Restoration discounts at BB's

[JoanVa]

I offer Digital Custom but I've seen lately where drugstores are putting 50% off coupons in their ads for restoration work. How do we compete with that? I haven't had any work done at places like Walmart and these drugstore chains so I don't know if they offer a poorer quality restoration, which would help justify our prices, or is it similar quality and customers will choose them over us? My experience so far is that customers stop in for a quote and when I say it's $45 plus print prices to get out red eye or light restoration in general they say they'll think about it. Any input?

 

[Mike Labbe]

How do you deal with their "50% off framing" scheme?

Same thing....

In our market, they're usually about twice as much as everyone else, before the discount.

 

[JoanVa]

The discount at the drugstore brings their price down to $29.99 vs. $45 for light restoration. I'm not sure if it balances out somewhere else, like quality or other digital services.

 

[Bill Henry-]

What we’ve done is set up a display with our work versus that done by a “batch produced” lab (in our case a local Ritz Camera Place).

We took a very old family photo in severe need of restoration and took it to Ritz. It came back as you’d expect – slightly blurred, color off, and tears and scratches hardly addressed at all.

We then scanned the original and did our thing, printed it out on several different grades of paper and hung the original, the Ritz job, and ours in a display.

It’s easy for us to point to it so that potential customers can see the difference.

You won’t ever be able to compete with people who care only about price, but you might be able to convince some that quality is worth paying for.

 

[PaulSF]

I have a before and after display, using a family photo from 1919, with a restored copy framed up right next to it (with a double mat, v-groove, etc.). So people can see just how good the restored photo looks. That goes a long way towards blunting price resistance. If someone still wants to leave their precious, fragile photo with a checkout clerk at Walgreens to save a few dollars, so be it.

 

[DTWDSM]

Get your Pharmacy liscense and start selling Viagra at $1.00 over cost. That business will make up for the lost restoration business. Add a line of condoms and you will have an easy add-on sale.

 

[kgravelle]

Differences between DigitalCustom and "Drugstore" Restoration

Great posts. I agree that showing a beautifully framed restoration really helps to overcome any lingering price resistance. Here are some other ways to pitch the difference to your customers:

- Our restorations are custom tailored to your exact needs. We will remove odd objects in the background, or match the eye color to a mat color you reference in the store. Each restoration is looked over by 5 different points of quality control in the process, and given custom attention.

- Our restorations are quality giclee prints (quality inks -like paint- laid into quality papers), not photo prints. This means that the colors and tones are deeper and richer than photo prints.

- We can print your restored photos in any odd size you would like with no cropping - you can't do that with photo prints. We also print on a variety of thick textured art papers and canvases, so you have total flexibility in the output.

- We scan the photo at our shop, and are trained in creating a great scan - which heavily affects the final print in terms of clarity and matching true tones and color. We never mail your photo anywhere, so it stays safe with you.

- We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if you are unhappy with the results, you don't have to pay!

Many people are looking for quality which is the market you are trying to reach. If someone just wants a "quick and cheap" restoration, let them go elsewhere or offer them removal of just some of the damage for a lower price.

Karen

 

[Paul Cascio]

Somehow, bringing my family heirlooms to Happy Harry's Discount Drugs just doesn't seem appropriate.

 

[AWG]

...what Karen said.

Seriously, the biggest advantage you have is the ability to show off the finished work - we've framed many of DCs "after" samples alongside the "original" (see their website for samples if you don't have them).
Price is the last thing that seems to be an issue with restoration.

 

[rsee]

yeah, but

Somehow, bringing my family heirlooms to Happy Harry's Discount Drugs just doesn't seem appropriate.

Yeah, but with enough of the discount drugs....who cares??

RC