Anyone dealt with Canon Service before?

mikewalen

I've had a nightmare with them recently and just had to write to the Canon NZ Service Centre manager to see what he says:

Dear Gary Hogg,

I feel compelled to write to you and let you know how deeply angry and disappointed I am with my first time, and probably last time, dealing with your service department.

On the 17th March, I couriered a 430EX II Speedlite to your department to replace the diffuser flap and a mini stand, both of which had been broken accidentally when the tripod the Speedlite was mounted on fell over. On the 18th of March, your service department noted it being received. 4 weeks after that, I grew concerned that I hadn’t received it back let alone even heard from your department, so I called to get an update. The Customer Service operator let me know that parts had been ordered on the 26th of March and were due on the 19th April. Fair enough – the 19th April was in two days time so I could handle that.

The 24th April rolls past, and even the 30th of April passes and I still had no Speedlite, nor had your department contacted me in any way to let me know what was going on. I called up again at the start of May to find that parts had arrived and the repair was complete. About time, but great news, I thought to myself. The invoicing department called to get my credit card number and was going to get the item on the courier that day. That was yesterday.

Today, a massive 8 weeks after I sent my Speedlite in for repair, I eagerly open the courier package only to find that you haven’t even completed the job. The diffuser flap has been replaced (and is bloody tight and stiff to pull out I have to add) but the mini stand has not been replaced. Added to that, there’s a deep concern about the invoice – a whopping 1.5 hours @ $120 p/h of labour? That I find is very hard to comprehend.

So Gary, to sum up, I am one very pissed off customer that has waited 8 weeks only to be sent back an unfinished job, AND has to pay for 1.5 hours for one of your team to undo no more than 8 screws (literally, I have since found detailed instructions on how easy it is to replace the diffuser flap). I hope you understand from a customer’s point of view how appalling your Service Department has been with this job, and I REALLY hope for the sake of others that this is an isolated case.

Again Gary, I am so angry about this and without using swear words, there’s not a lot more I can say. I welcome your (dare I say ‘prompt’?) response.

Regards,
Mike Walen
KeyImagery.com

Woohoo! Just had a call from Gary Hogg, General Manager of Canon Service. He started with a full apology with reassurance that it was a one-off and has also organised a full credit to be applied to my CC, AND the replacement mini stand is being sent. Well done Canon - faith has been restored :)