- Messages
- 2,921
- Name
- Chris
- Edit My Images
- Yes
So we all like to hear about complaints - things going wrong - but sometimes it goes the other way, and something happens better than you expected.
A few weeks ago I was in the market for a Canon 16-35mm 2.8 lens - and after having a look around, and being near Cardiff at the time, called the guys at the Camera Centre in Morgans Arcade. They had a look, and told me they had one, but was the last one in stock. I didn't actually ask them to reserve it - I just said thanks as I was still thinking. The following day I wandered into the shop, and one of the guys remembered I'd called the day before. He apologised as he said the lens that he thought was new, was actually his ex-demo unit, and had been put on the wrong shelf of the warehouse. It was missing the lens hood from the box, but that he'd offer a reasonable price if I was still interested, otherwise offering to get me a new unit within a few days.
I had a look at the lens, and there were a couple of tiny marks, but nothing that said it had been used as such. I did a quick check on the date code, and it was a recent model, so was pretty comfortable that it was as good as a new lens, and they were offering a standard warranty, with a replacement hood coming as soon as they could get it.
I had a 100mm Macro that I was considering P/X'ing - and we set about bartering prices.
We came to an agreement on the 16-35 that I was very happy with - but the P/X price wasn't quite what I was looking for.
We were having a bit of friendly conversation, and the same guy I'd dealt with on the phone popped over and said 'Oh go on then - we'll give you £XXX for your macro' - which made the deal just exactly what I was looking for.
If I'd ordered online from the grey market - I actually would have spent more (Albeit a new unit - not ex-demo) - and I'd still have to shift the macro through a classifieds somewhere.
What impressed me most was the feeling that as a customer - I was valued. Having bought everything online for a couple of years, I didn't really think about it much, but going back into a bricks and mortar shop and experiencing 'Service with a bit of a smile' made me realise that online shopping isn't always the best option.
I got what I wanted - at a price I was happy with - with service that made the experience pleasurable. The hood has arrived over the last day or so, and I'm glad to see it's an original, not a copy. So it's a big thumbs up to the Camera Centre in Cardiff for their great service, and a deal that did me very well.
A few weeks ago I was in the market for a Canon 16-35mm 2.8 lens - and after having a look around, and being near Cardiff at the time, called the guys at the Camera Centre in Morgans Arcade. They had a look, and told me they had one, but was the last one in stock. I didn't actually ask them to reserve it - I just said thanks as I was still thinking. The following day I wandered into the shop, and one of the guys remembered I'd called the day before. He apologised as he said the lens that he thought was new, was actually his ex-demo unit, and had been put on the wrong shelf of the warehouse. It was missing the lens hood from the box, but that he'd offer a reasonable price if I was still interested, otherwise offering to get me a new unit within a few days.
I had a look at the lens, and there were a couple of tiny marks, but nothing that said it had been used as such. I did a quick check on the date code, and it was a recent model, so was pretty comfortable that it was as good as a new lens, and they were offering a standard warranty, with a replacement hood coming as soon as they could get it.
I had a 100mm Macro that I was considering P/X'ing - and we set about bartering prices.
We came to an agreement on the 16-35 that I was very happy with - but the P/X price wasn't quite what I was looking for.
We were having a bit of friendly conversation, and the same guy I'd dealt with on the phone popped over and said 'Oh go on then - we'll give you £XXX for your macro' - which made the deal just exactly what I was looking for.
If I'd ordered online from the grey market - I actually would have spent more (Albeit a new unit - not ex-demo) - and I'd still have to shift the macro through a classifieds somewhere.
What impressed me most was the feeling that as a customer - I was valued. Having bought everything online for a couple of years, I didn't really think about it much, but going back into a bricks and mortar shop and experiencing 'Service with a bit of a smile' made me realise that online shopping isn't always the best option.
I got what I wanted - at a price I was happy with - with service that made the experience pleasurable. The hood has arrived over the last day or so, and I'm glad to see it's an original, not a copy. So it's a big thumbs up to the Camera Centre in Cardiff for their great service, and a deal that did me very well.
