I'm rather pissed at Canon

[cdifoto]

They call me yesterday to confirm the shipping of my items and my address at 10AM yesterday. I say yes, that's right, that's my address, I want it shipped yadda yadda yadda.

They say it'll ship yesterday overnight and I'll have it today (Tuesday).

Check the website this morning since nothing changed and I never received a tracking number as promised. Status still says "Accepted" and "Not yet Shipped".

I call up Canon. I ask what's going on. A rep says "oh it's been marked for pickup and is waiting for you to come get it." I say no thats bullshit because I confirmed not only the day I dropped it off but yesterday AND several times through the week previous that I wanted it shipped. She transfers me to the New Jersey center. They tell me it's actually shipping TODAY for delivery TOMORROW.

I'm pissed. It's not so much about when I get it back but being lied to so many times. I can't afford to pay $2.85 a gallon plus tolls for a 400 mile round trip now. I don't drive a Geo for crying out loud.

[coldrain]

Instead of being pissed at Canon, how about being pissed at the actual Canon employee? Just write a factual letter with your disappointment to let them know they have work to do in their organisation. And head over to the KM forum and be happy you don't have a KM 7D :D

And be glad holding a camera is like riding a bike (it is been soooo long ;) )

[cdifoto]

Instead of being pissed at Canon, how about being pissed at the actual Canon employee? Just write a factual letter with your disappointment to let them know they have work to do in their organisation. And head over to the KM forum and be happy you don't have a KM 7D :D

And be glad holding a camera is like riding a bike (it is been soooo long ;) )

I was lied to by several employees. It's Canon I'm pissed at because of the training...or lack thereof. Even simple training as far as "Don't lie to your customers. If you don't know...admit it and seek the truth instead of making shit up."

[David Metsky]

Even simple training as far as "Don't lie to your customers. If you don't know...admit it and seek the truth instead of making shit up."
Yes, I'm pretty sure that official Canon training is big on "Lie to customers, make shit up."

Every company has problems like this, hopefully not frequently. The test is how do they handle things when it has been brought to their attention.

-dave-

[cdifoto]

Yes, I'm pretty sure that official Canon training is big on "Lie to customers, make shit up."

You'd be surprised. I've been on the CSR end of it - just not at Canon. I love my Canon equipment (when it worked) but I don't go in for bad customer service no way no how. There's really no excuse for a string of lies.

[aparmley]

Sounds like a case of "mailroom mixup" Happens a lot. . .

Sorry to hear this Don. That totally sucks and I'd be pissed as well.

I've been on the CSR end of it

Me too - I've been a CSR as well. Training? ROFLMAO! :cool: :mad: . . . Theres always tomorrow. If you don't have it tomorrow we'll take up a collection and send you Gas + Toll money so you can head out there and beat some donkey hiney!

[DonSchap]

will do wonders. If you can proivide, like what was suggested, a factual run of what kind of customer service you received, with names of course... (names are real good in these kind of letters) "Management" will have a road map to improve their service. If you do nothing but complain to the newbie hack who is taking your call... it'll just stay between the two for you.

I have found that if you put everyone on notice, via email (get the list if you can), highlighting the areas of the warranty that are not being adhered to by the 'service arm' of a company, you will get better response the next time you need to deal with them (hopefully never). Give them a little wiggle room to get out of the square they painted themselves into, but if you do not get a good response, explain that you are planning to make this list of people you spoke to PUBLIC to the members of the photographic community, citing specific people who were either of HELP or NO HELP (Deal or No Deal) in getting your business taken care of.

In fact, as an apologetic gesture, you may just find a discount on your next EF 600mm f/4L IS USM lens! (Yeah, Don, that'll be useful)

Look... pushing back is okay. You have a legimate gripe. It is costing you time and money to play these goofy and avoidable games. Okay, it may take a few days to get the response you seek, but then you will truly know if your repeat business is appreciated or just being mocked. :mad:

Remember... we are all ears as to what is happening, so you are not by yourself in this, although it may feel that way. We all have a very vested interest in how we will be dealt with by Canon, should we encounter problems.


