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I've been hearing similar comments about fitting the vision. It's the same vision CPI had except do more work for in less time for less money because your hours have been cut.
Very aggressive going forward.
I'm sorry to hear that, I hope you're able to find something better.
I thought we were past the firings, another round of operational cost cutting it seems?
Oh no, closing some studios or reducing staff?
I'm seeing people take big time advantage of this freebie, some are just walking in asking for "the free thing" not even knowing what they're asking for without any kind of copy of the coupon.
You thought people trying to get multiple AOs was bad......
Nice to see advertising online works but only when you dangle FREE FREE FREE
"I didn't bring any money so I wouldn't be tempted to buy extra" says the lady who just got a full session of nice photos including breakouts in neutral backgrounds of her hyper hard to control tornado childeren and baby.
Don't forget guys, "Direct reflection" of your skills as a photographer and salesperson.
Letters were sent through web apps, just like last time. If you can't get yours that way it's probably a technical issue.
Way to many tech problems recently. The big printing delay was a huge fumble that will certainly start some bad word of mouth just before the "holiday rush"
But back to the letters. I'm not totaly sold on the idea we will all be shut down after Christmas. I'm far from a legal expert but the recent paperwork from the restructuring company's website made it look like there's a lot of debt and lawyer bills to pay. If your studio is turning a profit you'll probably stay open. Cost cutting, aquisitioning and quantity over quality is our future. Getting a very aggressive feeling lately.
They're going to continue operating under a new name Photos Unlimited.
Same shit different pile.
I'm seeing all of the same things you've mentioned, recent shake up with managers in my host store, my cupboard is bursting with stuff I don't really need, and hours watch is tighter than ever. It's been pretty quiet otherwise.
Sorry to hear that PixlChk, Keep your chin up, I wish you the best!
If the sale did fall through and they're going with a closure plan, they will not tell us ahead of time. This is fairly standard practice for companies going under, they want us selling until the last minute and avoid any early mental check outs.
It's been pretty quiet, business as usual, big push for sits and sales.
We've been doing a lot of acquisitioning, some of my free customers have been pretty demanding and jerky too. If we're not closing I'm rapidly becoming known as the free stuff studio.
Looks like I jumped the gun on the sites being down, looks like they're working today.
Seems like they cut hours from SPS to give to WM
This is absolutely bonkers. Interesting comments from upper management here, it's unreal. Hope our grievances and struggles are entertaining you. So what if the suits are watching, I don't think they'll find any surprises here.
Anyway, I stopped by to point out our corporate websites are down, SPS and WM portraits.ca and MOP, all down. Didn't pay the web hosting bills this month?
Oh, and JustDucky, you are my CPI spirit animal. Rock on.
Don't hold your breath!
I was also told not to contact HR because she is too busy and we should speak with our DM first.
That's not how HR works guys!
I think it comes down to the individual if you can call yourself a professional photographer or not. My manager for example, she doesn't know a thing about photography or cameras. Once I had accidentally hit the info button and the review screen was showing all of the camera setting info on the photos as they popped up(f stop, image number ect..) She freaked out and blamed me for breaking the camera and had to call tech support to turn it off, didn't even let me show her it was a simple fix. I wouldn't say she's a professional photographer, she doesn't even have an eye for art or design but her portraits were up to par because she followed the posing guide and was great with kids.
There are probably 3 times the hacks and prosumers out their running their own businesses than talented photographers and artists. The market is flooeded with them.
I have two long time friends who opened thier own shop. One is very talented and doing very well, she has more appointments per week than I do in the studio! She works very hard and makes big investments into gear and spends a lot of time hustling and generating bussiness, the other has a rebel and is always lowering her rates. Her photos are uninsipering and at times flat out bad. She's also oddly obsessed with bordiour photos....
I've also seen people who just happen to have enough money to buy sweet gear and they faked it till they made it.
I have no idea where im going with this rant, but I will say I'm a photographer and an artist, I always have been and always will be. I gained experience towards my professional status at the studio, but it takes more than that to call yourself a pro.
There's a ton that needs to be worked out before this goes live.
I'm imagining a multi-generation family, 15+ subjects, lots of little kids, a few dogs... They want their portraits in the local park.... Wrangling kids can be calleging in the studio let alone a place with room to run! lol!
I wonder what the price range is gonna be, and what kind of collections, do we come back to the studio to edit and sell sheets?
I'm tempted to walk out into walmart and just start working at a register.
INTERESTING. I wonder how long till the details come out.... I have a lot of questions too!
What gear are we going to use? How do we "clock in", is it still going to be up to us to get these bookings?
Might as well do my own thing at this point.
