Poor customer service from The Classic Camera

[seaninsurrey]

Just wanted to share my experiences of "The Classic Camera" (Pied Bull Yard, London). Their customer service is appalling except when they are trying to sell you a new camera. None of the sales staff seem remotely interested and I always sense a lot of 'tension' in the shop. I was so pis*ed off I walked a few hundred yards over to RG Lewis (Southampton Row) who were charming, enthusiastic and extremely helpful. They received my business and will do so in future. Anyone else had similar experiences? Regards, Sean

[tashley]

Originally Posted by seaninsurrey

Just wanted to share my experiences of "The Classic Camera" (Pied Bull Yard, London). Their customer service is appalling except when they are trying to sell you a new camera. None of the sales staff seem remotely interested and I always sense a lot of 'tension' in the shop. I was so pis*ed off I walked a few hundred yards over to RG Lewis (Southampton Row) who were charming, enthusiastic and extremely helpful. They received my business and will do so in future. Anyone else had similar experiences? Regards, Sean

Hi Sean,

I was in there recently thinking I might buy a second hand 35 cron to replace my faulty new one, and was testing a couple of lenses fairly extensively on my own M8 body, going out into the yard, taking shots etc.

I know what you mean about the tension: there is a certain slightly unfriendly atmosphere there but to their credit they did let me do my try-outs, were polite in selling me a Billingham bag, and had good stock levels. A smile is always nice, but there were few on offer...

But if you want the friendliest dealer there is, try Bart at HA Baker in Lewes. Jono, Sparkie and I and a number of others take most of our business there...

Tim

[seaninsurrey]

Originally Posted by tashley

Hi Sean,


I know what you mean about the tension: there is a certain slightly unfriendly atmosphere there but to their credit they did let me do my try-outs, were polite in selling me a Billingham bag, and had good stock levels. A smile is always nice, but there were few on offer...


Tim

Thanks for the info on other dealers......as I suspected, they are "polite when selling"!

[Annie135]

I have spent several thousand pounds with this outfit, all over the phone. Then a couple of years ago I visited them. That was a mistake, the atmosphere was dreadful, I felt like an intruder.

Brian.

[seaninsurrey]

You've hit the nail on the head - you do feel like an intruder. Hope you've managed to find a suitable alternative dealer.

[peggers]

These guys have just lost any future business from me - although sadly I've spent many thousands therw in the past.

I agree with the 'tension' atmos - but sense of customer service - left at the door me thinks. They recently handled a 6-bit coding for me: told me to phone Leica for a progress check (couldn't be bothered to do it themselves), charged me another £18 on top of normal £75 charge for the pleasure, and decided to put the money on a card I used six months ago without asking my permission.

My money now goes to Robert White - friendly and fast.

[Annie135]

Robert White is a great guy. I must have known him for thirty years, ever since the Poole days with young Warnes. at least Robert respects customers and unlike Classic camera he reckons you are doing him a favour not the other way round.

As for finding another Leica dealer Sean I think the D2 will be my last Leica purchase. I am fed up with being ripped off with their pricing structure for the U.K.. Their prices have just become stupid, service from Milton Keynes is slack to say the least and with digital cameras the choice is just so wide. It's a pity but after fifty years of devoted usage I feel that Leica have milked the cow once too often.

Brian.

[sparkie]

why am i not surprised i stopped buying from them years ago. their attitude and service sucks. as tim said, give bart a ring. he's your man

[woodda]

All i an say is I have been a loyal customer for over 15 years (3 m6, Mp 6 lenses). The customer service is patchy and the owner can be charmning and is very knowlegable. However I did decide to buy my M8 elsewhere to try and see I could cultivate another relationship with another dealer aswell as my original. All I would say is there are always the grumpy ones and you just have to make sure you choose to deal with the people and not the shop persay and avoid those people you know will frustrate you. That might mean only going in when you know your contact is working. Just do not put all your eggs in one basket shame to say that though as I would love to run a camera shop if I could afford to.

Sorry for the poor spelling

[farnz]

So, Classic Camera, I know you read this forum - any comment?

