Reading mode: Light Dark

B&H has lost a customer

Go to last post
Bad Sneakers said:
As someone who also knows first-hand the fears and frustrations
associated with the modern perils of identity-theft/credit card
fraud, not to mention the impersonal approach taken by so many
retailers....

...all I can say is that I'm impressed, not only by the comments
made by Mr. Posner in this regard, but also by the fact that he is
taking the time to respond in such a personal, yet forthright,
manner.

I'm way north of the I-287 (in Canada, heheheh), so I can't go so
far as to say that I'll be using B&H any time soon, but if the
opportunity ever arises, well, B&H will have won a customer as a
result of the OP's complaint...
Click to expand...
This comment demonstrates a fact that some companies instinctively understand and others don't. When you have a problem, try to get on front of it and deal with it honestly. Like when there was a problem with tainted Tylenol, and the manufacturer immediately recalled all stocks.

Or like when Coca-Cola had issues of purity in Belgium (?) and refused to address the issue. That refusal cost them far more than a recall ever would have. The most valuable thing a company has is its reputation. (Just ask anyone from HP about 6-12 months from now.)

--
LongTimeNikonUser
 
In the past couple of years I've probably made a half-dozen purchases from B&H. In at least two instances, I wasn't sure what I needed exactly and asked the salesperson for advice. My experience in every instance was that the advice and service I got was professional and completely satisfactory in every respect.

BUT, it didn't include any shmoozing--no chit-chat, no buttering up--so it was all efficiency and to the point. It wasn't what a lot of people who live in Southern California, the southern region of the U.S., or a lot of other places expect in their business dealings.

My experience with B&H is that it's not the place to go for "cheerful and friendly" if you want some variation on Southern hospitality in your business dealings. But as everyone who has done business with them knows, they're at the top when it comes to inventory, service, efficiency, and integrity.
 
lglass said:
Over the past 5 years I have spent over $10,000 with B&H. Most of
the time using the same credit or debit card. I placed an order on
Wednesday for 90.00 worth of merchandise using the same debit card
I had used 2 months previous. Within 5 min my account was debited
for the amount of the order. After placing a call today I found
that my address needed verification. One of the most arogant person
I have every spoken too then demanded my account address so he
could make sure it was correct with the bank. After numerous
interuptions he and requests to talk to his manager he placed
another $1.00 charge on my debit card and informed me my order will
ship. I could see the charge as he was telling me the order is ok.
Same address, same card, I changed nothing but they seem to have.
what an operation.

Dennis
--
Dennis Donohue
Freelance Nature and Equine Photographer

Click to expand...
--
Dennis,

Please do not take this the wrong way....please.

But $10,000.00 over 5 years is a TON of business with one company, and that means they must have been doing something right. I have been in the business world for 27 years and I can assure you that over those 27 years not only have I seen rude people, but also rude customer service reps. It is a fact of life when dealing with people. We all have bad days at some point. But to turn your back on a company that you have religiously used for 5 years over one bad apple is a mistake.

I would assume that you must have received superior customers service for those 5 years or you would have found another retailer by now to do business with. Right?

Finally, try for a moment to put yourself in B&H's position for just a second, and have to lose a valued customer over one rude person's action. Advise them professionally (via email or call, but NOT HERE) of your disappointment with this one individual, but give yourself and B&H credit for all the business you two have done in the past.

I have done years of business with B&H also, and I would NOT give up on them just because one individual ticked me off. They have earned my business.

Thanks for listening.
Conrad Birdie
http://www.pbase.com/conrad_birdie
 
I'd be the Basil Faulty type who would tell any arrogant customer to go jump in a lake.

Which is why I couldn't run a retail business....keep me away from the public. LOL

Yet I'm the best customer in the world :))
 
A lot of folks here in central NY state rely on getting their gear from the "city" (NYC, that is). The photographers from the Fingerlakes region and other artists all go down to NYC regularly to stock up on supplies and to check on new equipment. I know I do, and I am not a pro. Nobody buys from the Brooklyn guys, that's for sure. It's either B&H, or (almost) nothing else. Problem with B&H the store is it's (again almost) too small, and oftentimes too crowded to be able to really concentrate on the specs of a certain product. Best is to know beforehand what you want...

Thomas
(in Ithaca, NY)
henryp said:
chuxter said:
Is Rochester in "upstate NY"? I spent two summers there and the
people were "rude" IMO.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry to hear this. My sister went to college in Rochester and
my sister-in-law lives there now so I get there regularly.

There's a chain of grocery stores up there called Wegman's. I have
been in 40+ states on one shoot or another over the past 3 decades
and IMHO I have never gotten service as polite and cordial as I get
every time I shop in my sister-in-law's local Weggies. Super
impressive.
henryp said:
Why don't you move your call center to Penn Yan? ;-)
Click to expand...
Our call center is about the size of Penn Yan. :-)

--
Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video, Inc.
Click to expand...
--
 
Two years ago, someone tried to steal my identity. Somehow, they found out my CC#, SSN, mother's maiden name, and changed the billing address of my credit card. The good news is that I didn't lose a cent and only had a 30 day inconvenience in changing info back and waiting for a replacement credit card with a new number. How was this detected before I suffered a loss? By a sharp credit card issuer AND a thorough, mail order camera store where the thief was trying to order a ton of stuff. Personally, I'd be HAPPY that the store was checking and I'd consider that to be a competitive advantage.

