If it's not a joyful, positive experience to visit your photo lab then maybe it's time to find another one. Consumers and professional photographers may have a few different requirements when it comes to choosing a photo lab but here are some that both should look for:
1. Reliability - Do you see the same people when you visit? Frequent turnover is not a positive sign in any business. If the company is not keeping their employees happy enough to stay should we assume they treat us, their customers any better?
2. Expertise -Will the folks that have their hands on your film (yes there are still a few left) take care not to scratch or lose your negatives? Do they pay attention and do they know how to recognize when a photo needs to be color corrected? Sometimes altering the contrast or adjusting density makes all the difference between an okay pic and a WOW affect.
3. Consistency -Are they consistent with each job and each roll? It can be frustrating if you continue to get entire rolls back that are great except for two or three photos that you have to wait on to be sent back. Are their prices the same between stores? I recently used a lab in Williamsburg for golf tournament pictures and was quoted one price by phone, charged a different amount in the store (lower than the quote), then at their Virgina Beach store was quoted a much higher price for the same job. This does not encourage repeat business.
4 Customer Value - Are they willing to do a little extra? Rush a job through (within reason), offer some technical advice to help you obtain better results? Are they willing to redo a job at no cost to you, if the mistakes were on their end? Value is almost always assumed but quite often not received.
5. Knowledge - It drives me bonkers to go into some of the larger electronic stores and try to get help with their camera and video equipment. Employees in these stores must receive so little training (again goes back to the high turnover issue) When I go into Richmond Camera, in any Hampton Roads city, they are able to describe, explain, and demonstrate the equipment that lives under their glass counters. And if a piece that I wish to see is not there but residing at another store, they have it sent in. That's the kind of service that should be in every store, large or small.
This might seem extremely basic but if the lab/store where you offer your loyalty and hard-earned bucks doesn't leave you with a positive feeling then look elsewhere. They're out there.
For those of you shooting digital, and I may end up there one day, most of the above still applies to you too. Whether experiencing the ever fascinating world of photography digitally, or prehistorically, you still want to deal with people who take good care of and appreciate your business, know their stuff, and produce high quality results!
Even though I live a third of my life as the TekQueen, for some things I still like to physically talk over a real counter and not a virtual one.
What do you look for in a photo lab or when buying photography equipment? Have other ideas, Please share!
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