Calling customer service.

[jnina]

<p>I don't understand why people keep calling customer service of the different companies to receive information on h

ow take pictures with a DSLR camera. I mean that they do not call to ask a simple question, it seems like they want t

o have a FREE Photo Course over the phone I understand that you may call to make a question or request information

on something that you need to solve in a urgent matter but to call and ask how do you focus the camera is kind of

stupid, you received a manual with your camera for god sakes

[think27]

<p>Jose - I never called customer service but I can tell you that some people are totally manual challenged and I know because I'm one of them.</p>

<p>My husband wants to take a job or be a consultant in his retirement teaching companies how to write manuals in simple language ;-)</p>

[mark_chartrand]

Jose,

 

Perhaps the answer is to change the name from customer service to something else. I think people get confused when they

see the word service. Maybe something like "Call Me If I Think You Have A Good Question Department" would be better.

 

Mark

[jnina]

<p>MaryBall I understand your point, manuals are usually not to clear on how to deal with somethings, but is a over kill to call and ask how can shoot a wedding or a sport event. You can get some advise or guide but you cannot pretend to get Photo course on how to shoot. If you have a problem with the equipment or you need to know how to setup something its ok. Some people don't even have a problem and they call to have a nice conversation.</p>

[t37traveler]

<p>Manuals are often poorly written and confusing. As cameras have gottem more ocmplex, the manuals have gotten thicker. For example, the User's manual for my Nikon D100 is about 1/4" thick. The one for my D700 is over 1" thick The increasing complexity is one reason why JumpStart DVDs are so popular. They are available for Nikon, Canon and other complex DSLRs. I bought the DVD set for the D700 - two DVDs - it was a quantum leap up the learning curve and time frame. I could sit there with my camera, pause the video, review and follow along real time. The manual is great for quick reference, but it would have taken me a week to digest the instructions and technical info; instead it took a couple of hours with a DVD in my laptop. "Help Desk" assistance does not exist in the DSLR post sale world the way it does in the computer market. The local camera shop where you used to buy cameras was once the post sale support source.... with low-priced on-line sales becoming more popular, people buy on-line and expect to find tutoring in the use of equipment on-line. </p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>I'm not surprised that they would call. I don't have a lot of sympathy because there is usually a pictionary function knob with a bunch of automatic presets, but I'm not surprised people have trouble. My video equipment has been blinking "12:00" since about 1989.</p>

<p>I had the benefit of taking a four month course in a school before owning my first camera; and, the model I was blessed with was the one I was taught on for the class. If someone is out there, and their only education is opening the retail box; well, no wonder they have questions.</p>

<p>25 years later, I purchased a digital camera, some months ago, and have shot it almost exclusively on either manual or bulb. I am not sure what all the autofunctions are, and I'm in no hurry to learn about them. Considering that people nowadays might spend over $1000 on their first camera; I bet many of them would need reassurance and technical guidance.</p>

<p>I don't envy the folks over at tech support who have to answer phone calls for anything, but I bet y'all have instilled confidence in many people who needed help.</p>

[the celt 2]

<p>Gee, I love old manual film cameras. : )</p>

[stsva]

<p>Ed-<br>

Yeah, but what's that lever next to the shutter button for? :-)</p>

[marta_cajiao]

<p>Jose,<br>

Do you work in Cusomer Service? Have you ever thought to take down several names and numbers and have a go at teaching a class on HOW TO TAKE PICTURES WITH YOUR CAMERA 101. You could make money on the side...just a suggestion.</p>

[BrianS1664879711]

<p>The manuals are only part of the problem. A lot of the fault falls upon the designers and marketting people of the camera companies. They want to load up the cameras with too many features... most of which aren't really needed and just confuse people. Even P&S cameras are too confusing these days. The rest of the fault lies with users who think "if I have to think about it, or read something, or know anything... then it is a poorly designed product."</p>

[BrianS1664879711]

<p>On the other hand... maybe the folks at the "help desk" should adjust their attitudes. These people who are calling, after all, bought your product... not the competitors. Why bite the hand that feeds you?</p>

[derek_kennedy]

<p>For me, as far as cameras are concerned, the net is my 'customer service' center.</p>

<p>I buy lots of cameras over the net and in order to learn how to use them - I go to the net. Usually a manual is not available so its a hunting I go! Lots of fun I think.</p>

<p>Why cant more people use the net for information? Its what it was designed for, wasnt it?</p>

[dkm]

