B&H photo in New York

[brian leisring]

Abel has always taken care of me when I go into their NY store. Charlie and Isaac are two salesman there that have been able to give me solutions to any issues I'm having. and Jeff in the Lens department just did a great declicking service on a Leica R set with a one day turnaround. Don't get me wrong I go to B&H as well for some things, and the people in their "studio" section actually know what their talking about as opposed to the normal floor people.

 

[HelenOster]

Ours is a different model from those other businesses. If you're looking for a box store with no personality and no interaction then we can try to do that for you as well. If you would like to deal with real people and consult on a purchase that will best suit your needs, then we strive to be helpful.

Don't want this to turn into an online battle of the retailers.... but I think I need to clarify; Adorama isn't a 'box store with no personality'. :confused1:We are a family-owned and managed business - our founder still usually makes it into the office over the store. And I hope that my Internet presence on behalf of Adorama for almost 5 years - across over 600 photographic forums, Flickr groups and shopping sites + Twitter and Facebook - shows quite a LOT of interaction, actually! :confused5:

And Henry from B&H (also a family business) has been doing something similar for far longer than I have!

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

 

[N_Villers]

I have had good experience with B&H, Adorama and Abel. Bad experience with Amazon and Ebay.

 

[Peter Moretti]

Helen,

I'm sure that you and Henry are great. But when I'm put on hold for so long that the battery in my phone dies, and when I finally get thorough, I'm essentially told to go blow myself by a "customer service" rep AND their manager... well that's not a family I choose to deal with if I can avoid it.

I have no doubt that Henry has worked at B&H for a long time. Well I was a loyal customer since the 1970's when the store was 47th Street Photo. I would walk there with my sister from East 49th Street. From buying film when I was in middle school to top of the line cameras and lenses when I became an adult, 47th Street / B&H was the ONLY store for me. And I turned countless people on to it.

But even after explaining all this, I was told it was fine if I were lost as a customer. (Oh, and by the way, this was the THIRD time B&H had done something utterly outrageous. What's outrageous you ask? Well how about selling a piece software that was that was two versions old and from two years ago as the latest and greatest release? And I was told I could not return it b/c I had opened it. BTW, the maker of the software was so outraged that they immediately give me access to their FTP site so I could download the version that I should have bought. And they made it sound like this was not their first problem with B&H. But even after that experience I decided to give B&H another chance.)

So sorry Helen, but that is NOT the way a family run store treats its customers. I was talking to people who were part of huge machinery that could give a shit about me and all that I had purchased over the course of thirty years. As much as I believe that Henry does an exceptional job, IMHO, a real family owned businesses doesn't treat their customers as I was treated.


P.S. Anyway, I'm done commenting on this thread. I'm not looking for anything.

 

[henryp]

I have no doubt that Henry has worked at B&H for a long time.

I've been with B&H since April, 1994. Before that I was a full time photographer for 20+ years.

Well I was a loyal customer since the 1970's when the store was 47th Street Photo. I would walk there with my sister from East 49th Street. From buying film when I was in middle school to top of the line cameras and lenses when I became an adult, 47th Street / B&H was the ONLY store for me. And I turned countless people on to it.

B&H was NEVER 47th Street Photo. B&H Photo started as B&H Photo in 1973. There's never been anything called "47th Street / B&H," nor anything that could accurately be referred to as that.

 

[Wil Wong]

I like B&H

I like B&H

I like B&H and had many things shipped to me in Canada. I can't say what they're like if I receive something broken but everything I bought comes on time and is very efficient.

I do know that sometimes their web info on products is wrong but they take very good care at trying to keep it updated including a method to tell them directly as oppose to some general email for sorting everything.

I also had to return an item (cause it wasn't what I wanted) and no problems.

Lastly, I love their store in New York. Been there and they are very good and knowledgeable. They are business oriented and very efficient which I like. This isn't like going to a consumer electronics store, this is a pro shop for pro people (mostly).

Anyhow, guess we all have different experiences. Maybe it was the specific staff and not a company wide motto.

 

[Mitch Gross]

I have had very good luck with many purchases from B&H over the years so no complaints here. However, I would like to pose a question to Mitch from Abel.

I have purchased several lenses from B&H and have always had good luck. I say that because I have never felt the need to return a lens to get a "better copy," as others have discussed here. Then again, I am not sure I have had the awareness and capability to be very discerning about what constitutes a "good" or "bad" lens. I have learned much more about lenses here at REDuser in the last couple years and, as a result, am more discriminating about my lens purchase. So, my question - (you thought I'd never get there!) - Is AbelCine the kind of place where I can expect a "modestly priced" lens ($500-2000) to be "selected" by the staff before it is sent out? In other words, are lenses inspected in any way when they arrive into inventory and before they are sent out to customers?

I guess I could address the same question to Henry from B&H but, as far as I am aware, they do not do this sort of QC prior to fulfiulling an order.

