How Westcott made me a customer for life

In many ways, I am a creature of habit. Whenever I make a purchase decision, I research it thoroughly. I read reviews, blogs and opinions. I try to make purchase decisions based on what I will get the most long-term use out of. Balanced, of course, with the budget.

My flash system was aging. It was a mix of IR-based speedlights and studio strobes that could not talk to one another. I wanted a single system with radio-based communication.

I messed up

The Godox system looked good. It is radio-based and a lot of people seem to like it. It is also very affordable. So, after some consideration, I decided to purchase a few Godox strobes, speedlights and a remote.

After thoroughly testing out the system, I took a speedlight out for the first time on an assignment. To my dismay, my speedlight broke mid-shoot. I could hear a piece rattling around inside. I contacted the retailer, and it was quickly replaced.

After again testing, I took the replacement speedlight out on an assignment. It too broke the first day, leaving me with the same internal rattling noise. Again, it was replaced, but by then I had lost all confidence. I tried to speak to a representative at Godox but they do not have a U.S. telephone number.

Since speedlights are an important part of my workflow, I decided to sell my new Godox gear.

Fixing my mistakes

During my research, the Westcott FJ system caught my eye. I really liked the very clear and simple-to-understand screen of the Westcott FJ80 speedlight. I think anyone who has ever used a speedlight knows how frustrating the menus can be. Not with the FJ80. It is simple, clean, clear and uses a touch screen.

I also really liked the fact that the FJ80 speedlight supported every major camera brand. If I switched to a different brand, the flash would not have to be replaced.

I decided to do what I should have done from the beginning. Spend the extra money and get the Westcott FJ system.

And it worked out great. I purchased a remote, speedlight and a few studio strobes. I was a happy customer. But this isn’t where the story ends, nor is it what sold me on Westcott.

The Nikon Z 9

When I received my brand-new Nikon Z 9 camera, I started doing some testing with the FJ80 speedlight and the Z 9. The flash wouldn’t work when set on TTL, but manual settings did. I was OK with this since I used my speedlight on manual most of the time. A few weeks later, Westcott issued a firmware update for the FJ80. With this new update, manual no longer worked on the speedlight, but TTL did!

I decided to make a call to Westcott. Upon checking their website, I found their telephone number was listed and easy to find. When I called the number I was greeted by a friendly operator who immediately put me through to a technical support representative.

The Westcott representative listened to my problem, took the time to understand it, and made some notes. He told me he would pass it on to the development team. At that point I was happy. Someone had listened and acknowledged the issues I was having with the speedlight and the new Z 9.

Not long after I received a phone call from Westcott. I expected it to be just a follow-up to see if they could close the ticket or a satisfaction survey. To my surprise, it was that same tech calling me back to let me know they had new beta firmware that might correct my issues. And it did.

My flash now works perfectly with my Nikon Z 9.

Customer service done right

Since then, I have had the opportunity to meet with Westcott representatives at some of the major trade shows. They continue to work on and improve the firmware for all their FJ products. I now have firmware in my remote, strobes and speedlights that work with the Z 9 and all of my previous Nikon cameras.

Although it seems like a given that companies should support their products, it is becoming increasingly difficult to even find a company’s phone number on the web these days. When you do find one, often you are greeted with a voice response menu that can be frustrating at best to navigate.

Being able to speak to a representative who not only cared but who also took action is refreshing. This is customer service at its finest and the way a working photo professional should be supported by a manufacturer.

Well done, Westcott, you’ve made me a customer for life.