Who Has Great Customer Service?

[Drew Bedo]

Who Has Great Customer Service?

My family has pointed out that I have had a lot of negative energy flowing lately. In an effort to pull back from that lets talk aboput companies with GREAT customer service. Not a thread for touting this or that product or brand as “The Best” , but to highlight those companies who offer high quality products, covered by a great warranty and supported by excellent customer service. It may not be necessary to be an active user, but direct experience would add to a recommendation.

[Drew Bedo]

I’ll start with LowePro.
I have two bags and have had a great experience with their customer service over a broken zipper.
LowePro
http://www.lowepro.com/support/warranty


I do not have any of this gear but I think I’ll get a few lens cases over time. They sound dedicated to great products and great service.

Anybody use their gear?

Photobackpacker
http://www.photobackpacker.com/home.php

[Heroique]

Ries treats me like I'm the company's president.

No, they're better than that...

During any call about their tripod products, I'm the King of the World.

-----
KEH is also up there. They may have sent me an incorrect item before, but after apologies, they usually ask me to keep it, in addition to sending me the correct item right away. This has included new and expensive 67mm filters.

[vinny]

Chamonix, or Hugo to be more specific.

[Preston]

Wacom: The folks who make the Intuos tablets. http://www.wacom.com/intuos/

Chromix; custom profiles, calibration gear : http://www.chromix.com/

Hugo Zhang, the Chamonix Camera man!

Puget Systems custom-built computers: http://www.pugetsystems.com/

--P

[E. von Hoegh]

McMaster-Carr. I've been buying from them since the 1980s, and they have been 100% in that time. The stuff gets here so fast it's eerie.

[Richard Wasserman]

+1 for McMaster-Carr They have always been the company I compare others to.

I used to have a business near downtown Chicago, and if I placed an order before 11am I would receive it by 3pm—every time. If by some fluke they were out of stock in their Chicago warehouse they would overnight the item from one of their other locations. Then there was the time I ordered 1 3gallon bucket, and they sent 1,000. We had a lot of buckets...




McMaster-Carr. I've been buying from them since the 1980s, and they have been 100% in that time. The stuff gets here so fast it's eerie.

[B.S.Kumar]

Betterlight.
Mike Collette answers emails promptly and explains everything in detail. He updates you regularly on service matters, and gives advice on all matters photographic. I corresponded extensively with him before buying my scanning back, and he made sure I understood what I was getting into. I had a problem with the hard disk in the control box, and he went through all the diagnostics with me to make sure it wasn't something that could be fixed by me without the expense of repair and shipping. During the course of that conversation, I mentioned that the cable I had was too long. Along with the replacement hard disk, he sent me a free short cable.

Kumar

[Peter York]

Really Big Cameras. Dealing with Kerry Thalmann was a pleasure.

[Ari]

Doug at BetterScanning is very good to deal with.
I've had nothing but excellent service from B&H, they make a sincere effort to accommodate Canadian customers.

[tgtaylor]

+ 1 for B&H.\

Lowepro recently replaced my AW backpack that was several years old with the latest model over a zipper problem. Similarly, Gregory replaced a sternum strap for one that had worn out from use.

Thomas

[Kevin Crisp]

Canham

Badger

[bob carnie]

I have always found B&H to have very good customer service....I hear Freestyle is pretty good as well.

[Preston]

Another vote for B&H and Badger.

[Scott Davis]

Bostick & Sullivan, for alt process chemistry. Where else can you call up on THEIR 800 number and have a 30+ minute conversation with the owners about this that and the other photo chemical, only to end up ordering a $5 brush or something equally cheap, and not be made to feel like you wasted their time?

[Brian Ellis]

Feisol and/or Kerry Thalman - Plastic tip on one of the tripod legs fell off, I asked for a replacement, within a couple days I had a whole box of them sent from Taiwan at no cost.

Marflex - Linhof customer service, it sometimes seems that Martin knows more about Linhof cameras than Linhof does. The work is always done right, on time, and well worth the cost.

