PictureME Photography review: unfair treatment of employees 52

I actually started working for one of cpi corps' studio. I think our studio is a great place; all the employees are great people (even the manager) and are such a joy to work with but I seriously cannot stand our DM. She is such a pain in the ###. It's so stupid how they want us to be busy at ALL times even when there's nothing to do! There's no customers and everything is already neat and organized so what else do they want us to do?! Since I'm still sort of new to this job, I'm still not quite use to the dress code (dressing professionally which is stupid in my opinion; it's just pictures for crying out loud), so the other day I wore something pretty professional but my DM (who watches our every move on the camera and I find that extremely creepy) complained what I'm wearing is not professional enough. It got on my nerves SO much because I was the only one that actually dresses professionally (black/white) while the other employees are wearing like jeans and sweaters and slip-on shoes. Also, it's so stupid how because ONE customer wants to just rebook to another date, the DM still wants us to make up for it by fishing walk-in customers. What difference does it make when we didn't lose the customer? Another thing that I find really stupid is that they have this "5 star program" thing where they evaluate the employees' pictures. Out of all the worst things they do, this has to be the worst. I don't know about you guys but I am in love with photography; it's a part of who I am. It makes me so mad that they have a 'standard' for what is good and what is not. Shouldn't it be what the customers like instead of what the DMs like? What's the use in getting the opinion of the DMs? Because I just started, I can't take portraits yet but when I do and the DMs come to evaluate, I will tell them straight out that they are not needed here to tell us what's good and what's bad...which might get me fired but like I give a crap.

As a now former employee of PictureMe! I agree with everything said here. After being a loyal employee for 2 years everything went south very quickly. Going into my third holiday season, all managers were told that we were required to work 6 days a week, open to close. Why, I don't know, since we hire seasonal part time help. It makes no sense to have your highest paid (I am laughing while I type this line) employees working 20 hours of overtime a week. We all said that it was not necessary but also would wipe us out. This is a very physical job in a non stop business. Then the week of Christmas, oh no!, we are all dangerously over labor budget! How did that happen? Studio Managers are now required to work open to close by themselves, even though in 2 of the studios our operating hours do not close for lunch, making it impossible to take a break! After one day of this I questioned my DM, who ignored my question of how I was to take a lunch or break, so I submitted my resignation effective immediately. This was 3 days before Christmas this year. This company is running itself into the ground and does not even care! If you are walking through Wal-Mart and see the constant Help Wanted sign: Run, Run, Run!

Ok I couldnt agree more with all that is said...however if you can actually find someone to complain to in a position where they could do something then i dont think we would be ### on here. I have a ###. DM that time thefts like theres no tomorrow. A Dm who loves her to death and nothing will hapen if complaints are made. The company is useless, and i cant find contact info for a loss prevention person or team or whatever. So even in Canada things are no better. and if i didnt have bills to pay and finding a job that i love to do was easy i wouldnt be there either. And having worked for other companys from small business to large there is always issues like this so i think most of us pick our battles til we can actually accomplish something and then nail thier ### to the wall. Until then there are websites like these to let us vent to other people who know what it is like. Good luck to you all to find other employment that you love to do.

We couldn't agree more...aceept. for the moment, CPI is paying our bills. We've all seen this stuff firsthand. The question is, why are we all venting on a website instead of actually doing something about it?

I too have gone through the mess of each story! I was also hired on as a Manager because of my sales background!
I came from Wal-Mart Loss Prevention, so when I worked my third day without a break or a lunch I was blown away by how each associate working with me was use to this everyday illegal treatment and didnt see a problem with it!
With Wal-Mart you have to take two breaks through out the day and a lunch by your 5th hour of working or you will be coached and paid to take a luch, so I am suprised that Wal-mart would have such a company working inside their stores, a company who is breaking labor laws such as CPI CORP. With how many time Wal-Mart has been bad mouthed and sued by their associates for labor laws you would think that they would be ashamed to have Picture Me associated with them, or take the time to listen and research the company.
After I was hired by the Market Mgr I was told by the studio Mgr that I wasnt hired on as a Mgr, but just a regular assoc. and that I will not be hired on as a mgr unless I make it with the sales part of the job. So #1- I was lied to by the Market Mgr, #2-she didnt have the nerve to tell me this herself, instead she has a 26 year old Mgr tell me, #3- my training was pathetic, #4-every single day I was given off, I was called 5-15 times a day to come in and cover a shift, not on one day off, but basically every day I had off, #5- my studio mgr gave out my cell phone number to other studio associates to call me over and over again to come in and work for them, which is also illegal, #6-the Mgr's they train to work the studios have no prior mgr experience and are very unprofessional. I could go on and on with how unfair and illegal CPI treats their associates. I too will be calling the Market Mgr this week to quit! It is a shame because I was so excited to be hired, I thought WOW a real photography job, ya right! Real photographers laugh at CPI CORP, they have untrained people taking customers photos that they will have a life time, with backgrounds off center, or heads being cut off, or table equipment showing in the background! This company is a joke!
To all Picture me associates out there reading this, SUE the HELL out of them, they cannot work you without a lunch or a break, or work you over time and not pay you! They cannot call you at home more than once without paying you for phone time to tell you that you need to come in! They also cannot give out your phone number to other associates. And if you have been told to take your work home while in training, that is ALSO ILLEGAL! IT is called working off the clock!
No this is not WAL-MARTS laws this is every labor law in California and I'm sure in any other state as well! Dont let them get away with it!

