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What’s your experience with Nikon support?

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KamChap

KamChap

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In light of recent events with purchasing a Z body and experiencing prolific dropping of the ball and atrocious customer service on my end, I’m curious what your experiences have been with Nikon USA support.

Why? I’ve managed to escalate my particular situation to someone high up on the food chain at Nikon corporate, with direct ties to the Japanese executive side.

I’ve read quite a few stories here and on other forums about generally apathetic, atrocious, unhelpful, you name it - customer service.

The goal is to get a sense of what your experiences have been, what issues you’ve run into, how they could have handled things differently, etc.

I don’t work for Nikon but my recent experience has left me quite dumbfounded and generally blown away by how the majority of their CX reps even operate and maybe there’s a way to wake them up a bit for everyone involved here.

If you’d rather keep things private, feel free to send a PM, but I’m gonna shake things up a bit here.
 
KamChap said:
In light of recent events with purchasing a Z body and experiencing prolific dropping of the ball and atrocious customer service on my end, I’m curious what your experiences have been with Nikon USA support.

Why? I’ve managed to escalate my particular situation to someone high up on the food chain at Nikon corporate, with direct ties to the Japanese executive side.

I’ve read quite a few stories here and on other forums about generally apathetic, atrocious, unhelpful, you name it - customer service.

The goal is to get a sense of what your experiences have been, what issues you’ve run into, how they could have handled things differently, etc.

I don’t work for Nikon but my recent experience has left me quite dumbfounded and generally blown away by how the majority of their CX reps even operate and maybe there’s a way to wake them up a bit for everyone involved here.

If you’d rather keep things private, feel free to send a PM, but I’m gonna shake things up a bit here.
Click to expand...
Sorry you had an unfavorable experience with Nikon support. I'm not familiar with your story but it sounds unpleasant enough to reach out to Nikon corporate.

I've had positive experiences with Nikon USA - both tech support (help with product and software issues) and customer service (help with two different orders.) The call in was easy and the people I spoke with were knowledgeable and courteous. In all cases there was follow up via email and my issues were resolved in one or two contacts.

In terms of consumer product companies, I'd rate Nikon USA above average on their customer service.

Hoping you get the results you want and that your issues are resolved quickly.
 
which probably accounts for why I've never posted anything about them.

Probably true for a lot of folks.
 
Sorry about your experience. I had my D850 serviced two months ago by Nikon. They did an excellent job.
 
Not Nikon USA, but - bad. They either refused to fix things under warranty (decentered lenses bought new and with obvious side-to-side variation) and the fixes that I paid for always required two trips because they did not get it right in the first attempt (sometimes missing the boat by a mile by "fixing" the wrong thing).

Needless to say, I am dreading the day when I have to send my Z8 for the mount fix.
 
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Mixed.

I bought a Nikon-refurbed Z50 and when I got it, the flash wouldn't fire. I spoke to someone at Nikon USA who asked me to upload some sample images, which I did. I got an email suggesting I use a higher ISO. I emailed back and explained that this wasn't an underexposure problem, it was that the FLASH DID NOT FIRE.

No reply.

So I called again and got someone else on the phone who quickly sent me instructions for sending the camera in for warranty repair. I got the camera back in a week or so working perfectly,
 
I put a lot of miles on my cameras and have had several shutters replaced on different cameras, most were out of warranty and as I said, A lot of clicks racked up, so no complaint.

Nikon always notified me with an estimate before proceeding with the repair and once I gave to OK, I would have my camera back in a reasonable time, not just with the original complaint addressed, but usually with all the rubber grips replaced and any other issues they may have decided needed attention. Price was fair and I was satisfied.

Some time ago, I had a D800 that I purchased new. After it was out of the original warranty, I had a mirror box failure. Sent it in, and paid for the repair. Months later same failure. Nikon fixed it again. Once again, it failed. Long story short, my D800 was a lemon and I guess Nikon thought so too because they replaced my out of warranty D800 with a refurbed D810 that is still in service today

I never worry about Nikons customer service or support.
 
I have sent Cameras into Nikon 7 times, If there is a Defective one in the Inventory, I will always get that one. 3 times so far the Camera(s) have had to make a 2nd trip, and usually come back in Worse Shape than when it was sent in. I truly have no faith in their Repair Facilities, and usually will trade the Junk in on a new Body and get a new set of Problems.
 
KamChap said:
In light of recent events with purchasing a Z body and experiencing prolific dropping of the ball and atrocious customer service on my end, I’m curious what your experiences have been with Nikon USA support.
Click to expand...
From my experience:

From customer (me) side, Nikon Support might as well not exist.

