Local retailer vs out of town jerks

Count me also as a local buyer. I may pay a few more bucks but as a small business owner I know how important it is for people to shop in their own locale. That money stays in town and that merchant you bought your camera from turns around and spends his money the same way. (Just think of how many small hardware, jewelry, camera, etc. stores that Wal Mart has put out of business.( Your money goes back to Arkansas.) Also, my local retailer lets me bring units home and examine them, and later if I need service he takes it back, apologizes for my inconvenience, fixes it and gets it right back to me. Worth a few bucks more for all of the above? You bet your bupee. Also, his reputation is riding on the quality and service he provides and he has to deal with me eyeball to eyeball, not rudely on the phone 300 miles away. Yessir, I want a local expert to guide and sell me my product! (Been dealing with the same people for 35 years-stereos, TV's, camcorders, cameras,etc. Never been stuck with a bad product and always get my phone calls returned!) Lee Hartman & Sons in Roanoke, Va. is where I shop.

My brother thinks the same way you do ... he bought a Canon G2 for $899 locally plus $60 tax = $950 when he could have BOUGHT it for $749 online, and if he used an AMEX blue card, he caould have saved another $250. ... Now what about support? . .. well, YOU'RE here "onlive" aren't you??? This site beats most for great service and having your questions answered .... VERY quickly!

I, like you, in the past, have touted the local stores, .... but, when you think about it, ... yes, they're overpriced, yet we seldom get our EXTRA monies worth after the sale! ... we are right in the middle of a big change that's happening with how "we" spend our money, and where! ... And, when I think about it, I don't care about Joe Schmo's Camera shop down the street ... NOR do I want to help him purchase his next Ford Expedition!

... you can just about guarantee that you'll have any question answered "on the net" by the time you can get in your car and start up the engine, let alone drive downtown, only to find that he closes the store at 5:30! .... I almost forgot, the camera store professionals down the street have a $799 G1 that they try to sell me everythime I go into the store ..... but, I must say, they ARE very PROFESSIONAL about it!!!!!

Jim Bullington said:

Count me also as a local buyer. I may pay a few more bucks but as
a small business owner I know how important it is for people to
shop in their own locale. That money stays in town and that
merchant you bought your camera from turns around and spends his
money the same way. (Just think of how many small hardware,
jewelry, camera, etc. stores that Wal Mart has put out of
business.( Your money goes back to Arkansas.) Also, my local
retailer lets me bring units home and examine them, and later if I
need service he takes it back, apologizes for my inconvenience,
fixes it and gets it right back to me. Worth a few bucks more for
all of the above? You bet your bupee. Also, his reputation is
riding on the quality and service he provides and he has to deal
with me eyeball to eyeball, not rudely on the phone 300 miles away.
Yessir, I want a local expert to guide and sell me my product!
(Been dealing with the same people for 35 years-stereos, TV's,
camcorders, cameras,etc. Never been stuck with a bad product and
always get my phone calls returned!) Lee Hartman & Sons in Roanoke,
Va. is where I shop.

Click to expand...

I agree 100%. Mike Crowder, Roanoke, Va

Jim Bullington said:

Count me also as a local buyer. I may pay a few more bucks but as
a small business owner I know how important it is for people to
shop in their own locale. That money stays in town and that
merchant you bought your camera from turns around and spends his
money the same way. (Just think of how many small hardware,
jewelry, camera, etc. stores that Wal Mart has put out of
business.( Your money goes back to Arkansas.) Also, my local
retailer lets me bring units home and examine them, and later if I
need service he takes it back, apologizes for my inconvenience,
fixes it and gets it right back to me. Worth a few bucks more for
all of the above? You bet your bupee. Also, his reputation is
riding on the quality and service he provides and he has to deal
with me eyeball to eyeball, not rudely on the phone 300 miles away.
Yessir, I want a local expert to guide and sell me my product!
(Been dealing with the same people for 35 years-stereos, TV's,
camcorders, cameras,etc. Never been stuck with a bad product and
always get my phone calls returned!) Lee Hartman & Sons in Roanoke,
Va. is where I shop.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a nice town to live in. You're lucky to have that type of town, stores, people. Almost sounds like a fantasy, you know, Forest Gump, storybook like ! I live in New York... for the most part all those mom and pop stores have been long gone. I remember reading articles in the 50's that said that large super sized stores will put the small guys out of business(big companies = big buying power). I'm jealous...Ron

