Friday, August 21, 2009

GoPortraits

With business coming to SPS and PictureMe less and less, they're now offering to come to you thanks to their new GoPortraits. Admittedly, I don't know much about this: are they doing it as a seperate company? Those of you in the comments seem very much against it so I'm guessing there's some stuff I'm not aware of. While I would never want my wedding photographed by them, I'm guessing that the senior pictures stuff could work out well.

The main thing is though: where are they getting the people to shoot these things: Sears Photographers aren't in any way trained about how to properly expose photos in a non studio setting.

Anyhow, fill me in via the comments or via email. Let's discuss.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

1. It's part of SPS.
2. They are training one or two photographers per studio (mostly AMs) to photograph subjects outside.
3. There is a commission offered for being a goPortraits photographer, but it's beyond crappy...I think 8% or something wretched like that.
4. We are now REQUIRED to book one goPortrait appointment per week.
5. It's another headache that will make money for the company and stress for us.

Anonymous said...

It is also part of Picture Me as well.

Anonymous said...

to h*ll with it all! Worst company ever to work for!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Saw comments about it under Hold It Down Alone under comments... upon further investigation it seems pretty much like the one commentor said about not being able to request the phot. from your district.. it is divided up into "zones" and the primary photog. in your "zone" may not have come from your district NOR is it a guarantee that even tho you want to view at a Sears Studio, that you will have a Sears photog... If the PM phot. is the primary photog for that zone, she gets the shoot no matter where the appointment comes from. Nothing against PM photographers... just that I know our studio can shoot 15 people (tho cramped) and we do MANY large groups @ Christmas, but what is the most that you can do at PM? I have only seen a few PM studios and they seem awfully small
and I know some may have prior experience with large groups. And it can also apply to SPS photog if they are from a small size studio I suppose. And from what I understand, the deciding factor on SPS or PM being the primary photog. was which ever company (SPS or PM) had more stores in that "zone" was the primary photog. But my question is, say there is a wedding a "primary photog" shoots, it's downloaded to your store (because that is where they want to view and place order) but when you show them, they are NOT happy with the photos, they aren't what they expected? I wouldn't want that can of worms in our studio! Don't know why they didn't give every area 2 cameras for the DM to have control of, your studio books the appointment w/ GOPORTRAIT cooridinator, go photog. from your studio shoots it, your studio sells it. I think EVERY studio probably had someone who wanted to do it, but then again, maybe not.. lots of food for thought....

Anonymous said...

does anyone else have the new EAC program. has anyone been screwed and confused by it yet. i cant see when anyone clocked in so how can i send accurate labor numbers at night? where the hell does PTO go? (probably in the toilet like actual PTO) how are things supposed to get fixed or be easier when the higher ups cant work it and lowly studio employees can call payroll about their individual problems. if you dont speak up for yourself your overlooked.

Anonymous said...

We have the new EAC program... it took our manager about an hour to figure it out. But PTO.. she said she is having the DM put in for it... that is how she usually does it, especially if you are "borrowing" hours, I think it is the only way for it to go in.
The concept is good, I appreciate not having all the paperwork in our filebox (that doesn't even lock)like my ss# etc. to chance identity theft. And she said WE are responsible for updated our records as far as moving, direct deposit etc. IF it works like it's suppose to yeah... but I am still waiting to see if it does.
You were suppose to be able to clock in with your new assoc. #, but I still had to clock in by ss#.
Clock out & then back in to view time card report for total hours for the day. (Will be off a min. or 2 til you clock back out) Also can review yellow copy reciept of SAS to log each indiv. hours. Not too hard to do if you don't have lots of transactions, Just time consuming. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

