growing old waiting

[farlymac]

I sent them my 28mm R lens back in June. In August they said it was being repaired. I contacted them in early October, saying that their techs must take awfully long lunch breaks since my lens wasn't done yet. The last communication I had with them said it would be done and shipped to me "by the end of next week." That would have been Nov 4th. Today is the 17th.

So I feel your frustration, Mr. Maas. If I ever get my lens back, I might just sell off the whole kit. I've got plenty of other cameras to keep me happy.

PF

 

[alan davus]

In my experience when firms can give you a definite indication of the time delay even if its something like "There are 20 people before you and we estimate that it will take 6 months to complete your repairs - we will phone you when we start on your job so you have a more exact indication of when you will receive it" all except the most unreasonable people are willing to accept that.
But when they screw you about with no feedback, then give contradictory messages when you call people get "antsy" and annoyed. Least I would. A little honest communication goes a long, long way with most people.

Spot on Peter. You can always work around the truth but you can't work around bull****.

 

[sepiareverb]

... The only guy I knew who got really good service from NJ repair was Jim Marshall. He got royal treatment because of his fame. ...
pkr

I know of one guy who does get great service. Similar situation. I wonder if they have the tech just wait a lot of the time in case an important repair might come in...

 

[Fraser]

The last time I sent one of my Canons in for a CPS warranty repair they apologised as it may take four days rather than the normal three (thats door to door).
Both my M8 and M9 have been back to Leica a couple of times and always found customer service very good at keeping me up to date, but the time the repairs take is just way too long, it seems just the repair department getting the camera takes a week.

 

[cz23]

Leica needs to get its act together.

It seems to me that this has gone on too long to be anything but a cost/benefit business decision. With a commitment to funding and training, a service department is not that hard to improve. It seems obvious that, for whatever reason, Leica has chosen to not invest in service.

John

 

[PKR]

It seems to me that this has gone on too long to be anything but a cost/benefit business decision. With a commitment to funding and training, a service department is not that hard to improve. It seems obvious that, for whatever reason, Leica has chosen to not invest in service.

John

If that's the case, it's been going on since the 70s. Maybe longer?

To quote a pal who worked for Nikon: If you have poor customer service: it means you don't want any customers.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I don't wish any bad on Leica but I made it clear back when my M9 went in for service the final time that I would be selling it and my M8 as soon as it returned from repair. I told this to a Leica rep himself and that my experience with my M2, M4 and M4-P were amazing but Leica had a long way to go with digital. Sold those cameras and never looked back when it came to digital images. I still have an M4 and a 50mm DR Summicron which will be the last Leica gear I own.

Phil Forrest

 

[fireblade]

Like assembling a Japanese bicycle, being a Leica owner requires great patience.

Within manufacturing, the Japanese and Germans share a trait...they don't like to be told they're wrong.

Received an update today. My MM has also been in since July. It will be after the first of the year at a minimum for my camera. Very slow stream of sensors from Germany, which is where the bottleneck is at.

I would call BS (on them) on that. Leica have no idea of the service "realm".

 

[PKR]

Within manufacturing, the Japanese and Germans share a trait...they don't like to be told they're wrong..

I had a client that did some of his annual report printing at Di Nippon (spelling?). These were $100k-200k lithography print jobs. Some were web printed, where a color correction took many minutes and half a pallet of paper to see. He said the press operators would agree, bow and then do nothing. They knew best.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Like assembling a Japanese bicycle, being a Leica owner requires great patience.

This doesn't quite make sense to me. The quality control of Japanese bicycles has always been high enough that variation between frames is minimal and the builds usually go off without a hitch.

Phil Forrest

 

[Ronald M]

No good to irritate them unless you want to feel better.

USA has always had terrible to poor service except when a repair man was promoted to manager 20 years. He was a master.

My solution has been to use DAG or Sherry for what they can do and keep backup cameras.

Found my Nikon D750 on recall list which I never registered, Called and said it works properly and do you still want it? Yes.

2 or 3 weeks back at my house because they were out of shutters. Other report 1 to 2 weeks door to door. 2 to 3 months is good for leica. Partially why I have my M8.

