Turnaround Times

[boojum]

I dropped off a couple of Jupiter 8's at a camera shop in mid-April and was told it would be eight weeks for a CLA for them. As I am going to be in that city next Friday, 29 June, I thought I would make sure I could pick up the two lenses. The woman who fielded my call informed me that I was wrong, the wait was twelve weeks and had always been. It is so wonderful when customer service informs me that I am either senile or a liar. Needless to say this shop has slipped a lot since their star performer went off on his own. He tuned and CLA'ed a J8 for me while I waited. Needless to say I will pick up those two lenses when they are done and I am through doing business with this shop. They were the best in town, until their star left. I will be going to him in the future.

What are your experiences with this? Is this an isolated instance? Is this ordinary? Should I be mailing gear off for repair. What do you folks do?

 

[Exploring RF]

Just sent a Canon rangefinder to DAG for a CLA one month ago exactly. Got word yesterday from Don it's done and on its way back to me. Hard to beat.

 

[Godfrey]

Turnaround time on the first Kodak Retina IIc I had serviced last Fall was 12 weeks. Turnaround time on the second and third of the same camera that I sent in together was 13 weeks. In both cases, that was precisely the estimate they told me over the phone, and they met it right on the dot. And the shop did lovely work ... the cameras are like new ... at a very reasonable price. I'm delighted with their work. (Advance Camera in Portland, Oregon)

G

 

[ChrisPlatt]

A major reason I use Pentax mechanical SLRs is the repair service of Eric Hendrickson.
Cameras and lenses are typically returned serviced in 2-4 weeks at very moderate cost.

Chris

 

[Rob-F]

I dropped off a couple of Jupiter 8's at a camera shop in mid-April and was told it would be eight weeks for a CLA for them. As I am going to be in that city next Friday, 29 June, I thought I would make sure I could pick up the two lenses. The woman who fielded my call informed me that I was wrong, the wait was twelve weeks and had always been. It is so wonderful when customer service informs me that I am either senile or a liar. Needless to say this shop has slipped a lot since their star performer went off on his own. He tuned and CLA'ed a J8 for me while I waited. Needless to say I will pick up those two lenses when they are done and I am through doing business with this shop. They were the best in town, until their star left. I will be going to him in the future.

What are your experiences with this? Is this an isolated instance? Is this ordinary? Should I be mailing gear off for repair. What do you folks do?

Could be that they are sending their work out now, and no longer doing it in-house? Yes I think I would send my work elsewhere. Maybe KEH in Atlanta?

 

[boojum]

What put me off was that in-store the promise was eight weeks. When I called recently to check with them the promise was then twelve weeks and I was mistaken in thinking it was eight weeks. That is a red flag for me. I'll let them go ahead with the J8 CLA's, a simple job. But in the future I think I will not do business with them. A shame as I have done business with this place for over ten years now. In the past their turn-around times were quick, their work good and their prices reasonable.

There are other places.