772 views
New Reviewer
34 comments

I have been working for this oh so lovely company for a while now. 2 days into working I realized I got myself into something terrible.

They treat their empolyees like *** we have to basically hold you at gunpoint to get as much money as possible. They put the Advertized offer out there (7.99) and yet they still expect people to buy hundreds of dollars everytime they come in when that offer is available. When we don't we get in trouble and when we do get your money they still complain that you didn't get enough. Here's the fun facts on the prices kids..

They tell you that you have to purchase the collection in order to get the CD. Bull, they may also tell you that the cd is $249 before tax. Some studios have different prices depending on the SM and DM. Most make them up as they go.

The sheets are supposed to be $9.99 but they have us tell you that they are $19.99. That's what it would be for if you added an enhancement. I know this is a sales postion and we are supposed to sell sell sell.. that's the only concern they have, get you in take your pictures then sell.

Even if the pictures are *** we are still supposed to sell them a collection. I like to take great pictures and make the customer happy. I have been complimented so many times on the great photos I've taken, I love taking pictures I just won't rob anyone. Here's some more fun, every few months the company does a re-order sale where you can buy that $249 cd for the low price of $29.99.

Yeah and that's with all the original and enhanced images! This company on average gives away close to a million dollars worth of product free if not more. Yet they can't give raises or let there be more than one associate working unless there are more than 6 appointments in one day. I can't even count on my hands anymore how many times I've had people yell at me, cuss at me because the session in front of them is still picking out pictures half an hour into their session which puts all the remaining sessions behind.

And yet I understand their frustration I just wish they wouldn't be so verbally abusive towards my associate or myself when we can't do anything. I can't say to one customer, I'm sorry you must decides on your lifetime memories in 10 minutes nothing more, sorry. That's more than a little messed up! I do enjoy taking the photos that's the only reason I'm still here as of now.

I'm waiting to be fired for not selling $95 dollars per session. Yeah that's their goal for us people. Want to keep your fav photographer in there buy at least a hundred dollars everytime. I love it too when a customer complains that we don't have as many props as Sears.

Guess what people it's all the same company. As is a few others. Sorry for rambling I just need to get this all off my chest.

*** I need the money, need the job so I will continue to get pissed on, vomited on, cussed at, stalked, harrassed, constant meetings on robbing people, constant calls, constant emails, watched endlessly through the security camera, harrassed because I didn't haras enough customers each day to get more email leads for some *** sweepstakes that no one is going to win.

Location: Mount Laurel, New Jersey

Do You Have Something To Say ?
Write a review

Comments

chat-icon

Please avoid publishing any personal information and promotional content

You will be automatically registered on our site. Username and password will be sent to you via email.
Post Comment
Guest

I payed for 120 dollars worth of pictures yesterday and today they are closed down now what am I suspost to do? Ams there my baby first pictures :cry

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-632719

I'm sorry that you are going through this especially since this is your first pictures of your first newborn baby I would act fast and call customer service ASAP let them know about your session make sure to have you reciept with you your session number day and time of appointment name of rep who took the pictures snd location just in case you might need to fax proof to them ask threm to see if they will send your pictures by mail or will they refund you back that money you spent. I myself may need to get a loan to get some of the cd portraits of my 2 yr old son he is my first and only child and when he was born until he turned 1 I took all of his pictures there including holiday pictures. It's sad to know they are closing :cry

Guest

Bye bye CPI!!! So I go to work today only to find that the company as a whole is gone!

Every CPI employee in the US is now without a job. CPI in Canada has managed to stay afloat and will be its own company! Leave it to the US and all it's greedy rich business owners to screw things up.

Thanks for taking away the working class's job and wages! I already didn't have anything.

Guest

I work there for a year. They pushed me around made me travel hours away to work at other studios without travel and time pay.

The prices are ridiculous and their attitudes suck.

I ended up quiting and my manager decided she would bash me all over Facebook and come up with untrue things to hurt my feelings. I never regret leaving that awful place!

Guest

I know this thread is old, but I just wanted to let Big Rep know that he's a ***, and his company is hanging on by a thread. Oh, and by the way?

I worked at one of your stores last year. It was such a horrific *** that I decided to give no notice, and just go ahead and leave the studio dark on Mother's Day.

The only other employee was 2 states away. Sorry not sorry.

Guest

All of this is real they had me working as SM for a yr I got no sm pay not even smit pay they yelled at me for not doing pencil talk 99.99% of the customers rather see a brochure rather then hear us rant on for mins - hours about our expensive over pricedย collections and half the time only want the free 10x13 they also want us stalking people in Wal-Mart to pester them in to the studio for pictures and collections the marketing for this company is horrendous. Now that they are selling dms are quitting and employees are in limbo waiting hours are scarce...I love my job but I didnt sign up to stalk people. Rob those who cant afford it then reject them bc it hasnt been 3 months since they got their last 9.99 adv offer...

Guest

Mindyangel from Tyler Texas. We have the same types of issues here in SC with DM's. Is there a way we can communicate and compare notes.

