Mistakes happen. Still, in a dozen orders from New York-based B&H Photo, my preferred retailer, I’d never had an error with an order. That is, until, I received my latest order last week.
Having recently purchased the Nikon D3, which is capable of using UDMA-enabled CF cards (making possible possible blisteringly fast read/write times), I decided to order four 4GB Sandisk Extreme IV cards from B&H, along with a few other little things.
Opening up the box that was delivered last Thursday, I saw that only two of the cards were included. I suppose it was ann easy enough mistake; after all, I ordered pairs of everything else (two rubber eyecups for the D3, two-52mm metal hoods, etc).
Here’s a rough transcript of my call to them this morning.
B&H: Hi, this is Zach, may I have your order number?
Me: Sure, it’s 123456789.
B&H: How can I help you?
Me: I just received my order and the package only included two of the Sandisk Extreme 4GB CF cards instead of the four I ordered.
[pause]
B&H: OK, we’ll ship those to you. You’ll receive an email with a tracking number.
Me: Thanks so much.
Dear B&H, I love you.
You may have a sweet megastore in Manhattan that’s the scene of so many salacious photo-fantasies, but it’s your excellent customer service that has me regularly parting with my hard-earned dough over the internets.
15 Comments Add your own
1. Neetu | April 17th, 2008 at 12:04 am
Woohoo!
2. Todd | April 17th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Indeed. The cards have shipped and I should receive them on Friday. Just in time for the New Pornographers show!
3. sean | April 17th, 2008 at 8:35 am
i must say i thought this was going in a completely opposite direction. it was like you were setting up a story about how when you called b&h they killed a firstborn or something. but this is great, it’s such a relief when customer service works this well, which is actually kind of a bad thing.
4. Todd | April 17th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Hey Sean, I thought I would set the mood for drama, though I’m glad it didn’t end up that way!
I wasn’t entirely sure how B&H was going to handle the situation, as they’ve never messed up like this, but the whole thing was painless.
I’ve had to return things to B&H various times (defective lenses, etc, nothing their fault), and they’ve always been excellent in this regard.
5. chris | April 17th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Yeah, it’s like that.
6. Todd | April 17th, 2008 at 10:11 am
I’m a fan.
7. jason | April 18th, 2008 at 12:23 am
b&h is seriously amazing. i was just there the other day and love it so much, i just want to max out every credit card/bank account i own. bummer that they are closing for over a week due to passover though. make sure your order ships before that!
8. Todd | April 18th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Hey Jason, nice to hear from you. B&H are aces in my book. The two CF cards just came today, actually.
They shipped the order out Monday night, UPS Ground. Now the only question is whether I’ll ever get the $120 rebate for these cards.
9. Melissa | April 18th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I’m jealous you are shooting the New Pornographers. I wanted to go so badly, but none of my friends could make it. Not having taken my camera to the Semi Precious Weapons, I would have loved to go this time around, with it in hand because I’ve never shot at The Pageant!
10. Todd | April 18th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Hey Melissa, I was just confirmed for the New Pornos a minute ago. I’m actually really excited to see Okkervil River opening.
The Pageant is my favorite place to shoot, all the staff there is great.
11. Melissa | April 18th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Oh, congrats, Todd. I was kicking myself for not taking my camera. I may just go and shoot at Off Broadway (if they let photographers in) tonight for fun, a band I really like is playing. I’ve got the itch…
I love the Pageant. Last Friday I was drooling over your equipment and then when I saw your photos, I was an instant fan. The show is gearing up to be incredible.
12. gabi | April 20th, 2008 at 9:11 am
I have the same feelings about Calumet. Although B&H come in a close second. I squeaked in the door at B&H 5 minutes before closing the night before Passover began to get my fix. The efficiency there is just MIND BOGGLING.
13. Todd | April 20th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
My favorite part about the B&H is the baskets on the overhead tracks that safely deliver my purchases to the exit for pickup.
No, scratch that. My favorite part of the B&H experience is the abundant bowls of kosher fruit chews.
14. Clay | April 21st, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I was pleased to see you down there at the Okkervil River / New Pornographers show, having followed your work here for a couple of months. Both great performances. The New Pornographers seems spaced quite far apart on stage. Does that make it easier or harder for you to work? Also, do your credentials usually give you pretty unlimited access for the duration of a show, or is it usually limited to parts of a set?
15. Todd | April 21st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Hi Clay, thanks for stopping by. I particularly enjoyed Okkervil River’s set.
I was shooting from the crowd, so that positioning was probably the most difficult aspect of the show. However, having the performers spaced out can be both good and bad. When isolation of individuals is preferred, having them spaced out is a boon.
For full-band shots, having the musicians a little closer together is better. Also, the light fall off is greatest toward the edges of the stage, so that’s another concern.
Credentials are usually for the first three songs, though this depends on the band. Some groups have a more open photo policy that allows one to photograph for the whole set, which is always nice – it results in better images!
speak up
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