Free Maintenance Service Initiative

[Mary Doo]

<p>I received the same thing for my D800. Hwvr, I already sent it in for repair recently - and was pleasantly surprised that they did it for free. </p>

[Andrew Garrard]

<p>Speaking as an independent observer (not in the USA, have a D810), an offer of free servicing can only be a good thing, modulo Shun's "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" policy. I do think Nikon should be aware that people are watching them very closely, though, and it might have been in their interests to explain a bit better. If they <i>are</i> doing an "old camera analysis", I don't see any harm in owning up to it. This should have been a good PR story for Nikon service, who frankly could do with one - I can see that Nikon may be frustrated that they get a bad reaction even when they do the right thing, but their PR department really should be more on the ball about this.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>I can see that Nikon may be frustrated that they get a bad reaction even when they do the right thing, but their PR department really should be more on the ball about this.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Andrew, that is simply the way life is in this internet age. Various rumor sites always come up with some conspiracy theory to generate discussion and web page hits; that is how they make money. I also wouldn't be surprised that Nikon's competition is generating some of those rumors to hurt Nikon's reputation. However, Nikon is not the only one that is affected. A few months ago, I was reading the news on the Canon 5DS on DPReview, and the comments were very one-sidedly negative. (Remember that was announcement news; nobody outside of Canon had any actual experience with the new cameras.) Who knows, perhaps Canon's competition also came up with some of those negative comments.</p>

[markwilkins]

<blockquote>

<p>Various rumor sites always come up with some conspiracy theory to generate discussion and web page hits</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Considering that Thom Hogan and I (with no financial interest) had the same thought, I think it's unreasonable to accuse him of having that motivation for his comments.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Mark, I have stopped reading Thom Hogan's web site on a regular basis 4, 5 years ago. Before that, I was a volunteer reviewer (i.e. no pay) for several of his Nikon camera eBaooks, such as the D300 and D700 (which means back in 2008 or so). Hogan is now a regular on Nikon Rumor's forums. IMO, his numerous speculations and false rumors are not exactly helpful to the Nikon user community.</p>

<p>Incidentally, Nikon's new product announcements as well as product recalls are always very well synchronized world wide. You can take a look at this thread over on DPReview: http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3872727<br>

As soon as I posted over there yesterday (with my real name: shuncheung), pointing out that it would make absolutely no sense to have some "silent recall" only in the US, the speculation on that thread died down pretty quickly, although the debate is still on going on other threads on this topic.</p>

<p>If the objective is to generate web traffic, my posts are clearly counter-productive.</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>It doesn't matter what Nikon does, Hogan almost always finds a negative angle to it and makes it a central point in his writings. He doesn't seem to be able to differentiate between fact and fiction these days, and the speculation lives a life of its own. It is unfortunate, as I think he could provide useful service to the community if only he would stick to what is truly known. Sometimes I think that the internet amplifies everything which is not constrained by facts. </p>

[bob_h]

<p>If there was a recent camera that Nikon should have done this with and did not, it would be the D7000. It could build some customer goodwill for the diminished resale value and perceived troublesome reputation regarding focus issues that they should have been on top of. Instead they fixed the problems with the new replacement D7100 and in so doing flipped off the D7000 buyers.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Bob H, I think that is mostly due to your personal experience. I bought my D7000 in the second week when it was first available in October 2010, and it has been perfect since. Once I forgot to zip my camera bag all the way up and that D7000 fell onto a parking lot. The EN-EL15 battery was ejected from the compartment. The little yellow latch that holds the battery in place was broken, but otherwise my D7000 is still working perfectly.</p>

<p>My D800E was also perfect from the beginning. But last year it slipped from a chair onto a hardwood floor. Ever since it needs some pretty extreme AF fine tune. I wish Nikon would include mine in this initiative, but perhaps I should pay for a check up anyway.</p>

[q.g._de_bakker]

So you are buying into this "yet another Nikon product recall" interpretation that's floating around on dpreview and possibly elsewhere too? Don't think it's just a 'check to spec'?<br>Anyway, they aren't offering free repair of damage due to "misuse, abuse, alteration, negligence or accident", Shun.

