UPDATE: "Problem with Canon Pixma ip4000 printer"

[shnaggletooth]

I received a brand-new (refurbished? not sure) ip4000 Pixma tonight
from Canon, even though my defective one was two weeks past warranty.
And yes, it came with a new print head and new ink. So, thanks to this
excellent customer service, my opinion on Canon has done a 180:
(reversing my earlier, knee-jerk vow) I will definitely continue buying
Canon products.

Shnaggletooth

 

[Tony]

I received a brand-new (refurbished? not sure) ip4000 Pixma tonight
from Canon, even though my defective one was two weeks past warranty.
And yes, it came with a new print head and new ink. So, thanks to this
excellent customer service, my opinion on Canon has done a 180:
(reversing my earlier, knee-jerk vow) I will definitely continue buying
Canon products.

Shnaggletooth

What a difference good customer service makes. And you have given that message
to all that read this newsgroup. First rate. Anybody got any good service
stories from other manufacturers?
Tony

 

[measekite]

I received a brand-new (refurbished? not sure) ip4000 Pixma tonight
from Canon, even though my defective one was two weeks past warranty.
And yes, it came with a new print head and new ink. So, thanks to

MEASEKITE AND

this
excellent customer service, my opinion on Canon has done a 180:
(reversing my earlier, knee-jerk vow) I will definitely continue buying
Canon products.

AND CANON INK

 

[Paul Heslop]

I received a brand-new (refurbished? not sure) ip4000 Pixma tonight
from Canon, even though my defective one was two weeks past warranty.
And yes, it came with a new print head and new ink. So, thanks to this
excellent customer service, my opinion on Canon has done a 180:
(reversing my earlier, knee-jerk vow) I will definitely continue buying
Canon products.

Shnaggletooth

Great news!

 

[shnaggletooth]

Yes, I have to admit -- it was your suggestion to give Canon tech
support a call. Thanks.

Shnaggletooth

 

[measekite]

Yes, I have to admit -- it was your suggestion to give Canon tech
support a call. Thanks.

Shnaggletooth

WELL, I AM GLAD TO HEAR SOMEBODY IS TAKING MY ADVICE. IT JUST MUST KILL
A FEW OF THE KNOW IT ALL POSTERS IN THIS NG.

 

[pbdelete]

What a difference good customer service makes. And you have given that
message to all that read this newsgroup. First rate.

Maybe some manufactors lurk this group
Anyway another way arround is to call support first with a fake request. Just
to test if they are for real. And then do the sales.
(Funny thing, sales almost always is the most rapid to respond to
communication

 

[Burt]

Maybe some manufactors lurk this group
Anyway another way arround is to call support first with a fake request.
Just
to test if they are for real. And then do the sales.
(Funny thing, sales almost always is the most rapid to respond to
communication

You've discovered my favorite "trick" - if the customer service or tech
support number is continuously busy, call the sales number. That one always
picks up quickly. Ask them to connect you with customer service. Most of
the time it has worked for me.

 

[zakezuke]

Measekite said: Snipped per request

Not at all, most people who are able have you killfiled. However this
know it all thinks it's just fine. You must have lots of experence
with technical support to be aware they tend to extend their warranty,
where as I only spoke to them twice. I gladly bow to your experence in
this matter. Out of 450 messages/month one was helpful, you do get a
gold star.

 

[Frank]

Not at all, most people who are able have you killfiled. However this
know it all thinks it's just fine. You must have lots of experence
with technical support to be aware they tend to extend their warranty,
where as I only spoke to them twice. I gladly bow to your experence in
this matter. Out of 450 messages/month one was helpful, you do get a
gold star.

