Happier with Adorama

Some of you have been ragging on Helen Oster, the Adorama Camera Customer
Service Ambassador. When she commented on my "Unhappy with Adorama" note
above, she asked me to send her further information on my trade with the
Adorama Used Department. I sent her a note summarizing the trade at 11PM
Pacific Time Sunday night. I received a response from her at 11:20PM. This
morning, at 11AM Pacific, I received a call from the person I had been
dealing with at Adorama. We had a long discussion of the process of the
trade with the net result of Adorama increasing the offer that they
previously made and sending an additional check for the difference.

I'll give Adorama an A+ for customer service! And a thank you to Helen for
dealing with my complaint.

Tom

On 9/7/09 13:31 , Tom from WI wrote:
Some of you have been ragging on Helen Oster, the Adorama Camera
Customer Service Ambassador. When she commented on my "Unhappy with
Adorama" note above, she asked me to send her further information on my
trade with the Adorama Used Department. I sent her a note summarizing
the trade at 11PM Pacific Time Sunday night. I received a response from
her at 11:20PM. This morning, at 11AM Pacific, I received a call from
the person I had been dealing with at Adorama. We had a long discussion
of the process of the trade with the net result of Adorama increasing
the offer that they previously made and sending an additional check for
the difference.

I'll give Adorama an A+ for customer service! And a thank you to Helen
for dealing with my complaint.

Tom


Good to hear.

In the final analysis, customer service, regardless of product
category and class, only becomes an issue when there's a problem. Or
a perceived problem. It doesn't matter how many times things go well
at a business, or for a customer. It's not even how many times
things go poorly at a business, or for a customer. It's how the
business responds to the problem that determines the depth and
breadth of customer service.

Here is a case that could have simply been dropped and both
parties could have moved on. Albeit with bad feelings for at least
one. But Adorama chose to investigate the complaints, and rethink
the matter of the complaint.

With satisfactory outcome for the customer.

The way it should be.

"Helen Oster" wrote in message ...
On Sep 8, 11:59 pm, Bob G wrote:

I don't know.

Adorama entered into a verbal agreement with the seller, were there
any conditions other than that the equipment be in good shape? All of
a sudden they renege because "prices have gone down". Not kosher.

Now they make good, not because the seller complained, but because he
made the matter public.

I don't know.

Actually, we made good because an individual member of the customer
service team had a lapse in judgement, and made a decision which was
counter to Adorama's procedures. Had Tom contacted me directly there
would have been exactly the same outcome.

We hope the fact that we do care enough about our customers to post in
this forum reinforces your belief that Adorama is a good company that
deserves your business.

Life is all about learning and none of us are perfect; what matters is
what we do next. We hope that our apology is accepted in the spirit in
which it is made.

Sincerely

Helen Oster
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador


www.adorama.com

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Things like these happen. I have always considered KEH very honest,
but on the basis of a 'phone offer, I sent in a Pentax 6x7 and three
lenses. I DO KNOW HOW TO ACCURATELY EVALUATE
GEAR CONDITION (and where and how to look for the most minor
flaws)!!! The three lenses were truly in unused/mint condition (as in
NO marks of any kind anywhere, perfect mechanics, and totally clear
glass - which I check carefully by having the sun go through it [from
each ends, while moving the lens around and viewing the glass off-axis
of the sun path]). The body had a few slight "ticks" along the rear bottom
edge ONLY (as I described on the 'phone). Much to my surprise, the
"real" offer upon receipt of the gear was far lower than first offered. The
claim was that the lenses were "fogged"... I realized later that as a favor
to KEH, I had left on all the Tiffen filters, and these are notorious for
"self-fogging" - and I hadn't cleaned them and they hadn't bothered
to check the lenses without them. When informed of this, they upped the
offer some (with the intervention of a friend), but it was still so unattractive
that I took the gear back and sold it locally for a good price. Otherwise,
I had been quite satisfied with my dealings with KEH (but only with
purchases from them...).
--DR