While working on an elementary school site topo this morning -- school starts tomorrow, so I had to get done today -- my DC suddenly announced "connection lost." Figuring that the robot battery had died, I walked back to the gun and saw a dark screen on the GeoMax Zoom80.
No big deal, thought I, I'll just pop in the fresh battery that was sitting in the case. But after doing so the On button had no effect -- still a dark screen. Hmmm, did I forget to charge that battery?
No big deal, thought I, and I walked a short distance back to the truck to grab another battery. However, that produced the same result: no robot. Could I have forgotten to charge that battery, too?
This was getting to be a bigger deal than I initially thought. However, I had a couple more batteries in the truck, so I walked back and grabbed another. Same result. 🙁
With panic beginning to rise, I quickly searched online (via phone) for "GeoMax won't turn on," but didn't find anything useful. I thought briefly about calling the Georgia outfit I bought the gun from in 2015, but blanched at the thought of getting stuck in a hold queue or leaving a message for someone who might or might not return my call anytime soon.
Instead, I phoned Mark Silver of iGage. While I hadn't bought the instrument from him (in 2015 I didn't know that he carried GeoMax), I did buy some replacement factory batteries a year or so ago. Mark answered the phone and spent an inordinate amount of time attempting to diagnose the problem. He allowed that it *might* be a failed charger, but it also might be something more serious. After exhausting remotely troubleshooting the matter, he suggested that the gun needed professional attention. He explained that "the guy" who knows GeoMax inside and out and has near-instant access to spare parts is in his digital Rolodex, and he rang off to call him so he could expect the instrument in a couple of days.
I was pretty much resigned to packing up, but as a last-ditch effort I installed the remaining battery and -- thankfully! -- the instrument powered up. Buoyed by the prospect of finishing the job after all, I called Mark and asked him to overnight a new charger to me. Within the hour I had the invoice for that in my inbox, and hope to have a reliable charger within a day or two.
This was service way above and beyond the norm, and my hat's off to Mark Silver for helping me get back on track. Thanks, Mark!
That’s customer service right there. Those are the things you never forget when getting ready to purchase down the road. The cost is one thing but customer service like that will override that extra expense easily. I had a similar situation with farm equipment a couple of times with hay down. I own a few different brands but there is one brand when i call they show up to meet me and it makes it worth paying for that green paint for sure.
Yes. Mark Silver @ iGage. The man.
I’ve never communicated with Mark, but his website and YouTube videos have been very educational and helpful. Thanks Mark!
