[AT WORK]
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Brad Wong >> They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and as the owner of Rainbow Photo Lab on Keeaumoku Street, I know that's true. Photo developer
Brad Wong is excited by impossible deadlines
Photos tell the stories of our lives, so I consider my job very important. I opened a 30-minute photo shop in Hawaii 14 years ago, and I still believe in providing fast, quality service to my customers.
Over the years, we've expanded our range of services to accommodate customers' requests like doing photo restoration, digital printing, imaging, scanning, slide processing, digital slide output -- and we even have a video department offering video copying, international tape conversion, and video slide show production. Everything is done in house. I think we are unique.
I really enjoy my work because it is also my hobby, and I get to see the happy looks on my customers' faces when we can help them. We have been called lifesavers for helping customers solve their problems and meet their deadlines, no matter what it takes. We routinely get requests from customers to do a portrait from old snapshots under a tight deadline, and I am happy to say that we are able to scan the photo into the computer, edit, and enlarge to the desired size within hours. Thanks to the Internet, we can even offer customers e-mail service and save them a trip. There are times that customers drop off their video slide show order and tell me that there are only 3 days left before their wedding or party, and they are frantic. I like putting them at ease and providing high quality and prompt service to meet their schedule, even if I may have to work late.
But I think I am the lucky one because I love going to work everyday. It's fun and challenging, and I know we make a big difference in people's lives. I want to keep offering more services as technology improves. Now I am working on setting up a one-hour photo studio where customers can get their portrait photos done.
At Work is a weekly feature that shows and tells what people do for a living in their own words. Send comments and submissions to: business@starbulletin.com