[Andrew Garrard]

<p>Thom... expresses opinions, not all of which I agree with (such as the likelihood of a "D4x" appearing and whether connectivity is the biggest fix needed in Nikon cameras - we each are biased by our own needs). He's certainly critical of when he thinks Nikon (and Canon) make mistakes, particularly in management and PR, where he has some experience. Still, he thinks the D810 and D750 are the best cameras available, usually states the background to his opinions, and makes money out of selling Nikon books - I don't think he has an ulterior motive in making Nikon look bad. There may well be people with an ulterior motive on the internet, although companies that do this kind of thing tend to get caught at it. Heck, I work for Samsung (although I don't represent them), so please bear in mind that I guess I'd like everyone to go and buy and NX1 (though I've no intention of switching away from Nikon myself).<br />

<br />

Nikon <i>have</i> had a couple of recalls that they didn't handle in the way that gave their customers complete confidence. This certainly made them look bad, although <i>how</i> bad (to the average user who doesn't follow these things like we do) is another matter. This forum, if any, should have Nikon fan boys in it - we (mostly) shoot Nikon, we know their range, we help new users out of the kindness of our hearts; most of us are supportive of Nikon and want it to do well. But if even <i>we</i> are a little suspicious about the reasoning behind Nikon apparently doing a good thing for their customers, that should tell Nikon something - and not just that we're all paranoid. (You only get paranoid because of a history.)<br />

<br />

I'm happy to give Nikon the benefit of the doubt, an think that they're doing this out of altruism or - more likely - benign research. Either way, if they'd owned up to this, it would be a good story that would improve Nikon's PR. The lack of a positive spin on this makes it seem as though the reasons are something Nikon wants to keep to themselves (because they'd be <i>bad</i> PR), and that makes people worry. So I have to conclude that either there's really something dodgy going on here, or Nikon's PR team just dropped the ball. I don't see the harm in discussing that - it might persuade Nikon to do the right thing and turn this into a good thing for the company (or at least, the customers).</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Andrew, in these days the social media are very much part of any advertising campaign. In the US, there is a web site glassdoor.com that provides reviews on various companies and jobs. I used to work for a fairly small company. When I started, they had some 200 employees, but upper management messes up everything and chased away several large customers. It was down to below 100 employees when I left a few years ago, and we are a bit surprised it hasn't shut down altogether. Needless to say, a lot of (former) employees are not happy and wrote very negative reviews on glassdoor.com, but every time those negative reviews were immediately countered by some highly positive ones. Some people believe that those positive reviews came from the executive assistants and HR department.</p>

<p>Therefore, in another two, three weeks, maybe we'll see a bunch of positive comments on this Nikon USA service or we'll also see some negative experience. Unless it comes from a familiar name that has a good posting history on this forum, I would simply take those comments with a grain of salt, as they could well be from some hired guns.</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>Why does there need to be any spin at all? If you want a good reputation among customers, you provide a quality product and support it with good service. If you do that, there is no need to spin it in any way, people will find out the quality themselves. I think it's much better that there is no theatrics about it.</p>

<p>Bob, Nikon did fix the AF systems of D7000 bodies systematically at least here in Europe when they came to service for cleaning or other reasons. My friend took his body in for the free clean & check service and among other things Nikon had replaced AF system components (for free). It seems like the current offer for free inspection and repair is a comparable service to the Nikon Europe's "Check and Clean". In the case of the D7000 in Europe it was advertised in a leaflet in the camera's box (also for some other cameras sold at the time). I don't see why there has to be any special PR regarding such activities, it is just a part of the service that they provide to their customers. I don't know if Nikon USA had similar AF system fixes systematically for D7000 bodies as in Europe, or not. If they did not, perhaps you can ask if they can still fix your camera. If they ask for money to do it state that the problem existed on the camera body when it was new (if true). In Europe we have consumer protection laws which extend the responsibility of the manufacturer's importer to product manufacturing flaws even after the warranty period expires. This law concerns products for 2-3 years after purchase (depending on the specific country within the EU, though I recall reading that UK has its own, different legislation with regards to this).</p>

