brudder, the shops should employ sales who know how to relationship with the customers and understand that customers are the key to their business...we as a customer should not play the role to relationship with them and be their good friend.... we rate the shop according to the past services encountered....and service quality is always irreversible, once it is bad, it will be bad. They need to think about the power of words of mouth too...just like this thread! These are the basics to run a camera business, cause they cannot rely on regulars only.
Utterly Disgusted by Alan Photo
- Thread starter littlepea
- Start date
brudder, the shops should employ sales who know how to relationship with the customers and understand that customers are the key to their business...we as a customer should not play the role to relationship with them and be their good friend.... we rate the shop according to the past services encountered....and service quality is always irreversible, once it is bad, it will be bad. They need to think about the power of words of mouth too...just like this thread! These are the basics to run a camera business, cause they cannot rely on regulars only.
As an ang moh I must say I completely agree with weixiang.
Walked into a busy AP - SLS. An older local gentleman next to me was trying to get the attention of one of the shop assistants. They ignored the old man and spoke to me. I was very embarrassed and pointed out that the man was there first and should be served first.
And then there is the ang moh mark up. A friend purchased a lens from AP-SLS and emailed to tell me the price as he knew I was interested in it. Price seemed reasonable, so I went there and asked for it. Price went up by $100! When i questioned this they just lied and said that I was mistaken.
As Drakon09 said, SLS is disease. The culture of the place is that they set out to rip you off and if they can get away with it they will. I tell all my visiting friends the place is good for junk worth less than $50. But for any serious purchase avoid the place like the plague.
AP at Funan is a completely different story. Before buying my entry level DSLR they let me handle every possible camera, brought out different lenses for each to show me my choices for expanding each system etc. They did this three times over a period of a week as each time I felt I still needed to do more research. The gentleman who served me was honest, professional, knowledgebale and when I compared prices there were also reasonable. I tried a test once - I also had a local friend ring up AP- Funan and get a quote over the phone. Then I went in myself to enquire about the price, expecting to expeience the ang moh price jump. Pleasantly the price was the same.
How two different store of the one chain can be so different is beyond me. I put it down to the ugly culture of SLS.
always email Alan foto for a quote first. May take about a week to reply. Be patient. Their email quote is much more cheaper than going direct to their shop to enquire. When you are about to purchase..print out the quote and bring it as well. Ensure the quote includes gst if not you will be ripped at their shop.
This is how i buy my videocamera stuffs.
Direct quote at the shop for my XL2 and XL1s was $6000 and $5500. Thru email was $5500 and $5000 inc GST.
This is how i buy my videocamera stuffs.
Direct quote at the shop for my XL2 and XL1s was $6000 and $5500. Thru email was $5500 and $5000 inc GST.
Hmmz... i made my stand first... i m not a ah beng, i hate ah beng...
But then if food industry is considered a service line... den i have seen some pretty good service oriented bengs....
Well on the other hand.. are "converted" bengs still considered a beng ?
hehehe
i know a handful of USED TO BE beng who r now in service line n i do praise their sincerity and their service... SERIOUS !
:lovegrin:My experience of AP Funan is that they were even 10X worse off than SLS shop. Lousy crappy service, ignorant & arrogant shop personnel....went one afternoon and there was no one but me in the shop...even then they were like that...that was the final nail in the coffin for AP as far I go!! :thumbsd:
Moved to OP and doing really well there! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Do we really need to go through so much trouble Blade!?!? :dunno: After all we are the customers and they are the ones rendering a service for which we are paying good $$$!! So first email, print out email as proof then go to the shop etc etc etc...why & what for!?
I would expect no difference in their treatment to me if i were to walk in as a normal customer or pre-inquire via email...that is the only & right way for judicious shops! Else we would need to spend so much time & effort each time and still be left wondering if were ripped off or not! I admit it's idealistic and there are shops in the market place like AP who practice dual pricing blatantly (ang moh pricing, email pricing, walk in pricing, busy or not busy pricing etc)...but there are other shops who are a bit more transparent...let's take our $$$ there! (by continuing to go to AP we're the only ones to blame for this worsening situation....as they see their customers continue to hold...and they think that those who have been abused or ripped off are coming back too....hahaha...sadomasochistic people might be...not me!!)