And, BTW, thanks to both of you guys for being here to answer questions!!

In general we do not inspect lenses at that price level. Optics on a higher price point at always checked, and certainly if you have a problem with the product you receive we will address it promptly. Please understand that a $500 lens is not $500 for AbelCine (or B&H for that matter). Most of that goes back to the manufacturer and for us to inspect requires man hours which would quickly surpass our profit margin. So we must rely on the manufacturer's inspection process. This is one of the many benefits of higher-priced optics. Multiple layers of inspection plus the factory-trained optical technicians who can correct any issues before the lens ever leaves our doors.

 

[BRANDON JAMESON]

In general we do not inspect lenses at that price level. Optics on a higher price point at always checked, and certainly if you have a problem with the product you receive we will address it promptly. Please understand that a $500 lens is not $500 for AbelCine (or B&H for that matter). Most of that goes back to the manufacturer and for us to inspect requires man hours which would quickly surpass our profit margin. So we must rely on the manufacturer's inspection process. This is one of the many benefits of higher-priced optics. Multiple layers of inspection plus the factory-trained optical technicians who can correct any issues before the lens ever leaves our doors.

This is exactly the kind of attitude I would expect from Abel. Its the "at this price point" attitude of their sales staff.......so IMPO you can add...."I will ignore you" and "I can't come to the phone for you" or "Your business is not worth the time for me" to "at this price point" and you get the heart and soul of Abel's "different model".

 

[Mitch Gross]

I'm sorry you took it that way. If we are only making a few dollars on a product we simply cannot afford to inspect the items when the manufacturer has already done so. No reseller on the planet could.

It is clear that you have suffered a poor experience with us in the past which has unfortunately soured your attitude towards us. I can understand that you do not wish to work with us again, but should you decide to give us another chance, please feel free to reach out to me directly so that I can do my best to make sure that you get the attention you deserve. I wish you the best.

For you and all others reading these posts, please know that this is not me paying lip service to your comments. AbelCine takes client support and customer satisfaction very seriously. These comments do not fall on deaf ears.

 

[BRANDON JAMESON]

Can anyone address the commission structure of the salary of the sales force at B&H Adorama and Abel?

I think this might be the source (both good and bad) of the experiences we've been writing about on this thread.

 

[Steve Gal]

If a cheap mass produced lens comes with a warranty and the profit margin is very low, I could understand the reseller not being able to inspect. This is where you as the buyer need to inspect and if you are not happy, either refuse it or get in contact with the manufacturer or let whoever you buy from rectify. They should stand behind there products.

 

[henryp]

I guess I could address the same question to Henry from B&H but, as far as I am aware, they do not do this sort of QC prior to fulfiulling an order.

We do not open and inspect ANY manufacturer's package prior to shipping an item to a customer (excepting custom installations of computer components or memory when ordered). There are several reasons for this, among which are:
It's prohibitively time (and space) consuming and would delay our shipping time substantially.
Our warehouse staff is excellent at what they do but they're not sufficiently well versed in the wide range of products we carry to be able to do more than the most cursory kind of inspection.
The majority of our customers prefer to receive new, unopened packages.
If a customer got a product we'd opened for inspection and it turned out to have a flaw the customer would not be able to determine if the problem was us or preceded us.
It's possible there could be warranty issues.

Can anyone address the commission structure of the salary of the sales force at B&H Adorama and Abel?

Speaking only for B&H, we don't do commissions at all. We prefer the sales associate make suggestions or recommendations based on your conversation with him/her and based on what s/he then believes would be the best suggestions for your individual circumstances. We expect them to listen and suggest accessories for products when it's appropriate to do so and not when it'd enhance a pay check or get points towards the weekend in a sunnier clime. They're evaluated on product knowledge, customer satisfaction and professionalism.

 

[Jon Carr]

Was about to buy a nice Panasonic 21" monitor for video village, and the sales rep, decided to sell me the Sony. And "Hey, there's a used one for sale right now and you can save ___" And after 10 times telling him, "it does not say it has HD-SDI support" He then said ten times, "don't worry, it will work with the LINE input, line input works with HD-SDI." So Like a idiot I decided to trust the B&H sales man, and ordered it to ship to location. And when I came to location, nope. Does not work at all with the monitor. A nice expensive paperweight on set today. Never trust a B&H salesmen. And only buy from B&H when you have no other options.

 

[Nick Gardner]

I had a very similar experience where the B&H salesman sold me a product that didn't do what I wanted it to (be 110/220v switchable). He insisted that it did. Upon arrival, it was 110 only. Called B&H, they insisted that it was switchable "Because it says so in the Catalog." B&H was a huge hassle for the return as it was shipped freight. They only agreed to take the items back after I called the company that made the thing, and got them to confirm that they made a 110 version and a 220v version. I got the manufacturer (Irem in Italy) to drop ship new ones to the location I was shooting at for less than b&H. And, to top it off, they wouldn't take the charge off of my credit card, until they got the 110 ballasts back, and they wouldn't cover the shipping. Oh, and I never got an apology for wasting my time and fucking up my schedule. And that was the last time I ordered anything from them.

