Sunday, April 5, 2009

Happy Easter

From the comments:
"Our studio recently got an e-mail stating that if we beat sales for the day, everybody working gets time and a half. We were supposed to get time and a half REGARDLESS since they're forcing us to be open on a holiday!"
(Plus don't forget that you'll be paying for your easter props out of your own pocket)

edit: one commenter asks:
"What is so bad about that? The company wants TO MAKE MONEY. It's a business! Duh..."
I thought about that in making the post. True, they don't have to pay time and half to anyone. But I just imagine Easter across the business happening the same way it did at our studio. Our Easter appointments would vary year to year. Some years they might get 1-2 sittings. Other years they might get 0. Usually it was dead all day partially given that people don't expect a lot to be open on Easter. And out in the mall, you couldn't pull anyone in to get photos since the Sears was usually dead. So it's just the randomness that got me. Through no fault of your own, some poor associate might have no one come in all day and miss out on time and a half. It used to be that when an associate had to run the studio on Easter, at least you got to tell them that they would get getting time and a half as some small concession.

And on top of that, the associate can't do any outreach telemarketing with appointmentless time unless they just want to get people angry for calling them on a holiday.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

What is so bad about that? The company wants TO MAKE MONEY. It's a business! Duh...

Anonymous said...

we work there for US to make money... not spend it for THEM to make money...... DUH.

WTF would someone making $9 an hour want to spend their own hard earned money to make a multi-million dollar company more money when they refuse to give us any of it?

Get your head out of your Butt.

SPS said...

/updated entry with anon1's comments

Anonymous said...

SPS...... u added that studios will most likely close at 3. Ours will not, we havent started those new rules until AFTER easter.

We are making our High Schoolers work on Easter. Weve made it a Seniority rules decision!

SPS said...

^^^^
I was under the impression that, while the new hours started after Easter, that Easter also had it's own weird hours as described in the entry.

Ah, it looks like I misread this comment: "That after Easter we will be closing at 6pm, 2 days a week. Fine, whatever.... we knew that. But then, the DM said that if we go to lunch at 2 and come back at 3to NO appts, then we have to close down the studio for the day?!"

Gotcha. Fixing the post. Thanks for letting me know.

Anonymous said...

my studio had the hours before easter changed back for 3 weeks and will go back to hte short closings after easter again. nothing like confusing your customers. not too mention the MALL where my sears is will be closed ONLY the sears will be open. most people assume it will all be closed. easter is a fairly big holiday as religious a significance as christmas...its also classified as a fairly big season for us. shouldnt we treat the holiday with the same respect as christmas and remain closed? shouldnt we respect the employees and not make them have to cajole and beg someone to work for them. at least with the time and a half promise more people were willing to do it on the holiday for the money. my studio has no appointments booked and will see no appointments as it has for the past 3 years. CPI is LOSING money by leaving us open. the other vendors arent open. save yourself a few bucks CPI give us back our holiday. they are so willing to cut corners with money everywhere else.

Anonymous said...

yup, nothing else is open in our mall either. we had No appts last year and have NO appts this year.

Its like everything they do is geared towards breaking down their employees.

Anonymous said...

Every dollar they cut is going to Picture me.http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/pictureme/37426/

Anonymous said...

trust me, pictureme! is cutting back just as much as sps. I don't know why you would say they are spending it on them.

Anonymous said...

What is so bad about that? The company wants TO MAKE MONEY. It's a business! Duh...

When I said this I meant what is so bad about the company wanting there to be goals set for Easter. I don't think anyone should be spending their own money on props. I don't and I am very successful.

SPS said...

^^^I realized that and sorry if there was any confusion. Thinking about easter just reminded me of dropping $30 for easter stuff and I figured now was as good a time as any to write that in.

Anonymous said...

Yeah for me!!! After 15 years with CPI, I will be home with my family for Easter. Oh, and thanks again for firing me- I thoroughly enjoyed the $400.00 per week in unemployment benefits I received, the 15 year anniversary giftcard you sent by mistake, and the monies you'll be paying me to settle that lawsuit with the EEOC.
XOXO

Anonymous said...

