Could have used a little more 'Customer Sevice'

[Wilkz07]

I am looking to buy a DSLR camera and within my price range is the Sony Alpha a200k, comes with a lens kit. I went into my local Futureshop and took a look around at the cameras. I was there browsing for a few minutes and tried to get the guy's attention who was busy with his blackberry, but he didn't look up, even when I said 'excuse me'.

Now its possible he was so deep in thought trying to put the right color card into sequence in his solitaire game so I let it go. I went to pick up one of the display models and had just touched the camera and the alarm went off. The clerk on the blackberry looks up, points and me and repeatedly sayd aloud 'It was this guy right here'. Sure, once was kinda funny but he didn't stop until somebody came over and turned off the alarm. The girl who turned off the alarm asked me if I was looking for anything particular and my response was "Not anymore" followed by a "lets go to Best Buy" to my wife, loud enough for her to hear.

Today I called Futureshop a couple of times after seeing the camera package I wanted was on sale and in-stock according to the website. After 3 call attempts to the camera dept and getting what sounded like a generic home answering machine message I called customer service to have them put me through to cameras. Here's what transpired:

FS: Hello
Me: Uh, hello!?
FS: Yeah, Hi
Me: I'm looking for a sony alpha 200k camera kit
FS: Sure, Sure, let me see if its in stock just a second
[insert phone clunk noise, general background noise and a 'wtf']
FS: Yeah can you call back in an hour or so our system is down.
Me: Okay, I'll be coming in..
FS: Click.

What this should tell me is don't buy anything from FS, but I really want the camera and it is a solid price. I've put in a complaint to FS head office about the clerk on the phone (got his name from customer serivce) but I doubt it will do any good.

Thanks for the rant. Anyone else have some stories where there should have been more Customer Service?

[Commissar Rob]

Ran into something similar with my last couple of visits to Best Buy. Clerks who must be overworked and underpaid - just not providing much in the way of customer service or even basic civility.

Meh, I shop Amazon a lot more often now...

[axion]

I usually go into a store expecting nothing from the people there as for the most part I've done my research and know what I'm looking for. Also because at some stores I feel I probably know more about the products I'm interested in than the people working there anyways.

[nixpayn]

i remember when radio shack was running their campign about how everyone who worked for them was an expert at things, so i used to go in and ask them questions about different over clocking results on the various systems they had for sale. they'd just kinda muddle around and talk about how the screen had an anti-glare coating. Oooo.

[Wilkz07]

I'll be going into stores now with some more research done, possible a website printout page and if asked if anyone help me will simply say no.

There are a couple of clerks at the FS I go to that I'll wait until they are free to ask a question or make a purchase.

The BEST customer service I have recieved is at the Blockbuster Video near my house. There are 2 clerks that work there that remember their customers and its been over 3 months of renting since I've had to show my ID for them to verify my account.

[biosc1]

Future Shop bites when it comes to customer service. I honestly don't know how some of their brick and mortar stores stay in business. The one near my place is absolutely atrocious when it comes to staff. So bad, that I'll drive much further to another Future Shop, just to skip the hassle. Unfortunately, they do have some good deals, so I can't take them completely out of the equation.

[Johan]

Retail brick and mortar is shit. Go online. Browse in peace, with a [insert drink and/or snack of choice], wearing [as much/as little as you like] and find the best price.

Retail brick and mortar is only good for getting frustrated and wasting time.

[Alkanos]

Retail brick and mortar is shit. Go online. Browse in peace, with a [insert drink and/or snack of choice], wearing [as much/as little as you like] and find the best price.

Retail brick and mortar is only good for getting frustrated and wasting time.
Normally, I avoid actual stores in favor of online stuff, but they are useful for some things. For example, buying a mouse or a monitor. I'd prefer to have one right in front of me, rather than a potentially bullshotted one from online. The same would go for a camera, I'd want to actually hold it in my hands and get a feel for it before buying it.

However, if I'm going to a B&M, I usually don't want any customer service. Just let me look around in peace. Don't bug me every five minutes asking if I need any help!

[civil]

On a different note, I recently bought a Pentax K200D (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxk200d/) after some exhaustive research (the Sony you mentioned was in the running, too). It's fucking awesome: Around the same price, weather proofed somewhat, sturdy and best of all comes with image stabilization built into the camera, meaning cheaper lenses.

My $.02

[Johan]

On a different note, I recently bought a Pentax K200D (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxk200d/) after some exhaustive research (the Sony you mentioned was in the running, too). It's fucking awesome: Around the same price, weather proofed somewhat, sturdy and best of all comes with image stabilization built into the camera, meaning cheaper lenses.

My $.02

Hey, civil...do film-based Pentax lenses fit on the DSLR Pentax bodies? I have several very expensive SLR lenses for an older Pentax, and that DSLR looks sweet.

