That's Okay Petey everything I know about Canadians I learned from watching "South Park" too :^)

Just like Canon online here in Canada

Pete

jonnyapple said:
True, Niko. You have to make absolutely sure the capacitor(s) are discharged. I wasn't recommending this technique for anyone who doesn't know what they're doing.

Actually at work I was splitting a broken camera apart to get the sensor out and was a bit careless and touched the flash capacitor, wow just like getting hit by a tazer

Pete

bmxdad said:
Again the how Service is done is not the same every where. Anyway is it any good, because here in Canada, Canon has a complete waste of time online Service Status and you usually end up calling them.

Pete

Let's say it this way, Pete. It never showed up in the online approval system until I got the email with the quote attached. I went and refused the quote and from then on it said something like "This repair has been refused" when I looked it up on the approval system, and when I looked on the status system (why are there two? I don't know) it still said
One of the following may have occurred:
* Incorrect Billing Name
* Incorrect Order Number
* Repair completed
So I had to call to make sure they weren't going to throw the thing away (the guy laughed at that notion, but their system made me think it was possible). It never displayed as shipped.

NikoDoby said:
Dude Pete I'm not from Mexico?! You and alpha are WRONG!

jonny I seriously wouldn't recommend you poke around the inside of a flash. Even if you take out the batteries you can still get shocked!

You don't have to be from Mexico to wear an Sombrero, that Texas sun can be a killer you know, I could just picture you sitting on your front porch wearing that Sombrero yelling at that kid to get of your lawn

Pete

NikoDoby said:
jonny I seriously wouldn't recommend you poke around the inside of a flash. Even if you take out the batteries you can still get shocked!

True, Niko. You have to make absolutely sure the capacitor(s) are discharged. I wasn't recommending this technique for anyone who doesn't know what they're doing.

Again the how Service is done is not the same every where. Anyway is it any good, because here in Canada, Canon has a complete waste of time online Service Status and you usually end up calling them.

Pete

Dude Pete I'm not from Mexico?! You and alpha are WRONG!

jonny I seriously wouldn't recommend you poke around the inside of a flash. Even if you take out the batteries you can still get shocked!

bmxdad said:
I think an online Service Status check would also be of help

Pete

They actually have this at nikon usa, Pete. But it only works once they've opened your package and entered the serial number in their database.
http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=1046

NikoDoby said:
APPLE! Stop yapping and get back to work! Oh and do you know who the heck has been drawing smiley faces with the Nikon microscope again! Boy If I ever catch the wise guy who's doing it I'm gonna....!

All right, I guess I'm glad you're not actually my boss. His response was to submit my smiley to a science as art calendar competition (it wasn't printed).

I only know how to replace the flash tube, but I'll do that for $50. I guess that's not true. I repaired someone's SB-28DX that they were going to trash (in retrospect, I should have told them throw it away in my garbage). The batteries had leaked and it wouldn't even power on. I got out a brillo pad and polished the corrosion off the contacts and in five minutes I had it as good as new. I did that for free.

Hi Niko my Sombrero wearing, Mexican eating, Pinata loving friend ;>). Actually loving a Pinata would be a lot safer than one of them Canadian Moose, Anyway I great to see you defending Nikon, maybe that is even your job to do so.
But I started this thread to have some feedback on how service is at different places in our Nikon World. I really think that overall Nikon should overhaul how their Service is done. How warranty is dealt with, every service place should follow specific guidelines, and I think an online Service Status check would also be of help

Pete

I'd have to side with Jonny on this one... I don't know about the price quote, since I've come to expect ridiculous repair costs out of warranty, but lying about calling back and taking so long is not quality customer service.

Personally, I've never had to talk to Nikon, but all of my stuff is quite new, so that's how it should be :).

Jonny I'm sending you my broken flash :^)

APPLE! Stop yapping and get back to work! Oh and do you know who the heck has been drawing smiley faces with the Nikon microscope again! Boy If I ever catch the wise guy who's doing it I'm gonna....!

http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=1338#post-23047

I always introduced myself as Jon Paul as a CS rep, and I was always surprised at how many people called me 'Mr. Paul.' My wife still calls me that just for fun sometimes.

NikoDoby said:
I don't think anyone, except a local shop, could have fixed your non warranty covered flash in 7days for $60 dollars.

Then how did I, who have no training in repairing these things and no diagrams, poke around with my soldering iron for 1.5 hours and fix it? I'm pretty sure I could do it next time in 40 minutes. If you think my time is worth more than $25-$50/hour when I'm doing that then I wish you were my boss.

