Canon: Hello, we have diagnosed your camera. It requires major repair.
Me: Oh dear. What's the damage?
Canon: $180.00 + tax
Me: Ouch. What's wrong with it?
Canon: The battery cover is broken
(insert sound of mangled rage + psychotic laughter here. Why? Because THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAMERA!!!! In fact, when I sent my camera I included a note that carefully detailed a) the problem and b) the fact that I was aware the battery cover was broken (thank you, Round Eye!) and that I specifically did not care if it was fixed, as it DOES NOT AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE CAMERA!!!)
Me: Ummm, that's not the problem. The camera itself has a problem when I take photos, the battery cover has nothing to do with it.
Canon: silence ....
Me: Hello?
Canon: Well, that's what it says here in the computer.
Me: But I wrote in my note included with the camera that this was not the issue.
Canon: Nobody read your note.
Me: If no one read my note, how do you know whose camera this is? How did you get my phone number??
Canon: silence.
Me: Well, I don't want you to fix the battery cover, I want you to fix the camera.
Canon: So you don't want us to repair the camera? Okay, we'll send it back. The cost for shipping will be -
(insert screaming here) <-- me
Me: Okay, I would like to speak to your supervisor please.
Canon: There are no supervisors.
Me: None?
Canon: No.
I will spare you the rest of this conversation, as it involved a lot of bad words on my part, and possibly some crying on Canon's end.
I spent the rest of the afternoon calling every Canon department I could find on the internet until I finally got a very nice technician fellow, who forwarded me to another customer service representative who finally, after many lengthy explanations on my part, seemed to grasp that a) I was very very unhappy b) I was being royally screwed and most importantly c) that the battery cover was not the problem!!
I have managed to get the problem 'advanced' with Canon, meaning I am no longer just a reference number with another shitty broken Canon camera, but now I am an angry person who takes up a lot of Canon's staff's time. Squeaky wheels and all that. But I'm still not particularly happy. In part because I had to jump up and down to get their attention, and I kind of feel that a $1200.00 camera shouldn't require that much jumping up and down. Also because the nice customer service lady, though she is trying to help me, told me that it typically takes 20-25 days to repair the camera once diagnosed, which is a lot longer than the 10 business days promised to me the first time I called in.
The good news is that barely suppressed rage gets you further than compliance. After more discussion, the Canon woman told me my camera would likely be ready "much sooner than that" (that being the time frame she originally gave me) and also that there was a strong possibility that I "would not be charged for the repair." This latter thing makes me happy. My internet research suggested it would cost a couple hundred dollars to fix the problem, so I've budgeted for that ... so maybe I will get the battery cover fixed after all
;P
*sigh*
/rant
Me: Oh dear. What's the damage?
Canon: $180.00 + tax
Me: Ouch. What's wrong with it?
Canon: The battery cover is broken
(insert sound of mangled rage + psychotic laughter here. Why? Because THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAMERA!!!! In fact, when I sent my camera I included a note that carefully detailed a) the problem and b) the fact that I was aware the battery cover was broken (thank you, Round Eye!) and that I specifically did not care if it was fixed, as it DOES NOT AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE CAMERA!!!)
Me: Ummm, that's not the problem. The camera itself has a problem when I take photos, the battery cover has nothing to do with it.
Canon: silence ....
Me: Hello?
Canon: Well, that's what it says here in the computer.
Me: But I wrote in my note included with the camera that this was not the issue.
Canon: Nobody read your note.
Me: If no one read my note, how do you know whose camera this is? How did you get my phone number??
Canon: silence.
Me: Well, I don't want you to fix the battery cover, I want you to fix the camera.
Canon: So you don't want us to repair the camera? Okay, we'll send it back. The cost for shipping will be -
(insert screaming here) <-- me
Me: Okay, I would like to speak to your supervisor please.
Canon: There are no supervisors.
Me: None?
Canon: No.
I will spare you the rest of this conversation, as it involved a lot of bad words on my part, and possibly some crying on Canon's end.
What it boils down to is this: Canon is staffed by morons.
I spent the rest of the afternoon calling every Canon department I could find on the internet until I finally got a very nice technician fellow, who forwarded me to another customer service representative who finally, after many lengthy explanations on my part, seemed to grasp that a) I was very very unhappy b) I was being royally screwed and most importantly c) that the battery cover was not the problem!!
I have managed to get the problem 'advanced' with Canon, meaning I am no longer just a reference number with another shitty broken Canon camera, but now I am an angry person who takes up a lot of Canon's staff's time. Squeaky wheels and all that. But I'm still not particularly happy. In part because I had to jump up and down to get their attention, and I kind of feel that a $1200.00 camera shouldn't require that much jumping up and down. Also because the nice customer service lady, though she is trying to help me, told me that it typically takes 20-25 days to repair the camera once diagnosed, which is a lot longer than the 10 business days promised to me the first time I called in.
The good news is that barely suppressed rage gets you further than compliance. After more discussion, the Canon woman told me my camera would likely be ready "much sooner than that" (that being the time frame she originally gave me) and also that there was a strong possibility that I "would not be charged for the repair." This latter thing makes me happy. My internet research suggested it would cost a couple hundred dollars to fix the problem, so I've budgeted for that ... so maybe I will get the battery cover fixed after all
;P
*sigh*
/rant
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5 comments:
To help express your feelings to canon, get the family involved. Send a pic of The Full Rear Flamboyance, and tell them to kiss it. A pic of Piper and Mad Teeth would be considered a serious threat. The ultimate would be Boy and doggie porn, this would reinforce your sentiments 'balls'. The not amused TK is a strong silent statement.
Heart goes out to you with the canon bs service.
Trick is to give an academy award "irate customer" performance without losing your inner cool.
If you figure out how to do that, please give me lessons.
How is boy??? I was thinking about him today.
ok so as a former customer support person...canon IS staffed by morons. for one thing...if a customer asks for a manager...you GIVE them a manager.
i'm so sorry you are enduring all of this. i hope you get it all fast and free...and that they pull their heads out of their asses and recall these things with KNOWN issues. contact the better business bureau (or the canadian equivalent) or something and let them know about the apparent plethora of issues and the non-recognition by Canon. VW had an issue where the front windows of the 2000 Jetta would suddenly "fall" down and go boom (or crash) but they said it wasn't a recall though they knew it happened to almost all Jetta's of that year (bad part in the auto window). I bitched and got mine fixed free (3 hr drive with the window down in the montana fall...fun!) and shortly thereafter they DID do a recall.
good luck...costco has the nikon...wink wink.
Unfortunately, that is the same experience I had years ago with my point-and-shoot film camera. It still wasn't right when it came back.
Curse you, Canon!
It occurs to me that canon will take more of a hit over this than they could ever realize. If you do not feel MUCH better about this whole thing VERY soon, maybe refer them to this blog? Your opinion is highly respected - I know I would think long and hard before buying a canon camera now.
How is boy??
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