Guest

I was a manager in the S Broadway store in tyler :cry I have been with the company for 5 years only to be humiliated and treaded unfair I was a great salesman but I got that beat rite out of me nothing I did was good enough always telling me well why didnt I do this or that could have made them spend more and most of the time with that I got the customer mad to because they don't want to spend a lot of money on things like that Pictures are a luxury not a need and people don't want you in the faces all the time trying to get there personal info only for you to call them all the time to see if you can get them to spend money I regret the day I ever started at Picture me

Guest

I am having the exact same problem right now! I was told I would be getting at least 14 hours if not 20 a week, and I have been getting 4! This company is one big fat scam!

Guest

Yes this job is hard, and the District Manager can be a real ***. Yes you will get ***,pee, and/or puke on you sometimes.

The PRS and Sitting goals are ridiculos, and YES you will definetly get bitched out by Management and Customers on a weekly basis...but hey its a job. Aside from thouse parts, i love my job. Its the best i ever had. I've worked at McDonalds,Ross, and a Pay Day Loan, and by far this is the best job.

I get paid a decent wadge, i get to work with kids, sometimes i get lucky and sell a big package and i get to make beautiful pictures. I put my heart into my job.

I absolutely agree with icerlemon, if you hate the job quit and leave it as that. The job isnt for everyone, everyone has there own thing.

Guest

I don't know what to do. I have been in this business way too long.

Don't know how to do anything else. I know this company will probably not make it to Christmas this year. My DM will not let us take PTO right now because we don't have any extra bodies to take our places. We have managers working studios other than their own on their days off.

One of the lucky ones here as far my PRS goes at 96.00 but I don't have enough sitting to make everyone happy. Guess I will ride it to the end. The area manager is the biggest witch I have ever seen. She keeps spouting off Emails every freaking day to get our sits up, blah blah blah.

I don't think I have a customer that comes through the store that I have not asked twice to come on in and get some great pictures done.

I wonder what CPI pays Walmart to have our studios in here. It has to be a percentage of some kind?

I checked the stock price today and it is worst than I thought I thought this company was still around 20.00/share. It is only .75 cents.:cry :(

Guest

All you associates had better pay attention. This company is teetering on bankruptcy. We are not going to be working much longer for CPI Corp. We are either going to be on unemployment or another company will purchase the business for about nothing and probably work for less money than we get now. I have been burning up the PTO time because I will probably not get any once the hammer drop

The company is in such bad shape there was no 401 k match for our pension. Now the company wont allow us to make adjustments to our payroll or turn in travel expenses past due dates. I know our DM is worried she is trying to find a job now as well. She don't want to go down with the ship. In our district the numbers are horrible we have 3 stores that are 3/4 of the unrealistic goals they have set. We have stores that had 5 sits for the week and only had a 26.00 prs. Our market has left us. One studio had 15 sits with a 304.00 total for the week.

The people that run this company has lied to investors and will pay the price I hope. I know the hourly employees will pay the price. If CPI does not secure money to pay the loans they have to operate the business on the Ponzi scheme is over.

Guest

Change is coming to a studio near you. DM's hold your ankles.

Guest

This company is a serious joke.

I have been working with a company for awhile now and all I have to say about the company, company standards, policies, sales and executives and DM's is that it's ALL on big JOKE! The company is run mainly by women who have to push their bitchyness off on you.

My DM is the worst of them all. She expects everything from you and gives you nothing in return. When I was hired I was promised 20 hours a week and nothing less as a part-time employee, But now in the last 2 months I have worked a total of 14 hours! That's the 2 months combined.

I lost hours when my store manager decided she didn't like me. And after cutting me down to 7 hours a month, they still call me to cover a shift 2 hours away from my house! I was hired for my studio not as a floater! And every time I go to a different studio they "Forget" to enter my mileage.

I have had nothing but problems with this company. And "BIG REP" You seem to be part of the problem. You're delusional to think that an employee with complaints is a problem. That employee has complaints and is negative as a result of working for this company.

This company not only brings down your spirit but it brings down your ability to create a happy environment for customers. The only reason the company makes money is because of it's employees. We take the pictures! We sell the collections!

We go out and get leads for our studios! So get over your BS! We wouldn't be complaining if the company knew what they were doing. Everything about this company is chaos.

From the way they set up the schedule to the *** computers they make up use to the even crappier systems the computers run on. It's as if this company is run by a bunch of know nothing apes! They do nothing but screw over their workers and expect the workers to bend over, grab their ankles and ask for more. And as for this Christmas season with this God forsaken company!

It's a joke! They promise more hours to those working hard and then go out and hire 4 to 6 new people and give them those hours and say to *** for those who have been busting their butts for the company. Sure our PRS might get low...But maybe it's because the company sends out emails for free portraits and free sessions and has us pass out coupons for free portraits! I have been in sales for over 8 years and I could sell ice to an Eskimo!

But if someone is given the chance to get all of their portraits for free, you can be darn sure they're not going to give you a few hundred dollars just for the *** of it! Get real people!

Common sense is hard to come by now a days and this company only proves that more. I hope this company does go out of business, because stupidity is a rising epidemic and this company is severely infected by the virus!

