New Outlet

sheritex

CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
Joined
Jul 23, 2003
Posts
138
Loc
tyler, texas
Here's the situation:
I work for a national photography company...we are moving into a huge building. I talked to my big boss today about having corner samples on display to offer our customers framing for the portraits. Understand this...these portraits will be of high school seniors. 8 x 10 as smallest up to 16 x 20 and possibly larger. A lot of the time, I will not be in the office...except during the summer when I have a lay off..and of course summer is the busy...busy time. None of the sales consultants know anything about framing and they will not be expected to take care of the customer for framing. I am considering pricing out each sample in a range from as simple as the moulding, spacers, and glazing .... to mat (single & double), moulding, and glazing. I will need to have a form available to them for me to contact and follow thru on a job. My boss wants me to do this....he sees it as great customer service..I do too....but also hopefully, making money and generating more work. I am putting together a good assortment of moulding samples for portaiture. What am I missing and what would you do? I await for your input and thank you.
Sherry
 
IF your company turns out a pretty decent product, be prepared for folks bringing in all sorts of other projects to be framed... and before you know it, you're in the business! Don't price too low...
 
My son is a photographer and we are going to be working in the same building also in about a month. I was facing a similar problem already being in the framing business and having a seperate building for this with my wife running the shop when I was out. The answer for me was POS software. I am personally using Lifesaver and it was the problem solver in my situation. Mainly because I can already have all my prices for everything in the program where my wife or son can give the customer a quote by just entering a few simple entries. You can even buy software for using barcodes where they only have to scan the mat or frame or whatever and the price will come up automaticly. The only problem is it can be a bit costly for the initial investment of the software, but after you use it, you will wonder how you ever got along without it. There are many companies selling POS software and the best thing to do is see if they have a demo you can download to try and see if it will work for you, plus always call the company and talk to them directly first. I do know where your coming from on your situation. It can be frustrating trying to have everything set up where others can help out. Hope this helps.

Rock
 
Sherry, perhaps I'm reading your post wrong, but it appears that no one will be with the frames, and you will have pricing sheets with possible combinations, right? If this is the case, then a POS is not going to help at the "selling site." It will work great for your pricing, etc, but not the selling.

I don't want to "rain on your parade" but I see some drawbacks to this operation.

In my experience with high school seniors, they couldn't care less about framing. Most likely, they will come in with their friends and not parents, who would be the one's ordering framing. If they do happen to be there with their parents, they will be in a hurry to get out, and will only be thinking of what they've paid for photos, and the cost of framing will just overwhelm them at this point.

Perhaps another way to tackle this would be to take the money you would have spent on creating the display and create some good flyers with color pictures of framed examples and prices and include this with each order picked up, and mail another copy to them about 2 weeks after they pick them up (in case the first one gets lost, which it will.)

If you want, you might even do followup phone calls to "make sure you're happy and do you need framing for Grandma, Grandpa, and all the in-laws?"

If you do go ahead with the display, instead of moulding corners with pricing combinations, perhaps you might have 6-8 framed samples to choose from. Remember, most folks can't visualize a corner sample as a "real" frame.

I debated yesterday over whether to reply to this or not, but it raises some "red flags" for me, in terms of costs vs effectiveness. I just don't see people picking out framing on their own, with no one to "encourage" them that they really do need "good" framing, and not to stop at (wherever) on the way home and pick up one...

Betty
 
Sherry -
KISS - (keep It Simple Stupid !)
When we did Seniors, we included frames in the package (for the larger portraits - 11x14 - 16x20 - 20x24) We limited the selection to no more than four choices and all were in the same ballpark, price-wise. We advertised it as a "free" frame to eliminate the request of "how much is the package w/o the frame?" Everything (including photos of the frames) were included on our price lists, so the parent's could easily see what they looked like. Most of our contracted school photography was done thru the mail so EVERYTHING had to spelled out. Today, I would recommend an interactive web-site for showing of pre-views and selection of frames along w/ ordering options.
 
Mike and Betty have good ideas also. My son has a price package for all his senior pics and other high school pictures with simple frames included and prices without them also. It keeps it simple for the kids and if that is all your after, that will work great for you. If you can talk someone who works there to help you some with sales, then both ways, POS and packages to go along with it will work great for you. It's all a cost thing and what you can afford to do. My son does more school pictures than anything and he has been very successful(and profitable)in doing it. In our case, we are looking for other work also, so the POS works for us, but maybe not cost effective for you if the school pics are going to be your main item. Good luck to you.


Rock
 
Ellen, Rock, Betty,and Mike.....All of your input is really great and I do appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule to reply with some real thought to my question. One thing that is going to help me a lot is that appointments have to be made for the seniors and their parents to look over the proofs and make their order. But a recurring item is to keep it simple with the choices and my supplier had already talked to me about this......between him and my sister and from what ya'll have said...I think I am on the right track with that. After talking to our Senior manager...it looks like I will be able to be available most of the time that is peak periods for the buying process. Thank goodness for summer layoffs. I do have hopes that this will lead to framing of other items at a later time for some of these people..... We photograph over 5000 seniors each season in the studio.....at least, hopefully it will get my name and my service out to some folks....and again thanks for your suggestions and your warnings
Sherry
 
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