[earleygallery]

I visited recently looking to buy a lens for my M. I had a bid on something similar on e bay but I was 'seriously looking'. To be fair they offered me a reduced price on a lens, but to get served in the first place I had to specifically ask for help - loitering by the counter they just ignored me and talked to each other.

I wanted something else, a small accessory, and when I asked about that - after waiting a good while for the salesmans attention again - he just said 'No can't help you' even though I could see the said item in the case attached to another camera. I said, oh I better try e bay then which didn't get any reaction.

If they'd been a bit more friendly and helpful I could have been 'sold' to and would have been a happy customer and returned. As it is, I felt that they didn't want my business and saw me as a time wasting nuisance.

I'm sure they must get a lot of browser/time wasters but at the same time they must lose an awful lot of business because of their stand offish attitude. A spell at charm school would do them wonders!

[Oliver Driver]

Originally Posted by seaninsurrey

Just wanted to share my experiences of "The Classic Camera" (Pied Bull Yard, London). Their customer service is appalling except when they are trying to sell you a new camera. None of the sales staff seem remotely interested and I always sense a lot of 'tension' in the shop. I was so pis*ed off I walked a few hundred yards over to RG Lewis (Southampton Row) who were charming, enthusiastic and extremely helpful. They received my business and will do so in future. Anyone else had similar experiences? Regards, Sean

Sean, I have to disagree about their customer service, whilst sometimes they don't seem the most outgoing people ( which I think is OK ), their service has always been second to none. I have purchased an M8 and Digilux 2 from them, the Digilux 2 had an intermittent dead pixel on the LCD and they replaced it immediately without any problem, with the M8 there was a confusion over my delivery address ( having just moved both home and work addresses! ), and they were very helpful in ensuring that the issue was resolved. They are all Leica enthusiasts who are very knowledgeable about their products. As for the sales staff not being remotely interested - on the phone I can generally not stop them talking ( an older chap I think ), and in the shop they leave you alone unless you need to ask something. If i have some spare time in London I'll call in for a browse and never feel unwelcome. The shop does have that museum feel about it though! Just the other-side of the coin!

Regards

Oliver.

[thrid]

I agree. I've been in that shop myself.

The first time I visited I found the atmosphere to be cold and snobbish. The person behind the desk, whom I assume was the owner, was not exactly sympathetic and I came away with the feeling of being tolerated. Obviously such behavior is fairly ridiculous, when you consider that his livelyhood depends on his customers dropping substantial amounts of cash in his store. There is a certain tinge of arrogance in the air and you do not feel welcome.

They answered all of my questions, let me fondle the gear, but on a whole it was a unpleasant experience. One thing that I found particularly annoying was that one of the sales people always had to have the last word, although frankly he wasn't always right. It's unpleasant to be in a contest with a salesperson, who trying to show off how much more of an expert he is than you (which in this case he wasn't).

Unfotunately they are one of only two Leica dealers in all of London.

Oddly enough almost every other camera dealer in that area, rolled their eyes at the mention of their name. One chap recommended that I visit RJ Lewis down on Sicilian Ave, which did.

That day I ended up buying a camera from Lewis, instead of Classic Camera. Not only did he have the better price, but I was made to feel welcome and we shared a few laughs, while we did some business.

So, yes. I avoid Classic Camera, unless I have my back up against the wall. It's just not a pleasant place to shop.

[Tony Polson]

Thrid wrote:
>
> Unfotunately they are one of only two Leica dealers in all of London.



Fortunately, they are only one of *three* authorised dealers, and the other two are far more pleasant to deal with:

Richard Caplan
25 Bury Street
London
SW1Y 6AL
Phone: 020 7807 9990
Richard Caplan web site
mailto:leica@richardcaplan.co.uk

Richard Caplan trades under the apparently snobbish slogan "Where the elite meet and greet" but you will be greeted very politely and be met by the excellent, knowledgeable and patient staff.

R G Lewis Limited
19-21 Sicilian Avenue
London
WC1B 5HA
Tel: 020 7242 2916
R G Lewis web site
mailto:sales@rglewis.co.uk

R G Lewis have been established for over a century and offer old fashioned, friendly and down to earth service without any trace of arrogance or snobbery. The address given is temporary while their new premises at 29 Southampton Row are fitted out (see web site for details). The temporary and soon-to-be permanent addresses are both within a short walk of The Classic Camera, so escaping the latter's objectionable rudeness is not too much of a strain.

