Comments on: Local Camera Stores, it’s time to change your business model…

By: Severinson

Severinson — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:04:54 +0000

We have two first-rate retail stores in the Phoenix area near us: Tempe Camera Repair and Photomark. Both have competitive prices and professional sales staff. Some of the sales folks we have built a relationships with have worked at the same store for over 20 years. At Tempe Camera we get a ‘profession’ couple % off the marked price on most items. Last fall when we asked Tempe Camera about the hard-to-get Nikkor 18-200 DX zoom they said they call when the next batch (1 to 3) came in. Two weeks later we picked up the lens–$40 less than B&H. Sure, we pay sales tax, but we have always been willing to pay more (and sometimes we don’t) if we can buy from “friends” at a local store. Only once have we had any problem with an item and was able to bring it back and had it swapped for a new replacement right there–no warranty issue with the manufacturer.

Both locations also do rentals (Tempe Camera more so), used gear (trade & sell), and film & digital processing. Of course Tempe Camera Repair is also famous for its repair shop and support for local students at Arizona State U.

We’re sorry for folks without a dependable near-by retail store. We do mail order too, but only when we need some esoteric gizmo.

By: Joel

Joel — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:36:10 +0000

Samy’s in Los Angeles is usually pretty good. But I had a bad experience there. Came in to buy some film. (Yeah, this was a while ago) They had bargain bins, but the prices weren’t marked anywhere. It took a while to find a clerk who could be bothered to look up what should have been on the boxes. Then there was a huge line, and while in line I noted another employee bullshitting with a friend while the line grew longer and longer. They were bullshitting about a trip one of them had recently gone on. I called over, “Can you open another register, there’s a line here.” The employee said, “In a minute,” and the visitor flipped me the bird. At that point I started yelling, “Why the h..l are you being paid money to stand there flapping your pietrap while customers are waiting. What the hell are you being paid for, to screw Samy and treat customers like crap? You’re a piece of garbage and I’d fire you in a second, and so would Samy if he knew what was going on.”

Would you believe that the clerk grasped the logic of my argument, and opened up a register? As you can see, soft words can be convincing.

By: James

James — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:25:58 +0000

You should work at a camera store! I did for years. Now, i’ve asked where people got it and I’ve asked what they paid but only because I was interested Never bitched out a customer because of their choice or stores.

What sucks is pricing and in fact, the worst people for it are Canon and Sigma. Sigma has a lens, it costs the customer $500 what do you think it costs the dealer? $400? $450? ok so 10% is reasonable and $50 is a decent profit margin when you consider that at least 4 people have to touch the box before it ends up in your hands (shipping and receiving, stock boy, sales clerk) Nope, Sigmas $500 will cost the business $480-$485! Yea, you read that right. Most sigma profit margins are under $20, unless your selling 20 of them a day its not work even stocking the lens. Not to mention you go to a place like Sigmaforless and its selling for $425. hm……Whats up with that? Canon is the same way, B&H can sell lenses for dealer cost or less unless they’re over $2000. It works double for things like filters. Yea you can get that one off amazon for $13 and most dealers WISH They could sell you that for $13 but they’re paying $30 for it. Don’t believe me? ask your local store, someone might be willing to show your their price book.

Now before you say it, Yes, dealers can buy film, filters, even camera bodies through B&H or Amazon and sell them for $10 profit just to please customers. This is possible. It also can lose you your dealership. The owner buys 30 Rebels from B&H, their Canon Rep comes in, takes an inventory and looks at the sales sheets that say that that dealer has bought 30 in the last 3 months AND has turned in sales records of all of them to Canon. 30 days later a team of Canon guys shows up, takes all the stock off of their shelves, the posters off the walls and LITERALLY the pens out of their hands. If it says Canon on it they can repo it. Amazing right?

Camera companys are contract nazis but dont want to give the little guy anyways to stay afloat. So, before you bitch. whats YOUR answer?

By: The future for local camera stores : Duckbell.com - Photography blog

The future for local camera stores : Duckbell.com - Photography blog — Mon, 26 May 2008 20:09:58 +0000

[...] Bad Service Experience at Tall’s Camera: “Local Camera Stores, it’s time to change your business model… Well, I’m bound to make a few enemies with this one, but I just finished reading Jason [...]

By: Jason Burns

Jason Burns — Sat, 24 May 2008 00:37:30 +0000

@Ryan G: I wish I had a bad experience getting a 5D instead of a good experience getting a 40D. haha.

By: Ryan G

Ryan G — Sat, 24 May 2008 00:33:23 +0000

Just had another bad experience today at a large local LA chain. Canon 5d on the store’s website for mail order $1899. At the physical brick and mortar store $2099.

I mean, a $200 difference, same company? Gimme a friggin break.

To make it even better and show this particular store’s incompetence.. the other large LA camera shop, also part of a large chain, is selling in-store for $1899. I really don’t see how the management can think that this is helping business…

By: Weekend Perusing: One Polaroid A Day | Your Photo Tips

Weekend Perusing: One Polaroid A Day | Your Photo Tips — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:26:33 +0000

[...] camera stores needing a class in customer service etiquette? Philoking.com seems to feel that local camera shops need to rethink their business models and Thomas Hawk seems to agree. You can of course read his take on the story. I’ll add that [...]

By: Jeff D

Jeff D — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:28:01 +0000

In fairness the local camera shop where I’m located (Newtonville Camera in Newton, MA) does a great job. There prices are higher than the online shops, but they have a great range of used items and will let you test whatever you want. They also do a good job developing film, which keeps me coming back.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:54:34 +0000

I guess I’m lucky and haven’t really had any horrible experiences at local camera stores. If I find a really good one I tend to buy from them. Yes it costs more but the customer service I have gotten is far superior to B&H, Calmuets, or any other online retailer could ever offer. Have they ever given you a tripod to borrow while yours is on order (And not a cheap one but a Gitzo)? Or how about when my 70-200 2.8 was damaged they let me borrow one for free until mine was returned Canon? And my favorite – Letting me borrow a 1DMkIII for a week for no charge.

I agree some places have very poor attitudes behind the counter and should be avoided. But buying things online after spending time in someones store asking questions and testing the gear out is just wrong.

By: Austin

Austin — Thu, 22 May 2008 08:22:08 +0000

Sadly, I must agree with you. I have been buying cameras and other photographic equipment, in many cities in America, since the 1970s. In the U.S., many camera stores treat individual and amateur purchasers — anyone who is not a pro who going to be spending a few thousand dollars a month at their shops — as marks, persons whom it is OK to cheat. I cannot think of one time in nearly forty years when I have talked to a salesman about purchasing equipment, who had not said or done something deceitful in attempts to raise the price, or to lower the value of a trade-in. It’s disgraceful. Photographic retailing has only itself to blame — the industry could have chosen to regulate itself, and to clean up its practices, but it has not. Now, customers are abandoning these pirates, and with good reason.