By the way, this was in Sioux Falls, SD @ both wal-marts

I and everybody body else that was hired on at PictureMe, were hired as MIT. Found it somewhat odd that we were ALL MIT. I worked there for 3 days. After being trained between two different stores and managers I qickly learned that this job was not suited for me and I was way to nice of a person to treat people the way our managers treated us (as we were being trained) and some of the clients. And even more odd, our DM was at each studio we trained at... everyday. After I was hired by one manager, I started training at another store where that manager told me that the only reason that I was hired was because of my pictures that I brought in during the interview. I was also informed that the company and managers don't look highly on folks who try to do a photography busniness outside of the PictureMe yet come to find out- the DM has her own running business, and both Managers were working on and have done some of their own business stuff, but it wasnt okay for me in the long run. And training was a joke and the trouble one would get into if: there aren't enough sittings and/or appointments made per day! One gets very VERY little training but is expected to just do the job, all the paper work, conference calls, calling numbers every night, people with appointments, and work the entire shift by yourself, with-in days after you start employment. Oh, and when I was one minute late, after I had called and said I will be a few moments late because of a car accident on the interstate, and punched in 1 (ONE) minute late, I had my ### handed to me. Taking photos is and should be fun and entertaining, both for you and your client... with PictureMe/CPI Corp/Sears or whatever company they wish to go by, its not! It is stressfull, hecktic and an insane mess and I am proud in myself for walking away within three days of getting hired. They is no way a person should be treated like that and you, your clients and your employees should feel welcomed and enjoy what they do. And when one of the managers called and asked where I was, I informed her that I was done and she was like, "Well don't you think you should have called me? I was worried about you!" Keep in mind my shift was at 10am this call didnt came in till almost 3 that afternoon. What a joke.

I am still trying to collect my pay for PTO time taken the 1st week in June.
I have talked to my manager and DM (Amy Wittham) several times. My DM says she has submitted this twice. It is only for 12 hours but it is money that we need. How do you reach these people? This is totally insane. I ended up walking out a couple weeks ago. I doubt I will ever see this money. I would NEVER go back to CPI! I was in a Sears Studio in Indpls.

This corporation disgusts me, on ALL levels. The corporate office allows their district/regional/studio managers to get away with so many illegal and abhorring things on a daily basis. I've watched my studio manager put her hands two inches from a customers face (not in a striking manner but gesticulating) who was irate. ### customer or not, you have no right to have your hands that close to someones face, It's disrespectful and unprofessional on all levels. Corporate does nothing more then give that customer a free picture *whoopy* to justify that managers actions. Our studio manager and district manager have both told me they have every legal right to work me for 6+ hours without a meal period or rest break. I've contacted my county Labor Bureau and had them confirm that what they are doing is illegal. My final straw with this company is the fact that the studio manager is not reprimanded when she falls low on sales, doesn't show up for her shift or slacks on any other portion of required work. Her spouse sits in the studio and cusses loudly about a customer taking to long or whatever other reason he feels he should be cussing. If that doesn't sicken you, she also allows a registered sex offender to sit in a portion of the studio unsupervised where the studio camera can not see, nor could the parents while looking at photos.

Haha I'm going to 4 studios right now i'm not even suppose to be a traveler.
I totally understand I've been written up for not filling out paperwork, up numbers but most weeks mine are in triple digits., dress code, taking under 1/2 on pics, using the modify button to much, taking to many pics.
oo and a no call no show... in a town i wasn't informed to be at.
I think they don't fire me because people buy my pics cause i take the time with them and i treat them well, I also have in the 2 months i've worked there built up a clint list that has already started returning and asking for me when they make they're next pointments...

even in the other studios i've been traveling too. I'm going anywhere from 30mins- alittle over 2 hours out of my area... in 1 or 2 districts.

I'm waiting to be fired.

Absolutely agreed. Literally, my last day of work was yesterday. Couldnt take it anymore! They made me the new MIT in our studio, and considering the title "Manager in Training" you would think I would be trained! I wasnt, obviously. I did get written up twice, once for missing ONE conference call and once for my numbers being low. I definitely am with the "do not apply" when you see a sign!

I am currently seeking other employment as I am in that nasty cycle of CPI Corp. employment. I could not believe what I was reading in the complaint listed here! It is very true. And unfortunately has gotten worse with threats of unpaid suspensions, written and final warnings, etc. if there aren't 'enough sittings and / or appointments made per day'! And one still receives very little training but is expected to just do the job on a wing and a prayer! And it is a constant struggle to maintain a positive attitude when you are consistantly being threatened and talked down to by your Managers and District Managers! I would suggest to anyone, if you see a NOW HIRING sign posted with Picture Me or Sears (both owned by CPI), run as fast as possible away from their grasp on your body, mind, spirit, & life!