Converting to dry lab

My store is one of the stores that will be converting to a dry lab due to low volume in the photo department. Can anyone tell me what to expect? How does sending out 35mm work? What are likes/dislikes about the dry machines? We currently have a Fuji lab.

Thanks for any info.

We got the dry and it means that photo person is going bye bye. Or they will be expected to do more and more. Dry lab is very simple. No mess.

It is very simple as long as you change/empty the cutter bins when they are full. if not you will be regularly replacing the cutter mechanism. We use to send out emergency film to a secondary store.

Best thing about a dry lab, people under 18 can work in there. Worse thing, send out film service. I recommend dropping rolls off at a buddy store to be done. We have an Interstore system worked out so both stores make money off of it and customers don't mind waiting a day for the service which is better than a week with sendout, plus they get their negatives back this way as well.

There is a expense wic for inter stores of photo services. Most just use the ink jet one.

Wonder how long before dry lab is implemented chain wide!?!?!!?

I've said within the next 3 to 5 years you won't be able to even buy 35mm film..........

We recently changed over and the machines are very fast. We had issues with CDs not printing but on dtr second attempt it seems to be working well.
Biggest issue with the send out service is customers do not get their negatives back....not good reception to this policy

I think someone posted weeks ago on another discussion thread that there was a schedule for conversion of web labs to dry lab on storenet but not every store was on the list to be converted. I did look at the list at one time but I can't remember if there were specific dates or just a list of stores in order of conversion or numerical by store number. I don't know if the list is still there.

I meant to write "wet labs to dry labs".

wagslavefornow wrote:

I think someone posted weeks ago on another discussion thread that there was a schedule for conversion of web labs to dry lab on storenet but not every store was on the list to be converted. I did look at the list at one time but I can't remember if there were specific dates or just a list of stores in order of conversion or numerical by store number. I don't know if the list is still there.

yep, it's still out there. Do a search on storenet of "project 400". The 400 being done this year have specific dates. The 400 being done next year have yet to be announced on storenet.

Customers don't gentheir negatives back? What is the reasoning behind that?

MGR4Life wrote:

Customers don't gentheir negatives back? What is the reasoning behind that?

*get their

Yeah customers not getting their negatives back WILL NOT go over well. Indeed, what is the reasoning behind that??

MGR4Life wrote:

Customers don't gentheir negatives back? What is the reasoning behind that?

The send out service is nice. We fed ex the film somewhere. Then a few days later the orders show up electronically in the pic and a label prints in PC+. The order includes a CD which is free for the customer. The CD is more useful to the customer than negatives. All the customers like the service.

MGR4Life wrote:

<quoted text>
*get their

Returning the negatives would involve more sending using Fed Ex, and would take longer. The CD costs less money then returning the negatives.

Thanks.......that makes sense.........

Sally wrote:

<quoted text>
The send out service is nice. We fed ex the film somewhere. Then a few days later the orders show up electronically in the pic and a label prints in PC+. The order includes a CD which is free for the customer. The CD is more useful to the customer than negatives. All the customers like the service.

There should at least be an option for the customer to get them back even if they had to pay a little extra. For the casual photo customer, it's not a big deal but a lot of people who still use 35mm swear by it and will take their business elsewhere. I suppose taking them to a nearby store would be the best solution then. Thanks for the info.

Here's the problem -- technically those negatives are STILL the property of the photographer so I'm not sure how they are able to get away with not returning the negatives.

El Rio wrote:

Here's the problem -- technically those negatives are STILL the property of the photographer so I'm not sure how they are able to get away with not returning the negatives.

There's that too.

Why would negatives cost more to fed ex and take longer to return? LOL I'm pretty sure the negatives have to be done first in order to make both prints and cd's. Negatives weigh how much and take up how much room? The last time I developed a roll of film they all fit nicely in the same small return envelope.
I agree people will not be happy; not everyone has a way to view cd's (believe it or not), so I guess that's a way to get another customer into the store.