Oh please...don't make me laugh! Even a blind squirrel occasionally
finds an acorn.
Frank

 

[zakezuke]

I received a brand-new (refurbished? not sure) ip4000 Pixma tonight

from Canon, even though my defective one was two weeks past warranty.
And yes, it came with a new print head and new ink. So, thanks to this
excellent customer service, my opinion on Canon has done a 180:
(reversing my earlier, knee-jerk vow) I will definitely continue buying
Canon products

Cool beans... though technicaly we never ruled out your enviroment or
user as the cause of the issue. Well user is not likely unless you
were printing on cats or some such, more likely is power surge...
something that is always suspect. Given your oddball issue it would be
wise to check your surge protector.. if it blinks it means it's not
working and should be replaced. Many are not spendy, which is good as
they are ment to be kamikaze devices.

Not saying it was the root cause, but it is a good printer, and worth a
few bucks to keep it protected in the unlikely event your MOV failed.

 

[Edward W. Thompson]

You've discovered my favorite "trick" - if the customer service or tech
support number is continuously busy, call the sales number. That one always
picks up quickly. Ask them to connect you with customer service. Most of
the time it has worked for me.

So you've found a way to push yourself in front of everyone else. What
a smart Guy you are! I suppose you do the same trick when there is a
queue somewhere, just walk to the front or do you only practice this
'trick' when there is no fear of retribution from others?

 

[Tony]

So you've found a way to push yourself in front of everyone else. What
a smart Guy you are! I suppose you do the same trick when there is a
queue somewhere, just walk to the front or do you only practice this
'trick' when there is no fear of retribution from others?

I think you are making a silly assumption, and the sarcasm is misplaced.
What Burt does is simply circumvent poor customer service by trying to talk to
a real human being in these days of pushing 7 buttons, and hanging onto the
'phone for half an hour or more.
If more of us did this then there would be a different and better focus on
service. If I feel that I am not being given good service I call the CEO
directly, I am surprised how often they are unaware how poor their service is.
Politeness is of course essential, unlike your post.
Or would you rather be a lemming?
Tony

 

[pbdelete]

You've discovered my favorite "trick" - if the customer service or tech

support number is continuously busy, call the sales number. That one always
picks up quickly. Ask them to connect you with customer service. Most of
the time it has worked for me.

Better the other way around, bad service -> no business

 

[GEO Me]

What Burt does is simply circumvent poor customer service by trying to talk to
a real human being in these days of pushing 7 buttons, ...

Or would you rather be a lemming?

There is a new web page on this topic (reported yesterday on CBC):
<http://www.gethuman.com/>

'Our goal is to improve the quality of customer service and phone
support in the US.'

They need volunteers to provide and update Canadian content.

Geo

 

[shnaggletooth]

Cool beans... though technicaly we never ruled out your enviroment or
user as the cause of the issue. Well user is not likely unless you
were printing on cats or some such, more likely is power surge...
something that is always suspect. Given your oddball issue it would be
wise to check your surge protector.. if it blinks it means it's not
working and should be replaced. Many are not spendy, which is good as
they are ment to be kamikaze devices.

Not saying it was the root cause, but it is a good printer, and worth a
few bucks to keep it protected in the unlikely event your MOV failed.

I'm kind of wondering about the cause myself. In the year I've had the
ip4000, I probably printed a total of 70 pages, mostly just b/w text,
and haven't used it in about three or four months. It's hooked up to an
Electricord six-prong surge protector, which it shares with my
computer, my computer speaker system (rarely turned on), a digital
alarm clock and...er, a large, old, and energy-sucking air conditioner.


If a power surge is the culprit, then that air conditioner might be the
problem; sometimes the lights in my apartment dim momentarily when the
A/C periodically adjusts itself. (Though, the power to my printer was
never turned on when I wasn't using it, so maybe it wasn't a power
surge thing, after all.)

Shnaggletooth

 

[Bob Headrick]

It's hooked up to an Electricord six-prong surge
protector, which it shares with my computer, my
computer speaker system (rarely turned on), a digital
alarm clock and...er, a large, old, and
energy-sucking air conditioner.