Ha! Good luck with your lawsuit! I heard that it takes years to get any results. I know someone who spent 4 years trying to get justice.(and didn't) Bastards. Are you able to share why they say they fired you?

Anonymous said...

The reason given was "poor performance". This after 14 years of steady growth and numerous awards for outstanding performance. My final review stated that "this individual consistently performs above standards". My unemployment claim was uncontested. That's almost unheard of with the exception of lay offs, etc.

Anonymous said...

waaaaaaa! waaaa! boo hoo!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
waaaaaaa! waaaa! boo hoo!

OK--you are DEFINITELY from the Home Office.

Anonymous said...

My being fired was completely uncontested as well and has been paying unemployment for over a year. And there are 3 other long term managers in my district that all got fired within the same year and ALL got unemployment. I was told "off the record" that they thought I made too much money and gave no reason for my termination, so they didn't even try to contest.
~M~

Anonymous said...

Waaaa waaa boo hoo? Trust me, I'm having the last laugh, for sure. I thank my friend "Mr. Jesus" every day for doing for me what I was unable to do for myself. Working at CPI was like being in an abusive marriage for 15 years; I was never good enough, and brainwashed into thinking I could not do any better. Then one day my "husband" came home and said he didn't like me anymore, and to pack my shit and get out. I did. When I run into people I've not seen in a while, they always say how great I look-like 10 years younger. That's the stress and anxiety gone from my life. So, if you love CPI so much, stick around. You'll get yours. In the end, literally.

Anonymous said...

what about all the pink slips being handed out? i heard today that CPI is cutting 64% of its work force. I just had a conversation last week about how CPI CANNOT survive with it's current business practices. They are doing exactly what I have seen other companies do right before they fold.
"Working at CPI was like being in an abusive marriage for 15 years; I was never good enough, and brainwashed into thinking I could not do any better."
AMEN SISTER!! I used that exact phrase when I got canned. I actually WAS in a bad marraige for 15 years and with CPI 17+, and I went through all the same emotions with CPI. Thank God I learned what "co-dependent" meant and will never allow myself to be treated that badly again!
~M~

Anonymous said...

Working at CPI can negatively impact your personal and family relationships, believe me! Your family and partners never understand what it is really like to be in your shoes. I remember so many times when I would hear, "Don't answer it." But I HAD to! At the end of the day, you need to vent about how horrible things are, and your partner can only take so much. Plus, like I said, they never know what you are really going through. "It can't be THAT bad." they say. This site has confirmed it: Yes it IS that bad! The things I went through during my time at CPI happened, and are still happening, all across the country. This company has got to go DOWN!

Anonymous said...

i have an uncle who never believes me when i tell him all the things they do to us, one day he happened to bring me my lunch when the DM was around. he was appalled after 2 sentences and i had to usher him out before he got me fired. my husband and i fight every day bc the phone rings at least 4 times from work. "you are at home!" he says " you are not getting paid for this and our short time we have when your home is always jeapordized because your the only one that knows how to work the computer system!" i whole heartedly agree. i put in applications to places daily. im working in a convenience store again. the pay was better and so were the benefits. i think its a shame i made more money slinging cigarettes and coffee all day and have to do triple the work with CPI. my health is also jeapordized ive gaind 150 lbs since working here. (yes 150 im not ashamed just disgusted) i have type 2 diabetes and the lack of breaks for the first 4 years made me have to grab quick energy snacks (like candy bars)to keep from crashing out in a shift.with my medical conditions that kind of eating caused me to balloon up. the stress finished the job now i also have high blood pressure and was hospitilized for stroke symptoms (which thankfully were just anxiety attacks) and a pulmonary embolism so when they tell you this job sucks the life out of you they are correct. im just waiting for the first chance and im out the door

Anonymous said...

That sounds terrible! I hope you can find a more rewarding job soon. I like what a friend of mine who still works at CPI said her father told her recently. "You may as well enlist and go to Iraq if you're going to live in such fear and stress all the time."

Anonymous said...

I've lost 40 lbs since leaving CPI, my blood pressure is way down, and I no longer have daily headaches. I also don't need take Xanax to calm the f*** down after work.