Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be part of the team behind-the-scenes at Canon? Andry Tan is not only a Canon Professional Services (CPS) personnel but also an avid photographer. What is it like to turn your passion into a career? We chat with Andry to find out.

Andry at the 15th Asian Games to provide technical support

Hi Andry! You are a Canon Professional Services service engineer, but we know that you’re an avid photographer as well. What genre do you enjoy taking the most?

I’m just a hobbyist, but I love to shoot photos of my kids and food. I love trying out new innovation and technology behind the latest Canon cameras because it’s interesting to see how I can apply the new features to my photography.

EOS 600D | 1/125s | f/2.8 | ISO 400

What camera are you using right now, and why have you chosen that model?

Presently I am using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II. It is a full-frame DSLR and the first Canon camera with video recording capabilities.

EOS 5D Mark II | 13s | f/9 | ISO 100

What’s one thing about Canon cameras that you love?

Canon cameras have the best body design for a DSLR.  Changing the camera settings is intuitive and easy while holding the camera. And with the largest range of EF lenses, I am spoilt for choice.

EOS 5D Mark II | 15s | f/22 | ISO 50

As both a photographer and part of the technician team, what do you look for the most in a camera brand?

Good and efficient after-sales support is what I look for when I purchase photography equipment. Electronic products consist of many components, and those might fail us at any time.

EOS 5D Mark II | 20s | f/4.5 | ISO 50

How has your own photography journey taught you to help excel in your role as a Canon service engineer?

As a photographer, I can personally understand the needs and problems encountered by photographers. This knowledge helps me communicate and advise my customers more effectively.

Andry and his colleagues at the CPS booth at 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

How has your user experience helped you with anticipating the needs and providing intuitive service to other users?

I need to shoot with a camera before I can understand the 5 “W” and 1 “H” of Canon users:

• What are some of the user requirements?
• Where would issues most likely occur?
• Why do these issues occur?
• When will the issues occur?
• Who will encounter these issues?
• How can I help them?

Tell us a little about your day at work.

As a service engineer, I have to check and repair all incoming equipment in a timely manner every day. I also have to set up and maintain the adjustment tools and their working conditions. We sometimes conduct on-site service clinics for the media, schools like ITEs, and at some special events like the F1 night races. Occasionally, I am also assigned to overseas CPS event support such as the SEA Games, Asian Games and World Cup.

EOS-1D Mark II N | 1/250s | f/5.6 |ISO 1250

How important do you think providing service excellence is to the users of Canon? Do you think it has helped cultivate loyalty?

Most of my customers are professional photographers or cameramen, and they know that their needs and equipment are well-taken care of by our service team. Our service support has given them the confidence to use our products.

EOS-1D Mark II N | 1/640s | f/2.8 | ISO 1000

As a user, what does it mean for you to receive reliable service support? How have you ensured that is the case when you’re at work?

As a user, I would want my equipment to be serviced quickly and efficiently by a reliable engineer.

At Canon, we manage to achieve an average of 95% for a 3-day repair turnaround when parts are available and a very low rework rate of 0.2%.

Andry at work at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

Are there any stories you can share of the above that have encouraged you to maintain these standards?

During an overseas trip, I was so disappointed with myself when I realised I brought a dead camera with me. It could have cost me a lifetime’s opportunity to capture a moment. This prompted me to not disappoint any of our customers the same way with our service or repair.

Could you share with us the most memorable moment in your career as a Canon service engineer?

I have photographers who remained loyal Canon customers throughout the years, because of the service support we have provided. This is the best compliment.

IXUS 860 IS | 1/125s |  f/2.8 |  | ISO 400

Your work has even taken you to provide onsite CPS support at major sporting events like the World Cup and Asian Games. What were the experiences like?

Representing Canon as a CPS support team at international events is an awesome experience.

I had the chance to work with the big Canon families from different regions, and we got to share, exchange and learn service knowledge from one another.

EOS 5D Mark III | 1/80s | f/4 | ISO 1250

What are some of the differences or challenges that you face at such events, and how do you overcome them?

Communication is one of the barriers we face during events. But accompanied by CPS support staff from different parts of the world, we are able to form a team with multiple spoken languages. We’ve also used mobile translating apps to assist us.

EOS-1Ds Mark III | 1/20s |  f/4 | ISO 1000

What are some of the future steps Canon has towards reinforcing this service excellence that you are excited about and can share with us?

Presently we have prepared a series of training for our engineers, which will equip them with detailed technical and photography knowledge. With our extensive product range, it actually takes three to four years to develop a service engineer into a CPS Technical Representative. So hopefully with the training, we will have three or more CPS Technical Representatives joining our CPS team soon.

EOS 5D Mark II | 4s | f/4 | ISO 400

Andry spoke so much about his clients, and one of them happens to be the incomparable rock and roll photographer Eddie Sung, who is known for his one-shot-one-kill approach. Watch how Andry finds out more about Eddie’s requirements in this lively interview!

For more information about our Canon Professional Services (CPS), click here.

First published: Canon EOS World