well the normal attendance thing we had on the SAS is gone. so if the morning shift leaves at 2 and i come in at 3 i have no idea of seeing when they clocked in and cant send an accurate report. i put in a request for 2 pto days that no one has a clue about. my dm said they would look into it. the pay period is over so now i have to wait until NEXT pay period which means either my electric or water will be shut off in the meantime. i have to figure out which is more important. i didnt even know where to put in the request and submitted emails. the hours on the EAC arent matching whats printing out when i clock out and im fed up with NEW NEW NEW things all the time without proper testeing. just in with the new out with the old without transistion and its affecting my wallet. everyday its a new form, new procedure, new process. my PRS was much higher when i just did what came natural .photographing and being inspired by children. i handled digital conversions and photographers choice. i was excited with my new work and took even better photography. then we dragged it to more poses more enhancements, then its JUST show enhancements. then its let the art sell itself NO show at least 3 framed fine art no focus on collections no......how about you let me do what i did to bring in money before you rammed all this corporate crap down my throat. i mean how many things do i have to sign and email in. they end up contradicting themselves in the long run. i couild be fired for something i signed 2 years ago that has nothing to do with the new policies now. i could keep up if someone would just communicate with me and convey the message rather than sending me an email thats going to be revoked and sent with a new policy hours later.

Anonymous said...

CPI sounds like a new "mom and pop" company that really doesn't know what they want to be or how to run a business. Constantly changing things before they are tested, struggling to hire and train employees only to torture and threaten them, and not communicating clear objectives and goals so anyone could succeed anyway. I know corporate America is struggling and only the strong will survive, but in order to bounce back from the hard hitting economy, they are going to have to stop changing things and take a breath. Give the employees some encouragement and start community relationships so when people do start looking outside for photography again, SPS will be the first place they come.

I worked for CPI for 18 yrs and still have MANY friends still employed there. I now help run a very successful family business, and the direction CPI is taking is the same path that I see other SMALL businesses take right before they disappear!

~the bunny lady~

Anonymous said...

bunny lady you are awesome....i wish i could have worked with you. LOL

Anonymous said...

Just recieved my last write up that I can get from being fired. LOL. Wow!!! They really had to dream something up that was way out in left field that doesn't matter whatsoever. I am presently searching for a job and I hope I start a new job right after Thanksgiving. I am not even going to call in. I will just not show up and not answer the phone or texts. I wonder what they will do? I am already gathering all my good customer's phone numbers to let them know I will no longer be there so they don't have to come to my store any more. When I leave they will have a hard time getting business in there without me.

Anonymous said...

"Anonymous said...

bunny lady you are awesome....i wish i could have worked with you. LOL"

Maybe you did??? Cali?

Anonymous said...

nah jersey...but wishfull thinking

Anonymous said...

There market is The Private Photographer..Wow so go after the little man tring to freelance what a big cooperate play to make all the money...The commision is 7% which is nothing espcially with all the work you have to do ..So now this is a conflict of interest for anyone who did weddings and events before cpi even started guess what you will will have to fire a lot of people and then expect lawsuits...As far as the job everyone is complainnig its sounds like you guys got some jacked up training or something because this whole job is nothing but common sense and just following there sales model and photography model its that easy and if you worked here long and haven't figured out how to work these things in your favor then yeah you would say it sucks..Eac if your manager couldn't figure it out then they are an idiot all you do is read the directions and its that easy ...But the glicthces havent hit my store yet and i make sure i check all time cards so my people get paid managers need to be team players and half of this would not happen communicate" i tell my people everything...

Anonymous said...

I personally am excited for Goportraits to come to my district! In fact our whole district is pretty excited!! It gives us something new and different to do, and offer!! And honestly cpi may suck sometimes, but I love makeing customers happy, and the new pricing is not as bad as u people seem to think it is~

Anonymous said...

As a Sps mgr I think when I only have promote and book appts and let them do all the work as I reep the $sales$... Thats awsome can I do this full time? and not have to deal with 2yr old snot nosed miniature assholes... sweet Then It would not be a conflict of interest to shot my own photography and profit from it as well...love it, I made an extra $1200 over the past 3 weeks and without it would be far from making any bonus.