<p>Jose, you see this in a lot of fields, not just photography. People think they spent big dollars on a camera just like so-and-so's, and the photos should be as good as so-and-so's. </p>

<p>I don't think it's the job of the manual, either. The only purpose of the manual is to teach the user about the camera functions. There are books on wedding photography and landscapes out there, written by professionals - people just seem to want everything free and instant. If I were you, I'd make a list of those books and suggest the appropriate ones to the people who call in wanting a course. Or point them at Amazon. </p>

<p>When I worked customer support (for something else) and someone called in with a request like that we'd agree to help them but tell them right up front that was a billable item because it was outside the scope of normal support. Then we'd give them the rate. If they still wanted the help we'd give it to them, but never for free.</p>

[joshroot]

<blockquote>

<p>On the other hand... maybe the folks at the "help desk" should adjust their attitudes. These people who are calling, after all, bought your product... not the competitors. Why bite the hand that feeds you?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Probably because that isn't the job they were paid (or trained) to do. If they spend all day long teaching people to take photos, then we would see forum posts about how nobody can ever get ahold of a CSR when something breaks and they need warranty service.</p>

<p>If people want photo lessons, they should look for a photo school. If people want warranty service or whatnot, they should call customer service for their camera brand.</p>

[BrianS1664879711]

<p>You are correct Josh but hopefully it is a method of getting feedback to the designers about the difficulties people may be having, whether caused by poor usability design or poor documentation or too many features or the stupidity of their customers. Many moons ago I worked on the design team for consumer products and had a very tough time getting useful user feedback because the only allowable source of user contact was via the marketing department. They claimed that their "data" came from various sources including focus groups but it was always quite curious that no numbers, even estimates, were provided to the product program office... only vague notions of what marketing thought would sell, what people wanted, or what they thought necessary to capture the market share. The desingers, often "power users" tehmselves sometimes thought that what they demanded lacked credibility. As a user/engineer I have a difficult time agreeing with marketing people who come equipped only with vague demands. But in general I agree... one shouldn't call customer service to figure out how to expose or compose!</p>

[michael_dimarzio]

<p>Derek, I thougt it was designed for porn?</p>

<p>But I agree that cameras can do more then what 95% of the people buy them for (outside of PN). My camera has 3 controls, no menus. Set shutter, set aperture, snap foto. But of course it won't do the other 80%, a still camera that shoots video? GPS? How big do you want it?</p>

[jimmckinnon]

<p>I'm reminded of the scene from DeVito and Schwarzenegger's movie "Twins," where the Schwarzenegger character speed-reads through an automobile Owner's Manual, and seconds later is driving a car like a pro.</p>

<p>In real life, owners manuals do not teach you how to drive cars, or take pictures.</p>

[Jeff Lear]

<p>The owner's manual for my 1986 Audi 4000 <em>does </em>explain the purpose for each of the major controls (i.e. this pedal for go, this one for stop, this one for shift, turn big wheel this way for right and this for left, be aware of pedestrians and oblivious photographers, etc.)</p>

<p>Personally, I'd be happy if the customer service folk could figure out how to remove "I'm sorry" from their vernacular and replace it with a more appropriate platitude like "you're screwed".</p>

[jnina]

<p><strong><em>Probably because that isn't the job they were paid (or trained) to do. If they spend all day long teaching people to take photos, then we would see forum posts about how nobody can ever get ahold of a CSR when something breaks and they need warranty service. </em></strong><strong><em>If people want photo lessons, they should look for a photo school. </em></strong><br>

<strong><em></em></strong><br>

<br />I totally agree with you, this is the best of all responses.<br>

How can someone ask <em>¨How to shoot...?¨</em> just a few minutes away from the actual event. I have notice that people really think that they can learn something in just minutes and go ahead and shoot a wedding like a Pro just asking someone they think that is there for that. I know people that work in customer service and this conversation came up from one of my friends. He explained that they where trained and had some shooting skills but they are not really there to give a <strong>photo course over the phone</strong>. They can help people with some <em><strong>Photographic Knowledge</strong></em> but that is all. If you want to know how to work around the menu or what the P mode on your camera is for is ok. But how to shoot a wedding... that is abusing of personal working for a company. If you are doing some shooting and you want to get paid for that then pay for a Photo Course or go to <a href="http://www.photocourse.net">www.photocourse.net</a> for a free online learning.<br>

I would charge a bunch of dollars just for a <strong>Beginners Course in Photography</strong>.</p>