Guest

Well I am getting tired of being active manager and I am not getting for such or given the title. The studio manager has been gone months now.

My DM keeps saying I will get it but I have not seen it yet. I run higher numbers than 99% of the regular managers. Maybe I should be like them. I hear a big change is coming company wide but it is hush hush right now.

I wonder if they are going to merge Sears Portraits and Walmarts along with Bella & kiddie kandids. That way employees can cross stores and save on labor.

Guest

This company would steal from their employee's purses if they thought they could get away with it. They hire people in at $7.50 / hr., but offer 'bonuses' if you hit your sales goals.

The problem is their sales goals are practically impossible to meet. They offer all of these deals like $7.99 for a photo shoot, and then expect you to upsell a $95 - $450 dollar package. Their marketing department must be a bunch of *** because their idea of lead generation is to rope people in with a supposed 'deal' and then expect their employees to bait and switch them into a really expensive package. They are the company that owns Sear, Walmart, and a few other portrait studios.

I was screwed completely out of my commission twice. Once for missing goal by $8.00, and keep in mind their goals are next to impossible to meet. The other time my manager simply told me that I had worked too much overtime, and because of that they could not pay me commission for the pay period. NEVER WORK FOR THIS COMPANY!

They will ***. They make the people at the bottom responsible for the terrible incompetence at the top.

Their executive are a bunch of out of touch idiots who have to know that the day of the 'portrait studio' is over. This is the digital age, and I can't wait to see this company fgo out of business.

Guest

You are the type that we need to *** out. Your negativity flows to your customers as well. Thus you don't hit your numbers. Get out before Christmas season is upon us so we can get a positive thinker and seller in that studio. I can't believe the number of studios that are not in the green. There is going to be a shake up after the first of the year regarding the poor performance of some districts and studios. That means the teams need to get out of the red or the cards will be shuffled and some DMs are not going to like it.

There will be big changes after the XMAS season is over. Good performance will be rewarded nicely and poor performance in the red will be dealt with. We are experimenting with closing some studios on certain days of the week. Those stores are still required to be in the green. We will only need one person at that particular studio since some are closing 2 or 3 days a week. At least the manager usually gets 2 to 3 days off in a row. All those studios are required to be open Fri Sat Sun on the heavy traffic days.

We are hiring right now for MITs, studio associates and X-mas help.

Guest

I am a soon-to-be former employee of CPI/Picture Me, and I have to agree with everything that I have read here. This is the worst job I have ever had.

I was interviewed in March (more than once, because no one showed up for my first interview. That's right....studio was closed. No one there.) I was told an array of lies, and promised raises every three months, regular bonuses and commission pay. It is now six months down the road, and none of these things have happened.

I have worked with some great people, and some wonderful studio managers that I hope to remain friends with, but the attitudes of the upper management leave something to be desired. I have started my day for the last six months, five days a week, with the morning conference call. I prefer to call it the morning *** out". We are told as a team how we are not good enough, not selling enough, not friendly enough, and that we are a "performance based company".

What this essentially means is that if we are not selling 100.00 or more to every customer, we are not working the following week, will be written up, and will eventually be fired for low performance. Then, the emails start....several a day to the entire district with rude, and at times, unattainable demands. This is just the tip of the iceburg with this company. I am a full time employee, which by most standards would mean that I would work 36 plus hours per week, but CPI has just cut their full time requirement to 30 hours a week, and it is often hard to even get those.

Long story boring, stay away. Work for ANYONE else.

Fast food pays more. (Yes, for real.)

Guest

:( I was also an Manager/employee for this company 3 yrs and was thrown out like garbage too. I recv.

my last payck direct deposit on 09/08/11/.... $1576.95 I go to put gas in my truck on 09/10/11 and guess what???? NO MONEY!!!! Keep in mind I am an employee that runs OVER $150 PRS These people not only fired me over things that happen in the last 2weeks of me working...But they took back my payck...$1576.95!!!

I went online to print out my paystub... It was deleted... I also got a ck last year due to they ripped me off for OVERTIME, BONUS MONEY ANS SPIFFS almost $900I have read most of the complaints on here all are 100% true... this company uses abuses and throws away people like garbage.

3 years ago this comany had 100's of employees who had been with the company for 10,15,20+Years and were fired in the last 1year 1 1/2. everything is NO ONE KNOW NOTHING everything is a big set up...

if the CEO's stopped and look what is happening to the company being sue for ripping off customers employees and firing the people who made this company.... well you get the picture

Guest

I've worked for this company for about 2 years. All I can say is if you dont like your job, leave.

No one is forcing you to be here. There are plenty of other people who would take your job. As far as I'm concerned the company keeps hiring lazy fat girls who think all that they're going to do is take pictures all day.

Then their dm tries telling them what to do and they are like *** no my job sucks! Sorry honey, of you don't like it, make some room for someone who WANTS to be here.

View more comments (14)

Picture Me Portrait Studio Reviews

  1. 3 reviews
  2. 3 reviews
  3. 4 reviews
  4. 0 reviews
  5. 1 review
Picture Me Portrait Studio reviews