Adorama... sadly, don't think I'll be buying from them in the future

[JustJazzie]

I'd have more to say, but I didn't bother to read your posting.

Cold JJ... very cold. You used to be such a nice person too...

rotfl...

I was, all the way up until you betrayed me by ordering from the company who left me depressed and -$2??.

;-) lol

 

[robbins.photo]

I was, all the way up until you betrayed me by ordering from the company who left me depressed and -$2??.

;-) lol

Lol... well I believe in 2nd chances. Not 3rd ones though.

 

[jubilee]

Calling instead of emailing is better, but still a problem. Every agent I talked to would then be "unavailable" the next time I called so there really is a false sense of continuity.

 

[HelenOster]

I was deeply concerned to read that this was your experience, and firstly would like to offer a sincere apology for the disappointment caused.
I have already copied your complaint to the Customer Services Manager, and we would welcome the opportunity to understand more about this issue. Could you please email me: Helen@adorama.com with more details.

While the staff in our call center do use standard emails for speed and to help ensure consistency of response, from your description above it doesn't sound as though correct Adorama CS procedures were followed.
Once again my deepest apologies for the frustration and dissatisfaction, and I very much look forward to hearing from you.

Helen Oster
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador
helen@adorama.com

 

[fmw]

I just finished ordering some SDHC cards from Adorama. They have great prices, free shipping on the cards and prior orders for cards have gone well. Great place to buy memory cards.

 

[HelenOster]

Thank you, Fred, your feedback is very much appreciated.

 

[HelenOster]

Dear Mr Robbins

As I believe I explained in my email yesterday, all of the the issues that I am aware of either have been, or are in the process of being addressed.

1. Why you did not receive the automated email update advising that the straps were still not in stock: I am awaiting a response from the web team. (Can you please confirm that you did check your spam and trash boxes for these?)

2. Why the manufacturer did not respond to our multiple requests for an updated ETA: I am awaiting a response from the Purchasing Department.

3. Why the call center representatives appear not to have understood the contents of your emails and therefore responded inappropriately using poor cut-&-paste techniques: the Customer Service Manager has already discussed this matter with the particular individuals concerned, and will be reviewing the way standard emails are used with the rest of the team.
Standard emails will, nevertheless, continue to be used, to ensure that responses are in line with Adorama company policy. However, it is clear that some team members require additional training in order to understand how to utilize these to communicate effectively with customers.


This response, from me, is a 'Customer Care response'; my responsibility is to reach out and liaise with all customers who post on any Internet forum, shopping site, Twitter, Facebook, etc.


Sincerely



Helen Oster

Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador
Helen@adorama.com

 

[robbins.photo]

Helen,

Since you've chosen to respond publicly I'll follow suit. I forwarded your apology to my brother Tim. As expected, he had no clue as to what you were talking about since he never ordered from Adorama. I'm assuming that the rest of the response is to myself, Todd, and will respond accordingly. A quick thank you I suppose would be in order that you took the time to get my name right in your response, well my last name at least. That's a big improvement. Sad, but true.

1. I can confirm I received no updates on an ETA, even after they were specifically asked for, nothing in either my spam or junk folder. My issue was and always has been a lack of adequate response from customer service regarding the backorder, not the backorder itself. The fact that they couldn't obtain an ETA would have been understandable, had it ever been communicated to me.. it wasn't. No communication that it had even been requested.

2. Not really a huge issue for me personally. As stated, the backorder thing was never really the problem. Wasn't then, really isn't now. The absolutely awful way in which your CS staff treated me is the issue. So far the best "apology" I've gotten on the topic wasn't even addressed to me, but to my older brother. As stated, mistakes get made, that I understand. But wow.. there seems to be a definite pattern in a lack of care taken by your customer care department.

3. An initial cut and paste email explaining the situation is fine, if it actually addresses the situation the customer is inquiring about. A cut and paste email that really doesn't is irritating. Receiving the exact same cut and paste email in response when you respond back to that cut and paste email pointing out that it doesn't address your concerns? Ludicrous. Specifically asking for a supervisor or manager to read your emails and respond and receiving yet another cut and paste email that doesn't? Beyond the pale. Top that off with a final insult to injury email where after all of that they don't even take the time to get your name right? Wow. Just wow. Sorry Helen, but thus far all Adorama has convinced me of is that your customer service is woefully inadequate and that the problem appears systemic. Also please note the underlining and bolding of the word "will" above was rude and unnecessary. If Adorama chooses to use standard emails, that's fine. Again, was never my issue. The fact that you repeatedly use the same standard emails that never once addressed my concerns is the issue.

Oh, and BTW, my brother Tim wanted me to say hi and thank you for the really nice email.

 

[HelenOster]

I apologise that my response above is inadequate, Mr Robbins.

Sincerely



Helen Oster

Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador
Helen@adorama.com

 

[robbins.photo]

I apologise that my response above is inadequate, Mr Robbins.

Sincerely



Helen Oster

Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador
Helen@adorama.com

I have to admit I'm kind of surprised that you now wish to represent yourself as the injured party in all of this. I guess I must be completely in the wrong for having the temerity to actually expect your so called customer service department to take 5 seconds and give me a real email response that actually addressed my problem, or that I insisted on stupid and trivial things like, you know, taking 5 seconds to get my name right.

