Why customer service still matters

[elmoslate]

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Greetings. Before I became a full fledged Leica owner (M8.2) recently, I was sitting on the fence and tested the waters by getting a 4/3 adapter first to try out its famous lenses on my Oly E-P2. I visited all the Leica forums to get info on lenses as well as online dealers and soon found the name and website of a highly regarded long time Leica dealer (who shall remain anonymous) who had listed a Summaron for under US$300. I posed a question to the owner as to its availability and he replied quickly...fine. A few days later, as I was about to pull the trigger I asked another question on whether there were any issues with the lens and his reply, to me, was so snippy...sorta like, "what a stupid question you imbecile who is wasting my precious time".

 

Coming from the lower east side of NYC (and later Bensonhurst, Bklyn) I shot back with an equally snotty reply, but in my last sentence was an affirmation to buy the lens and to please confirm his Paypal address. I guess he was a tad annoyed with my tone and the guy never bothered to respond; it seemed like he could giveth, but couldn't taketh.

 

Too bad for him. Although I didn't get the Summaron, I did eventually decide on getting a M8.2 and a couple of other lenses. However, unlike 'snippy guy', the people whom I subsequently dealt with were professional in every way answering all my endless questions. In no time I spent a total of about $7,000 which could've gone to snippy guy because he had everything that I was looking for and more. Granted, seven grand is nothing in Leica world, but to us non-billionaires it still ain't nothing to sneeze at.

 

Lesson to be learned - if you're a seller, be patient with your customers. Some of us may ask stupid questions in the beginning, but once we're hooked on Leica it becomes like a drug and we need a supplier.

[Tonysaurus]

I absolutely agree. I've been asking heaps of questions around my local dealers about second hand M8s and I find a lot of them are really up themselves. Maybe it's because I'm a uni student and they don't take me seriously. I've saved up money for half a year and I'm willing to spend it, I just want to be sure!

[k-hawinkler]

Greetings. Before I became a full fledged Leica owner (M8.2) recently, I was sitting on the fence and tested the waters by getting a 4/3 adapter first to try out its famous lenses on my Oly E-P2. I visited all the Leica forums to get info on lenses as well as online dealers and soon found the name and website of a highly regarded long time Leica dealer (who shall remain anonymous) who had listed a Summaron for under US$300. I posed a question to the owner as to its availability and he replied quickly...fine. A few days later, as I was about to pull the trigger I asked another question on whether there were any issues with the lens and his reply, to me, was so snippy...sorta like, "what a stupid question you imbecile who is wasting my precious time".

 

Coming from the lower east side of NYC (and later Bensonhurst, Bklyn) I shot back with an equally snotty reply, but in my last sentence was an affirmation to buy the lens and to please confirm his Paypal address. I guess he was a tad annoyed with my tone and the guy never bothered to respond; it seemed like he could giveth, but couldn't taketh.

 

Too bad for him. Although I didn't get the Summaron, I did eventually decide on getting a M8.2 and a couple of other lenses. However, unlike 'snippy guy', the people whom I subsequently dealt with were professional in every way answering all my endless questions. In no time I spent a total of about $7,000 which could've gone to snippy guy because he had everything that I was looking for and more. Granted, seven grand is nothing in Leica world, but to us non-billionaires it still ain't nothing to sneeze at.

 

Lesson to be learned - if you're a seller, be patient with your customers. Some of us may ask stupid questions in the beginning, but once we're hooked on Leica it becomes like a drug and we need a supplier.

 

That's good advice for buyers too, be patient with your sellers.

 

K-H.

[Gerard]

Leica world is no different to any other; it's not a club that's exclusive to nice people. There's a mix, just like real life; it's just a bit more luminous.

[wilfredo]

Courtesy should be expected. Seller's who act as if they are doing me a favor quickly lose my business. I buy and sell on E-bay and always encourage questions.