<p>I also dropped one of my Nikon DSLRs some years ago and the AF system went off after that. Nikon authorized service here repaired the camera, adjusting the AF (to a specification higher than it was when new) even though they knew the camera was no longer under warranty and they also knew it was affected by the impact. Do I come up with conspiracy theories after being systematically treated well by service? No. I accept the good service and continue to be a Nikon customer. In fact for many times I've been given free repairs over the years for items far older than any legal obligation (warranty or otherwise) would bind Nikon to provide.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Hmmm... it sounds like Ilkka has been paid off to make positive comments on this forum. Is Nikon giving you a free lens or something? :-)</p>

<p>BTW, Nikon USA fixed Mary Doo's D800, for free, out of warranty two months ago: <a href="/nikon-camera-forum/00dGjx">D800 Dead or Alive?</a> <br>

After I get my D750 GPS connection fixed, maybe I should send my D800E in as well. It is worth spending a couple of hundred dollars to get that back into perfect condition.</p>

[Mary Doo]

<p>Frankly I don't understand all these cynical speculations of a good thing. Looking more like a rumor mill now! ;-)</p>

<p>I appreciate Nikon for repairing my D800 for free two months ago and now I appreciate Nikon for extending the good will again. Why should one immediately suspect some dark agenda? Would we like it better if Nikon blows $4M on a 30-second spot at the Super Bowl?</p>

[Mary Doo]

<p>Shun, our posts crossed. :)</p>

[Andrew Garrard]

<p>Shun: Agreed about positive posts and social media - people spread the word in many ways. However, spreading <i>bad</i> rumours about other companies has tended to backfire - it's too easy to find out who people are, and how they're biased. Hence I've been completely clear about my employer if it ever comes up on this forum, while also trying to be clear that I'm a lowly engineer and I'm not speaking for the company - but I wouldn't want someone to claim my posts were derogatory to a competitor in any way.<br />

<br />

Ilkka: Why does there need to be "spin"? Because Nikon have been slow to own up to a few recent issues, most notably the D600 oil and D800 autofocus. Shun mentioned the D5000. I think it's natural that those following Nikon news might be a little nervous that there may be something behind this. I'm certainly not saying there is, but I also think that it's a public service that those who suspect there might be a problem, tell people so. Had Nikon instantly come clean on all previous issues, I'm sure we'd give them the benefit of the doubt and just accept this as a good thing; as it is, some suspicion is natural. No, I don't think Nikon are evil for how they've handled things in the past, and no, they're certainly not the only company who have made PR errors. But I do think Nikon should have been ready for a little backlash here, and a little information explaining <i>why</i> they're doing this - especially if there's nothing to worry about, but even if there was - would have gone a long way to avert concerns. Nikon haven't shown themselves to be completely honest in the recent past, and the solution is to be as honest as possible now, while doing something nice for their customers.<br />

<br />

I don't believe I'm biased against Nikon - I genuinely want the company to do well, and I'm very happy with my camera and the service I've had from Nikon. If anything, I've been biased against Canon - the time it took them to actually produce the 5D2 when they appeared to have had many viable prototypes available and the unnecessary crippling of functionality on the 300D actively discouraged me towards the D700, even when the 5D2 was announced (though I had rational reasons to switch as well) - but I try not to hold a grudge. But I'm perfectly willing to query design decisions in cameras like the Df, and I don't think it's unreasonable to point out other ways they could do things better, if it's done objectively and constructively. The message <i>might</i> get back to them, to everyone's advantage.<br />

