Where do you get your Elinchrom heads serviced?

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Deadlock

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Where do you get your Elinchrom heads serviced?

I've been using the official The Flash Centre in London for many years but have been losing confidence with each yearly service.

A few months ago I had a service and they returned a head without the original cap on and instead had used a melted & warped protective cap, which broke the locking ring.
A few days ago I discovered as a light fell apart in my hands on a shoot at a clients site, that they had forgotten to add the screws to keep the case closed.
Tonight I got the heads back and discovered that someone forcefully prised the case apart with perhaps a screwdriver, leaving indentations in the plastic and then appears to have stabbed the lighting controls on the back panel with the same screwdriver, scratching and puncturing the plastic.

I'm sitting here just stunned that someone thinks this is an acceptable, professional way to treat someones equipment.

Any thoughts or advice on alternative places for servicing are welcome.
 
I would hope that those at the top of TFC are unaware of this kind of thing, but would like to know. I would send an email marked FAO Chris Whittle. There should be nowhere better than TFC to service Elinchrom.
 
Flash, zoom, quadra or s2000?



The answer is the same really, service it yourself, then you know for sure it was done the right way.
 
HoppyUK said:
I would hope that those at the top of TFC are unaware of this kind of thing, but would like to know. I would send an email marked FAO Chris Whittle. There should be nowhere better than TFC to service Elinchrom.
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I have to say this was my initial response, bad customer service is a reason to 'walk away' from a supplier, incompetence on this level should be compensated for.

Someone working there needs their arse kicking, and if the OP doesn't report that who will?
 
Thanks all.
Richard, thanks for the name. I emailed the service department upon receipt and discovery of the issues yesterday. It would certainly be wise to escalate the issue and have some oversight.
Phil, you are right, I do need to report it so hopefully others don't have to go through these issues.
GT - Ha - that would be a fun project!
 
Just wondering what is done on the service? Must admit mine have not been serviced so think I should get them done
 
They have offered to repair the damage they caused to the casing and control panel of my light - at a discounted cost.
That doesn't seem right to me.
 
Deadlock said:
They have offered to repair the damage they caused to the casing and control panel of my light - at a discounted cost.
That doesn't seem right to me.
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They are joking?
Did you email the boss? If not, then do so, if you did, I'd take to their FB or Twitter acct and thank them for their generous offer, plenty of sarcasm and add photos.

It seems you can add photos on their FB page. ;)
 
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Thanks.
Glad I'm not alone in finding this surprising and disappointing.
Phil, I did email the director, who apparently asked another individual to liaise with me on the issue and this is their offer.
I'm not sure I can be as brash as you suggest. I would simply prefer logic and the law to work. That if someone breaks something, they have the decency to fix it. But that mindset isn't exactly working out for me, is it?!?!
 
My guess is that the person asked to deal with it hasn't gone back to check his response.

Reply to the MD with a copy of the 'solution' stating your complete shock.

I work in an organisation that's somewhat more formalised, this is how it'd work.

You'd complain to the head of department, they'd pass it to someone who was best placed to provide a solution. But that response would be (dependant on severity) either:
In line with policy, bearing in mind the head of department has a sensitivity
Copied to the head of department to ensure compliance
Drafted by minion, sent to head of department who would then issue the response.

The issue is 'what's the cost of getting it wrong', and in this instance, you should respond with your dissatisfaction back to the person you originally complained to. He will make a judgement call, deciding whether you're likely to make more of a fuss, or if he really is a good bloke, he'll kick the arse of the bloke who sent the response.

Should you need to go further...
There's a Facebook group called 'the light side', if you post your story there and link TFC they'll not have the ability to take it down. Copies of the email with pictures of the damage will work a treat.

Also Twitter has been shown to be very effective.

But do not threaten a smear campaign. Ask for the damage put right or compensation, then calmly deal with the response.

Good luck.
 
The Supply of Goods and Services Act gives you the same protection for repairs as you get when you are a buyer of faulty goods. They have a legal obligation to rectify their unsatisfactory work. In your case it appears you have two claims, one for the damage caused by the distorted cap and one for the latest incident. In both cases you can ask for all the parts they damaged, i.e. the case and lighting controls to be replaced by them and the item to be returned to you in the condition you sent it to them.

Send them a letter, Recorded Delivery, outlining the damage, photos will help, and inform them that they are in breach of the Act I've quoted and that you want the unsatisfactory work rectified at their expense. Also inform them than unless they reply within 14 days to the effect that they accept liability and will rectify the item(s), you will start proceedings through the Small Claims Court. The only thing I am not sure of is if you can also claim the cost of postage to them, obviously the cost of the postage back is down to them.

Hope this has helped.
 
My feeling is that if the situation is as you describe it to be, their MD Chris Whittle will not be happy with the proposed solution - having said that, Chris is pretty busy elsewhere and of course he has to delegate things. Michael Sewell, who posts on here, is now working for Elinchrom as a brand ambassador - why not contact him to see whether he can help?
 
Thanks Christopher. Good to know the legal situation for further negotiations.
Thanks Phil.
Sound points.
This is the London branch manager that I'm dealing with.
I think you are right about the level of fuss I'm prepared to make being part of the assessment. It does not inspire me with confidence for a lasting business relationship with the flash centre. In turn as The Flash Centre are the only approved service centre in the UK for Elinchrom, I'm questioning further purchases of Elinchrom heads and potentially invalidating the warranty by having them serviced elsewhere. Its just not worth the hassle staying with elinchrom.

Anyway, I'm wasting too much time on the flash centre, when I should be doing my processing and earning money!
 
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