There are several other camera shops in London that offer a range of Leica equipment but are not listed by Leica UK as authorised dealers.

[thrid]

thanks Tony. I'll take a look at those shops.

[jlancasterd]

Originally Posted by thrid

thanks Tony. I'll take a look at those shops.

For internet purchases I've found both Robert White and Ffordes to give excellent service and Ffordes staff were helpful and knowledgeable when I visited their rural retreat near Inverness about 6 months ago (for whisky lovers, they aren't too far from Speyside...). Whites are the UK Cosina-Voigtlander imprters and their prices tend to be lower than elsewhere. Like others, I've found the atmosphere in Classic Camera less than welcoming when I've visited the shop, although their mail-order performance has been good whenever I've used it.

For over the counter purchases in North Wales I always use Cambrian Photography in Colwyn Bay - a real traditional photography business cum camera shop with masses of new and S/H photo gear of all types and brands, and drawers full of 'bits' - Mark Duncalf, the owner and Leica specialist, is knowledgeable and helpful. They are having an open day on Wednesday, 23 May, and I believe that one of the Leica people from Milton Keynes will be there. I expect to be there late morning if anyone else from this group is thinking of going.

[masjah]

Well, I seem to be in a bit of a minority here, but I've always found TCC fine to deal with, both by phone, and in person. To be fair, I'm sure they must get a lot of casual time-wasters, and they may take a bit of a snotty line as a result. On the one occasion where they had got their info wrong when I was wanting a slightly obscure item from Leica (who hadn't exactly kept their database up to date) and I had to correct them, they apologised very graciously to me, and ordered the part from Solms.

[karlitos]

Originally Posted by Tony Polson

Thrid wrote:
>
> Unfotunately they are one of only two Leica dealers in all of London.



Fortunately, they are only one of *three* authorised dealers, and the other two are far more pleasant to deal with:

Richard Caplan
25 Bury Street
London
SW1Y 6AL
Phone: 020 7807 9990
Richard Caplan web site
mailto:leica@richardcaplan.co.uk

Richard Caplan trades under the apparently snobbish slogan "Where the elite meet and greet" but you will be greeted very politely and be met by the excellent, knowledgeable and patient staff.

R G Lewis Limited
19-21 Sicilian Avenue
London
WC1B 5HA
Tel: 020 7242 2916
R G Lewis web site
mailto:sales@rglewis.co.uk

R G Lewis have been established for over a century and offer old fashioned, friendly and down to earth service without any trace of arrogance or snobbery. The address given is temporary while their new premises at 29 Southampton Row are fitted out (see web site for details). The temporary and soon-to-be permanent addresses are both within a short walk of The Classic Camera, so escaping the latter's objectionable rudeness is not too much of a strain.

There are several other camera shops in London that offer a range of Leica equipment but are not listed by Leica UK as authorised dealers.

Don't forget Wey Cameras-Weybridge, Sy. Not in London I know but just inside M25. Leica Premier Dealer and main Leica agent for 40 odd years.

Karlitos.

[wattsy]

Originally Posted by masjah

To be fair, I'm sure they must get a lot of casual time-wasters, and they may take a bit of a snotty line as a result.

I don't see how that's much of an excuse - all camera shops will get their fair share of 'tyre kickers' but not many have managed to establish a reputation like Classic Camera.

[wattsy]

Originally Posted by Tony Polson

Richard Caplan trades under the apparently snobbish slogan "Where the elite meet and greet" but you will be greeted very politely and be met by the excellent, knowledgeable and patient staff.

Yes, Caplan deserves to be shot for that slogan but on the (admittedly few) occasions I have been to his shop the service was very helpful and attentive.

Len at RG Lewis is still the best dealer in London and should be everyone's first port of call. He never has much new stuff in stock but can usually get it in a day or two (assuming that Leica UK can supply). Moreover, unlike Classic Camera he won't expect you to pay upfront for anything you order.