This is topic USL, Inc. Rocks!! (And give a shout out to other great companies!) in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 09-02-2010, 01:45 PM:
 
I have to give a big shout out to Clint Koch and the gang at Ultra Stereo Labs!!

They puled my fat out of the fire yesterday with their usual excellent products and support, and even stayed late to allow my client to pick up a vitally needed crossover/monitor.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Jack Cashin, Clint and the gang for many years and they have always been helpful and a pleasure to work with!!

Anyone else with great support stories to share add them here, let's see if this thread can pass the "Deadbeats" thread in post count!!
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-02-2010, 02:05 PM:
 
Another kudo for USL here.

I don't remember the model numbers involved, but we had a USL processor when we installed our original DTS unit. When we upgraded to the DTS XD-10, our tech (John Eickhof) had been told by USL that the processor would be compatible with it... but for some reason the XD-10 would not "play nice" with the USL no matter what he tried.

I was expecting an eventual sales pitch for a new processor, or at the very least a "band aid" solution, so imagine my surprise when USL swapped in a whole new processor at no charge!
 

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Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 09-02-2010, 02:28 PM:
 
I too would like to add to the whole USL group a bravo. All queries are dealt with immediately and a solution for any application is available. My two sends the PCA unit I purchased was showing strange readings. USL replaced the unit without second thought and offered outstanding phone support. A bravo to them and this is how all companies should be .
Demetris
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-02-2010, 02:32 PM:
 
I 100% agree. Clint and USL rock! You don't see support like that from companies very often. They set a standard by which all others should be judged. They helped us out really well on a DSTR-20 Dolby Digital reader whose damage was not the fault of the manufacturer.
 

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Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 09-02-2010, 03:06 PM:
 
I'd like to throw my Kudos in to Clint and USL as well. I worked with a Theater in Corpus Christi Texas that insatlled one of the first DSP60 units back in May to June of 1999. I believe we had unit #18. We had a few issues with it and Clint made himself availble for call to help us resolve our issues. The whole crew at Ultra Stereo gave top notch customer support to us.
 

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Posted by Clint Koch (Member # 1179) on 09-02-2010, 06:48 PM:
 
Jack & Felicia Cashin, the owners of USL, Inc., wish to express their thanks for all the kind comments in this thread. At USL, customer service has always been a high priority. Thanks again.
Clint
 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 09-02-2010, 09:43 PM:
 
Never a bad experience here either with USL. They also have a nice sense of humor and pleasantness about them.
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-03-2010, 01:02 AM:
 

quote: Clint Koch

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At USL, customer service has always been a high priority.

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Just about EVERY company claims this. USL is one of the very few where the claim is very true! It's not just good customer service, it's AMAZING customer service.
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 09-03-2010, 04:17 AM:
 
Who's Clint? Just kidding buddy. I've hung out with Clint while working the trade shows, then hung out in the bars with him after the shows closed . by the way Clint, I'm down to my last USL t-shirt, it's purple and worn out and I don't wear it in public (hint).

The other people that I know from the Bay Area that deserve respect are Clyde McKinney, Sam Chevez, and Lonnie Jennings.

By the way, if anyone has Lonnies cell #, please ask him to e-mail it to me. We used to talk every weekend about personal problems and I lost my cell phone that had his number on it.

Peavey went out of their way for me. I pre-paid about $4500, got my order, then they sent me an e-mail and a check for $100 to refund the shipping. There was nothing wrong with the shipment, other than I didn't tip the delivery guy because he just left the boxes sitting outside!

I just re-read my post. It was TechSpa out of Fl that sent me the check. I'm not a Peavey dealer, so I had to go through someone else, which brings up another shoutout, Joe Kurta. Peavey has also always been friendly, I've met Hartley and Joe Peavey and some of the workers in their 23 plants in Meridian.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-03-2010, 06:09 AM:
 
Ditto, USL takes extremely good care of their customers. Never a bad experience and likewise, have been given the tech's personal cell phone numbers and direct after-hours support when the call came in during the evening. Support like that is extremely hard to find these days.

Continuing the thread, another company that is excellent to work with is Bay Area Cinema Products.
 

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Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 09-03-2010, 08:33 AM:
 
Sam Chavez and his team have always been upfront in service and answers. A to Sam Chavez as well and BACP. They make probably the best damn readers in the market.
Demetris
 

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Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 09-03-2010, 09:19 AM:
 
Certainly everyone mentioned above is as good as it gets!

Other companies (nameless) are not very good on a corporate level. However, within any organization, there is a small group that is as good as Clint & the gang. Avoid the rest of the employees in these other companies. Some of these people eventually quit in disgust. Louis
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-03-2010, 10:11 AM:
 

quote: Demetris Thoupis

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[BACP makes] probably the best damn readers in the market.

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They definitely do!
 

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Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 09-03-2010, 12:29 PM:
 
Absolutely a big shout out to Sam at BACP as well.. yes the readers (analog and digital) are excellent as is his product support..and he is a true gentleman and great to do business with.