Ron Nitlow said:

Jim Bullington said:

Count me also as a local buyer. I may pay a few more bucks but as
a small business owner I know how important it is for people to
shop in their own locale. That money stays in town and that
merchant you bought your camera from turns around and spends his
money the same way. (Just think of how many small hardware,
jewelry, camera, etc. stores that Wal Mart has put out of
business.( Your money goes back to Arkansas.) Also, my local
retailer lets me bring units home and examine them, and later if I
need service he takes it back, apologizes for my inconvenience,
fixes it and gets it right back to me. Worth a few bucks more for
all of the above? You bet your bupee. Also, his reputation is
riding on the quality and service he provides and he has to deal
with me eyeball to eyeball, not rudely on the phone 300 miles away.
Yessir, I want a local expert to guide and sell me my product!
(Been dealing with the same people for 35 years-stereos, TV's,
camcorders, cameras,etc. Never been stuck with a bad product and
always get my phone calls returned!) Lee Hartman & Sons in Roanoke,
Va. is where I shop.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a nice town to live in. You're lucky to have that type
of town, stores, people. Almost sounds like a fantasy, you know,
Forest Gump, storybook like ! I live in New York... for the most
part all those mom and pop stores have been long gone. I remember
reading articles in the 50's that said that large super sized
stores will put the small guys out of business(big companies = big
buying power). I'm jealous...Ron

Click to expand...

now what happens when the mom and pop store that can beat a major competitor hands down is 2000 miles away - do i go with the small store take my $200 savings and say i got a good deal or do i go with the big store down the street from my house and have the ease of fixing potential problems.

this is my dilema at the moment . not having bought anythin online before i am wary of dropping 1500 on a digital camera and not be able to just drop into the store to get it fixed . is canon good and fast at fixing problem under warranty or do i have to ship it back to the store to have it fixed ?
it is the pro 90 by the way and they are going fast sooooo ?
russ

Henrys is a local retailer in Toronto. You can have a 'local' retailer who doesn't offer good service either (from my own personal shopping experience). The good news is that there are many local retailers...so a customer does have a choice of where to shop. And then there's always online.

I don't know if others have had similar experiences but shopping at Henrys hasn't left me with that warm anf fuzzy feeling. I don't judge a store by whether it's local or online but by the service.

Allen Shope said:

My brother thinks the same way you do ... he bought a Canon G2 for
$899 locally plus $60 tax = $950 when he could have BOUGHT it for
$749 online, and if he used an AMEX blue card, he caould have saved
another $250. ... Now what about support? . .. well, YOU'RE here
"onlive" aren't you??? This site beats most for great service and
having your questions answered .... VERY quickly!

I, like you, in the past, have touted the local stores, .... but,
when you think about it, ... yes, they're overpriced, yet we seldom
get our EXTRA monies worth after the sale! ... we are right in the
middle of a big change that's happening with how "we" spend our
money, and where! ... And, when I think about it, I don't care
about Joe Schmo's Camera shop down the street ... NOR do I want to
help him purchase his next Ford Expedition!
... you can just about guarantee that you'll have any question
answered "on the net" by the time you can get in your car and start
up the engine, let alone drive downtown, only to find that he
closes the store at 5:30! .... I almost forgot, the camera store
professionals down the street have a $799 G1 that they try to sell
me everythime I go into the store ..... but, I must say, they ARE
very PROFESSIONAL about it!!!!!

Click to expand...

Gee Allen-I didn't mean for you to get your knickers in a knot. I promise to never support my local stores again and not be like your brother.

Will said:

Henrys is a local retailer in Toronto. You can have a 'local'
retailer who doesn't offer good service either (from my own
personal shopping experience). The good news is that there are
many local retailers...so a customer does have a choice of where to
shop. And then there's always online.

I don't know if others have had similar experiences but shopping at
Henrys hasn't left me with that warm anf fuzzy feeling. I don't
judge a store by whether it's local or online but by the service.