I really *would not* plug an air conditioner into a surge protector, for
several reasons. The air conditioner may exceed the power rating of the
surge protector. The motor may generate various startup and shutdown
spikes of just the kind you are trying to protect your computer
equipment from. Lastly, an air conditioner is unlikely to gain any
benefit from a surge protector. Your printer and computer equipment
would likely be much happier on a separate circuit.

Regards,
Bob Headrick

 

[Burt]

(snip)

So you've found a way to push yourself in front of everyone else. What
a smart Guy you are! I suppose you do the same trick when there is a
queue somewhere, just walk to the front or do you only practice this
'trick' when there is no fear of retribution from others?

You've put the worst flaming spin on an attempt to get service, and I don't
appreciate it. This "yank" understands the "queue" and respects it. Please
read my message more carefully. I only do this when it is impossible to get
through to a support line.

Case in point was the rollout of the DSL service by Pacific Bell in the San
Francisco Bay Area several years ago. They oversold their product and
didn't have enough phone lines or tech reps to keep up with service. Within
a month after mine was installed I was unable to connect. I ran the battery
on my cordless phone out several times on speed dial for hours trying to
connect with customer service. After three days of this idiotic situation I
called sales and got a very quick connection with a sales rep. After
explaining the lack of service for what was probably a defective modom, the
rep gave me an inside line to tech support. Should I have stupidly kept
dialing for several more days?

The real issue is that many companies hire too few support people, but they
damned well do have an ample supply of sales people. I do wait patiently in
"queue" when I can get into one. What do you do, Edward, when you
continually get a busy tone on the phone for hours and need to solve a
problem now! The fault lies with companies whose products, hardware,
software, etc, come with inadequate documentation, non-intuitive interfaces,
software or electronic glitches, and a host of other problems, and they are
not willing to spend the money to assist the consumer in a reasonable period
of time. You are welcome to your morally superior stance and hours of
dialing to attempt to find the help you, as a consumer, deserve in a timely
fashion. If I can't get into a queue in a reasonable period of time I will
do the dastardly thing - I will circumvent their anti-consumer,
penny-pinching approach to service and do the next best thing to get the
service I've paid for when buying a product.

 

[zakezuke]

I really *would not* plug an air conditioner into a surge protector, for
several reasons. The air conditioner may exceed the power rating of the
surge protector. The motor may generate various startup and shutdown
spikes of just the kind you are trying to protect your computer
equipment from. Lastly, an air conditioner is unlikely to gain any
benefit from a surge protector. Your printer and computer equipment
would likely be much happier on a separate circuit.

Agreed... I have had issues with a kirby vacuum on the same circuit, I
can only imagine an air conditioner, don't own one. Even if it means
investing in an extendtion cord, it would be wise to get these guys off
the same circuit. Be sure it's grounded and is rated for at least the
mount of watts your equipment is rated for. Be aware that some times
jokers liked to cross wire electrical outlets, and a simple tester
costing sub $5.00 can save you some heart ache.

Don't know if this is was your issue, but being paranoid will only cost
you about $12.00 in your average hardware store.

 

[Tony]

I'm kind of wondering about the cause myself. In the year I've had the
ip4000, I probably printed a total of 70 pages, mostly just b/w text,
and haven't used it in about three or four months. It's hooked up to an
Electricord six-prong surge protector, which it shares with my
computer, my computer speaker system (rarely turned on), a digital
alarm clock and...er, a large, old, and energy-sucking air conditioner.


If a power surge is the culprit, then that air conditioner might be the
problem; sometimes the lights in my apartment dim momentarily when the
A/C periodically adjusts itself. (Though, the power to my printer was
never turned on when I wasn't using it, so maybe it wasn't a power
surge thing, after all.)

Shnaggletooth

Air conditioners, especially the older type, have large "inrush" currents, this
is a very short lived current that occurs when the compressor starts that may
well be several times the normal operating current. So the advice given by Bob
Headrick and Zakezuke is sound.
Tony