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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
NPS members
Patrick Meredith, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Austin | TX | USA | Posted: 1:06 PM on 10.26.07 |
->> I hate to post like this, but I'm looking to join NPS. The only professional shooters I know in the area are shooting Canon...If there is anyone out there willing to help me out a bit, please email or call me through my profile so we can talk. I'm stuck in the mud with Nikon service right now and I'm hoping that if I can become a member, maybe they might move a bit faster in the future if I have another problem.
Thanks in advance!
Patrick
(You can stop here, unless you want to read my repair story so far)
Nikon Repair Woes:
As I've pointed out in a couple of other threads, a camera strap broke, causing a D2H and an 80-200AFS to meet the tile floor in my living room.
I sent the combo overnight to Nikon in CA...after four days of not hearing anything after they signed for the box, I called only to find out that it wasn't even in their system and they would contact me when it was in. Another three days go by and I call again and they say it was put in the system the previous day.
Since my insurance is going to be covering the damage ($1,000 worth), I need a copy of the bill faxed or emailed to my office. This is WAY to much for them to handle, as I've tried calling everyday for the last three days and NOTHING is getting done. I've even called twice today...
And what is weird to me (maybe this is typical???), they won't tell me what needs to be done to repair the camera. All they will say is what it is going to cost. Is that normal? |
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Sean D. Elliot, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Norwich | CT | USA | Posted: 1:27 PM on 10.26.07 |
->> Patrick,
Well, I've been an NPS member for about 15 years, and have never had as negative experience as you are citing, so perhaps your problem is because you're not dealing with the professional side of Nikon's repair. Not that that speaks well of Nikon's customer service since they should do better than what you're seeing regardless of your status.
On my end, I ship equipment to NPS and within a day I have a service estimate e-mailed to me and barring a parts-hold or some such delay usually have gear back in less than two weeks.
But I'm dealing with the shop in Melville, not Torrance, so maybe the difference is there. I'm sure one of the NPS members on this site from the california area will chime-in soon and tell you a name and number at NPS in Torrance to get you some personal help. If nobody else offers an NPS sponsorship I'd be happy to sign-off for you.
Sean |
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George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 2:11 PM on 10.26.07 |
->> Patrick,
Non-NPS repairs can take a long time. You are right to want to try to join NPS for future repair service.
Nikon (and Canon) do not price out individual pieces of a repair. They assess it and group it into minor, moderate or major repair. Each repair level has an assigned value to it.
My guess is since it is not an NPS repair you are waiting in a long line of repairs to assess the damage to put it in a category and then ask for authorization. You probably won't get a list of this part needs replacing for specific dollars, more along the lines of: this part needs replacing for $$$; this part needs adjustment for $$$. The initial estimate will be "Impact damage. Major repair. $540" or something like that.
Then when you get it back it will just have that dollar figure for the repair class and a list of parts replaced and adjusted. |
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Patrick Meredith, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Austin | TX | USA | Posted: 6:58 PM on 10.26.07 |
| ->> Thanks for the help and the emails folks. I called four times today and still nothing in my inbox...Regardless if I'm a NPS member or not, this is still pretty crazy... |
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Yamil Sued, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Peoria | AZ | USA | Posted: 1:56 PM on 10.27.07 |
->> OK,
Here's what I know.
Since early 2007, Nikon moved all it's Service Telephone operations from the CA office to someplace down in the the South East. When you call the Service Dept, you are calling a Call Center, not the CA Repair Station like it used to be. This means that the Call center is not in the same building as the Repair Station, like it used to be in the past, they don't have direct contact with the repair Team anymore. They Let go most of the Customer Service Group from CA and they let go Armando Flores (NPS Rep) in CA too. I have a gut feeling that the guys that answer the telephones for Nikon Repair have little or no Photography Tech knowledge anymore, I asked a the guy that answered my call one time about my NPS repair and he asked me what NPS was??? HUH??? I asked him how long he worked for Nikon, as I have been an NPS member for over 20 years now
It doesn't matter if you have NPS on the box or not, it's taking Nikon CA sometimes over 2 days to open a box and get it in the system, this happened to me earlier this year with a D2H and a D2X. No having he telephone reps in the same station as the Repair Techs is a pain in the A$$!! First, the Telephone guy takes your question and they tell you that someone will call you within 24 hours, they never do. If you have an important question about your repair, the tech guy has to call CA or NY to find out the answer and call you back, if they ever do!! I'm really not to excited about this situation. NPS Repair sued to be fast. Not anymore!!
The next time, I'm sending my repairs to Melville, ATTN the Repair Dept Manager (I forgot his name). this way I can track it better!! |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 2:57 PM on 10.27.07 |
->> Yamil
It's Jim Crowley and he is 100% in control of that place. I just had a D2Xs in last week and called him before I sent the camera. He had a call tag issued, had the camera shipped to his attention and then handed the camera off to be repaired. The whole process took a week and I had a loaner the whole time. I seem to have a body at the NY center every 3 months and they're normally in and out the same week. The exception was a D200 that was in for 2 weeks waiting on a shutter. Again NPS provided a loaner the entire time.
Debbie over at NPS is by far the single most valuable asset Nikon has in the US, in my book. Somebody over there needs to double the girl's salary and make damn sure she never even thinks of leaving. |
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Yamil Sued, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Peoria | AZ | USA | Posted: 3:23 PM on 10.27.07 |
->> Eric,
I did have a really hard time getting hold of Debbie earlier this year!!
Jim worked on my D1X back in 2002, when he couldn't make it right for me, he sent me a new body!! He's a great guy!!
I the next time, I'll do what you did, I'll call Jim and get the call tag from him and have him handle the repair for me.
Y |
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Patrick Meredith, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Austin | TX | USA | Posted: 4:00 PM on 10.27.07 |
| ->> I was told to wait until Monday when I called this morning. I'm really disappointed right now... |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 7:46 PM on 10.27.07 |
| ->> Patrick, I'm sorry that I didn't respond to your original post. As far as getting a member to sponsor your application goes. What I did was to approach the Nikon rep during "Nikon Days" at the local Calumet. I had as much documentation as I could find (tearsheets, insurance dec page, NPPA card, credentials etc etc etc) with me and approached him during a break in all the sales talk. He looked everything over and the store manager added his two cents, then signed and numbered the application. A few months later everything came in the mail. |
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Lee Love, Photographer
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Herndon | VA | US | Posted: 5:41 PM on 10.28.07 |
->> Patrick, you should be aware NPS is totally overwhelmed right now. I was just talking our NPS rep yesterday and he said they have been swamped with applications because of the upcoming release of the D3.
So if you are going to go through the process any time soon you need to be patient. They have some great folks working there but they do have their hands full. |
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Patrick Meredith, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Austin | TX | USA | Posted: 4:13 PM on 11.01.07 |
->> Thanks to everyone who has replied and for all the help over in NY. Now I just have to wait for the insurance check :p
SS.com pays for itself once again. |
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