Now if my UC Irvine pics ever get put up in the warehouse, you'll see my solution to mounting a DSTR-20 on Kinotons.

A cool thing about the BACP reader is that it is easy to add a switch to the LED to turn it off when idle. (My CP-650 stays powered up 24/7 and we only run 1-2 shows a week.)

quote: Louis Bornwasser

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Other companies (nameless) are not very good on a corporate level. However, within any organization, there is a small group that is as good as Clint & the gang. Avoid the rest of the employees in these other companies. Some of these people eventually quit in disgust. Louis

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While I agree with that, it is the overall support of the entire company that matters. IMHO you should not have to go to only a select person within a company to get good product support, which is necessary with too many companies. I won't mention any companies here but anyone who reads my posts know who is "in my doghouse" when it comes to customer service.

A good company has an outstanding customer support philosophy no matter who you talk to..like USL and BACP!
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-03-2010, 03:03 PM:
 
USL BACP and QSC all have great customer support
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-03-2010, 04:10 PM:
 
Ah yes...QSC. Not only great support, but fantastic products too.
 

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Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 09-03-2010, 04:31 PM:
 
I'll add my name to this list of pro-USL people. We've been using a fair bit of USL kit of late and I've been very impressed with it, and with the help and support I've had from Clint & team.

The USL mug you guys gave me holds a decent amount of coffee too

I've used a bit of BACP gear, and been more than happy with it's performance and the price.

Kinoton are another company high on my list, good products, good support and a training course in Munich during October is a fine way to pass some time
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-03-2010, 07:17 PM:
 
I swear there used to be a bunch of behind-the-scenes videos on the USL website. I remember watching them some time ago. It showed the inside of their offices, warehouse and stuff of that nature. Clint was in much of it, I believe.
 

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Posted by Clint Koch (Member # 1179) on 09-03-2010, 07:55 PM:
 
Joe, it is still there on our web-site. Can't believe I just pointed that out. Goofiest thing I have ever done...well maybe not! It is old and needs to be updated.
USL, Inc. does in fact manufacture the DSTR and RSTR for BACP. We have a very close working relationship with BACP and Sam. Goes back many years.
 

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Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 09-04-2010, 03:24 AM:
 
Clint you are just saying that to show how old Sam is
Demetris
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-04-2010, 03:46 AM:
 

quote: Clint Koch

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Joe, it is still there on our web-site. Can't believe I just pointed that out. Goofiest thing I have ever done...well maybe not! It is old and needs to be updated.

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Ok I'll be the one to bite...where? Give us a link!
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-04-2010, 04:10 AM:
 
http://uslinc.com/usl_movie1.html

Subsequent parts are linked below. Quicktime required, I think.

And don't worry Clint, you come off a lot less silly than Tomlinson Holman does on my THX WOW LaserDisc. I do corporate stuff like that all the time, though I at least don't squish the aspect ratio. Too bad USL isn't in Colorado otherwise I'd make a new one for you.
 

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Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 09-05-2010, 12:27 PM:
 
Really a presentation Clint!! Still looking forward to the DES unit which is yet to come!
Demetris
 

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Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 09-05-2010, 01:01 PM:
 
I second that, great job Clint!! And when is the DES unit coming out?

I have to add QSC to the list (thanks Gordon and Brad) as they are also very easy to deal with and offer excellent product support. They repaired and returned shipped a USA 900 amp that had died at UC Irvine at no charge..even though it was two years PAST warranty!!

Sam H. who pops in here every now and then is also a great guy who has been helpful...BTW Sam did they update the firmware for the DCM's to fix the little load fault issue? (At low levels the load fault light can come on even though everything is ok.)
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 09-05-2010, 10:46 PM:
 
I recently ordered 20 rolls of Neumade splicing tape from ACE, and I was charged $15 for shipping. Anyone know of a good company to order booth supplies from that doesn't gouge on shipping?
 

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Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 09-05-2010, 11:10 PM:
 
Ummm Mike, this is not the thread for that...try to keep this positive please.

Anyone who can answer Mike's question please do so by PM to keep this thread on track.
 

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Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 09-06-2010, 10:47 PM:
 
Very much appreciated to get a call from Edge/Atlab on Saturday after the earthquake to make sure we were OK and to enquire if all the booth survived.
 

