dmr
Registered Abuser
For those who remember the story, I had a friend who had Walgreens refuse to do develop-only/CD without prints. I wrote about that last September. I've had countless Walgreens do DO-CD over the past year or so and never had them refuse ...
... until this morning. Of all places, again, Las Vegas.
I had a few rolls I had shot this trip and I wanted to get them processed so, I went to one Walgreens where I've gone before and I know they've done a consistent job with DO-CD.
So I go over to the photo counter and eventually up walks Jenn (two n's) and she takes my phone number, punches it into the computer, totally butchers my last name, and goes on with the drill ...
Jenn: Next day or 1 hour?
Me: 1 hour, please.
Jenn: Single or double prints?
Me: No prints, develop only, with CD.
Jenn: We can't do that.
Me: I've had it done here several times.
Jenn: That's impossible, we can't do it.
Me: This very store, last October.
Jenn: There's no way we can do that.
Me: What you do is specify no prints, add a CD.
Jenn: We can't do that.
Me: {getting a little perturbed} Can't, or won't? I know your machine will do it.
Jenn: {stressful} It's company policy not to.
Me: Can we get the manager over here, please?
Jenn: {on phone, disgusted} Manager to photo for customer service.
Jenn avoided eye contact with me until the manager arrived. He was rather tall, dark complexion, dark hair, very friendly. Actually, she avoided eye contact with me after he arrived too. 🙂
Manager: Hi, can I help you?
Me: {holding up film} Yes, develop only, no prints, add a CD?
Manager: Sure.
Me: She said you don't do that.
Manager: Well, we don't do it very often, but we sure do it.
Manager steps to computer terminal motions to Jenn to observe.
Manager: Here's how you do it, you set zero sets of prints ...
Jenn: But Mr. {so and so} said not to do that.
Manager: Well, maybe over there you didn't but here we do.
Hmmmm ... {wheels turning} ... for those who remember the first part of this story, I wonder if she was transferred from one of those other stores.
Anyway, he gets out 3 yellow envelopes, tags them, starts to put the film in, hesitates, takes the film over to the Frontier, and says that he'll get these started right away and if I want to hang around a few minutes I won't have to come back.
He then asks me "Out of curiosity, why don't you want prints?"
I explain that it's really several reasons, one I'm out of town and I try to pack light and don't want to carry prints but mostly that I print very little of what I shoot and such.
He then asks "Are you a photographer?"
I say yes, but strictly amateur, and that kinda broke the ice and we had a nice chat about what I shoot, what he used to shoot "before he went digital", Walgreens, film, and the Frontier machines.
I told him the story of my co-worker having DO-CD refused at 2 stores and he said that he had heard of those incidents. He did not go into detail and I didn't press him for any. He did say to the effect of "We've talked about this in our meetings. We don't make as much as if we sold 2 sets of prints, but we do make money on it and it does bring customers into the store for other things."
I asked him about the Agfa/Walgreens $5 and change 8-packs and how long they will be around. He said that he doesn't know how much is in the pipeline but he knows there will be no more once the stock is gone.
They had lots of it, if I didn't have to take it back on a plane I would pick up a few more ...
He did say, and I quote "There are absolutely no plans I know of to discontinue selling film in the near future. As long as it sells, we will sell it." He said that film sales this holiday season have been good.
I asked about the amount of floor/shelf space they give to film, and he said that it varies, depending on what photo products they have on special and what other kinds of electronic specials that might cut the film space for a while. He said there was no grandiose plan to squeeze out film shelf space. He did qualify that by saying that if something, anything, does not sell over several months, they will reduce the stock level or even discontinue it.
He specifically pointed out something I didn't notice, a revolving display out in the middle of the floor of what he called "reloadables", cheap film cameras that were not to be disposed but could be reused. This display was in addition to the film behind the photo counter and up by the electronics.
One thing he did point out was that until recently they had film on a peg rack under the photo counter, and that it was a blind spot and kids were walking out with the single rolls, so this store and several others took that out.