SK Grimes - I have to put in a plug for the late Steve Grimes - a great guy and sorely missed. He was the only seller I've ever known who just sent things out without getting payment ahead of time. Hopefully the heirs to his business have followed in his footsteps, I haven't had occasion to deal much with them since Steve's death.

Nice thread by the way. We sometimes see so much griping that we forget there are still companies out there that put the customer first.

[douglas gove]

Ries and Badger

[BrianShaw]

eBay and PayPal

[John Kasaian]

Equinox Photographic, Jim at Midwest, Carol at Flutots, Badger Graphic, Freestyle, Photographer's Formulary, Versalab, Mr. Ritter, the late Peter Gowland---all great!

[E. von Hoegh]

eBay and PayPal

What sort of drugs are you on, where can I get some, and how much do they cost?

[BrianShaw]

What?

I have never had a significant problem with either, and was supported by both at times of need. I know it is an unpopular stand to take (and not everyone elses experience) but that has been my experience since 2005.

p.s. At the moment it is just caffeine.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Many of the companies that everyone has mentioned are great. I have been using Frame Destination for my 8 ply window mats and frames and everything when it comes to my framing needs. They are the best company I have ever dealt with. I have never ever had any problem in the over 6 years I have been using them. Their packing and shipping is second to none.

[tgtaylor]

Bostick & Sullivan, for alt process chemistry. Where else can you call up on THEIR 800 number and have a 30+ minute conversation with the owners about this that and the other photo chemical, only to end up ordering a $5 brush or something equally cheap, and not be made to feel like you wasted their time?

I enthusatically second this. My last order arrived with about $30 more of EDTA than I ordered. I called them up and Dana said not to worry about it.

Also, Badger has great CS and Jeff answers the phone.

Thomas

[Vaughn]

Bostick & Sullivan, for alt process chemistry. Where else can you call up on THEIR 800 number and have a 30+ minute conversation with the owners about this that and the other photo chemical, only to end up ordering a $5 brush or something equally cheap, and not be made to feel like you wasted their time?

I will agree with this! Great folks to work with. Great service from people who know what they are selling and how best to use it.

Vaughn

[Michael Graves]

Bostick & Sullivan, for alt process chemistry. Where else can you call up on THEIR 800 number and have a 30+ minute conversation with the owners about this that and the other photo chemical, only to end up ordering a $5 brush or something equally cheap, and not be made to feel like you wasted their time?

I see a lot of plugs for B&S here, and I have to report my only experience with them was quite negative. I ordered one of their bellows repair kits a couple of years back to fix the pinholes in my Toyo 810M. I followed the instructions to the letter. They said to leave the bellows open for at least 24 hours before closing them. I was heading out for a long weekend, so I did the repair in a Friday, left the camera on a tripod fully extended over the weekend and came back Monday night. There was no sense of tackiness, so I closed the camera up and stored it. The next weekend I figured I'd been without my baby for long enough so I took it out for a photo trip. The first time I opened the camera, the bellows were hermetically sealed together. When I called Bostick, their response was simply, "You didn't use it right." We went back and forth for quite some time. They basically treated me like an idiot, and I haven't done business with them since. I had Camera Bellows in England make me a new set and I've been happy since.

[desertrat]

I have never had a significant problem with either, and was supported by both at times of need. I know it is an unpopular stand to take (and not everyone elses experience) but that has been my experience since 2005.

p.s. At the moment it is just caffeine.

I've read enough threads about Ebay and Paypal to know they are very hard on sellers and favor buyers. Since I've only been a buyer, my experiences have been favorable. Ebay has got my money refunded on two occasions when flake sellers would not ship items, probably because they were out of these items and waiting for more to arrive. After playing tag with the sellers for over a month, I went to Ebay problem resolution and got my money back. In both cases they were high volume sellers whose supply of the items I ordered may have suddenly dried up.

Almost all the cameras, lenses, and most of the darkroom equipment I own was acquired via Ebay. If I waited for items like these to turn up locally, I'd still be waiting, and going to dealers of these items would have resulted in paying a lot more for the stuff I've bought.