Click to expand...

i would tend to agree about henry's , they did seem very elitist when i asked questions a told them i didn't know much about digital even though i knew a little bit more than i let on they basically tried to fleece me . i called them back about a price match for a product and they said if you can get it for that buy we dont need it that bad .

not a lot of warm fuzzies for me either .

Will said:

Henrys is a local retailer in Toronto. You can have a 'local'
retailer who doesn't offer good service either (from my own
personal shopping experience). The good news is that there are
many local retailers...so a customer does have a choice of where to
shop. And then there's always online.

I don't know if others have had similar experiences but shopping at
Henrys hasn't left me with that warm anf fuzzy feeling. I don't
judge a store by whether it's local or online but by the service.

I don't think that you will find any small town stores that can be price competitive with the big guys. I think that Allen is trying to keep his spending money in his country like town, because he is also a business owner in that town...nice concept.....one hand washes the other.

Click to expand...

I've purchased items on ebay....gotta watch.....paid for Elements when it first came out.....only $80.00....seemed good.....took 8 weeks, and it was an opened pkg.( used )....a real bargain, right ? But I've had good luck with BH photo....I find them to be fair in price, and honest.

Samys camera in Ca. is good too.....they sent me an Epson printer....broke after 2 weeks....sent me a new one, and picked up the broken one while absorbing the shipping ! BH and Samys may not be the cheapest, but they are reputable. Even though I liked dealing with BH, and Samys, the only time I ever felt warm an fuzzy leaving a store was when I was dating a Macy's bookkeeper ! If the item real cheap, it'll be nothing but trouble ( just like the bookkeeper ) ! Ron

Russ.. I have had the Pro90 for 6 months now. I bought it locally and paid a good $200 extra for it. It seemed like the thing to do at the time, because I wanted to be able to take it in if I had problems. Fortunately.. I haven't had a lick of trouble with it. And I have taken literally thousands of shots. I don't regret the purchase for a moment. I do bellieve in supporting the local economy.. to a point. But for Christmas I bought 3 Powershot A10s for 3 daughters, and bought them at B & H Photo where I was VERY satisfied with price and service. The Pro90 is a GREAT camera, albeit with some limitations. (Mostly low light focus problems). If you aren't up on them, search a bit on the forums.

Joe

P.S. As for the local stores, I also like to be able to go in and browse around for that unecessary gadget when I'm in the mood. If B & H puts them out of business, where will I go?

russell phipps said:

Ron Nitlow said:

Jim Bullington said:

Count me also as a local buyer. I may pay a few more bucks but as
a small business owner I know how important it is for people to
shop in their own locale. That money stays in town and that
merchant you bought your camera from turns around and spends his
money the same way. (Just think of how many small hardware,
jewelry, camera, etc. stores that Wal Mart has put out of
business.( Your money goes back to Arkansas.) Also, my local
retailer lets me bring units home and examine them, and later if I
need service he takes it back, apologizes for my inconvenience,
fixes it and gets it right back to me. Worth a few bucks more for
all of the above? You bet your bupee. Also, his reputation is
riding on the quality and service he provides and he has to deal
with me eyeball to eyeball, not rudely on the phone 300 miles away.
Yessir, I want a local expert to guide and sell me my product!
(Been dealing with the same people for 35 years-stereos, TV's,
camcorders, cameras,etc. Never been stuck with a bad product and
always get my phone calls returned!) Lee Hartman & Sons in Roanoke,
Va. is where I shop.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a nice town to live in. You're lucky to have that type
of town, stores, people. Almost sounds like a fantasy, you know,
Forest Gump, storybook like ! I live in New York... for the most
part all those mom and pop stores have been long gone. I remember
reading articles in the 50's that said that large super sized
stores will put the small guys out of business(big companies = big
buying power). I'm jealous...Ron

Click to expand...

now what happens when the mom and pop store that can beat a major
competitor hands down is 2000 miles away - do i go with the small
store take my $200 savings and say i got a good deal or do i go
with the big store down the street from my house and have the ease
of fixing potential problems.

this is my dilema at the moment . not having bought anythin online
before i am wary of dropping 1500 on a digital camera and not be
able to just drop into the store to get it fixed . is canon good
and fast at fixing problem under warranty or do i have to ship it
back to the store to have it fixed ?
it is the pro 90 by the way and they are going fast sooooo ?
russ

Click to expand...