<br />

And no, it wouldn't require a Super-Bowl spot. It would just have required a little massaging of the message in the email people have received. That would have cost Nikon almost nothing, and got them good PR for free, rather than more rumblings of concern. The least Nikon are guilty of is not taking proper advantage of a good thing. If there <i>is</i> an ulterior motive, there'll be more fuss when it comes out - because it usually does. Lucy should explain to Charlie Brown why she's not going to pull the football away this time, and then they could be friends (and he'd trust her to hold the ball next time).</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p><em>Is Nikon giving you a free lens or something? :-)</em><br /> <br /> Do you think that Nikon is giving me a free lens for suggesting, e.g., that Michele should probably keep her 28-70 and 70-200mm lenses instead of replacing them with new ones? Yeah, that would be very nice of Nikon, but so far they haven't come forward with such an offer. That doesn't mean I won't speak highly of Nikon's service because I have had consistently good experiences with it in the 21 years I've been their customer.</p>

<p><em>Nikon have been slow to own up to a few recent issue</em>s,<br /> <br /> In my experience Nikon is doing their best to fix issues on a case by case basis as cameras come into service. In some regions they seem to have had problems fixing some issues. I agree that some customers got really bad service with the D600 dust issue. However, when Nikon is trying to improve their service, by offering to inspect and repair 3-year old cameras for free, you reject this offer and claim that it is really evil at work and they're hiding something. Please... Nikon has been offering free check and clean services with many cameras before, such as D3000, D3100, D5000, D5100, D90, and D7000 in my country. I know some people who have taken advantage of this and the service has been good. I am sure that Nikon is aware that some D800 and D600 owners have been unhappy and the resale value of their cameras have been lower than expected. An offer to inspect and repair cameras can be seen as trying to make amends and rectify the situation and perhaps in the long term improve customer satisfaction in the product and the company. To portray this as against the customer's best interest is quite ridiculous. </p>

[markwilkins]

<blockquote>

<p>However, when Nikon is trying to improve their service, by offering to inspect and repair 3-year old cameras for free, you reject this offer and claim that it is really evil at work and they're hiding something.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I'll note that I was not doing this, I was simply trying to discern their motivation. Whether it's driven by a specific issue or set of issues or just by good PR, I haven't ever asserted that their behavior is "evil."</p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>I was simply trying to discern their motivation.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Mark, I would imagine that a number of us are also trying to figure out Nikon's motivation. While we'll probably never get a definitive answer, most likely it is something along the lines of:</p>

<ul>

<li>good public relations, improve the brand's image</li>

<li>get some data about how their higher-end DSLRs are used/ware out after 2, 3 years</li>

<li>maybe drum up some additional repair work</li>

</ul>

<p>However, I don't believe for a second that this is some kind of stealth/secret recall. Any such suggestion is merely wild speculation without basis.</p>

[Andrew Garrard]

<p>Shun: I agree, and I don't think it's likely that it's a conspiracy (because it would probably come out). I'd missed that they actually <i>did</i> include some explanation of their (apparent) motivation:</p>

 

<blockquote>Why is Nikon providing this Free Maintenance Service Initiative to you? Because as a valued Nikon DSLR camera owner, Nikon wants to learn more from you about how Nikon can better meet the needs and preferences of its DSLR owners concerning the service of its Nikon DSLR cameras. We hope that you will take advantage of this Free Maintenance Service Initiative and will also help us by completing the Nikon Consumer Service Survey at Take Survey Here.</blockquote>

 

<p>It's a little odd - free service is something that a lot of people would like as a way to improve the experience - but that they actually give some kind of motivation is better PR than I'd thought they'd achieved, and fends off some of the conspiracy arguments. I guess it's hard to ask about rate of wear without admitting to a paranoid public that things wear out.</p>