[gliderbee]

What sort of drugs are you on, where can I get some, and how much do they cost?

Probably on ebay, to be paid with paypal. Very expensive.

[Alan Gales]

Ries, Berlebach, Badger Graphic, B&H, Amazon, Bruce Wehman (unfortunately he no longer makes the Wehman 8x10).

I have had great service from all of these.

[Peter De Smidt]

Jeff Taugner at Badger Graphic Sales, Bob Watkins at Precision Camera Works, and Gus Lazzari at TLC Camera Repair have all provided me with outstanding service.

[IHS]

Although I do not own one of their cameras anymore, Zhang Fuming (president of ShenHao) would always respond to my emails within a day, and was always able to provide me with answers (I guess it could of been a proxy typing on his behalf but none the less great customer service, and nice cameras).

[Roger Thoms]

Many of the companies that everyone has mentioned are great. I have been using Frame Destination for my 8 ply window mats and frames and everything when it comes to my framing needs. They are the best company I have ever dealt with. I have never ever had any problem in the over 6 years I have been using them. Their packing and shipping is second to none.

My experience too. In addition to great products their packing is hand down the best I have ever seen.

Roger

[MikeH]

Badger Graphics and The Icon Los Angeles (E6) are fantastic!

[cjbecker]

Photographers formulary is amazing to work with. Also talking to Bill Maxwell of maxwell screens is enjoyable. Talked to him for 30 mins and did not end up buying anything.

[Peter York]

No shout out for Light Impressions? :rolleyes:

[Daniel Stone]

Rochelle Burch @ DataChrome(E-6 processing)

she's a 1-person business, and she only does E-6 processing. She won't run film unless the chemistry's to spec(as any good lab should do). She's committed to film, and strives to get orders processed and shipped out the very same day(if possible). I usually get 2hr turnaround on my E-6 when I take it in, in-person.

give her a call, or send her some film. She loves getting new customers. Her prices aren't outrageous, but not rock bottom. But PERFECT E-6 processing is worth the cost IMO. One less thing to worry about. I haven't had any surge marks on my 8x10s or 4x5s, and she actually washes her racks with HOT water between runs(generally a cause of bubble marks on film, FYI). Ask most labs about washing their racks, and most will probably stand their scratching their heads...

here's her website, she also takes mail-order :)

http://data-chrome.com/


-Dan

[Alan Gales]

I can't believe I forgot Novatron. They have excellent customer service!

[Shootar401]

Hugo Zhang, the Chamonix Camera man!
--P

I thought that Chamonix cameras were made in China? Good customer service out of China? I'm confused.

[bob carnie]

Focal Point in Florida and Nymoc in Toronto both offer fantastic service.

[Noah A]

Definitely Aztek! They're extremely helpful even though I bought my scanner used from a different source.

Also, as others have said, Frame Destination is great. And I've always had good service from B&H.

[Scott Davis]

Canham Cameras. I bought my first Canham (a 5x7 wood field) pre-owned. It was probably already 5-6 years old when I got it. I had it maybe a couple weeks, and while reversing the back from vertical to horizontal, the wood flange that goes under the locking rib on the back started to split off. I contacted Jim at Midwest Photo where I purchased the camera. He contacted Keith Canham, who drop-shipped me a new back via FedEx at no charge, with the sole caveat that I send him the old back when I got home from my Argentina trip. Try getting that kind of support for a used car... or any other used camera for that matter. Hasselblad? Nope, not gonna happen... not even Linhof or Leica.

[Gem Singer]

I agree. Keith Canham and Jim Andraki are a team that's hard to beat for outstanding customer service.

(P.S. Neither one of them likes dealing with Bob S. See post below)

[Bob Salomon]

Don't bet on it!

[Peter De Smidt]

I really appreciate Bob Salomon's participation on the forum. Ime, he's always answered people's questions quickly and accurately.

[Vaughn]

I really appreciate Bob Salomon's participation on the forum. Ime, he's always answered people's questions quickly and accurately.

Agreed.

I am surprised with the negative feedback about Bostick and Sullivan. Truly great people/company. Guess no one is perfect, but they are close!

