line filling out an application for one and all I want to do do is pay for my kitty kibble and go home. I think more and more performance incentives are being shifted to this sort of work and so there is much less emphasis on basic niceties or customer service. If a kid signs up twenty new customers, he will be rewarded for that quantifiable return on his/her service to the store. Smiles and pleasantries are comparably vaporous as they lead to no quantifiable reward.

I generally understand that abysmal service here in Manhattan is largely a byproduct of the extreme income gap as well as the lower attention span of today's youth. Kids from the housing projects are pretty much the only people available to work for peanuts on this island. Likewise, such people have no incentive to exhibit a strong work ethic (hell, I wouldn't either.) As for camera shops, the only places where I have noted a similar dynamic are Alkit and some of the Ritz Camera locations around town. Some of the hole-in-the-wall 1 Hour labs are also staffed in this way and experience has taught me to never go into one with even moderate expectations.

[pvdhaar]

What bugs me is the pervasiveness of all of these membership cards for different shops that don't even actually seem to pay any dividends...
Really annoying indeed. The constant barrage of 'are you already in our customer database?' questions. Kills the whole shopping experience..

But even worse are the customer cards that you first need to cough up money for in order to attain the 'privilege' to be entered in the customer database..

I'm afraid it'll only go downhill from here..

[oftheherd]

Luckily there are some good ones in the NOVA area. Two I know of are Penn's, at least in the Springfield, VA area. They are very good and know their business. Dominion in Falls Church, VA are great too. In fact, maybe a little better than Penns.

[M. Valdemar]

I cheerfully always volunteer completely erroneous information, often verging on insane.

When you have to electronically sign those little credit card terminals, I never sign my real name. Lately, I've been using "Fred Mertz". I've used names like "Haystacks Calhoun" and "Master Bates".

Not once has anyone looked or verified the name I used.


Really annoying indeed. The constant barrage of 'are you already in our customer database?' questions. Kills the whole shopping experience..

But even worse are the customer cards that you first need to cough up money for in order to attain the 'privilege' to be entered in the customer database..

I'm afraid it'll only go downhill from here..

[M. Valdemar]

Ah, for the days of "Radio Row" far downtown or the camera shops in the West 30's. Gone forever.

Even Canal Street is drying up.

Anyone remember the real old-time pawn shops? Like Mr. Hiller in the East 20's or that crazy old guy in that pawn shop further downtown on 3rd Avenue. Can't remember his name now. Used to spend all day there. He would tell me what kind of a customer a person would be by his coat and shoes.

PS: You're talking about Andy's store, right?

This does work. Or just be infamous like I am, I think they are afraid of me at B&H. Small stores like Kurland in NYC really work best if you get to know the staff.

The old days are over however. There is only one place left in NYC where I browse behind the counters, and just hang out, there used to be 20.

[nikonhswebmaster]

Ah, for the days of "Radio Row" far downtown or the camera shops in the West 30's. Gone forever.

Even Canal Street is drying up.

Anyone remember the real old-time pawn shops? Like Mr. Hiller in the East 20's or that crazy old guy in that pawn shop further downtown on 3rd Avenue. Can't remember his name now. Used to spend all day there. He would tell me what kind of a customer a person would be by his coat and shoes.

PS: You're talking about Andy's store, right?

yep Andy's. I used to do his web site, so I am pretty much a permanent member of what is left of the club.

New York City is the last of the small towns left in the US. All the business in most cities and true small towns have been totally destroyed by Walmart.

I don't think outsiders can really imagine what it was like here after you got someone's trust as a collector.

Wall Street camera let me go though all their stock all the time, and I paid them back by buying and buying and selling.

I would go to Camera Barn on Broadway and 32 and sit on the floor behind the counters going through drawers.

Olden was tougher to crack, but Bobby gave in finally, and let me in on amazing treasures, new M2s bought when Altmans closed in Chicago, new Nikon RF.

Ken Hansen was like going to a clubhouse for photographers, you would meet everyone there. I did a web site for him also.

Collectors today wonder at how we were able to build such amazing collections, without ebay, well we had FRIENDS, guys we bought from, who gave us their home phone numbers, and did not sell us the crap that passes for collectible stuff on eBay now.

We are losing ground in NYC. But there are still pockets of small town left. I was at Trackstar (http://www.trackstarnyc.com/) a bicycle shop on the lower east side, a few days ago. It was filled with guys and girls sitting around talking about bikes, some college kid was even doing homework! Track bikes everywhere jumbled on the floor. Reminded me why NYC is still the best place in the US to live WITH other humans.

