Friday, September 07, 2007

And the saga continues

So this morning Canon calls me to oh-so-generously fix my battery cover for free, but they are still charging me for the camera repair. Okay. Fine. So go. I fax them a credit card authorization (thanks Mom!) and request a call back with an estimated date of return.

After a couple hours some Canon dude calls me back with a "15 to 20 business days, but it could take longer based on seasonal volume" estimate. What season that is, one is forced to ponder. Perhaps it's the season of broken shitty Canon cameras? They have had my camera for 10 days already. This is going to be, like, a month without my camera. A month without my camera that broke because Canon didn't think people would take a lot of photos with their $1200.00 DSLRs. Huh.

My reply to this estimate was one terse sentence: "I'd like to talk to a supervisor about how terrible your customer service is please."

The Canon dude tells me there are no supervisors. How do I get a job at a company where there are no supervisors? Sounds dead easy. But once again, my case is being "escalated" (I love CSR jargon. Too bad they can't "own" the issues and maybe "think outside the box" .... before this "client" goes "postal" I mean) to a supervisor (even though there aren't any) who will call me back within 48 hours. Oops, he means, business hours. Given it's 2/3rds of the way through Friday, what he really means is "Someone may call you next week when you've calmed down."

Hah. Fooled them. Absence makes my heart grow IRATE!!!! By next week, I'll be dressed in camo and chewing tobacco and muttering about 'them' while hiding in some shrubbery.

Anyway, I made up of the sum of several parts. There's the sappy dog lover part of me, and also the mmmm meat-is-tasty part of me, and the I'll-drive-my-friends-anywhere part of me, and the missing camera addict part of me, and also the infinitely evil and vindictive part of me. Canon found that part, sadly for them.

See the evil part of me wants to do things like suggest TWAAW fans email the Canon PR department and tell them about how their crummy handling of a camera repair has made you a new fan of Nikon. Or maybe, you know, fill out the customer service feedback page with sentiments about how their shoddy service has ruined your day. You know, evil stuff like that.

Not that I would ever suggest that, of course. Nope.

wdoyle@canada.canon.com
http://www.canon.ca/english/index-customersupport.asp

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

RDM - your rant must be having an effect - I was just searching for a new SLR camera and at futureshop.ca there is a huge banner saying "Huge price drops on Canon cameras" - why one might wonder, except perhaps because they break and the customer service sucks????
Looking forward to you getting your camera back (and I am crossing my fingers that they will have actually fixed the problem!!).

Anonymous said...

I am so glad I bought the $1200 Nikon last year instead. We really like it.

Natalie said...

Wow. Yeah, I'm so glad I ended up with the Nikon. What shitty service indeed.

I'm sorry you're without your camera for much longer. Poo on them. :(

Anonymous said...

I have found if you need anything done or fixed properly you do it yourself. All you need is duct tape and a hammer. No supervisor required.

Anonymous said...

I am looking at getting a DSLR and this has seriously made me lean towards the Nikon.

Cannon sucks! TWAAW should be back online NOW I say. I love your pictures (and commentary). Sounds like Cannon customer service is 'really good'........ for me to POOP on! The land of no stupervisors, sounds like the inmates are running the asylum.

Triumph_the_Dog

Anonymous said...

Canon, you stink.

Woo, I miss you. Is your Tail still big and fluffy? *sigh*

Anonymous said...

I don't understand...you don't want us to send emails like this one?

"Dear Canon Customer "Support":

So, I have this friend who's $1200 Canon just lost the ability to take pictures after a very short time of use. The problem is that 1/2 the picture suddenly is a lovely shade of black and that lovely shade obscure's the amazing photos that she is taking. Because of this problem (that with very little research online turns out is a very COMMON problem - though from what she's been told nobody has ever seen this happen), she is now without camera AND is finding that dealing with the farce that you call customer support is nearly as joyous as getting a full colonic.

I was just calling to let you know that a) I am ever so glad that I bought a Nikon, b) I will be telling everyone I know to buy a Nikon and c) I am urging my friend to sell her lemon of a Canon and the lenses upon its lengthy journey to have this issue that the manufacturing company considers to be insignificant...so that she may buy a great camera (Nikon) and deal with a company who hires supervisors in customer support (since from what she's been told...you don't).

Enjoy the rapid decline in stock price as this word gets out...I am not the only one who is spreading this word to folks in the US and Canada...our circle is not a small one and you as a company appear not to heed the main rule of customer support:

For every unhappy customer, you will lose at least 5 of their friends, their friends friends and so on. The same holds true for a happy customer. Which customer would you rather have?

Sincerely,

Rxxxxx

Proud Owner of a Quality Nikon D-40X"

Well then I'm afraid I've gone against your wishes once again and will have to be punished by aiding you in selling the piece of dung Canon on eBay upon its return. ;-)

Sorry this is taking such a toll...I know how you feel...nothing like boiling blood to get your weekend off to a joyous start. :-(

Anonymous said...

Riva ... awesome email to Canon. I'm gonna plagiarise bits and email to Canon, and mention that owner belongs to influential family. This blog has a lot of fans. (I need my TWAAW picture and commentary fix.)

Anonymous said...

Hey there anon...

use what you wish...and isn't this part of the Rockefeller family? hehehehe

I hate the lack of focus on customer support these days...as a former rep it literally makes me ill that companies think treating people like this is ok.