Boots

I returned from my hols last week. With baited breath, I dropped one roll of APS film to Boots for next day development (thankfully, the other film I took on my trip was still in my camera). Included in their normal developing service is a free upload of the film to Bootsphoto.com, where you can send the pics and share them to your friends. For the record, this is the only reason that Boots has an edge on its competition, despite their absolute incompetence as a photo developer.

The next day, I turned up to Boots with my film stub. Ah, no, they can't find my film, they say. It should've come back from the film developers at the HQ but they didn't. They say they will track it. From under one of the counters, they take out a pretty sizeable book that says 'Complaints' on the front. They turn to the page that is pretty much half way through (Can there be this many complaints, I wonder) and add my details to the list. They say they will track it and call me back regardless that evening. They never call.

I call their main number that evening while they are still open (the branch that I go to is open until 10pm). Nobody answers the phone. I let it ring and ring and ring. No answer. The next day, I go down to Boots to see if anything is changed. Nothing has. They put their hands up in the air and say they will call. Meanwhile, in their open photo lab behind the counter, a man in his late 40's is sitting in a chair. Doing nothing. Not wearing a lab coat. Just ingratiatingly picking his nose and rubbing his findings on his upper lip. He does this repetitively for at least 2 minutes and I am reminded of aged psychologically disturbed apes from the zoo. I digress.

The next day, I call up Boots and someone miraculously answers. After debating for about a minute on how to transfer a call, I speak to the Photo Department and lo and behold, the woman gleefully tells me that they have found my film. She sounds utterly giddy. Like a film that was lost has never been recovered before. Like it is a truly banner day. I go down to pick it up and they have taken 50% off the price of development.

Will I forgive them for this mishap? Unlikely.