Go CANON Go! :rolleyes:

[coldrain]

You'd be surprised. I've been on the CSR end of it - just not at Canon. I love my Canon equipment (when it worked) but I don't go in for bad customer service no way no how. There's really no excuse for a string of lies.
And that is why both I and David both think it is a good idea to write a factual letter explaining your displeasure. To bring it to the attention of teh NOT CSR people. Makes sense, does it not? The CSR person is not Canon.

[DonSchap]

You want attention to your issue...

these are the big shots:

Mr. Yoroku Adachi – President & CEO Canon U.S.A., Inc. :eek:

Yukiaki Hashimoto - Senior Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Imaging Group :D

I guaranty, no one working for Canon wants to see these two guys in their office... phone, email or otherwise.

Just point to their corporate philosophy and say: "Make it so."


Kyosei: Our Corporate Philosophy

Canon is proud of its long and unwavering tradition of protecting and preserving our most precious of resources — the world we share. We work to harmonize environmental commitment and economic interests in all our business activities. We believe this balance is essential to sustain prosperity for future generations.

This is not new thinking at Canon. As a global organization, we at Canon understand our responsibility for the impact we make on society and the environment. That is why, from our founding, Canon's corporate philosophy has been kyosei — which we define as "all people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future."

At all of our office locations, and throughout our manufacturing and sales operations, Canon maintains a deep commitment to social and environmental responsibility. This determination to live and work together for the common good — Canon kyosei — permeates everything we do: from research and development, to product manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution.

At Canon, we believe every manufacturer has a responsibility to ensure its operations and practices are environmentally sound. We apply this standard for environmental respect to every stage of our operations. At every step, we make energy and resource conservation and the elimination of hazardous substances our most important goals. That is why Canon is recognized for producing some of the worlds most energy efficient products.

Kyosei also drives our commitment to establishing good relations not only with our customers, but also with the communities in which we operate.

Our dedication to kyosei guides our tradition of commitment to protect and preserve our most precious of resources — the world we share, the communities we serve, and the lives we touch. We do this through environmental, conservation, recycling and sustainability initiatives. We also practice kyosei through social and educational programs on behalf of young people and those in need.

This is our corporate philosophy, and it unites all Canon companies and employees together in contributing to the prosperity of humanity and the protection of the world we share.

[cdifoto]

I'd write to Canon but I didn't take any names. I didn't think I was being lied to at the time. A generic letter of complaint with no names does absolutely no good. If everything comes back functionally perfect the way it should be...I'll easily put this bitch session behind me.

[Vich]

I was upset when I sent my mother's A60 in for recall about 4 months back. They said "no RMA number is necessary, just include an explanation and send it here".

I promptly (and trustingly) forgot about the matter and trusted that in a few weeks or so my mom would get it back. It came up in conversation about a month ago and she said it had never arrived. I hadn't kept the receipt and was on the verge of replacing it for her if I really couldn't find it.

My fault for not keeping the UPS paperwork or following up. No excuse there.

I sent an 11PM EMAIL to Canon explaining the situation and the approximate date I had sent it.

Well, I got a response (time stamped 5AM the following morning) saying "yes, we have found the incident number just give us a call to confirm the mailing address". I did and problem handled!

5 days later my mother (who lives in another state) had a nice new A520 free of charge, shipped direct!

So, their procedure of not calling me earlier to settle this mailing address confusion was lacking a little but their hearts were in the right place - and surely the A520 beats the pants off the old A60. I'm very satisfied that they made good in a situation where I was at least equally at fault.

Note: My old Nikon P&S had a very similar CCD fault and they have thus far refused to follow the rest of the market and recall it. Comparatively; I think Canon is excellent!

