People are more likely to buy if you say hi… January 18, 2009

Met up with some friends to avail the Rathbone Gallery of their offer of coffee and bagels while checking out their gallery.  B and L were briefed not to let me buy anything. They failed, and again Richard Heeps won.  The gallery offered coffee and bagels, we looked, and I asked about a photo I wanted but luckily they didn’t have.  Only they did: there it was hiding right at the back of a box: “Call Box” taken at Salton Sea.  30 minutes later it was framed, wrapped and in a bag.  Oops.

Next stop was Getty Images, near Oxford Circus.  They have a 50% sale on at the moment so it’s a good time to browse and thankfully B and L didn’t even have to try to stop me buying anything.  The sales is obviously designed to get rid of some of the less desirable stuff but what was most striking was the staff, or lack thereof.  Getty has an office visible through the back of the gallery, and not one of the staff bothered to get up, say hi or ask if we needed anything.  Ok, so we had just come from a place that treats everyone like their friend but still, Getty, you could learn from the smaller players here.

I also bought the Dummies Guide to Lightroom. I know, I should buy shares in Dummies Guides (and Rathbones and Jessops and Amazon and Foyles…) but I like their style.  I do find it weird when people are happy to spend a couple of hundred quid on something and then fuss about £15 on a decent book to show you how it works.