I think there are lots of small manufacturers who get done in by poor
sales support starting with their main distibutors in a national market.
ToCAD America, Inc. <http://www.tocad.com/> is one of them. If you were
Sunpak (maker of flash units) why would you stay with this distributor?
Certainly not for the richness of the technical coverage afforded your
products. I'm picking on these guys because I went there today looking
for a downloadable manual for a Supak 383. A friend bought one new in
box and there was no manual inside. Sorry, no manuals available there.
Another of my favorites is the Brandness-Kalt-Aetna Group. They are
distributors for SP Systems who makes low cost studio flash units. But
they also make this Quantum Turbo compatible battery pack at 1/3 the
price of the Quantum. I know it's compatible because I own one.
<http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=294330&is=REG&addedTroughType=search>
Finding out that it's Quantum compatible is only possible by reading
between the lines of the B&H description. I challenge you to find this
product on the BKA web site. I did call them before I bought mine and
talked to their saleman trying to verify that it was Quantum compatible.
The salesman not only didn't know the answer to the question, he
didn't know who Quantum was. I used to be able to find this product on
BKA's web site but only by typing in the product number on B&H's web
site. I tried that tonight and see even that doesn't work any more.
Is it any wonder the little guys (and we) have trouble?
Chuck Norcutt
Tim Randles wrote:
> I may have ranted about this in a previous email, but it is *REALLY*
> bugging me..
>
> I am having such a headache with the service from local photo
> shops..I call one asking about a SLIK head, and they tell me to call
> long distance to the smallest shop they have in the chain, who only
> tells me to call someone else. None of whom I call can seem to answer
> some basic questions about the SLIK product, although SLIK lists them
> as a rep. They share a database, I am told by the reps at each
> store, but they are neither current or maintained well enough to know
> where the inventory is. This is so typical these days, and I have all
> but given up shopping in local stores, and will probably take my
> entire shopping online, but I hate the added costs of shipping and
> Customs Canada.
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