[cdifoto]

That's good that they took care of it Vich. I'm not saying Canon is a bad company overall. I'm just pissed at this moment in time. I like their products unlike some of the other companies I've tried on more than one occasion and been burned (camcorders from Sony, walkmans from Sanyo, etc). I just wish they had been honest about the camera shipping today, called me last Thursday when they said they would, and emailed me a tracking number like they promised to do. They failed on all of those counts.

[aparmley]

It could be worse, they could have shipped it back without even looking at it. . . ;)

[cdifoto]

It could be worse, they could have shipped it back without even looking at it. . . ;)

Well...we don't know that they really did look at it...let alone repair it. I'll find that out after it shows up on my porch and I get to test it.

[coldrain]

Well...we don't know that they really did look at it...let alone repair it. I'll find that out after it shows up on my porch and I get to test it.
If it by accident shows up on MY porch, I will gladly test it for you for a few months or so... saves you the trouble :D

[cdifoto]

If it by accident shows up on MY porch, I will gladly test it for you for a few months or so... saves you the trouble :D


lol I bet you would. You're too kind! :p

[DonSchap]

Don,

I'd run through the exercise one more time, only this time, TAKING NOTES and NAMES.

You may think you have "dodged a bullet", if you get your gear back... but in reality, you have simply allowed this nonsense to be perpetrated on the next victim... and that could be me! or Andy! or anyone of a dozen Canon-toters.

You already have the inside track on the process... you know where you called to follow up. It shouldn't take but a few minutes to back-track the few folks that are making your life miserable, in this regard.

C'mon, take one for the team. LOL. We're counting on ya :D

[cdifoto]

Don,

I'd run through the exercise one more time, only this time, TAKING NOTES and NAMES.

You may think you have "dodged a bullet", if you get your gear back... but in reality, you have simply allowed this nonsense to be perpetrated on the next victim... and that could be me! or Andy! or anyone of a dozen Canon-toters.

You already have the inside track on the process... you know where you called to follow up. It shouldn't take but a few minutes to back-track the few folks that are making your life miserable, in this regard.

C'mon, take one for the team. LOL. We're counting on ya :D


The chances of talking to the same people again are slim. Every call goes into a call center, then forwarded out to random representatives.

[DonSchap]

non-conflict are we dealing with, here. Get in there and mix it up!

This is your camera's future we are talking about. What you will be doing is simply checking their system to see if it ALWAYS works like it did with you... the first time. What harm is there in that?

Walk them through their own process... call it a "quality control" check, if you want to. Only YOU know what you went through, the first time. Only you will detect the same flaw if it raises its ugly head, again.

Remember: No harm, no foul.

Do your worst, my friend. :D Do it not only for you, but the cast of the DCRP also!

[Vich]

... This is your camera's future we are talking about....

Good point Don!

[24Peter]

[SIZE="3"]Do your worst, my friend. :D Do it not only for you, but the cast of the DCRP also!

DonSchap - I've been wanting to ask this of you for a long time - have you taken your medication today? ;) (J/K - well at least a little. :D )

Don cdi - I just got a confirmation from Canon they're sending me a $600 refund check for my 70-300IS USM. That's after sending me a brand new replacement and paying for shipping two times now. They're even refunding shipping on the original Adorama purchase. So they've restored my faith in the company. But I had to be persistent. It's taken several phone calls and firm emails. Recall they started with "your lens is within specs." So I've come a long way from that to "we're sorry you're not happy with your original lens or it's replacement - he's your money back."
You may want to wait until you get your gear back tomorrow, but if you're still not satisfied call the customer service people and start squeaking, since it's the squeaky wheel that get's the grease. ;) (Just call me "squeaky Pete" - or now I guess "greasy Pete". :o )

[DonSchap]

Eeeeeeeek! :eek:

Look... duking it out with 'Corporate America' really sets my soul on fire. I am so tired of seeing the consumers taking it, quietly, in the shorts, as these expensive products are rammed down our throats.