[civil]

Hey, civil...do film-based Pentax lenses fit on the DSLR Pentax bodies? I have several very expensive SLR lenses for an older Pentax, and that DSLR looks sweet.
Yeah, as long as they have the same mounting system (Pentax K, KA, KAF, and KAF2). Here's an excerpt from the cnet review:

One of the nice things about Pentax's K lens system is that you can use the vast majority of the lenses the company has made with the K200D. If you're willing to buy an adapter on eBay (but I'd stick to the official Pentax-made adapters), you can even use screw-mount (aka M42) lenses dating back to the 1960s. I recently found a very nice 28mm f/3.5 screw-mount lens on eBay for about $100. I have to focus manually when I use it, since it wasn't made for autofocus, and you have to compensate the exposure manually for the decreased light that smaller apertures let in (modern lenses don't close the aperture blades until you press the shutter button fully), but it's a nice bargain if you can deal with those limitations.

[Johan]

Yeah, as long as they have the same mounting system (Pentax K, KA, KAF, and KAF2). Here's an excerpt from the cnet review:

Thank you so much! :)

[diablopath]

I'm a dick to people because I'd rather have them shop at local businesses instead of Wal-Mart.

[Purple Santa]

I'm a dick to people because I'd rather have them shop at local businesses instead of Wal-Mart.

Your plan isn't working. Wal-Mart sales were up last month. So you are being a dick for no reason ;)

[DeathtollWRX]

Please don't mention Radio Shack. They are the worst.

Enjoy your new cam when you get it. DSLR is the way to go!

[rifter]

If you are looking for an SLR... the long and short of it is, get a Canon or Nikon. Anyone that is serious will tell you, the body doesn't matter. When you buy into a camera, you are buying into the lenses. Nikor and Canon L lenses are the best of the best. When 3rd parties create lenses, the first mounts are Canon and Nikon mounts. The most third party items (decent priced batteries, wireless/wired releases, etc) are for Canon and Nikon.

If you NEVER plan on getting past a very basic entry level camera, then one of those are fine... if you hope to ever get good enough, to move up though, you will find yourself severely limited. The Art Wolfe, Scott Kelby and Joe McNally's of the word shoot with one of two brands.

Here is an interesting break down of image stabilization between body and lenses http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/image_stabilization.html.

Half or more of your choice in a camera, is about what you plan/hope for the future, in the hobby.

[Johan]

If you are looking for an SLR... the long and short of it is, get a Canon or Nikon. Anyone that is serious will tell you, the body doesn't matter. When you buy into a camera, you are buying into the lenses. Nikor and Canon L lenses are the best of the best.

Pentax K20D. (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/PentaxK20D/page34.asp)

I'm buying the Pentax K20D, myself. I've been waiting for a chance to pick up a Pentax (I have Pentax SLR lenses that I want to use). While what you say is generally true, the Pentax K20D, and other Pentax cameras, tend to leave some "noise" behind in the image in order to allow the user to deal with it as they see fit through photo-editing software, rather than wiping away some resolution like many cameras do and losing that resolution permanently. I actually see this as a good thing, not a negative as most reviews at consumer sites often indicate. I'd rather decide myself whether or not to wipe away resolution in the image to reduce noise.

I'm pretty happy with my selection. I'm going to look into it some more later today, and then order it tonight.

[rifter]

Pentax K20D. (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/PentaxK20D/page34.asp)

I'm buying the Pentax K20D, myself. I've been waiting for a chance to pick up a Pentax (I have Pentax SLR lenses that I want to use). While what you say is generally true, the Pentax K20D, and other Pentax cameras, tend to leave some "noise" behind in the image in order to allow the user to deal with it as they see fit through photo-editing software, rather than wiping away some resolution like many cameras do and losing that resolution permanently. I actually see this as a good thing, not a negative as most reviews at consumer sites often indicate. I'd rather decide myself whether or not to wipe away resolution in the image to reduce noise.

I'm pretty happy with my selection. I'm going to look into it some more later today, and then order it tonight.

Don't get me wrong, I am NOT bashing cameras. Many of them have some VERY cool capabilities. (Edit: That I really hope Canon implements, since I use Canon cameras)The problem, is the glass. You buy a system, for the glass, as you illustrate VERY well. You have good, older glass, and are looking for a new body that uses your existing glass.

As for in-camera noise reduction, there ARE ways of doing it, in-camera that are very good. I have read articles about it, and quite honestly, they didn't concern me much. Noise is bad... finding a happy medium between noise sharpness, is different for every person. In my experience, the loss of sharpness, when applying a noise filter on your photographs, is next to nothing. I turn off some of the noise canceling stuff in my camera, though... so it cycles faster, at extremely long exposures.

My whole argument, has to do with pretty much everything BUT the camera. :-) The camera is just what you attach glass to. You choose the body that lets your glass do what you want it to do.

[Johan]

You choose the body that lets your glass do what you want it to do.

True enough. The glass is pretty expensive at the higher end, too, so I really wanted to continue to use it; therefore, Pentax for me. :)

I ordered it tonight, with a nice Lowepro SlingShot 300 and a few other accessories; can't wait!