Category: Product – Services

Jack Taylor's Toyota, the best of the best

Jack Taylor’s Toyota, the best of the best

There are two things in life that I have never looked forward to doing. One is having a root canal and the other is purchasing a car. Today I chose to do them both. Hmmm, sounds like a bad idea.  Well the root canal was exactly what you would think it was (no fun).  The dentist kept telling me to relax and I had to remind her that relax and dentist are not anywhere close in the dictionary.

An hour after leaving the dentist I was at a familiar location, Alexandria Toyota.   For the last 150,000 plus miles I had been getting my Toyota 4Runner serviced there.  George Queen had been my service manager for years.  Because of my trust in him, I trust Alexandria Toyota.   Because of extensive damage to my 4Runner during the blizard of 2010 it was time to get a new vehicle.   After speaking to George he referred me to Mack Alsobrooks.   My first choice was to purchase a Camry.  But after a long conversation and a thorough analysis by Mack I also started to look at a Prius.   That evening I looked at a few Prius & realized that they were comfortable & spacious & environmentally friendly.   The next day I came back to Alexandria Toyota to ask some questions & I met Gus the used car manager – he gave me the keys to the Prius for a test run.  My experience was so exciting that I decided to take the day off.   Later that day I picked my wife up from work & spent about 15 minutes with Mack and 20 minutes with Aaron Verothai their financial services manager.  I  then drove away with my new car.   What an incredible experience with not spenting hours waiting at a dealership to purchase a car.  What a car, what an experience & what a dealership!

Feb 21, 2010 | 0 comments View Post
Drobo - but the worst customer service. Ever.

Drobo – but the worst customer service. Ever.

Your hard drive will fail.  The only question is when.

While seeking a device that would assist me in backing up my 30,000 plus photo collection I went to the NYC Photo Plus Expo and found what I thought would be my solution.   Drobo – simple, scaleable and reliable. A DROBO device is made by Data Robotics Inc., and the device is not cheap aprox $499 or close to that and then I acquired 2-4 SATA drives at about $99 each. A DROBO device was engineered to create a easy, simple and reliable backup solution for your computer content.

But after having my DROBO for about 9 months it started to work infrequently and then after 14 months the unit failed.  I had been in contact with customer service from about the 9 month period and the feedback I was given never got the DROBO up and running.  So I gave up on the device and signed off on it as a bad investment.

Last,  October I went to the Photo Plus Expo once again in NYC I went to the DROBO booth and spoke to one of their product managers and he told me to give him a call so they could take care of the situation.  Well I called him and emailed him on November 6th, January 14th, February 3rd and to make a long story short on February 4th he sent me an email letting me know that he was forwarding our correspondence to their support team.

Still waiting……..as of February 9th still waiting…………
DROBO, maybe simple, scaleable but not that reliable
Feb 09, 2010 | 0 comments View Post
ThinkTankPhoto - my best choice

ThinkTankPhoto – my best choice

Be ready “Before the Moment”

That is the tag line for Think Tank Photo, and it is very accurate.  As a professional photographer I am always looking for the best gear.  Something to make my life easy and comfortable.  But in the camera carrying bag arena there are so many choices.  So many good choices I must admit, but very few great choices.  Thinktankphoto creates great choices for the professional photographer.

Thinktankphoto is a true think tank.  They offer the best in backpacks, computer cases, belt packs, rain covers, rolling camera bags and accessories that work for any situation – they are the Ritz Carlton of camera gear.

Why Thinktankphoto:

  • Built by photographers for photographers
  • Great design
  • Protects gear
  • Makes gear accessible quickly

Mission Statement:
Think Tank Photo is a group of designers and professional photographers focused on studying how photographers work, and developing inventive new carrying solutions to meet their needs. By focusing on “speed” and “accessibility,” we prepare photographers to Be Ready “Before The Moment,” allowing them to document those historic moments that reflect their personal visions and artistic talents. For some companies, it is only about the product. For us, it is more: It is about supporting photographers doing their job. If we can design products that help photographers travel easier, take pictures faster, and organize their gear more efficiently, then we will have accomplished something beyond the bags themselves.

Hooray for the photographer, we get a chance to win.

Feb 07, 2010 | 0 comments View Post
What is an Otterbox?

What is an Otterbox?

This is a very good question.

A few years ago, a friend  impressed me with a case that he acquired for his iPhone.  Knowing that I had an iPhone also he gave me a quick demo. He said to me “Cecil watch this”.  He took his phone out of his pocket and threw it on the floor and it bounced twice and I was feeling a bit sorry for him because an iPhone should never be used as a small ball.  Well he picked it up and there was no damage to my surprise.  After examining the phone my next question was of course was, “where did you get the case?” He told me that he got it from OtterBox.  It did not take me too long to order my OtterBox Defender Case.

Well it has been about 2 years since I have had the case and it has worked like a gem and in those 2 years there were 2 situations that come to mind.

  • On the Defender Case the is a piece of rubber that covers the headphone jack, well mine broke off and I called OtterBox and without hesitation I was sent another – by the way the person had the best attitude that I remember in recent history.
  • Last week I happen to get out of my Toyota 4Runner and somehow got my FM transmitter got caught on my seatbelt and my iPhone fell out of the SUV and fell into slush for a previous days snowfall.  Water and physical damage is the iPhones kryptonite, but this case protected the phone 100%.

Answer: An OtterBox is the best possible case to protect an iPhone.

Jan 22, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

Moby Dick – Ashburn, VA

And just want is Moby Dick?

Years ago, I discovered a small restaurant in Georgetown, Washington DC called Moby Dick House of Kabob.  It was probably one of the smallest restaurants I have ever been too.   At this location, there was only seating for 4 but the food was very good.   Since that day I have not frequented  Moby Dick House of Kabob often.   During that time I have visited the Arlington, Fairfax, Germantown & McLean locations.

Today prior to photographing the rookies of Major League Baseball at Lansdowne Resort, I went to the Ashburn, Va. location.  This time  not only was the food great but the service was incredible.  I had a chance to be served by store manager, Hamid Fard.  For a quote on quote fast food restaurant the food that I was served was a delight.   I had a Moby Melt with rice – hmmmm.  Good food, good atmosphere, great choice.

Jan 16, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

Superior customer service experience!!!

Have you ever been  happy when it comes to getting your car serviced?

Ok how many really hate the process.  I used to but superior service makes a HUGE difference.

I have found that in life this things that make life so enjoyable are the relationships one creates in just the simple day to day things we do.

Some years ago I purchased a Toyota 4 Runner in Tysons Corner, Va.  After the sale I realized that the service at this location was slightly below average, so the hunt was on for a long term relationship with a dealership for service.  Through word-of -mouth I happened onto Alexandria Toyota in Alexandria, Va and met an assistant service manager by the name of George Queen.  George has always properly diagnosed whatever issue I have had and always delivered my vehicle back to me in great condition and in a timely manor.

Being a professional photographer my vehicle is essential to me and I must say that I take my hat off to George Queen and the staff at Alexandria Toyota for delivering superior customer service.

Dec 24, 2009 | 0 comments View Post