I'm still coughing up K-M bodies and stuff, from all the hub-bub with SONY. (Read the K-M forum for a good old-fashioned taste of greed and shameless lack of support)

I say: "Hold their feet to the fire and make them earn the bucks we spend." It doesn't take any drug to know that if allowed to... the service arm will not do anything they do not have to. I worked for several manufacturer's and they do not make a nickel off having to return goods or support equipment that needs repair. They are going to find the most expediant route to settle the issue and close... heck, SLAM the door on it.

You best interest is not their concern... it's yours! That's the bottom line in this whole affair. Whether or not I get riled is insignificant compared to the seemingly endless and seemingly mindless abuse of the consumer market. You need to get a grip on every situation, follow it through and make sure people just do their jobs for your sake and that of others. It's your assumed responsibility as a member of the buying-public. (I know, Dreamland, for sure... but, letting them off the hook will never solve anything.)

Squeek on... but, I'm watching. :D

[jamison55]

CPS, Don, CPS. From what I understand, they do the job quickly and correctly. SInce a major portion of your business is photography, and (you have the website to prove it) you should fill out the forms in case you have to go through something like this again.

Also, I've PM'd you the name and email of the guy to talk to at Canon. I guarantee he will get you some results!

[coldrain]

YAY for jamison!! :)

[cdifoto]

CPS, Don, CPS. From what I understand, they do the job quickly and correctly. SInce a major portion of your business is photography, and (you have the website to prove it) you should fill out the forms in case you have to go through something like this again.

Also, I've PM'd you the name and email of the guy to talk to at Canon. I guarantee he will get you some results!


I don't think I can join CPS since I have 2 XTs instead of 20Ds or higher. I'm a little low on the food chain I believe. I've looked into it a little via the website but I'll call them up and see if there are any exceptions to be made. heh.

[snap]

A year ago I was mad at Dell for poor customer service. I was jerked around serveral times by different reps. I got on the Web and tracked down the company headquartes, called and got the name and address of the marketing director and wrote a poison pen letter.

FYI, some information on Canon USA, Inc. can be found at
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/product-compint-0000230612-page.html
Maybe a phone call to the company HQ can lead you to the person you want to contact. I don't know if my letter to Dell did any good, but I felt better. But, I think the big shots don't like to get poison pen letters. Maybe your complaint will do some good.

[jamison55]

I don't think I can join CPS since I have 2 XTs instead of 20Ds or higher. I'm a little low on the food chain I believe. I've looked into it a little via the website but I'll call them up and see if there are any exceptions to be made. heh.

I got all of the forms to join CPS a couple of weeks ago, and can't find anywhere that they make you qualify your gear. They do ask you to list it, and also ask for a website or other evidence that you derive a significant portion of your income from photography, but I think your website should let them know you're serious.

After all, I was up on the photo bridge of the Boston Marathon yesterday (press pass required) and saw a guy shooting with a Pentax istDS, another with a Digital Rebel, and a woman with a Panasonic FZ5. The pros aren't just the folks with the biggest cameras anymore...

PS - I was stuck shooting the studio's Nikon D2H all day. I just can't seem to get over the sense of cheater's guilt. Man, she had a nice big prism box, though...and don't get me started on how meaty she felt in my hands!

[George Riehm]

You want attention to your issue...

these are the big shots:

Mr. Yoroku Adachi – President & CEO Canon U.S.A., Inc. :eek:

Yukiaki Hashimoto - Senior Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Imaging Group :D

I guaranty, no one working for Canon wants to see these two guys in their office... phone, email or otherwise.

Just point to their corporate philosophy and say: "Make it so."


Kyosei: Our Corporate Philosophy

Canon is proud of its long and unwavering tradition of protecting and preserving our most precious of resources — the world we share. We work to harmonize environmental commitment and economic interests in all our business activities. We believe this balance is essential to sustain prosperity for future generations.

This is not new thinking at Canon. As a global organization, we at Canon understand our responsibility for the impact we make on society and the environment. That is why, from our founding, Canon's corporate philosophy has been kyosei — which we define as "all people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future."

