What ever happened to service??

I went to get prints for a wedding album today, all cropped and ready to go on a CD in seperate folders for different sizes. How nice of me to make their job so easy, I thought.

Well, I went to the nicest, largest lab I know of in my area and I hand them the CD and say print please. I get told to use the kiosk. That they can't do it for me. I tell them they are wedding photos for an album, that I am a professional photographer and that I don't like the idea of a kiosk. Other pros do it I am told. right!

by this point I am shocked, so they send me over and lo and behold you need an ID to log in, back to the register I go- to make sure I get a different person this time. Well I told him that I don't like the Idea of this kiosk for pro photos, and I finally convinced him to do it for me, but he wanted to show me how easy it was to print as the kiosk so off I went to learn.

He couldn't do it. wrong sizes, couldn't see all the folders. Really nice guy and helpful but why should I spend 20minutes sitting at another computer screen sorting and printing my photos?

In the end we agreed on a new system for me in the future,

What ever happened to service? I mean am I expecting too much? My idea of a lab is you go there give them your CD and pick it up later. No worries. Pro or mum, should be the same!

Thank you for letting me vent, I just wanted to drop my pics off and it must have taken 30min

Hi Daniel,

When labour cost was low, and material goods were expensive, then service was cheap to provide. Now, material goods are cheap, and labour costs are relatively high, so service goes.

In line with this, the ethos of most companies has changed. The customer is virtually unimportant. It is the shareholders that matter. The hope is that the company will be profitable, and bought out by another company, either as an asset, or just to be closed down.

Everything these days is 'wrong'.

Of course, you could probably make a business of some sort by providing a 'service' to other folk....

Best wishes,

Ray

Of course, you could probably make a business of some sort by providing a 'service' to other folk....

You could make a business by providing service. I've been in business for 17 years providing services that I charge more for than my competition (not photography) - But you will always have price shoppers too. Sometimes, people will pay for my service and expertise up to the point that the discount people can take over (and make a mess of).

How many times have you gone somewhere to look at something photographic and then priced it but shopped elsewhere based on price alone?

Look at the wedding market. Some shooters charge $500 and some charge $5000 and some even $15,000 for a day's work. What makes it much different? Who pays the difference? It's all perception, yes?

Hi Kathy,

How many times have you gone somewhere to look at something photographic and then priced it but shopped elsewhere based on price alone?

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I don't think I have ever done that. Money isn't everything. In most purchases, I've talked to the sales person, who sometimes gets the manager, and they often adjust the price to an acceptable level. I will pay extra because - a) I can walk out with the goods b) I know the one I'm buying is OK (as far as I can tell) c) if the salesman is helpful, then his time has to be paid for. d) if there is a problem with the item later on, I can usually easily get them to sort it - I know where they live.

I will look at internet sites to gather information, compare prices - carefully - but usually then I will pay extra to deal with web folk I know. There is no point in expecting a brick and mortar place to price match box shifting web sites.

But, I think the UK business ethics, and legal requirements are different than in the USA. Many folk I know, will buy the cheapest, some will drive 20 miles to get petrol at a penny a gallon cheaper.

Life is too short to worry about much of the stuff that folk get bothered with...

(I'm a bit skint at the moment - anyone lend me a fiver ;-)

Best wishes,

Ray

Loyalty

The other factor is loyalty. If you get that good service, does that encourage loyalty to the service provider? I am seeing less of that.

I buy things usually based on service. I think it's unfair to take up someone's time and not pay for it by going elsewhere. You are paying for the experience and knowledge. Sometimes it fails but not often. Most times too I believe in buying the best you can afford at the moment because you will derive satisfaction from what you buy.

Daniel Harrison said:

I went to get prints for a wedding album today, all cropped and ready to go on a CD in seperate folders for different sizes. How nice of me to make their job so easy, I thought.

----

Other pros do it I am told. right!

---- to show me how easy it was to print as the kiosk so off I went to learn.

He couldn't do it. wrong sizes, couldn't see all the folders. Really nice guy and helpful but why should I spend 20minutes sitting at another computer screen sorting and printing my photos?

------


What ever happened to service? I mean am I expecting too much? My idea of a lab is you go there give them your CD and pick it up later. No worries. Pro or mum, should be the same!

Thank you for letting me vent, I just wanted to drop my pics off and it must have taken 30min

Click to expand...

Hi Daniel:- I found a lab in my area that lets me use FTP to send in my files. I can send in 100mb each upload. There have been times that I've sent in 300mb in an evening. I process them and add the labs profiles for their printers. When I go to pick them up the staff are friendly and usually hand me my prints without asking and the prints are very good and really consistent. Great service and 3 bucks cheaper per 8X10 than the other lab in town.

Right now service is where you find it. I tried five or six labs before deciding on the one I use now. Some in town some in the major center thinking I would get better service.
Your best bet is to take some sample orders to the various labs and try them all.

Cheers
Chris

thanks Chris,
there is some good advice in there!

Customer service these days leaves me speechless! Not condoning bad service in the slightest but I do agree that there is less focus on the customer and less loyalty from customers towards physical stores what with the plethora of retail stores to be found on the net.