Strong emphasis on satisfaction

Press, 20 November 1989, Page 21

Strong emphasis on satisfaction

“It would be safe to say that the people who actually like their current passport photos can be numbered in their tens,” says Greg Bramwell, owner and operator of Photo and Video International.

It may only be a small part of Photo, and Video International’s operation, but passport photos get the same attention as customers buying up-to-the-minute video equipment. “We are the only studio express agent in Merivale which offers a satisfaction guarantee on passport photos,” says Mr Bramwell. “In other words, we can take passport, visa or identification photos and keep taking them until you get a set you like.”

Personal attention to customer satisfaction is the prime reason that Photo and Video International is now celebrating its first birthday. Twelve months of success in his new store in Merivale Mall are directly related to Mr Bramwell’s philosophy of giving the customer , what he or she wants.

“As an owner-operator I have a vested interest in the success of Photo and Video International,” he says, “and repeat and referral business only comes from taking care of the customers.”

Mr Bramwell places a lot of emphasis on customers being able to deal with the same staff on each visit. “This is no chain-store operation with a high

staff turnover,” says Mr Bramwell. “There is no such thing as ‘the person dealing with that being out.’ You get the same high standard of service each time you come in.”

Mr Bramwell runs Photo and Video International with help from Scott Mosen, who originally joined Photo and Video International straight from high school to “help out for a few days.” He is still there. The past twelve months has seen Photo and Video International expand its operation and its stock.

“We’ve increased stock lines to include all aspects of photographies,” says Mr Bramwell, “with particular emphasis on Sony video cameras, top brand still photographic equipment, an enormous range of photo frames and cameras for children from under $20.” Photo processing at Photo and Video International is geared toward quality rather than speed. “We have got a 24-hour turnaround for processing, but also a one-week service for develop and print. Viko processes our customers’ films and offers all enlargement, copy and slide work."

A one-week turnaround on a 24 exposure film will set you back just $9.50.

The same service with 6x4 prints will cost only $2 more.

“We’re after a high quality product in our film work,” says Mr Bramwell, “and Viko has given consistently good service.”

The last few years have seen revolutionary new models in auto focus cameras. Models which Mr Bramwell has been quick to stock. “Many people want the ability to take better-than-average photos, but without all the technical fanfare that taking them can demand. That is where auto focus cameras really come into their own,” he says.

“The new Olympus AZ2OO camera with a radical ‘Red Eye’ reducer virtually eliminates the annoying ‘red eye syndrome’ from flash photos, while the introduction of Samsung to the range has meant we can offer a fullfeatured auto focus camera for under $200.”

The recent arrivals on the auto focus market from Nikon, Pentax and Minolta has meant prices are very competitive, and it is a great time to start looking for compact cameras.

Video camcorders have got to be one of the “must haves” and Photo and Video International has stocked its shelves accordingly. Sony has captured an even bigger share of the camcorder market throughout this year and the $2295 price tag on its F 335 camcorder has made it a very attractive proposition. For those who are a little awed by anything mechanical there is free instruction on all photographic and video equipment and the practical help stops only when you

are fully confident with your gear. Two markets which have really opened a lot of doors for Photo and Video International’s customers are the secondhand market, and the mail order market. In the second-hand line, Photo and Video .International has expanded its stock and has a wide range of top quality second-hand photographic gear available. “We are constantly buying good quality secondhand stock,” says Mr Bramwell, “and we even import second-hand items in the more exotic ranges and brands.”

For a long time people from out of town have had to pay what their local store demanded for photographic equipment and rely on what was sometimes very limited or dated stock. “It was this which made us gear up to provide a mail order service for everything from films to the latest photographic and video gear,” he says. “We have now got over 400 people listed with us, from Dargaville to Inver-

cargill, who receive the same service as if they were in the shop.” The comprehensive service and stock offered by Photo and Video International has been an integral part of the store’s success.

For Photo and Video International the year is tangible proof that its mix of service and wellchosen stock is right on target.