Jenn never reappeared. I think she was staying out of my way. 🙂
... until this morning. Of all places, again, Las Vegas.
I had a few rolls I had shot this trip and I wanted to get them processed so, I went to one Walgreens where I've gone before and I know they've done a consistent job with DO-CD.
So I go over to the photo counter and eventually up walks Jenn (two n's) and she takes my phone number, punches it into the computer, totally butchers my last name, and goes on with the drill ...
Jenn: Next day or 1 hour?
Me: 1 hour, please.
Jenn: Single or double prints?
Me: No prints, develop only, with CD.
Jenn: We can't do that.
Me: I've had it done here several times.
Jenn: That's impossible, we can't do it.
Me: This very store, last October.
Jenn: There's no way we can do that.
Me: What you do is specify no prints, add a CD.
Jenn: We can't do that.
Me: {getting a little perturbed} Can't, or won't? I know your machine will do it.
Jenn: {stressful} It's company policy not to.
Me: Can we get the manager over here, please?
Jenn: {on phone, disgusted} Manager to photo for customer service.
Jenn avoided eye contact with me until the manager arrived. He was rather tall, dark complexion, dark hair, very friendly. Actually, she avoided eye contact with me after he arrived too. 🙂
Manager: Hi, can I help you?
Me: {holding up film} Yes, develop only, no prints, add a CD?
Manager: Sure.
Me: She said you don't do that.
Manager: Well, we don't do it very often, but we sure do it.
Manager steps to computer terminal motions to Jenn to observe.
Manager: Here's how you do it, you set zero sets of prints ...
Jenn: But Mr. {so and so} said not to do that.
Manager: Well, maybe over there you didn't but here we do.
Hmmmm ... {wheels turning} ... for those who remember the first part of this story, I wonder if she was transferred from one of those other stores.
Anyway, he gets out 3 yellow envelopes, tags them, starts to put the film in, hesitates, takes the film over to the Frontier, and says that he'll get these started right away and if I want to hang around a few minutes I won't have to come back.
He then asks me "Out of curiosity, why don't you want prints?"
I explain that it's really several reasons, one I'm out of town and I try to pack light and don't want to carry prints but mostly that I print very little of what I shoot and such.
He then asks "Are you a photographer?"
I say yes, but strictly amateur, and that kinda broke the ice and we had a nice chat about what I shoot, what he used to shoot "before he went digital", Walgreens, film, and the Frontier machines.
I told him the story of my co-worker having DO-CD refused at 2 stores and he said that he had heard of those incidents. He did not go into detail and I didn't press him for any. He did say to the effect of "We've talked about this in our meetings. We don't make as much as if we sold 2 sets of prints, but we do make money on it and it does bring customers into the store for other things."
I asked him about the Agfa/Walgreens $5 and change 8-packs and how long they will be around. He said that he doesn't know how much is in the pipeline but he knows there will be no more once the stock is gone.
They had lots of it, if I didn't have to take it back on a plane I would pick up a few more ...
He did say, and I quote "There are absolutely no plans I know of to discontinue selling film in the near future. As long as it sells, we will sell it." He said that film sales this holiday season have been good.
I asked about the amount of floor/shelf space they give to film, and he said that it varies, depending on what photo products they have on special and what other kinds of electronic specials that might cut the film space for a while. He said there was no grandiose plan to squeeze out film shelf space. He did qualify that by saying that if something, anything, does not sell over several months, they will reduce the stock level or even discontinue it.
He specifically pointed out something I didn't notice, a revolving display out in the middle of the floor of what he called "reloadables", cheap film cameras that were not to be disposed but could be reused. This display was in addition to the film behind the photo counter and up by the electronics.
One thing he did point out was that until recently they had film on a peg rack under the photo counter, and that it was a blind spot and kids were walking out with the single rolls, so this store and several others took that out.
Jenn never reappeared. I think she was staying out of my way. 🙂