Here is a really outdated article I wrote on shopping in NYC photo stores...
http://www.nikonhs.org/article_archive/shopping.html

[photogdave]

One thing I have learned in my life is that there are two sides to every story. For every moan about the service at store X there may be two or ten praises. Every situation is different.
There may have been valid reasons for the situation that occured in the original post. Maybe one of the girls was going to replenish the float and the other girls was in training and followed her. Maybe they incorrectly assumed that the one employee on the floor was helping the customer. How long did he wait before he left? The manager tried to rectify the situation with an apology and was insulted for his effort.
I play the devil's advocate here because I have been on the receiving end of a couple of internet forum smears agains the store I work at.
A customer bought equipment worth about $7000 and used it for a month. Then he called in to say he was not happy with it and he couldn't get it to work right. He came back to the store and we went over a few procedures and techniques to help him get up and running, and exchanged some components for some others that may have been more suitable for his needs.
After another week he contacted me to say that he still wasn't happy and wanted to return it all for a full refund. I explained to him that this couldn't happen, that he could exchange the equipment at full value for something else or he could have a refund less a restocking fee. (Unlike some stores, mine will not take back equipment any old time and resell it as new to the next customer.) He then says it's a technical problem with the equipment and wants it fixed, so I then explained the warranty policy which states that the equipment has to be returned to the manufacturer for evaluation, and that we would be happy to do that on his behalf at no extra charge (even though it is the owner's responibility to ship equipment to the manufacturer.)
Well the customer blew his top and the next day I received an ultimatum by email saying he wanted his money refunded to his credit card by noon that day or else...
Later I come across a post on a forum related to this type of product where this gentleman presents completely inaccurate information about this situation and makes very unkind remarks about the store and myself. Of course no one questions his story and everyone jumps on the band wagon saying the store was wrong, he should sue them, give me the name of that guy and I'll call him up and tell him off, let's spread the word and make sure no one ever shops there again, etc.
Luckily I saw all this unfolding right before my eyes and I was able to jump in, identify myself as the ignorant jerk who screwed the customer, and explain my side of the story. Tunes changed pretty fast after that, my reputation was salvaged, the poster was mildly chastised and the moderator removed the entire post.
So to make a long story short, what was my point? I don't think it's really fair to slag off stores, or anything or anyone who's reputaion may be damaged, on an internet forum where they may not be able to defend themselves. Especially since we are only getting one side of the story.
I appreciate that the original poster of this thread did not name any names in his telling. I agree he did get some bad service there but think he may have over reacted a little. This rant was not directed at him specifically or anyone else who has replied with their tales of woe in retail. I guess it's more of a general reminder not to make assumptions without all the information.

[ClaremontPhoto]

My local minilab is the other side of a busy road.

So I take my film to the cafe where the minilab people go to have coffee.

Later the negatives and CD are dropped off at the cafe.

We sort out payment later.

Great customer service. Real small town way of doing business.

[M. Valdemar]

Fred, you met me at Andy's about 7 or 8 months ago but I'm not sure you remember.

I wasn't as fervent a collector as you, but I was pretty well known at the pawn shops. That one on lower Third Avenue, oh my god. The guy had an upstairs suite of rooms and a few big safes. He'd let me look around.

THOUSANDS of rare cameras, with original tags on them. Some brand new, or dripping with rare lenses and attachments. Some going back to the 1930's. (This was in the 70's and early 1980's). He never wanted to sell, you had to pry one from his hands.

A girl once came in and wanted a trade for some piece of junk. "I only have a Rollei to trade" she said, and pulled out a pristine wide angle Rollei.

"Only a Rollei".

My father owned a small camera store in the Bronx in the early 1950's. Weegee was a big customer, would come in to buy film.

One day he walked in and my father showed him the newest thing.....the first Polaroid.

I was an infant. Weegee held me in his lap, with cigar in his mouth, and my father snapped a photo. I still have it.

Weegee used to give my father a copy (with his stamp and slug) of any photo he took that he liked. My father threw them in a box.

My mother didn't like them because they were mostly horrible dead people or fires. They got a little smell of mildew in the 1970's (my parents were then living on LI), and she tossed the whole box in the garbage, hundreds of prints.

It could have funded their retirement. I was beside myself when I found out. Even then, I knew they were extremely valuable.

[mtbbrian]

You can always order from my local camera shop, www.pictureline.com (http://www.pictureline.com), their customer service is most excellent.
They sell a good mix of both film and digital items.
Brian

[rogue_designer]

Weegee used to give my father a copy (with his stamp and slug) of any photo he took that he liked. My father threw them in a box.

My mother didn't like them because they were mostly horrible dead people or fires...and she tossed the whole box in the garbage, hundreds of prints.

Holy crap!

Nice story, a great personal photographic history - and an unfortunate end.