Nikon Support, by design, serves as a firewall between customer (me) and Nikon employee who needs to address an issue.
 
BasilG said:
Not Nikon USA, but - bad. They either refused to fix things under warranty (decentered lenses bought new and with obvious side-to-side variation) and the fixes that I paid for always required two trips because they did not get it right in the first attempt (sometimes missing the boat by a mile by "fixing" the wrong thing).

Needless to say, I am dreading the day when I have to send my Z8 for the mount fix.
Click to expand...
Surely your Z8's camera strap anchor is about to pull out, sending Z8 tumbling down a flight of concrete stairs... ;-)
 
I have had a few repairs since the 1990's, both warranty and out of warranty, from both Melville and Los Angeles. My experience is generally good but sometimes there are parts hold that can take a couple of weeks. Within the last 20 years, I have had my SB-800, D750, and recently Z9 repaired under warranty; those all went smoothly.

My Z9 had the GPS date off by 1024 weeks problem. I have a contact at Nikon Melville. He arranged so that they fixed my Z9 at Signal Hill (Los Angeles) while I waited there for about 15 minutes, saving us around-trip shipping.
 
Born2Code said:
Mixed.

I bought a Nikon-refurbed Z50 and when I got it, the flash wouldn't fire. I spoke to someone at Nikon USA who asked me to upload some sample images, which I did. I got an email suggesting I use a higher ISO. I emailed back and explained that this wasn't an underexposure problem, it was that the FLASH DID NOT FIRE.
Click to expand...
Least I know I am not alone in getting a Tech who's tools should be a rake and leaf bag.
 
I've had cause to interact with Nikon service on a number of occasions over the past 40 years or so.

I have never had a really bad experience. There were a couple of time I had to return camera/lens more than once because the fault had not been repaired to my satisfaction.

On a 1-10 scale for satisfaction for service and support, I'd have go give Nikon Service (Australia, Europe, Middle East, UK) a 9.5.
 
You didn’t describe the problem you experienced in any detail whatsoever, so it it impossible to offer any counsel.

My experience with Nikon support has been overwhelmingly positive. I use my gear in extreme conditions quite frequently and sometimes drop important things. Each year for the past 20 years, I typically send one or more items to Melville for repair. In addition, I send two or more each year for CLA.

Only once did a piece of equipment come back not working as expected. It took two iterations of return/refix, but happily the camera came back working better than before I broke it.

As many other respondents to your post have suggested, Nikon repair does an exceptionally good job.
 
I don't have much interest in buying new product from Nikon. I bought a new D3 not long after they came out. About 1o months into owning it, the rear LCD screen started to get a foggy look in the corner. I sent the camera back before the warranty expired and was flat denied any fix.

If the warranty means nothing, then why buy new?
 
I've had one experience and it was totally positive.

I had an issue with a refurbished lens I purchased from the NikonUSA web site. I sent a careful description and a couple of photo examples. They told me to send it in. I did, and they had it repaired perfectly and returned to me within a week with no charge.

I also sent in a used lens for repair about a year ago. It was repaired perfectly for a reasonable fee and returned to me very quickly -- again, within a week (I live in NY and sent the lens to Nikon's repair center on Long Island).
 
bikinchris said:
I don't have much interest in buying new product from Nikon. I bought a new D3 not long after they came out. About 1o months into owning it, the rear LCD screen started to get a foggy look in the corner. I sent the camera back before the warranty expired and was flat denied any fix.

If the warranty means nothing, then why buy new?
Click to expand...
Warranty denied is only part of the story. Why was it denied?

I have had warranty claims denied and they are always accompanied with a reason.

If the reason is valid that I accept it and move on. If on the other hand the reason is flawed I appeal the rejected claim. And yes, I have done this, presented my case and gotten things covered.

No warranty is absolute.
 
Jerry_P_M said:
bikinchris said:
I don't have much interest in buying new product from Nikon. I bought a new D3 not long after they came out. About 1o months into owning it, the rear LCD screen started to get a foggy look in the corner. I sent the camera back before the warranty expired and was flat denied any fix.

If the warranty means nothing, then why buy new?
Click to expand...
Warranty denied is only part of the story. Why was it denied?

I have had warranty claims denied and they are always accompanied with a reason.

If the reason is valid that I accept it and move on. If on the other hand the reason is flawed I appeal the rejected claim. And yes, I have done this, presented my case and gotten things covered.

No warranty is absolute.
Click to expand...
The fogged screen was a common problem with the early D3. They claimed I got it wet, which is a bold faced lie.

The dealer tried to push for me with no luck.

--
“Every man I meet is in some way my superior; and in that I can learn of him.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
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