Perhaps I can contact my brother Tim and see about having him come up with a cut and paste apology for all the horrible wrong I did to you folks if that would work for you.

As for the rest, well taking a page from the folks at Adorama....

I guess we're done here

 

[Designer]

On some websites the "on back order" notice is available before I click on the "purchase now" button. Yes, sometimes it is not a prominent notice on the shopping page, but nevertheless it's there.

For me, I've had excellent service at Adorama, but it was done via telephone, speaking with a real customer service representative, not the web page.

 

[pixmedic]

I havent ordered much from Adorama, but what I have ordered has been issue free both on the product end and the service end.

@robbins.photo I strongly implore you to give @HelenOster a chance to get things straightened out for you, and at the very least make sure that these issues are being properly addressed by the appropriate people at the appropriate level.
I understand your skepticism, since Helen does work for Adorama and therefor must conform to their company policies, but I can assure you that she has a long history of responding to each and every problem concerning Adorama here and doing everything she can to make things right. I cant say that things can be fixed to the customers satisfaction 100% of the time, but i can say that Helen puts in every effort possible 100% of the time. you wanted an Adorama representative's attention, now you have one of their best...put it to good use.

 

[robbins.photo]

I strongly implore you to give @HelenOster a chance to get things straightened out for you, and at the very least make sure that these issues are being properly addressed by the appropriate people at the appropriate level.
I understand your skepticism, since Helen does work for Adorama and therefor must conform to their company policies, but I can assure you that she has a long history of responding to each and every problem concerning Adorama here and doing everything she can to make things right. I cant say that things can be fixed to the customers satisfaction 100% of the time, but i can say that Helen puts in every effort possible 100% of the time. you wanted an Adorama representative's attention, now you have one of their best...put it to good use.

Pix, my issue has always been the really bad customer service received. So far in the one actual, non cut and paste apology I've gotten, it was addressed incorrectly to Tim Robbins, not to me.

Normally an error like this probably wouldn't have been that big a deal, I'm a pretty easy going guy for the most part. But after pounding my head against the Adorama customer service wall for days on end and never getting any response till I came online and complained, well sadly at this stage such an error is just another horrific example of the fact that no one there has cared about me as a customer, one way or the other. That has never been addressed.

It's pretty hard to accept assurances that the folks responsible for the terrible way in which the initial emails were responded too will even be talked too, when the person telling me that didn't even take 5 extra seconds to make sure she got my name right in her email response.

That's pretty much my dilemma here.

I also didn't really appreciate the underlining or bolding of certain passages in the response. I'm not the one with a track record for not reading and comprehending what's being written, they are. I found that extremely inappropriate and very rude.

As it was after the initial response from Helen I was perfectly happy to keep this private, via email.. till a public response was posted and was put in such a context that it made it appear as if I was being unreasonable. Funny no mention was made of how they couldn't even get my name right in their public response.

So yes, what I was really hoping for was that maybe somebody at Adorama would or could assure me that they'd talk to the people who completely bungled this from the get go and maybe change some policies there to make sure it doesn't happen again. Sadly though I really don't feel that such is the case. I still don't feel like anyone from Adorama gives a hoot one way or the other and that the last couple of responses were more about saving face for the company than over actually addressing any concerns I might have had regarding this transaction.

 

[The_Traveler]

I understand why Helen Oster posted the email here; it was to ensure that people knew that the problem was being addressed after you made a public issue out of it.
I reread her post and don't see where she was making you look bad or implying anything negative.

Public arguing is an unbalanced fight and inherently unfair to the company because they don't want to look bad.

I suggest you look at it as a concatenation of small errors that didn't hurt you at all and is being corrected.
Continuing with this arguement in the face of Helen's attempt to apologize and taking offense where no offense was offered is not civil behavior.
Don't be an Internet bully.

 

[robbins.photo]

Continuing with this arguement in the face of Helen's attempt to apologize and taking offense where no offense was offered is not civil behavior.
Don't be an Internet bully.

Sorry Lew, but I have to disagree here on a couple of points. I don't think I'm being an internet bully here. If the desire had been to simply state the matter was being addressed publicly, then that could have been done without taking a response out of context. If that was the intent, I'm ok with that, but that's not how it appeared to me. I read back through it myself, and I'm still not seeing it that way. Granted, I could be wrong about this, it's quite possible. But it's pretty hard for me to give them the benefit of the doubt at this stage.

As far as continuing the argument, I'm not attempting too - I was done several posts back. I responded publicly only to set the record straight, nothing more.

Pix then added his thoughts to which I responded. As have you, which I felt also merited a response. Both you and Pix are people I respect. Granted, we don't always agree, but you are still both people I respect.

So I'm sorry Lew but I don't see that I'm being uncivil here. I will freely admit I'm still quite angry over the whole situation but I do feel that anger is justified. Have I suffered any permanent injury? No, of course not. I have however been treated with a level of disrespect that I don't tolerate.

I do not expect further response, or a resolution at this stage. Should that occur, great. I'll be more than happy to report it should it occur. The only thing I really wanted from Adorama is the one thing I still haven't received, a non cut and paste apology that is addressed to me, not to my sibling. I still don't consider that unreasonable, at all - especially since I'm not even asking for it to be public. An email would suffice just fine. If they could make me think they might actually address the problems with their email customer service, that would be great too - but I'm not expecting miracles. They really haven't done a thing to engender any trust on my end.