RE: [Leica] Noctilux update

[Tom.Henson@bakerbotts.com]

Steve,

Here it is:

Brenda Olesin - Customer Service Manager
Leica Camera, Inc.
156 Ludlow Ave.
Northvale, NJ 07647
phone - (800) 222-0118 ex. 217  (free call, you can dial through when
prompted for the extension)
long distance phone - (201) 767-7500 ex. 217
fax - (201) 767-3438
email address: olesin@aol.com


Horst Braun - Customer Service Manager
see this web link to Leica Solms site:
http://www.leica-camera.com/produkte/service/lsc/service/index_e.html


If the text in this message wraps and is hard to read, let me know and I can
send this info to anyone off-line.

Tom Henson


Steve wrote:

<Hi Tom... your insight into this  is very helpful to all of us. If possible
can you provide phone or e-mail info on the contact  individuals named
below...? Thanks...Steve>



- ----- Original Message -----
From: <Tom.Henson@bakerbotts.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 12:35 PM
Subject: RE: [Leica] Noctilux update


> Mitch,
>
> I doubt that they complain very much to Solms about service delays unless
> the customer hounds them, which will probably not make for a good
> relationship with them. I sometimes got the feeling that their hands were
> tied as well as ours when things are sent to Solms through them.
>
> On the times that I have spoken to Brenda Olesin (whom I presume called
you
> with the news) she was always very polite and to the point. On the one
time
> that they sent a new lens to Solms to be repaired (it was an APO which
can't
> be worked on in NJ) she did follow up when I emailed her asking the
status.
> It ended up taking two months to get the lens back. However, it came back
in
> worse condition that when it was sent over there. It turned out that Solms
> had told her they were sending new lens and then did not. She was so upset
> that they gave her bad info and that the lens came back worse that she
went
> straight to the VP in NJ and showed him the lens.
>
> He immediately offered me a new lens from NJ stock, or to credit the store
> from which I purchased it for the full amount that I paid. I took the
> credit, and turned around and ordered an new R6.2 with motor drive and had
> the store drop ship the entire lot directly from NJ to me.
>
> The fact that I had established a friendly relationship with Brenda I feel
> helped resolve the issue. Never underestimate the importance of having a
> personal relationship when it comes to getting things done.
>
> Brenda Olesin is the customer service manager in NJ, and Horst Braun is
the
> same in Solms. Two people to include in the chain of command when dealing
> with repair issues. In the case of Mr. Braun, if he feels the situation is
> warranted, he will simply walk into Herr Cohn's office and ask for his
> assistance in resolving a problem (probably will not need to see him in
> person, but a simple phone call or email will do). Nothing like going to
the
> top to get things done.
>
> Keep in mind that Leica is a very small company and at least in Germany a
> small family. Germans take a great deal of pride in their ability to
design
> and manufacture complicated mechanical things and have a reputation for
> excellence in this area (BMW & Mercedes come to mind).
>
> However, like all of us that take great pride in our work, we do tend to
be
> sensitive at times to mistakes and criticism and Leica is no different
than
> anyone else. The one thing that I came away with from them, is that they
are
> sincerely interested in your satisfaction and happiness in the equipment
and
> will do their best to accommodate you,
>
> Cheers
>
> Tom Henson
>
>
> Mitch wrote:
>
> <I suspect so, as things appeared to happen pretty quickly afterwards.
> However, no one at Leica NJ has confirmed it even though I have posed
> that specific question to them.>
>