Doug Franklin wrote:
On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 23:01:37 -0400, Butch Black wrote:
No, you are not the only one who thinks it's sad. Unfortunately we
have been conditioned to seek low price over almost everything.
I'm perfectly happy to pay for something of value, tangible or not. I don't receive any additional value on the purchase of a camera body or lens from the local camera store. These days, I don't even receive anything of value from them on purchases of film and processing, but I used to. In the not so distant past, the same people did the processing for sometimes years at a time. I could build a relationship with them. They learned what I wanted, I learned what they wanted. We had a symbiotic relationship, and that was worth quite a bit of money to me. These days, I rarely see the same person twice doing the processing or behind the counter or anywhere else in the store. They know, in general, far less about all parts of the process than I do, including the processing ("I put it in the box, it comes out"). Most of them aren't even photographers, though a few are snap shooters.
Provide value. I'll pay for it. Don't provide value and I'll find the lowest price possible from someone else who doesn't provide value. Or I'll find someone that provides value and buy it from them at a markup. It's the intersection of the buyer's choice with the seller's choice.
TTYL, DougF KG4LMZ
The more I hear this the more I consider myself lucky. It may seem like a broken record, but I love my photo store.
They are extremely knowledgeable. Even as they change personnel I find that the new people eventually learn the 'ethics' of the place and provide service to the customer.
Even though I shoot less film - the demands of my 'jobs' - I even bring my digital printing requirements to them. It is still as in film, I drop off the image and they provide an excellent print. I could learn to post-process, but though I have the interest I do not have the time. Also I consider myself in the best position possible - I have a printer that I trust whole-heartedly.
Part of the 'family' at 'my' photo lab, - I even get invited to their 'Christmas' Party,
César Panama City, Florida