I think you really get an idea of how the service is at Henrys by calling them up (depends on the sales person you end up with too). Quite often you'll' get someone who sounds like they'd rather be somewhere else. At least that's the way they sometimes come across.

I was on the phone with someone in the digital photo department. I was looking for a 49mm Tiffen adapter/tube. The sales person didn't stop to ask what I meant by "adapter" which indicated to me he knew what I was looking for. You wouldn't believe the hard time he gave me just for this little item. Kept insisting on what camera it's for. I had to explain that it could fit on a variety of cameras....and it does. The saleperson said he had the 37mm and 43mm one. So, he knew what I meant but made it sound later like he didn't. If he had said, "Well, what do you mean by an adapter/tube?" anytime during the conversation, that would have clued me in to the fact that he didn't know. But he never did stop to ask that. The point is it doesn't matter what camera it's for. Then when I spoke with the person filling in for the manager (who was away...at the PMA 2002??), he was not anymore helpful. Infact, he was either dense or just yanking my chain a little and having some fun. I think I wasted a few minutes trying to get the same point across to him with about the same success as I did with the sales person. Great service. Nice way to treat the customers. But the good news is I can buy it somewhere else. So, it's not whether a store is local or not. It's the service. And THAT is what's important to me.

russell phipps said:

Will said:

Henrys is a local retailer in Toronto. You can have a 'local'
retailer who doesn't offer good service either (from my own
personal shopping experience). The good news is that there are
many local retailers...so a customer does have a choice of where to
shop. And then there's always online.

I don't know if others have had similar experiences but shopping at
Henrys hasn't left me with that warm anf fuzzy feeling. I don't
judge a store by whether it's local or online but by the service.

Click to expand...

i would tend to agree about henry's , they did seem very elitist
when i asked questions a told them i didn't know much about digital
even though i knew a little bit more than i let on they basically
tried to fleece me . i called them back about a price match for a
product and they said if you can get it for that buy we dont need
it that bad .

not a lot of warm fuzzies for me either .

Click to expand...

I absolutely agree that service is what counts; it's been my mantra for many years. When my greed gets the better of me and I ignore my mantra I get burned.

I've gotten great service (and support), both locally and on the Intrnet at a few select stores like B&H, CameraWorld, Samy's and Cititronics, and of course Lensmateonline. In fact, if every online business operated with the integrity and goodwill that Lensmateonline does, you would quickly see an online "walmart-type" obliteration of other online businesses, just as the real walmart obliterated local mom-and-pop shops in their communities.

Service and support make the difference, not just price. We (most of us anyway) tend to perceive things in terms of "value" rather than "cost." We will amolst always give up the low cost if there is a received offsetting factor such as service, knowedgeable support, timeliness in shipment or service, and carrying that odd little frammerjammer I've been seeking for my whoobie-whattie for years. And being pleased at seeing my face light up to find such a thing indicates the kind of salespeople I want to do business with; he'll make the effort to light my face up again since he is obviously there for more than just the mundane financial reasons and seeks in some way to find pleasure in his work and connect with his customer. This happens online as well as in the real world.

--rhb

Will said:

I was on the phone with someone in the digital photo department. I
was looking for a 49mm Tiffen adapter/tube. The sales person
didn't stop to ask what I meant by "adapter" which indicated to me
he knew what I was looking for. You wouldn't believe the hard time
he gave me just for this little item. Kept insisting on what
camera it's for. I had to explain that it could fit on a variety
of cameras....and it does. The saleperson said he had the 37mm and
43mm one. So, he knew what I meant but made it sound later like he
didn't. If he had said, "Well, what do you mean by an
adapter/tube?" anytime during the conversation, that would have
clued me in to the fact that he didn't know. But he never did stop
to ask that. The point is it doesn't matter what camera it's for.
Then when I spoke with the person filling in for the manager (who
was away...at the PMA 2002??), he was not anymore helpful. Infact,
he was either dense or just yanking my chain a little and having
some fun. I think I wasted a few minutes trying to get the same
point across to him with about the same success as I did with the
sales person. Great service. Nice way to treat the customers.
But the good news is I can buy it somewhere else. So, it's not
whether a store is local or not. It's the service. And THAT is
what's important to me.

russell phipps said:

Will said:

Henrys is a local retailer in Toronto. You can have a 'local'
retailer who doesn't offer good service either (from my own
personal shopping experience). The good news is that there are
many local retailers...so a customer does have a choice of where to
shop. And then there's always online.