Nick

 

[henryp]

Was about to buy a nice Panasonic 21" monitor for video village, and the sales rep, decided to sell me the Sony. And "Hey, there's a used one for sale right now and you can save ___" And after 10 times telling him, "it does not say it has HD-SDI support" He then said ten times, "don't worry, it will work with the LINE input, line input works with HD-SDI." So Like a idiot I decided to trust the B&H sales man, and ordered it to ship to location. And when I came to location, nope. Does not work at all with the monitor. A nice expensive paperweight on set today. Never trust a B&H salesmen. And only buy from B&H when you have no other options.

I apologize. The manager of the department is already aware of this. We've issued and emailed return authorization and a pre-paid UPS return label to simplify the process. Our sales associate obviously erred and this caused your inconvenience and we are sorry. That said, one sales associate making a mistake one time should not necessarily be used to condemn them all.

And, if you can tell me which Panasonic monitor, we'll ship it to you with N/C shipping. My email is in my sig.

 

[Jay A. Kelley]

I am somewhat surprised at how this thread has gone.. Very good communication without much back-biting amoung the vendors.. I like that cause I use them all.

I love aspects of AbleCine, and I love aspects of BH Photo, I just ordered a $9.95 flash bulb from Adorama and sure enough they sent the wrong one. I know it's a simple mistake, but I'm not taking the time to return it, and so I will have to eat ten bucks due to this error.. That pisses me off.. I do not down the entire company for this error, but since is only happened two hours ago, I'm gonna sit here and be pissed for a little while longer.

My only complaint for Able is that I have a favorite rep there who has ALWAYS taken great care of me, Steve Cohen.. I have called him about 10 times now, and only get his voicemail.. I have emailed and left messages.. No response. That bums me out a little.

I have to say from a selfish perspective, I love Abel the most cause when it came time to sell the RED101 DVD, Steve and Mitch happily carried it, and BH would not even take my call.!

I like all you guys. You serve different needs at different times. If I want to talk to a person, I usually call Steve (Or... I USED too) and sometimes I just want to get something ordered in the middle of the night, I use BH.

When I want the wrong lightbulg.. I use Adorama... (Sorry that was mean.. Still working it out over here!

Jay

 

[BRANDON JAMESON]

I am somewhat surprised at how this thread has gone.. Very good communication without much back-biting amoung the vendors.. I like that cause I use them all.

I love aspects of AbleCine, and I love aspects of BH Photo, I just ordered a $9.95 flash bulb from Adorama and sure enough they sent the wrong one. I know it's a simple mistake, but I'm not taking the time to return it, and so I will have to eat ten bucks due to this error.. That pisses me off.. I do not down the entire company for this error, but since is only happened two hours ago, I'm gonna sit here and be pissed for a little while longer.

My only complaint for Able is that I have a favorite rep there who has ALWAYS taken great care of me, Steve Cohen.. I have called him about 10 times now, and only get his voicemail.. I have emailed and left messages.. No response. That bums me out a little.

I have to say from a selfish perspective, I love Abel the most cause when it came time to sell the RED101 DVD, Steve and Mitch happily carried it, and BH would not even take my call.!

I like all you guys. You serve different needs at different times. If I want to talk to a person, I usually call Steve (Or... I USED too) and sometimes I just want to get something ordered in the middle of the night, I use BH.

When I want the wrong lightbulg.. I use Adorama... (Sorry that was mean.. Still working it out over here!

Jay

Jay,

You truly made me laugh out loud...much appreciated, Sir!

 

[Mitch Gross]

I sit about 10 feet from Steve and I can tell you that he is ALWAYS on the phone with clients, usually while also looking at their emails and juggling a manufacturer on his cel so that he can find out if items are available. The man is a machine, and likely the only reason you have not reached him is that others are always beating you to him. Every time he tries to get out they pull him back in.

 

[BRANDON JAMESON]

I sit about 10 feet from Steve and I can tell you that he is ALWAYS on the phone with clients, usually while also looking at their emails and juggling a manufacturer on his cel so that he can find out if items are available. The man is a machine, and likely the only reason you have not reached him is that others are always beating you to him. Every time he tries to get out they pull him back in.

...hence, no service.

 

[Michael Panfeld]

Nothing but good experiences here. Even if there is a mistake, Customer Service has always righted the ship. Shipping is lightening fast. I realize that NYC to Wash DC is a high-volume route, so others might have a different experience, but UPS ground always gets there the next day. Abel Cine is also excellent, but on the Left Coast, so shipping is a bit longer.