As I said on the other thread about 90% of the total support calls end with something other than a repair of a camera or back. Maybe calls start out with the caller assuming they need a loaner/replacement/repair but in fact just had a setting wrong on the computer/camera/back or had a component like a firewire cable go bad.
And the 10% that actually need a loaner/replacement/repair can still benefit from the call even if they are in the middle of the shoot and an immediate backup unit can be provided. It's not what you want to hear, but if I tell you that your equipment is in fact dead at least you can stop troubleshooting and start figuring out what the next best option is. For instance, when Guy called me it took us about 2 minutes to establish that there was no more troubleshooting to be done and that the body was dead and that by itself held value.
Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
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Hi, Doug,
I don't think we disagree here, I think we're seeing it from different ends of the pipe. I don't doubt for a second that 90% of your calls are for things other than equipment failure.
But in my particular case, over 90% of my calls have been for equipment failure or warranty support. This is not because the equipment I've used has been bad, but rather because the few calls I've made have been for nothing else, since I am comfortable at accurately diagnosing hardware issues with my gear.
So the need for the dealer will vary depending on the experience of the purchaser, which was really what I was getting at. Even in my case, where I initially felt the dealer would add little to no value whatsoever, I've found that Optechs was able to prove me wrong (and that's a Good Thing, IMHO).
My understanding of Guy's recent hardware failure was in an urban environment where you were ready to help him out very quickly. Unfortunately I often find myself in remote regions of the mountain ranges of Western Washington, in remote areas in Iceland or in the Himalayas, where it's just not possible to drive/send out a courier in any reasonable timeframe. So where I can afford to, I try to back myself up.
I recognize this isn't everyone's situation, or even most people's situation--I feel that folks need to consider their particular situations before making the decision to purchase privately or from a dealer.
So yes, I agree completely--it all depends on the kind of support the individual customer is looking for.
Take care, Doug,
-Brad