I don't know if others have had similar experiences but shopping at
Henrys hasn't left me with that warm anf fuzzy feeling. I don't
judge a store by whether it's local or online but by the service.

Click to expand...

i would tend to agree about henry's , they did seem very elitist
when i asked questions a told them i didn't know much about digital
even though i knew a little bit more than i let on they basically
tried to fleece me . i called them back about a price match for a
product and they said if you can get it for that buy we dont need
it that bad .

not a lot of warm fuzzies for me either .

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

When, as is often the case, the local retailer is also a jerk, I tend to go for the cheapest jerk I can find.

This can be summed up in the well known formula

H + K + E - J + P = D

(Helpfulness plus Knowledge plus Experience minus Jerk factor plus price equals decision to buy)
------------------www.Pro90.info----------------

Alot of it has to do where you live too. Some areas don't care about the towns people. Some are out for the mighty BUCK. And they (the owners who claim to be mom & pop shops) hire the Joe Schom's that haven't a clue of what they are selling. They sit there the 8 hrs for the mighty paycheck. E-shops.. ummm... alot of them are run by the owners and that is where you get the "home town" feel. They can help you.. give you infomatoin, bend over backwards for you. Then you have your other E-shops that are scams.. Thats not for me. And I don't think that is for the majority.. Like they say "You Get What You Pay For" etc.

Bette (owner of a mom & pop shop... if you can't afford something.. guess what.. you still get it!! - and if we don't like it and you do.. we do it over anyway at our expense. Very picky people we are

Jim Bullington said:

Allen Shope said:

My brother thinks the same way you do ... he bought a Canon G2 for
$899 locally plus $60 tax = $950 when he could have BOUGHT it for
$749 online, and if he used an AMEX blue card, he caould have saved
another $250. ... Now what about support? . .. well, YOU'RE here
"onlive" aren't you??? This site beats most for great service and
having your questions answered .... VERY quickly!

I, like you, in the past, have touted the local stores, .... but,
when you think about it, ... yes, they're overpriced, yet we seldom
get our EXTRA monies worth after the sale! ... we are right in the
middle of a big change that's happening with how "we" spend our
money, and where! ... And, when I think about it, I don't care
about Joe Schmo's Camera shop down the street ... NOR do I want to
help him purchase his next Ford Expedition!
... you can just about guarantee that you'll have any question
answered "on the net" by the time you can get in your car and start
up the engine, let alone drive downtown, only to find that he
closes the store at 5:30! .... I almost forgot, the camera store
professionals down the street have a $799 G1 that they try to sell
me everythime I go into the store ..... but, I must say, they ARE
very PROFESSIONAL about it!!!!!

Click to expand...

Gee Allen-I didn't mean for you to get your knickers in a knot. I
promise to never support my local stores again and not be like your
brother.

Click to expand...

I have used three retailers for all of my camera equipment.

Norman Cameras http://www.normancamera.com
B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com
Epperson Photo (Local) http://www.eppersonphoto.com

These dealers are slightly higher in price. However thery are very reputable

John--jbstrick http://photos.jbstrick.com

Sorry bout that, ... I wasn't trying to bust yer chops too hard ,... just give a different point of view. ... the bottom line is, I think,.... you can get great service from local as well as online ,.... a person just needs to always be lookin at their backside!

Jim Bullington said:

Allen Shope said:

My brother thinks the same way you do ... he bought a Canon G2 for
$899 locally plus $60 tax = $950 when he could have BOUGHT it for
$749 online, and if he used an AMEX blue card, he caould have saved
another $250. ... Now what about support? . .. well, YOU'RE here
"onlive" aren't you??? This site beats most for great service and
having your questions answered .... VERY quickly!

Click to expand...