[dmr]

My father owned a small camera store in the Bronx in the early 1950's. Weegee was a big customer, would come in to buy film.

One day he walked in and my father showed him the newest thing.....the first Polaroid.

I was an infant. Weegee held me in his lap, with cigar in his mouth, and my father snapped a photo. I still have it.

Weegee used to give my father a copy (with his stamp and slug) of any photo he took that he liked. My father threw them in a box.

OMG, a true brush with greatness! I'm jealous! :)

Two books I remember very well from when I started getting into photography were Weegee's People and Weegee's World.

[palker]

LOL, Americans and your service! you should try living in France, I've seen the waiter go for a cig break whilst my food sat on the counter going cold! I got up to get it and got an earful from the waiter when he came back. LOL. At the time I was pissed, and I'm sure I'd have been pissed too if I were in your shoes, but I'd have probably taken the film and then not gone back, a long way to go for nothing :(

[nikonhswebmaster]

OMG, a true brush with greatness! I'm jealous! :)

Two books I remember very well from when I started getting into photography were Weegee's People and Weegee's World.

Ah brushing with greatness the advantage of living here, but also the disadvantage. Sometimes it seems impossible to compete, the greatness is actually at times oppressive. A friend has a show at the Whitney, and it makes you take stock of your work -- hopefully in a positive way.

The Weegee comment made me make a mental list of famous creative people I have had drinks or dinner, or friendship with. NYC is an amazing place.

LOL, Americans and your service! you should try living in France, I've seen the waiter go for a cig break whilst my food sat on the counter going cold! I got up to get it and got an earful from the waiter when he came back. (

I would have just told him to f__k off.

__

[ClaremontPhoto]

THOUSANDS of rare cameras, with original tags on them. Some brand new, or dripping with rare lenses and attachments.

There's a store in my city, about ten minutes away.

nico has been there and knows it too.

The guy has many rangefinder cameras: but not for sale.

I think nico tried to buy a Yashica GSN (or similar) and the guy wouldn't sell it.

[bobkonos]

I had a similar experience to Don's, only at an art supplies/framinmg store where I went to buy blank card stock and envelopes. I was standing in line to pay, two employees were helping two sets of customers, and while I was waiting another employee poked her head out from behind the back room door, looked at me, and closed the door-never came out to help. I put the stuff away, copied down the brand and style number, went home and ordered it at a much better price than the store could ever offer. We do not go to retail stores because we like paying retail; we go for customer service.

[photogdave]

I had a similar experience to Don's, only at an art supplies/framinmg store where I went to buy blank card stock and envelopes. I was standing in line to pay, two employees were helping two sets of customers, and while I was waiting another employee poked her head out from behind the back room door, looked at me, and closed the door-never came out to help. I put the stuff away, copied down the brand and style number, went home and ordered it at a much better price than the store could ever offer. We do not go to retail stores because we like paying retail; we go for customer service.
Again, overreaction. Maybe that employee was on a break. maybe she was doing inventory and wasn't supposed to be on a till.
So you had to wait in line another minute or so? This make you boycott the store? It's not the end of the world!
I think some people's expectations of customer service are unrealistic. Not every employee at every store is at every customer's immediate beck and call.

[40oz]

It's funny. I could write pages about both my gripes and praises about my local shops. I have no problem finding what I need, and plenty of used gear to keep me happy. It's like for every issue there is a matching benefit. I guess I'm just willing to make peace with the people that support my habit.

[Keith]

Interesting thread ... but the title could be more subtle! :rolleyes:

[literiter]

Serving people are usually flesh and blood like myself. They will have issues with the world just like myself. I generally expect this when I shop. I do not expect people to kiss my butt when I shop. When I'm looking for film, I want film, I really don't need to have my ass kissed. I've never gotten attitude when I shop with this philosophy.

My wife and I have a small, somewhat upscale picture framing shop. We cater to all kinds of people and I must say that 99% of our customers respect us as we respect them. We do the job we agree to do, often we do a little extra. We enjoy what we do and we are very good at it. This is out 24th year.

Some time ago I returned from a trip downtown and found a customer really berating one of our employees (Sue) about our pricing. Sue was visibly upset and I think, on the verge of tears. (Sue has been with us for over 6 years and has an impeccable record.) The customer did not speak to me in the same tone as he did her, but in a way that suggested Sue was less of a person than us and spoke of her as if she were not there. He would not speak to me as he did her. Sue did not deserve this.

We are very fond of our employees.

When I examined the issue it was clear the customer had to leave so I kicked the bugger out of the store much to his wide eye'd disbelief. There have been other times.......

Don't misunderstand me, Im grateful when a client comes in the door. That person is the source of my income but if they wish to dump on us for some picayune detail they should darken my competition's door.