Been there before to purchase Fujifilm S6500 fd for my brother. The salesman didn't give me the free Lowepro camera pouch to me. Didn't know about this promotion as well. :angry:
When I found out, complained to the manager, I got it the next day. Got to get back to the shop again of course. Waste of my time. :angry:
As we know, high-end lenses kept the minimum focusing distance constant throughout the zooming range, thus max magnifying ratio at the very tele end. When I tried the same thing to the S6500 fd, the salesman said "this also don't know, kena laughed by people oh". I think his camera knowledge only enough for low-end camera sales. :angry:
I never met this kind of rude salesman before. No manners at all. Some more refused to paste the LCD protection screen for me, EVEN BEFORE i ask for it. Gave all sort of excuses. Saying what, some customer very demanding, very picky one. Very difficult satisfying them. Must paste 100% nicely fit one. :angry:
I used to buy my MB-D200 & $1600 Sigma 100-300 f/4 lens there, CASH somemore. Yet, still give me this kind of service. :thumbsd:
When I found out, complained to the manager, I got it the next day. Got to get back to the shop again of course. Waste of my time. :angry:
As we know, high-end lenses kept the minimum focusing distance constant throughout the zooming range, thus max magnifying ratio at the very tele end. When I tried the same thing to the S6500 fd, the salesman said "this also don't know, kena laughed by people oh". I think his camera knowledge only enough for low-end camera sales. :angry:
I never met this kind of rude salesman before. No manners at all. Some more refused to paste the LCD protection screen for me, EVEN BEFORE i ask for it. Gave all sort of excuses. Saying what, some customer very demanding, very picky one. Very difficult satisfying them. Must paste 100% nicely fit one. :angry:
I used to buy my MB-D200 & $1600 Sigma 100-300 f/4 lens there, CASH somemore. Yet, still give me this kind of service. :thumbsd:
Avoid Alan Photo at Funan. Went there to enquire on the price of the D80 kit. The salesman offered what I thought was a good price. Couldn't proceed with the sale as I did not bring along my spectacles (it was lunch time). Had wanted to check the equipment before purchase. When I went to them again the next day the price was up by $150. The salesman who had served me the previous day muttered something to his buddy and quickly made an exit when he saw me walking into the shop. The buddy who served me claimed the salesman I had talked to earlier never existed! Fed up I walked over to another shop and bought my D80kit. Price was higher, but at least they did an honest sale.
mynameisjizeng
Senior Member
i hope the people at alanphoto are reading this.
so at least all these complaints can turn into something more.. productive.
so at least all these complaints can turn into something more.. productive.
Wah...can throw smoke screen and run away?!?!?! What a low class and lousy tactic, in front of you somemore...
I hope the ALL the people in CS (hopefully the photography population is Singapore) are reading this.
so at least all these complaints can turn into something more.. productive...like boycotting them.
"the incident mentioned here dun noe how true? Their prices are attractive leh. Anyway, I know wat I want and these things won't happen to me one!!!"
LOL...then the person saying this can go try AP-SLS out and end up becoming a member in this thread. ;p
Wow... Before 7th month got 1 "Brother" in their shop le, who knows during 7th month how many would appear?
So scary... :cry:
Joke aside, I had a rather "sian" encounter with them too.
I had sent an equote to them fo the K100D.
They replied me with the prices and the location to purchase the camera.
But ended up wasting my time as they claim that they had sold the last set already.
Eventually, they ask me to get the K10D instead which is better and the price is "better" than outside. :angry:
StrifeYun
Senior Member
hmmm my 2cents contribution.
AF @ SLS , i find the senior staff more arrogant, and when i check out items they always for get to thell me "NO STOCK", always waste my time, lucky OP just up stairs
So far AF has yet to quote me unbelievale prices yet, we shall see haha.
but i have exp. buying filters where places like JOHN quite me $10+ more than TK !!!! .... haiz that day i go after work wear formal, they 1 2 chop me arr .... haiz.. i also got a quote for another lens which i think they all mark-up the price by $30+/-
.... hmm MS colour i think is okay as their prices are also quite consistant, but i think are more ex. by abit.
and i find if the sales person remembers you, they will offer a better rate, haiz. or will not argue so much if you ask for a cheaper rate.
but i think camrea shops are more arrogent as , if u tell them that another shop sells at a cheaper price, they will just say, then go there buy loh..
but for PC harware its different, as i'm used to mod my pc stuff. if i tell them "the other shop selling at $xxx", they will most probably give u the price. hmmm think this is true also because PC hardware stuff in SLS are more competetive.
AF @ SLS , i find the senior staff more arrogant, and when i check out items they always for get to thell me "NO STOCK", always waste my time, lucky OP just up stairs
So far AF has yet to quote me unbelievale prices yet, we shall see haha.
but i have exp. buying filters where places like JOHN quite me $10+ more than TK !!!! .... haiz that day i go after work wear formal, they 1 2 chop me arr .... haiz.. i also got a quote for another lens which i think they all mark-up the price by $30+/-
.... hmm MS colour i think is okay as their prices are also quite consistant, but i think are more ex. by abit.
and i find if the sales person remembers you, they will offer a better rate, haiz. or will not argue so much if you ask for a cheaper rate.
but i think camrea shops are more arrogent as , if u tell them that another shop sells at a cheaper price, they will just say, then go there buy loh..
but for PC harware its different, as i'm used to mod my pc stuff. if i tell them "the other shop selling at $xxx", they will most probably give u the price. hmmm think this is true also because PC hardware stuff in SLS are more competetive.
I gotta agree that AF @ Funan is not a good place to shop. I always, and I mean ALWAYS being quoted different price for the same item. From batteries to filters to lens to speedlite. it's rather irritating.
SimLim's is better. And if you know how to talk, they are quite ok to negotiate. you know one la... some uncles or ah bengs like customers who can crap with them. hahaa
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