George
 
irish-george said:
Two years ago, someone tried to steal my identity. Somehow, they
found out my CC#, SSN, mother's maiden name, and changed the
billing address of my credit card. The good news is that I didn't
lose a cent and only had a 30 day inconvenience in changing info
back and waiting for a replacement credit card with a new number.
How was this detected before I suffered a loss? By a sharp credit
card issuer AND a thorough, mail order camera store where the thief
was trying to order a ton of stuff. Personally, I'd be HAPPY that
the store was checking and I'd consider that to be a competitive
advantage.
Click to expand...
Yep. I'm always pretty happy to have an independent call from either the credit card company or the retailer verifying information and my order. I do get a little annoyed at some of the strange hoops that some have had me jump through that seem to make no sense whatsoever. But my brother-in-law had a huge problem with identity theft, and the inconvenience, loss of time and money that it caused him makes a few minutes with someone verifying information seem like a blink of an eye.

What I don't get is why someone has to talk to a manager about an address verification. My suspicion is that what we have here is New York City gruffness mixing with someone who took a pretty standard request as a personal affront and things just went downhill from there.

Too bad really.

--
Jay Turberville
http://www.jayandwanda.com
 
I have always treated them with dignity, even if the are wrong, and they always treated me fairly and to my satisfaction. If you start off trying to make them wrong, they will fullfill your expectations :(
 
I have done a fair amount of business with B & H and they have been to the point. They don't have time to be your friend, they want your order, to get it correct, make you happy with your purchase, and offer you suggestions. They have always done that with me.

As a matter of fact I buy a LOT of items from a big California camera store and give them B&H's price and they match it, knowing that B&H is one of the few honorable cameras stores in NY.

My next purchase of Pentax Lenses (the three new Gold Series) will be from B&H, unless my camera store will match their price and have no tax (they have that deal a couple of times a year).

wll
 
get over it, B & H is a very fine camera store that you can depend on and get prices that are FAIR. They may not be the lowest but you will get a new, unused product and exactly what you want or your money back ...... you can't ask for more. They are the ONLY NY company that I buy from that I trust. I have bought from others but Im biting my nails till I get the product.

wll
 
Agreed, I try to shop the local stores on occasion just to spread the business around but when I need something unusual or the local shops are being idiots, "What d'ya mean you have a D2x but won't let me see it?" (actually happend at local big name store, bought D2x from B&H instead) I'm perfectly content to order from B&H. They have given me great service and I have no complaints. Besides how many vendors are on a customer complaint as fast as Henry.

I like the comment that vendors are looking out for themselves. Well DUH!

Dan
 
jk said:
oh ya right we cant help it ..since we are new yawkeers we "feel we
must be "RUDE"
Click to expand...
I agree completely. Either that or he is a troll.

Actually, the best "New York description" is "what a schmuck!"
jk said:
jk said:
It's a cultural thing in NYC. They can't help it. The only way to
get around it would be to put the call center in another state or
country.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
LongTimeNikonUser
 
The CC companies/banks lose and change my information fairly regularly.

The net effect is that they randomly deny my credit cards, or confuse my billing and shipping addresses. Many companies I order from on the internet do not communicate the issues back to me in a proper fashion - proactively and promptly.

--len
 
Hopefully lglass has been following this thread and realizes the error of his ways. We haven't seen a post from him in two days in this thread. I wonder if he reconsidered his position after reading all of this?
--
Bob

Use the preview feature before you post your message to see if you any words or letrs out. You can check your links to see if they work too.
 
I think the credit verification process seems sound to me, according to what I read. Perhaps the "victim" needs to come to grips with what folks in the Southern US have long felt which is that folks in NY/NJ can sometimes come off like not particurarly polite, for some reason or another. It is probably because there are so many of them jammed up together they don't have time for graceful conversation. In spit of this, when I've traveled to this foreign country I have always found these folks to be wonderful, once you learn how to take their language conventions.
 
I mean if I had spent large sums of money at a store just to be treated rudely, I would certainly have second thoughts about using that store.

I have read several threads from people with the same experience. Although one instance of rudeness probably wouldn't drive me away a couple of instances probably would, even if they have pretty good reputation for price and delivery.

Now I personally have had absolutely no problems with them and doubt that I will in the future, but that doesn't mean others have not.

I personally would give them at least a second chance to make things right, but then again I wasn't on the phone call and don't know exactly how the OP was treated. So I really can't pass judgement.
Bob Stothfang said:
Hopefully lglass has been following this thread and realizes the
error of his ways. We haven't seen a post from him in two days in
this thread. I wonder if he reconsidered his position after reading
all of this?
--
Bob
Use the preview feature before you post your message to see if you
any words or letrs out. You can check your links to see if they
work too.
Click to expand...
--
Brian
 
I've ordered several items from their on-line store and can say I've never had a problem.

The first time I ordered, they asked me to fax a front and rear scan of the card I was using and after that, they never asked again.

It's a little bit annoying when something does go awry but generally, if one is courteous and reasonable, one will usually get treated the same way. If in any doubt about the attitude of any member of any organisation, ask for a name and then ask to speak to a supervisor. I worked for Tandy (Radio Shack) for six years in the UK and we were always taught that the customer is to be treated with respect, even if they're wrong. Even if you give a refund where one is not entitled (legally) but to keep the customer happy.

Customer Service : It's the right thing to do.

Henry, nice to see BH employees keeping up with things on DP Review.

--
It's an L of a life, this photography lark

http://gordon-walker.fotopic.net/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top