What Customers Hate Most About Video Transfer Companies (And Why They Love Us)

I have 20 years experience transferring family memories. I always felt this was a worthy profession, if not terribly lucrative. My staff and I have made thousands of people very happy over the years by taking pride in our work and never settling for mediocrity. One thing I’ve discovered is to do this job the right way, you must have patience and perseverance. So by definition, video transfer will never work well as a high volume business model that focuses on efficiency. 

For example, let’s look at a typical order that we work on daily. Let’s say there are 12 VHS videotapes from the late 80s and 90s. The customer wants these movies saved to a USB flash drive as MP4 files. Simple, right? Well, I can tell you that the chance of all those tapes running well enough to transfer is about 20%. They are all old and past their intended life span. The problems we will most likely encounter are sticky shed syndrome, some kind of necessary repair to either the cassette to the tape itself, or mold removal. These are now very common problems that efficient, high volume companies simply don’t have time to deal with. All the primary frustrations listed below are a result of trying to rush a process that by its nature, takes time.

The Biggest Complaints

1. Quality Concerns

Most of my competitors would simply run those 12 tapes and live with the results. In fact, in the case of the mold or required repair, they would hand them back to the customer and simply say they cannot run them. When entrusting precious memories to a service, people expect a high-quality transfer that accurately captures the original footage. Unfortunately, many customers report receiving poorly transferred videos with noticeable degradation in image and sound quality. This leaves customers feeling disappointed with the final product. 

Our customer’s never feel that way. Just read our reviews and you’ll find no quality concerns. In the rare case where we can’t achieve the desired results, we’ll will have a conversation with the client explaining the issue we encountered, what we tried to solve it, and why we weren’t successful. It can be a hard conversation, but I find honesty goes a long way.

2. Customer Service Issues

Customer service plays a pivotal role in shaping a company’s reputation. Unfortunately, many video transfer services are criticized for their lack of responsiveness and inadequate support. Customers report difficulty reaching representatives, unhelpful responses, or feeling unheard during the process. This poor customer service experience can contribute significantly to negative reviews, as consumers look for businesses that value their needs and concerns.

When you call Stilson Video, you can talk to the owner. No matter how much we grow, I intend to remain available and ultimately responsible for customer satisfaction. Again, our reviews confirm our commitment to customer service.

3. Hidden Fees and Pricing Confusion

Video transfer services can be fraught with hidden fees, leading to confusion and dissatisfaction among customers. Many individuals expect straightforward pricing but find that the final bill includes additional charges for options such as additional copies, or the inclusion of extra features like editing or restoration. This lack of transparency can leave customers feeling misled and frustrated.

We Never run phony, confusing sales. Our pricing is easy to understand and a free estimate is available for any order, no matter how small.

4. Loss or Damage of Original Media

Lastly, one of the gravest concerns customers have is the potential for loss or damage to their original media. Handing over personal and sometimes irreplaceable memories to a third party requires trust, and many people are understandably anxious about what happens to their films or tapes. Reports of lost tapes, damaged originals, or failures to transfer specific footage can significantly erode that trust.

We always encourage our clients to bring there items to us. If they must ship, we suggest UPS and FedEx with well-packed boxes. All of the work is done in our studio and never outsourced. Therefore, we control all the tracking and handling of your precious items while they are in our care.

The Bottom Line

While most of my competitors duke it out on price and and seek a high volume of transfers over all else, Stilson Video is quite content to take the opposite approach. We do what’s necessary to get the best outcome possible. That might cost a little more but our clients understand and appreciate our efforts. Price shoppers need not call, there are plenty of “sales” they can chase elsewhere. Meanwhile our focus is on getting the most quality possible out of those 12 VHS tapes, no matter what it takes.