Please do not tell me " I told you so" kodak 6850 with a new sensor board comes up with paper jam, sorted after a few goes re loading paper.
But what got me up set was the printer that I have been relying on the kodak 605 only worked for about hour with sensor error 05, 08 and mech error...
And with the venue management telling us we had to pack up our studio early because there security had to go home, we lost a lot of money, including the charity CRY...
Walter
Don't let anyone tell you different. This kind of "stuff" happens to us all. Chill, take a deep breath and start all over again. More than this, learn from your mistakes and NEVER take it personally.
One other thing. Not all of us can cart around a spare printer as a backup ( the small HiTI's are a great option to consider) if the main one fails but that alone should not stop you from shooting and making money. Use your web gallery to sell. Inform your customers that pictures will be put on the web ASAP after the event and that for the 1st 24 hours you will sell for the exact same price as those of your on-the-night prices (excluding P&P).
Hope this helps.
Steph
If you are saying you have "lost" your relationship with the charity then there is surely an underlying reason for this? I would find it hard to believe that a charity would see the situation at this gig as a slight on your own services??? Were you on a percentage to the charity basis? Did you pay the percentage or contribution anyway based on your actual turnover?
B
In 2010 does institutional Brands really matter like Kodak, Co Cola, Nike etc, If a product or service is fit for purpose and it meet your needs, does it really matter that it is not one of the International Brands.
When some of these Bran...ds are not really bothered about you any more as a person, just your money.
I recently had dealing with a International Brand and all they were concerned about, was me shouting off on face book. I contacted customer service last Monday and I got a phone call back telling me that an engineer would be calling me to deal with the sensor errors on my printer... I am still waiting...
As soon as the money is there I will be investing in another Brand that is fit for purpose....
They will not miss my English Pounds any way since they are more concern about the domestic market than the professional market....
Contact Kodak last monday and I am still waiting for a phone call... Guess I will have to make my thoughts known on face book again...
Why not give them the benefit of another call? They might have a genuine reason for not getting back to you.
I can't imagine a global brand would be that worried about a few comments on facebook to be honest. I would concentrate on trying to resolve the issue rather than posting on facebook to be honest. Front page of the Times maybe....
I know how frustrating it can be when a supplier doesn't give a damn but the good thing is that they will lose customers in the long run and everything tends to find it's own level.
If you problems have been that bad then give the business to a brand / supplier that does care.
Good luck
Stu
www.systeminsight.co.uk
Staurt,Originally Posted by systeminsight
actually facebook is one of the ways that companies are learning to react to along with youtube etc. as some of these public campaigns are seen by more people in a shorter space of time than any other method of communication. It is time for us all to get social networking savvy.
Mike
Anyone who has been in the business of photography for the last 30 or more years will tell you that unfortunately Kodak do have a bad reputation for response.
To be honest with you Walter the best opportunities you have to get 'personal' with Kodak is to find them at a trade event , like say Focus, and find someone toward the top of the pecking order. The only problem now is that the Kodak stands tend to be manned by Tetenal reps. However if they are fronting for the brand, then they will do. I would say that your approach to anyone on a stand needs to be done very professionally , reps worst fears are irate users coming toward them with a rage on. A 'quiet', polite and measured chat , perhaps away from the front of the stand may produce some results.
It does seem that Kodak have really distanced themselves with professional working photographers, and their main concentration is now very much the consumer market, with things like cameras, and inkjet printers - hence the recent run of ads on tv.
With regard to using Facebook , or other social networking sites, I find that worrying. It opens up a Pandoras Box of problems. We will end up with companies getting contracted companies keeping an eye on what is happening with stage managed responses. We then move to the next stage- what happens when this tactic no longer produces results? , do we get baying crowds with flaming torches outside company buildings?
I wonder if people really understand what is happening with the great 'wonder' of the internet? By defaulting to the net for customer interface, the big companies , are in effect increasing their distance from the customer- and we are playing right into their hands ( I am talking here as a consumer, not a company rep). Offices shut , real company reps are dispensed with , contracted agencies are brought in to give planned corporate responses.
Walter's situation is at the moment , I think a rarity. Other concerns like say Mitsubishi are generally very pro-active, especially with the event guys.
Mike,
The big I worry I have about these sites when it comes to customer service is how open to abuse they are, as to a point a complainant or perhaps competitor might use it just to cause trouble.
There are people out there who will use such a tactic as a first line of complaint, you know the chav who buys let's say a camera, gets it home and it's DOA?
The store is now closed and there may not be a CS line open to complain, so they jump on Facespace, Mybook and start whining, the damage is now done.
I've had a complaint on one of these sites that I've been able to have removed because of the abusive language used, not because the complaint was inaccurate or unreasonable, they don't seem to care about that!
Now I know you are all wondering what was the complaint? 3 Day Rowing Event in Scotland this year, a disgusting language attack with threats of injury because photos were not on the web site at 1630 hrs on Day 2, while the event was still in progress.
This took nearly three full days of emails and phone calls to get removed.
So perhaps I'm biased but I don't hold with using this form of communication for a complaint, there is enough legislation to protect consumers without encouraging it in an uncontrolled manner.
Walter / Mark,
Is the printer still in warranty?
If not, Kodak have no legal responcibility towards it so no end of complaining will do any good.
Going back 15 years, Kodak had several appointed service centres for their equipment once out of warranty.
One I seem to remember was near Henley on Thames and I think Imotek in Somersham, (near Huntigdon. Tel:01487 843193 Email: sales@imotek.com) were also service engineers, might be worth a call. I used them many times in the days of the Mitsubishi CP800 whose print heads only had an expected life of 6,000 prints and I'm sure they also serviced Kodak printers? Nice guys always willing to help.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote