'Which One Does Casey Neistat Use?' and More Customer Service Confessions from a Camera Store Clerk

Customer service stories are hilarious, especially when they come from those who work with DSLR cameras.

We've all been the bright-eyed photographer or filmmaker walking into a camera store for the first time. We wandered in like a kid on the first day of school, gently picked up floor models like precious artifacts, and pretended to inspect them like we knew what all the numbers and letters meant. 

The clerks that work at these camera stores can spot the n00bs from a mile away. They know you're not really deciding between the DSLR with the higher ISO and the one with a larger sensor; they know you're like, "Yep, this is definitely a camera. Oh look! So is this." Fortunately, they are there to help customers pick out the right camera for their needs, but sometimes, the customer doesn't make that process very easy.

Just take a look at some of the customer service stories from photographer Michael Flores. He's been working in a camera store for about a year and a half and decided to share some of his most hilarious experiences helping customers with PetaPixel. We've shared a few of our favorites from his article down below.

Only the best

Customer: What’s the best camera you have here?
Flores: Well, there is no real answer to that, it depends what you’re doing.
Customer: Yeah, I get that, but like what’s the best one?
Flores: What are you taking pictures of?
Customer: Mainly my family and vacations.
Flores: Well, for travel we have the Sony a6300. That would do good for you.
Customer: But is that the best camera you have?
Flores: …Yes…Yes, it is.

No way!

Customer: I need a new battery for my 7D II.
Flores: Yeah that’s the LP-E6, they’re right here.
Customer: Thanks, I just wish I didn’t have to buy a new battery every few weeks when the other dies.
Flores: Sir, you can just recharge them…
Customer: Wait…What!?

W.W.C.D. (What Would Casey Do)?

Customer: I need a vlog camera.
Flores: We have the Canon G7xii and the Sony RXV here that are pretty popular.
Customer: Which one does Casey Neistat use?

These exchanges might make Flores' customers seem pretty clueless about the medium they're about to invest in, but I think we can all relate at least a little to their thought processes, like just wanting to know which camera is "the best one," wanting the same camera as our favorite filmmaker (because that of course means our films will look just like theirs), and just being completely unaware of how the simplest things (like batteries) work.

I remember back while shooting a short film for a college class, one of the students who was doing sound on my crew asked me when to say "speed." I said, "Oh, whenever you hit record," to which they replied, "Yeah, but doesn't the film have to speed up first or something?" We were using my Zoom H4n. 

But again, we've all been there and said and asked more experienced filmmakers the dumbest things.

If you want to read the rest of Flores' hilarious customer service stories, check out his post in PetaPixel.

What are some of the funniest n00b moments/customer service conversations you've had? Let us know down in the comments!