COMMENT: X100 Firmware Upgrade: A PR Masterstroke by Fujifilm?

Sometimes you can be forgiven for thinking that most of the large manufacturers take their customers for granted and want to wring the last penny / cent out of them without giving anything back. 

I'm not just talking about camera manufacturers here, I am talking about the whole world economy.  There are big, faceless corporations who don't seem to give a stuff about customer service or customer loyalty and are run solely to make a profit for their shareholders.  

They tend to forget, or don't care about the fact, that it is easier to keep a customer than it is to find new ones and in this age of the internet, someone's bad experience can quickly turn into a PR disaster.  

When money is tight and customers have a choice on where to spend their 'hard earned', the customer service experience can play a big role in helping someone decide to part with their cash.

However I am happy to report that this is a lesson that one Japanese manufacturer has learnt and is actively looking after its customers in a way that had me thinking 'wow, that's impressive.'

Eleven days ago Fujifilm announced a firmware update (2.0) for the X100. 

'So what's so impressive about that?' I hear you ask. The X100 was replaced in March by the new X100S and so Fuji are providing continued support for a model that has been superceeded. Most companies would be pushing their customers towards the new version, not providing free improvements to an older model that could potentially hit sales of the newer, more expensive camera.  

The Fujifilm X100, which was launched in 2010, was replaced by the X100S earlier this year, with improvements in several areas that I have gone into on this blog.  Some of these improvements, mainly in start up time and manual focus operation, have been incorporated into the latest update for the X100.  

The upgrades don't quite match the performance of the newer X100S because of the limitations of the older hardware technology, but 2.0 does improve the day-to-day operation of the X100 significantly.

Now providing updates for a discontinued model will stop some customers upgrading to the newer camera. In these tough economic times the bottom line on the accountants balance sheet is a very important factor to any company, large or small. So this decision by the Fuji management in providing a free upgrade could be seen as misguided at best, or corporate incompetence at worst, by the accountants.  

But I think Fuji are playing the long game. Looking at the comments being posted around the internet on forums and blogs has shown that what this upgrade has done is turn some customers into loyal customers, even some of those who don't actually own an X100.

This is because Firmware 2.0 for the X100 has demonstrated that Fuji care about the people who have invested a significant part of their disposable income in one of their products - remember this camera was £999 when it was launched.  Even though the camera is a discontinued model, the owners are still important to the company and Fuji will look after them. 

The halo effect from this sort of publicity is significant.  Fuji has reinforced its position as a company that listens to, and cares about, its customers. That is something that will have the cash registers ringing and, ultimately, that will keep the accountants and shareholders happy.

When it comes time to replace the camera I am sure many customers will look at Fuji first, and some existing customers will now only buy Fujifilm products because of this decision to upgrade for free a discontinued product.

I work as a public relations consultant and photographer I am confident this decision by Fuji will reap dividends in customer loyalty for years to come.  I for one applaud the company for their forward thinking.   

Key Features of New X100 Firmware v2.0

Improved Auto Focus

• Approximately 20% faster AF speed and enhanced focus distance compared to the previous firmware version
• Close-up focus distance shortened by 30% before needing to switch to macro mode
• Improved Manual Focus

New Focus Peaking function assists in manual focusing by enhancing the outline of the subject in high contrast

• Improved focusing via the EVF or LCD when using wide apertures
•  Improved Operability

The camera start-up time has been shortened by approximately 0.2 seconds.*1

• Pressing the AF button now toggles the focus area selection screen and the area of your choice can be selected

To download the new firmware and instructions on upgrading your X100 camera, please visit:

http://www.fujifilm.com/support/digital_cameras/software/

*1 QUICK START mode [OFF]

CLICK HERE to see the press release on the Fujifilm website

CLICK HERE to see the report and comments on the DP Review website

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