Wow! That game sounds insane! $20 isn't much of a prize for all that work! 5+ appointments booked per day is a dream for me, unlikely to happen.
We've been put on a sit push too, although no game or prize, just told we need to make it happen and we will be held accountable.
Oiy. I need a new job.
We are aquisitioning big time, but I do not know what rabbit in the hole is!
Secret santa: I was told that too at first, then it was keep the old ones and still use them for now. Awesome communication. Way to mess up the company bank accounts! It's like they want to make a mess of everything.
Thoes are my thoughts too. I wonder where in the food chain the letters stopped. Did the RMs and big boys have to sign? What did they actually sell?
We are beyond the beginning of March. There is still no evidence of photos unlimited existing. Although they seem to be busy with a few projects, fun in frames (finally) and the passport clusterf**k. (Does the clip strip for the tags make anyone else hungry for potato chips? lol its like a candy display)
I also have a feeling hour cuts may be coming. For the slower studios anyway.
The new deposit slips have a different account number, so if we were sold that makes sense, but the company name on the slips don't. Did SPS studios get new deposit slips?
If walmart is taking over the studios, they may have split the staff off into a bogus company so we can be ditched easily when the time comes.
We have studio visits in my area. Still showing to potential buyers, or just internal check ins?
Paystub this week is from CPI Portrait Studios of Canada Corp.
Same as the last stub, I think this is what they usually say?
T4s are for 2013, so I wouldn't expect them to say anything about "the new company" but I am curious why the new deposit slips say walmart rather than photos unlimited.
I've also been told we're not to use the new deposit slips until further notice.
Were we actually sold? Doesn't really seem like it.
What happened to the passport specialist, why are we not to contact her anymore?
Yeah, I've had enough of this guy too. I could probably get better bussines insight from patrons at my local bar.
Move along, Ed. Your nonsensical drivel is not helping here.
Anyone notice on the luggage tags, the name card says STATE and ZIP CODE... With a Canadian flag on the other side!
lol they'll never get their shit together.
... so you're saying the stock will fart out it's last breath in a hail of dollars rather than pennies?
lol I'm just a drone wondering when I'm going to walk into a boarded up photography studio.
Does "going under" look imminent to you?
Hi Eddy, I see you are a trader and very active on the boards here. I'm curious what makes our rabble worth watching!?
This sound about right. Slowly close the studios starting with the least profitable and cut the field team as they go. Pretty standard in the business world I think.
And of course they will keep mum to us, try to keep us focused on sits and sales, avoid the mental check-out for as long as possible.... Busy work...
There's not much cash in my MOP bucket (pun intended) but I like the surprise of it! I'll admit I take it as a compliment on my photography when I get reorders. ;)
However, I've heard there's problems with the website, codes not working, shipping charges when they qualify for free shipping....
Marketing needs a rehaul big time. Free stuff and the $12.99 are more work than they're worth most of the time. My closest competitor has tons of packs in the 30-80 dollar range.
They do better than us for that reason, their photographer even has a sour reputation... They have a few cool props but charge to use them.
My district has studio managers working all but one weekend a month as per requirements, if you're in the green you get one extra saturday or sunday off.
edit to the below: I don't want my VIP and PPC customers sound like cheap jerks, most just happen to have the spare time but not the spare cash.
Most of em are all very nice and some even come back, and boy do I smooze the ones that buy.
MOP is a awesome solution for the customers who love the photos but can't buy that day. I wish I could see who my MOP customers are, I bet some are my $0 sits.
Well then. If they're playing by average ticket I'm done for.
I'm at a low volume studio, we're lucky to get 4 or 5 appointments a week. The rest of my "2 sits a day" come from VIPs and PPCs... I can sell and I do sell however some customers hear FREE and they will do nothing more.
I'm not sure if any of the google results are the company who bought us. One is in New York and the other is in the UK,... they both look like small businesses to me.
There isn't a company that trades under the name "photos unlimited", CPI and all of our competitors have an exchange symbol, although some of them are private. Maybe it's a new company, I guess.
I also agree that the lack of communication is strange. No conference call? No announcement?
I understand these things take time, but this feels more like a distraction rather than a new chapter.
This is making me tired.
I'm wondering who the buyer is, haven't heard a name and google searches turn up nothing.
we've been running "fill in the associate" since mid December.
My DM is no longer with the company abruptly. We're being merged with another DM. I also heard we were "bought out"
I also see the delivery schedule drops off soon, next week will be the last days to take photos for delivery mid march.
I don't plan on jumping ship, I just don't like being told everything is hunky-dory when it's not.
The beginning of the end? Movement today, seems similar to the way things went down in the states. Thoughts?