Camera Solutions Chester

[Pat Reehal]

It has taken me quite a while to recover from my Jessops experiences of blatant indifference and lack of product knowledge, to venture again into the high street camera shop. I have until now, bought off the net and whilst I have saved on the purchase price I have lost count of the times that delivery has been delayed or missed.

After much deliberation and in an attempt to see and handle a Fuji XT-1, I visited Camera Solutions in Chester and was met by a highly professional and, important to me, customer orientated gentleman called Mark Tilling. How refreshing to be welcomed by 'Good Afternoon Sir,' rather than 'Allright Mate, Squire, Hi Guys!' or the great wall of deafening silence.

Mark provided excellent and enthusiastic advice, suggested alternative camera bodies and lenses in my price range to consider and displayed an inordinate knowledge of his products. Price wise there was not a ha'porth of difference with other shop and net based retailers but my part exchange price was more than fair and the personal service and attention made the all important difference.

As you probably know, XT-1's are as rare as rocking horse droppings in the UK and demand has meant a real shortage in the supply chain. Nevertheless I ordered the camera and fully expected to have to wait a while but Mark managed to prise one out of Fuji UK within the week. Excellent.

Enough has been written about the XT-1 and most of it is true. I am smitten. But what has tickled me more has been the realisation once again that the purchase of a camera doesn't have to begin with the press of a 'buy now' button and end with a disinterested courier driver. There are professional and highly communicative camera shops out there and I am delighted to have found one.

I am reluctant to recommend goods and services as each of us have our own interpretation of what we expect but suffice to say that I am more than happy to recommend Mark and Camera Solutions. They clearly have customer service and satisfaction at the top of their agenda and they made my purchase a real pleasure.



(Usual disclaimers, never been in there before and those that have had the misfortune to have met me know that accepting poor customer service and taking prisoners are not my strongest attributes.)

 

[Pete Askew]

So nice to hear of a positive experience these days. Camera Solutions sounds like a fine establishment. Maybe you could persuade them to start a line of large, religious texts that have been cunningly modified to accept small cameras fitted with Foveon sensors. Surely a sudden interest in the divine would provide an ideal opportunity to smuggle said cameras onto the island!

 

[Pat Reehal]

Sadly Pete the COS has already twigged that one.

Which is very selfish as I am, as we speak, slaving over a map of Europe planning her next holiday on the Continent. I ask you, how many women can resist visiting Colditz and Stalag Luft III?

Now here is a thought. Do you remember the old Royal Mail trains which rattled through stations and picked up mail bags suspended from a gantry without stopping? You do? Excellent.

I will have a Foveon camera shipped c/o Herr Agnew Potsdam. You crank up the Trabbie and splutter down to the first Autobahn bridge before Dresden, dangle the parcel over the parapet and hey presto, using the Barnes Wallis Bouncing Foveon catcher, it will be picked up whilst the COS is fast asleep dreaming of Tom, Dick and Harry.

Simples! Plus there is 20 Reichmarks in it for you.

Whadayasay Pete?

 

[Pete Askew]

It's a deal. 20 ÖM you say. I'll throw in the Trabbie for that!

 

[Tom Dunne]

Lovely story PAT. A rare thing indeed. Long may they last. That kind of service is worth paying extra for.
Real customer service died a death with the advent of "Customer Services"
Good luck with the new camera PAT.

 

[Pat Reehal]

Lovely story PAT. A rare thing indeed. Long may they last. That kind of service is worth paying extra for.
Real customer service died a death with the advent of "Customer Services"
Good luck with the new camera PAT.

Thanks TOM!

I am sure they will last as long as there are people out there who appreciate proper, dare I say it, old fashioned customer service. But the enormous challenge for shops such as Camera Solutions is internet shopping and the arcane policies of Councils who seem to relish making city centre and small business's life as difficult and as expensive as possible.

As for the camera, I am still learning but thus far I am very impressed. It is, like my X100, a real joy to use and one which demands a bit more from the eejit pushing the shutter button. Which is handy as I am a total eejit!

I know that it probably sounds a tad far fetched but purchasing it from a proper dealer and having it handed over to me in a very professional and courteous manner has made using the camera even more of a pleasure and added immeasurably to the whole experience.

 

[Tom Dunne]

Your custom has obviously been valued and appreciated. makes all the difference PAT.

 

[Dave Green]

You can't beat a good traditional independent camera shop! Mathers of Lancashire are still doing well in Bolton - mainly because in addition to all the above - they also have a strong and competitive internet presence.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Worcester's London Camera Exchange is excellent these days too ... It used to have 3 shops of local competition, the shop I worked in, and two jessops. But as the other have left LCE has actually got better... Possibly something to do with the quality of most of the staff

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Worcester's London Camera Exchange is excellent these days too ... It used to have 3 shops of local competition, the shop I worked in, and two jessops. But as the other have left LCE has actually got better... Possibly something to do with the quality of most of the staff

Agreed......
I could of got my Fuj from the internet much cheaper, but the internet doesn't offer one to one customer service and after care like they do at LCE.
They're all a bunch of fab people too.