 

[Godfrey]

• When my M9 needed a new sensor, and I chose to upgrade to the M-P240 instead, Leica USA had my new camera in my hands four weeks from mailing in the M9.
  
• When my X2 needed a repair to the four-way controller, Leica USA turned it around to me in three weeks.
  
• Most of my other Leica services (lens cleaning, body cleaning, viewfinder clean/collimate/calibrate, etc) have been done through independent service folks and usually took eight weeks.
  
• Servicing my Nikon D750 for the recall (twice) took three weeks each time. Servicing my Nikon 35Ti once upon a time took five weeks. Servicing my FM (top cover replacement) and 20mm lens (bezel replacement) took four weeks each.
  
• Having my Nikon F overhauled by a respected third party Nikon specialist took nine weeks.
  
• Getting a part from Sony for my A7 took three months.

Sorry to hear that your sensor replacement is taking longer.

G

 

[seany65]

Do these Leica M digital cameras actually need replacement sensors 'cos they suddenly can't produce images, or the image quality has dropped or the new sensors are just so much 'better'?

Don't need to do that with proper cameras.

Analogue 1 0 Digital.😀

Again.




Sorry, but I couldn't resist that.😱😱

 

[Michael Markey]

I`m afraid that we`ve had a few remarks like this recently.
I think that we should try and be supportive of members if they`re having difficulties.

 

[G Dogg]

i have been told, by a Leica Field rep, that NJ receives 1-2 sensors per month, or at best, 1:1 exchange for each defective sensor. If this is true, then something is terribly messed up in this entire replacement process

 

[seany65]

I`m afraid that we`ve had a few remarks like that in this thread.
Hardly very supportive taking delight in somebodies misfortune.

Makes me ashamed that I still use film.

I was merely asking a question about these expensive (to me) cameras possibly 'needing' expensive replacement parts not very long after they've been made.

I wasn't 'delighting' in others' misfortune, I just added a bit of gentle teasing that is nowhere near the realm of the 'light the blue touch paper and retire' statement of "Isn't shoving a film up a camera's bottom a silly way to load film?" Which always gets irate replies along the lines of "Do You realise the imprtoance of the invention of 35mm cameras?"

Yes I do. But it's still a legitimate, and funny question.

 

[ptpdprinter]

I`m afraid that we`ve had a few remarks like that in this thread. Hardly very supportive taking delight in somebodies misfortune.

Offsets the remarks of those that aren't phased by 6-12 month repairs because they have several other Leica bodies to use.

 

[Michael Markey]

I`ve amended my original post .... sorry chaps .
Thanks both replies accepted and noted.

I certainly wouldn`t defend Leica .... its a terrible way to treat customers and the main reason why I won`t buy a digital Leica

 

[ptpdprinter]

i have been told, by a Leica Field rep, that NJ receives 1-2 sensors per month, or at best, 1:1 exchange for each defective sensor. If this is true, then something is terribly messed up in this entire replacement process

I'm pretty sure the CCD sensors are all special order as it is, and won't be available much longer.

 

[icebear]

The sensor corrosion issue is obviously something that shouldn't have happened in the first place and Leica is trying to make good on it. Not that this is going smoothly ... waiting for months after you sent the camera in ... and poor communication on top, well ... it just sucks.

I had a corrosion issue earlier this year, only on careful inspection, sky shot, stopped all the way down, the characteristic specs have been visible.
I send an e-mail and asked if I can come in for someone to take a look and confirm. So I drove to their office (I do live close by), the camera was taken to the back and 10 min. later he came back: "Yes corrosion. We have sensors and you can have the camera back next week." It worked out and I had my camera back within 5 working days.

Obviously this only works with personal drop off and when sensors are in stock. The situation apparently got worse, as more and more people lined up.

They should have given out tickets and cameras to be send in a particular order when they get a new batch of sensors in. More difficult coordination but at least people could still use their cameras instead of MM's piling up in their facilities waiting for month to sensors in for replacements. And there is no excuse for poor communication, ever.