You're not trying to convince me your rating is justified jonny. I'm just interested in hearing how Nikon could have done it differently for you. I don't think anyone, except a local shop, could have fixed your non warranty covered flash in 7days for $60 dollars. Sorry you had such an unsatisfactory experience dealing with customer service. I hope you call me, I mean, Nikon again if you run into any further difficulties with your Nikon product. Have a nice day Mr. Apple.

I've only had to deal with customer service (warranty repair) one time, and I'd give 5 stars. If by customer service, you're referring to Nikon's relationship with its customers, I'd give a slightly lower 4 stars.

NikoDoby said:
So jonny you're "upset" that they didn't contact you in a "timely manner" and that the price quote was too high, right?

No to the first, yes to the second. I was 'upset' because they gave me false information, which I consider dishonesty. The first time I contacted them, they said I could get it back 7 days from receipt of the item. I don't know how you define receipt, but I sent it UPS so I know the day they signed for it. I asked on that first phone call in November, "Can I count on that time frame? I'm doing a wedding on the 19th and I need this fixed by then." They said yes and that they might even be able to rush it since I'm using it professionally even though I'm not an NPS member. From the day it was delivered to them, even if they meant 7 business days and allowing two days for them being behind after Thanksgiving, I should have gotten it back a week before that wedding. I got it back the 24th of December and that was with me refusing the quote within 2 hours of them posting it online.

NikoDoby said:
How much would you have been willing to pay for repairs from Nikon?

$60 ($40 for labor, $10 for the xenon tube, $10 shipping) would have been fair.

So here's my justification for 2 stars: –1 star for incorrect initial time frame estimate. –1 star for not even opening my package for over two weeks. –1 star for lying about calling me back (if you're not going to, just don't promise it and no harm done. I know your hands are tied when you work phones because I've been there for 2 years of my life). –1 star for the outrageous one-size-fits-all repair quote. +1 star for polite representatives. That's 2 stars out of five. I don't know how I can convince you it's justified, Niko. I am always very polite on the phone since I know from personal experience that anger and frustration vented on a call center worker at best doesn't help anything and at worst loses you your only advocate with the company you're contacting. I was very clear in stating that my rating is based on one experience only, so people know to take it with a grain of salt. I would have left it at that but you seem strangely interested in discounting what I'm saying. Did I talk to you one of those times in December? ;-)

Yeah I know about the problems in Poland, but I thought we were only going to mention personal experiences with Nikon customer service like jonny and ted2001. I'm only interested in specific "drama" or praise.

I think Niko overall they have some issues in Poland with Customer Service. Maybe Nikon should close down the Service Center in Poland and use other places in Europe. Here is Canada we have to sent along distance either Vancouver or Toronto app 5000 kn apart

This was a link that Adam had on another Thread about service horror stories in Poland

http://www.polishnikonservice.com/

Pete

So jonny you're "upset" that they didn't contact you in a "timely manner" and that the price quote was too high, right? How much would you have been willing to pay for repairs from Nikon?

adamz, what was your 0 star experience?

I only dealt with Nikon service when I had my AI lenses converted to AIS. Many years ago they were fast and reasonable. None of the Nikon AIS lenses ever had a problem, none of my film bodies ever had a problem and in the last year my D90 and lenses have never had any problems. So I gotta say 5.

I've worked customer service, as well, Niko, and I know you can't shoot the messenger in most cases. But how about when a messenger tells me that they're going to call me back and they don't? How is that not dishonest? That sounds like they're just getting the caller off the line and I trusted them each time. Three days in a row makes me feel like it's not coincidental. And I still stand by the fact that the quote was outrageous. I'm not trying to brag, but I've always been very good at troubleshooting and I had opened it up to see what the problem was. I sent the thing to them with a note telling them exactly what was wrong. Reading other people's experiences with SB-600 repairs, it looks like Nikon charges a flat rate for fixing the flash no matter what's wrong with it. How is that not dishonest? I paid $12 for the part and fixed it myself in about 1.5 hours. I'm sure an experienced Nikon tech would have taken much less time. I wouldn't have even posted this explanation if you hadn't asked for it, Niko, and I feel like I've explained myself pretty well. If you feel I'm being petty that's okay as it's your opinion. But I'm not changing my ratings (2 for service, 5 overall). And I'm saying nothing about Dell, cable company, etc. Customer service just generally sucks. But that doesn't make Nikon's not suck.

0 over here in Poland

It's 5 stars for France as well. I had to deal with them 4 times over two years and each time it was no complaints :o)