Jim Bullington said:

I, like you, in the past, have touted the local stores, .... but,
when you think about it, ... yes, they're overpriced, yet we seldom
get our EXTRA monies worth after the sale! ... we are right in the
middle of a big change that's happening with how "we" spend our
money, and where! ... And, when I think about it, I don't care
about Joe Schmo's Camera shop down the street ... NOR do I want to
help him purchase his next Ford Expedition!
... you can just about guarantee that you'll have any question
answered "on the net" by the time you can get in your car and start
up the engine, let alone drive downtown, only to find that he
closes the store at 5:30! .... I almost forgot, the camera store
professionals down the street have a $799 G1 that they try to sell
me everythime I go into the store ..... but, I must say, they ARE
very PROFESSIONAL about it!!!!!

Click to expand...

Gee Allen-I didn't mean for you to get your knickers in a knot. I
promise to never support my local stores again and not be like your
brother.

Click to expand...

I can't argue with that. As I've said previously, service is what will determine whether I choose to do business with a retailer or not. Price can be matched most anywhere these days. If something is not in stock, it can usually be ordered. So, it eventually comes down to service. One can usually get a good sense of a retailer's customer service philosophy through interaction with the sales staff...whether on the phone or in store. You can confirm your general observations usually by talking to management. Sometimes, management may not be aware of what an employee is doing. But if management is just as fustrating to deal with....well, what more needs to be said?

I just found this one particular sales person at the downtown store to be rude. I've never met the guy before, just over the phone. He just had this attitude. Sure, people are entitled to have an attitude but conversing with a potential client is not the time to flaunt it. The guy filling in for the store manager wasn't anymore helpful. I had to repeat what I was saying countless times to no avail. Of course, he could have been just jerking me around. Who knows. Still, if the store really was concerned about the customer, he could very easily have said something customer friendly like: "Sorry to hear about what happened. We want our customers to be happy. Have you found what you were looking for? Let me know if there's anything I can do to help". I'm sure most managers would have done just that. It's the professional and customer friendly thing to do. Of course, that all depends on your customer service policy....not the one written on some piece of paper somewhere but the one your sales staff actually chooses to live by. That's what the customer sees. And that's what counts.

Richard said:

I've gotten great service (and support), both locally and on the
Intrnet at a few select stores like B&H, CameraWorld, Samy's and
Cititronics, and of course Lensmateonline. In fact, if every
online business operated with the integrity and goodwill that
Lensmateonline does, you would quickly see an online "walmart-type"
obliteration of other online businesses, just as the real walmart
obliterated local mom-and-pop shops in their communities.

Service and support make the difference, not just price. We (most
of us anyway) tend to perceive things in terms of "value" rather
than "cost." We will amolst always give up the low cost if there
is a received offsetting factor such as service, knowedgeable
support, timeliness in shipment or service, and carrying that odd
little frammerjammer I've been seeking for my whoobie-whattie for
years. And being pleased at seeing my face light up to find such a
thing indicates the kind of salespeople I want to do business with;
he'll make the effort to light my face up again since he is
obviously there for more than just the mundane financial reasons
and seeks in some way to find pleasure in his work and connect with
his customer. This happens online as well as in the real world.

--rhb

Will said:

I think you really get an idea of how the service is at Henrys by
calling them up (depends on the sales person you end up with too).
Quite often you'll' get someone who sounds like they'd rather be
somewhere else. At least that's the way they sometimes come across.

I was on the phone with someone in the digital photo department. I
was looking for a 49mm Tiffen adapter/tube.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

snip
snip

My favourite place to shop for cameras (they don't carry all camera models) is at Future Shop. They have a very good customer service policy. I won't go into it but let's just say that the people who are running the show at the company are top notch (from my own experience). They really do care about keeping a customer happy. Which of course, makes good business sense. Haven't tried http://www.vistek.ca or http://www.adencamera.com yet.

http://www.futureshop.ca

(a 30 day no-hassle return policy on cameras, will price-match any retailer or Canadian online web stores)

John B. Strickland II said:

I have used three retailers for all of my camera equipment.

Norman Cameras http://www.normancamera.com
B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com
Epperson Photo (Local) http://www.eppersonphoto.com

These dealers are slightly higher in price. However thery are very
reputable

John
--

jbstrick
http://photos.jbstrick.com

Click to expand...