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Posted by Clint Koch (Member # 1179) on 09-07-2010, 09:01 PM:
 
Thanks guys for the positive feedback on the USL movie.
Joe, If we were in Colorado I would take you up on the offer.
Demetris, Sam will be the first to admit how old he is. He's been around since the beginning of...Oh never mind.
Seriously, thank you all for the positive feedback. Shared this with the workers in the trenches at USL and it does wonders for moral when they hear this stuff!
David, even though I really only deal with Glen and Ray Bullen down your way, who I checked in on when I heard the news of the quake and they are okay, I am glad to hear you are also okay.
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 09-08-2010, 11:17 AM:
 
A few other people that I've worked with that deserve respect are Sean James, Al Biers and Fred Walwraven. All great techs
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 09-08-2010, 01:27 PM:
 
Ooops, Fred Walraven
 

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Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 09-08-2010, 03:02 PM:
 
Mike Heenan, we've bought from Hadden and Cardinal and been charged reasonable (low) shipping.
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-08-2010, 04:48 PM:
 
Sean James is awesome! I met him at a local AMC 24 when it opened and somehow managed to finagle myself into its booth for a look-see. There I encountered Sean as a Christie tech making sure the place got off of the ground OK. I started talking to him about the issues I was having with my Christie equipment back at my new place. A day or two later, Sean wandered in and started fixing things! That really impressed me. He can probably bench 2 or 3 times his body weight. He also put me in touch with Bevan Wright who introduced me to Pennywise in order to fix all of our CA21 problems (and believe me, there were TONS of issues with those things). This led to a good relationship of designing new firmware and getting rid of old flaws, thus making the CA21 the best automation ever.
 

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 09-08-2010, 05:45 PM:
 
If we're extending this to the service industry, I will add my thanks to pretty much every cinema technician I have met. Cinema work is a hobby for me, and I don't run into these people as often as I would like. Still, I am happy to say that there are some very good people in that end of the business.

Specifically, I have had positive experiences with the people at Strong Technical Service (previously NCS), Boston Light & Sound, Cinema Technology Services, ASC Service (now gone), Cardinal Sound, and Eastern Cinema Service. Each of these organizations has different strengths, but they all do good work and have been helpful to me and to many others.
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 09-08-2010, 10:53 PM:
 
A couple other companies that deserve a shout out are Franklin Designs and MDI. I've known Bobby and Pam Franklin for about 10 years, they are probably the nicest people I've met. Bobby and his crew always get their front ends finished on or ahead of schedule, making my installs easier. Same can be said about MDI. Marcel and Francois would come to sites and oversee and help with the installs. Both great companies to work with, although I hope Strong hasn't screwed up MDI since they acquired them.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-09-2010, 12:26 PM:
 
Greystone Seating. When we bought our seats through Claco, we were a very small order for them (about 150 seats), yet Greystone handled a couple of warranty issues expediently and cheerfully.
 

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Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 09-09-2010, 01:25 PM:
 
Clint, thank you again for sharing this with the "guys in the trenches" as it is another example of what makes USL so great. Unlike way too many companies who lead by negative reinforcement and criticism, USL has always been a positive-attitude company, which is why they are still around and doing well despite the crappy economy.

To everyone else, by all means feel free to include service companies, technicians and others in this industry who are doing a great job with a positive attitude!!

Like I said in my opening post, I would LOVE to see this thread pass the "Deadbeats In the Industry" in post count!! (only 168 more posts to go....)
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 09-09-2010, 02:36 PM:
 
O.K. I've just been watching and waiting, nobody on this forum has mentioned Film-Tech/Brad Miller. Without this site I wouldn't know two thirds of you guys. Gordan (another shout out) gave me a link that got me my first job in large format. Thanks buddy Canadian beer!
 

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Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 09-09-2010, 03:01 PM:
 
Richard, excellent point.. if not for Brad and F-T of course this thread wouldn't even be possible.

Brad's contributions to the industry, in the forms of his experience, this forum, and products like Film Guard have made this industry better in so many ways.

I have yet to meet Brad in person, but look forward to it so I can extend thanks (and buy him some drinks) for all he's done for all of us.

And like Richard, I have had contact with some great people here as well.

Come to think of it, another shout out can go to everyone here, we all rock!!
 

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Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 05-02-2011, 11:06 PM:
 
Ok, time to bump this up and give a shout out to another company we have been talking about here of late...Datasat Digital Entertainment.

After a PM exchange where I mentioned that the DTS-6D that was generously donated to UC Irvine way back in 2000 had developed a bad drive issue, Datasat stepped up to the plate in a big way....they donated an XD-10 to fix the problem!! Wow.

Many thanks to Mike B. Smith for setting up this generous donation to my facility at UC Irvine. I will send in an updated pic for the warehouse after I get it installed.

Keep the positive stories coming folks...like I said before, I'd love to see this thread surpass the Deadbeats thread someday.

 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 05-03-2011, 06:57 AM:
 
Yep, Datasat and the "Mikes" are definitely great people to work with and be associated with. Even their sales people, like Dusty is great.
 

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-03-2011, 08:12 AM:
 
USL, GDC, BACP, QSC, Kelmar are all companies that set the standard by which you compare other companies to! I don't know of any other companies that offer customer service this top notch...

Mark
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-03-2011, 01:49 PM:
 

quote: Tony Bandiera Jr

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I have yet to meet Brad in person, but look forward to it so I can extend thanks (and buy him some drinks) for all he's done for all of us.

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