Vaughn

[Mark Sampson]

I'll vote for our own Richard Ritter... and Frank Marshman @ Camera Wiz.

[Frank Petronio]

All or most of the above (PayPal and eBay are a stretch), with an extra kudos for:

Bob Watkins at http://precisioncameraworks.com, one of the best large format camera repair (shutters/lenses, Noblex, Arca, Sinar, etc.) people around. Although Marflex and Frank Marshman are also excellent too!

Edgar Praus at http://www.4photolab.com for an excellent film and print lab, one of the last pro labs.

Another plus for Bob Salomon too!

[cdholden]

I really appreciate Bob Salomon's participation on the forum. Ime, he's always answered people's questions quickly and accurately.

I can't think of anyone who has done more to provide detailed info on LF (and some MF) gear. His posts number in the thousands across multiple forums, all available for you to search on the internet... FREE OF CHARGE! He has a pretty good track record of clear, concise responses. Some people can't even form a well worded question, yet he still finds time in his schedule to answer them. Some even bitch and complain that he doesn't respond fast enough... yet it's still on his time, taken away from doing his job or some other personal enjoyment.
I've never purchased a new camera or lens, so he's not even profited from my gains, yet I still find his helpful info whenever I browse the web to find details on a particular lens or accessory.
Bob, if you're reading this... THANKS!

Chris

[Scott Davis]

Canham Cameras. I bought my first Canham (a 5x7 wood field) pre-owned. It was probably already 5-6 years old when I got it. I had it maybe a couple weeks, and while reversing the back from vertical to horizontal, the wood flange that goes under the locking rib on the back started to split off. I contacted Jim at Midwest Photo where I purchased the camera. He contacted Keith Canham, who drop-shipped me a new back via FedEx at no charge, with the sole caveat that I send him the old back when I got home from my Argentina trip. Try getting that kind of support for a used car... or any other used camera for that matter. Hasselblad? Nope, not gonna happen... not even Linhof or Leica.

My comment about Linhof and Leica was not a dig at Bob Salomon. He's always been a very knowledgeable and positive contributor here.

[E. von Hoegh]

I can't think of anyone who has done more to provide detailed info on LF (and some MF) gear. His posts number in the thousands across multiple forums, all available for you to search on the internet... FREE OF CHARGE! He has a pretty good track record of clear, concise responses. Some people can't even form a well worded question, yet he still finds time in his schedule to answer them. Some even bitch and complain that he doesn't respond fast enough... yet it's still on his time, taken away from doing his job or some other personal enjoyment.
I've never purchased a new camera or lens, so he's not even profited from my gains, yet I still find his helpful info whenever I browse the web to find details on a particular lens or accessory.
Bob, if you're reading this... THANKS!

Chris

I concur heartily.

[Rolfe Tessem]

I would like to second the nomination of Bob Salomon above. He has always responded promptly to my inquiries over the years, even to the most mundane issues -- such as the part number for some obscure Gepe slide mount.

Well done, I say.

[Drew Bedo]

Snap-on Tools . . .Craftsman tools.

Both have a great warranty on wrenches.

[Tony Karnezis]

Jim Andracki at MPEX, Carol Flutot, Bob Salomon, Keith Canham, Bruce Wehman, Bencher/Majestic, Ries, Porter Case, and the late Peter Gowland and Steve Grimes.

[J D Clark]

Photobackpacker.com
I've purchased several backpacks in different sizes from Bruce at Photobackpacker.com -- always a pleasure, and always takes the extra step to make sure the pack fits comfortably, and you have what you need (I had to ask for the plus-sized waist belt...).

Bob Darby
Makes the Sexton-recommended "slosher" trays -- doesn't have a website that I know about, but if you ask for one, he'll send it without requiring money up front. Nice guy, I met him at one of the first two Silver Conferences in Pasadena. Bob Darby, 207-377-4744, darby1203@fairpoint.net

Badger Graphics

John Clark
www.johndclark.com

[John Koehrer]

Gerber Knives fast responders, and decent products.