At all of our office locations, and throughout our manufacturing and sales operations, Canon maintains a deep commitment to social and environmental responsibility. This determination to live and work together for the common good — Canon kyosei — permeates everything we do: from research and development, to product manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution.

At Canon, we believe every manufacturer has a responsibility to ensure its operations and practices are environmentally sound. We apply this standard for environmental respect to every stage of our operations. At every step, we make energy and resource conservation and the elimination of hazardous substances our most important goals. That is why Canon is recognized for producing some of the worlds most energy efficient products.

Kyosei also drives our commitment to establishing good relations not only with our customers, but also with the communities in which we operate.

Our dedication to kyosei guides our tradition of commitment to protect and preserve our most precious of resources — the world we share, the communities we serve, and the lives we touch. We do this through environmental, conservation, recycling and sustainability initiatives. We also practice kyosei through social and educational programs on behalf of young people and those in need.

This is our corporate philosophy, and it unites all Canon companies and employees together in contributing to the prosperity of humanity and the protection of the world we share.

I'm not being critical but I can see that you have never worked at the corporate offices of a large corporation...

First, I would bet that there are only a handful of people at Canon that even know that there is a corporate philosophy.

Second this is an enviromental statement aimed at the Kyoto crowd, not a customer support statement.

And third writing to the president of a corporation might get you a pleasent (and possibly condecending) reply from an administrative assistant, at best, and unless you somehow make the AP-UPI news wire, with your complaint, none of the Presidents, VP's or Directors will be aware that you exist...

Heads will not roll... and nothing will change... but you will somehow feel better.;)

[D Thompson]

And third writing to the president of a corporation might get you a pleasent (and possibly condecending) reply from an administrative assistant, at best, and unless you somehow make the AP-UPI news wire, with your complaint, none of the Presidents, VP's or Directors will be aware that you exist...

Heads will not roll... and nothing will change... but you will somehow feel better.;)
Ain't it the truth!

[24Peter]

PS - I was stuck shooting the studio's Nikon D2H all day. I just can't seem to get over the sense of cheater's guilt. Man, she had a nice big prism box, though...and don't get me started on how meaty she felt in my hands!
I don't know guys, should we let Jamie continue to post here? As our fearful leader GWB says, "you're either with us - or you're again' us!" :o

[aparmley]

PS - I was stuck shooting the studio's Nikon D2H all day. I just can't seem to get over the sense of cheater's guilt. Man, she had a nice big prism box, though...and don't get me started on how meaty she felt in my hands!

I don't know guys, should we let Jamie continue to post here? As our fearful leader GWB says, "you're either with us - or you're again' us!" :o

"Evil-Doer!"

[DonSchap]

George, I propose we draft a letter...

have the gang all agree on its intent and send it up to the "God of Canon". Let's just see what happens and see who may have it best. Obviously, we respresent a small part of the corporate strata... but, how about we find out how loud our voice really is? :eek:

[coldrain]

yeah! lets mass protest about uhmm... uhmmmmmm... uhhhhh... a package that was mailed a few days late. Right. Never mind those pesky seals, the ozone layer, global warming! :rolleyes: :confused: ;) :p

[DonSchap]

Look...

Most of the people on here... well, a lot of... uh... okay, a couple of folks rely on their camera for their livelihood. No matter if you are big or small, your equipment is important to you.

"Excuse me, Mr. Corporate Giant... I couldn't help but notice that you built your mighty castle right on top of my family farm. Would you mind, since I pay your way through life, allowing me a fair amount of space to do it from?"

Global warming? The globe has a mind of its own, unfortunately. It was doing its thing long before we "upstarts" came along and started shelling everybody... and never asked permission from anyone I know of.

All things in their place... :)

[Vich]

Yeah, a lot of mileage over some innocent grumbling.

We all know Canon's about as good as it gets when it comes to Corporate intentions to do the customer right. A stumble now and then, but they make it right ... surely more than the competition.

[aparmley]

A stumble now and then, but they make it right ...

Isn't that what this threads focus has been on? How to get Canon to make it right?

:confused: