----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Scott" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: April 4, 2001 7:50 AM
Subject: bad processing
> Why are photo labs so determined to make their customers go
digital (filmless)?
>
> What saint/temple deity/nature spirit do I need to make an
offering to? Is
> there a secret handshake I need to learn? A codeword?
We do it too piss you, the photographer, off. We do it because
we are heartless assholes who can get away with with ruining
your life. We enjoy making people suffer.
Work in the lab business for a while and you too will develop an
attitude that anything you can do to fix the photographer's
wagon is a good thing.
What? You don't think my explanation washes?
Well let me tell you, Mr Photographer from Texas, nothing gives
us greater pleasure than doing just enough damage to your film
to ruin both it and your day, then fall back on the claim stub
disclaimer, which basically says that you can take a flying f#%k
at the moon if you think you are going to recieve any sort of
compensation for our cruel and deliberate behaviour.
Boy, do I feel better now...
Actually, Dan, as an honourable and respected member of the
photofinishing profession, I would be interested to find out
just what went wrong in this instance. Most labs do take pride
in their work, but there are some issues within the industry
which, sadly, are not being addressed.
My major beef with my industry is the ongoing presumption that
photo lab work is more or less an entry level job that anyone
can do. This idea has for many years been propogated by the
machine suppliers (Noritsu actually had an advertisment in the
trade circulars that said, more or less, "Just plug it in and
let it print money for you").
I suspect from the tone of your post that you have come to a
different conclusion. Photofinishing is a pretty highly skilled
job to do right. Unfortunately, because of low ball pricing
within the industry by companies that see in house labs as a way
to keep you shopping for other junk for an hour, it has become a
rather unprofitable business to be in. This begets low wages,
which begets high staff turnover, poor morale and a sad lack of
training, which means that the level of expertise in the average
lab is at best, lower than is desirable, and at worst, totally
unacceptable.
William Robb
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