Customer focus key to growth
It was a serendipitous moment 15 years ago when Ray Tadry walked into Monell”™s Camera Shop.
Bob and Eleanor Monell”™s store was a fixture at Newburgh”™s Mid-Valley Mall for decades.
When Tadry walked in and mentioned that he wanted to buy a business, “It was a match made in heaven,” said Ron Palmer, Tadry”™s son.
“Bob and Ellen wanted to retire, Dad wanted a business and I was a photography buff. Who could ask for anything more?”
For the past 15 years, Palmer and Tadry have kept the camera store”™s popularity intact, keeping Monell”™s name and offering the same customer service its founders did. “We were outgrowing the Mid-Valley Mall, however,” said Palmer, unpacking boxes at his new store on Route 52 in the town of Newburgh. Our new space is much more flexible and better suited to our needs. We have a one-hour photo center, as well as instant photos for people who don”™t want to wait. We needed more room to provide that, and now we have it.”
While the expanded space allowed Palmer to add several components to the business, it hasn”™t dampened his love of cameras and working with camera buffs
“We sell cameras, and every single person who comes in here doesn”™t just buy a camera. I assemble it for them and give them a mini-photography lesson as well as adjusting the camera to its proper settings. When they leave here, they are ready to roll. They don”™t have to go home and try to figure out how to set the time and date with the manual.
“They can also come back and ask questions. That”™s what we offer that chains don”™t. As far as pricing, our cameras are the same price as the big box stores, so we are not only competitive, but happy to have repeat customers come in when they are ready to upgrade. They like the fact that we know our products and make sure they end up with the kind of camera they can really use, not just what a national retailer has to push out the door. Cameras are not a ”˜one size fits all”™ commodity.”
In addition to cameras, Monell”™s stocks film and develops prints. “Digital is king, and no one is making cameras that use film anymore ”“ but people have expensive film cameras and don”™t want to give them up for digital, so we have an extensive selection of film. You can lose a digital print, but it”™s a lot harder to lose a negative.” As he talked, Palmer worked on restoring an old photograph of a high school couple, circa 1970. “It”™s tedious work, but I love it,” said Palmer. “It is just amazing to take a photo that looks beyond repair and make it new.”
“Our new space allowed me to open a portrait studio,” said Palmer, “so I have been able to really get back into photography, which I love. Like all other small businesses, the more we can offer our customers, the more likely they will be to patronize us. We have photo restoration, retouching and do transfers of film or VHS tapes to DVD, the more we can offer, the more attractive we are to customers.”
Buying a camera is not like buying a washing machine, and Palmer knows the distinction and wants his customers to get the most out of their purchase. “When you are buying a camera, especially one that has so many features, it”™s very helpful to know how to use it.
“You”™d be hard-pressed to find that kind of service in a retail chain, and I believe that”™s what”™s helped keep us in business.
People are happily surprised to see our prices match what the chains offer, and they get a professional walk-through at no charge. For every small business, it”™s especially important to be flexible and offer as much as you can but do it professionally and with knowledge of the products you are working with. Yes, the recession has hurt us a bit, I”™ll not deny it, but we have been riding out the recession. People still appreciate being treated like valued customers…I don”™t think that”™s going to change any time in the near future. If anything, it”™s something people really appreciate now more than ever. No matter how technology develops, people still enjoy the human interaction and a knowledgeable business owner.”