Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Kiddie Kandids Shuts Down Without Warning

In case you haven't heard, Kiddie Kandids (not a CPI company) abruptly filed for bankruptcy and closed their doors, leaving customers without their orders and associates without a job and unpaid. From this article
"Thousands of Utah parents and countless others across thecountry are worried they may have just lost precious family memories. Photographsof their children are locked up, behind closed doors, inside hundreds of KiddieKandids stores that are now closed. The company is bankrupt.

More than 175 Kiddie Kandids studios abruptly closed theirdoors today when employees got word, in the form of a letter from the corporateoffice in Sandy,the company was declaring Chapter Seven bankruptcy. More than 1,700 workers,from part-time college students to full time managers supporting theirfamilies, are now unemployed. Worse, they also found out they won’t be paid forthe past two weeks work."

55 comments:

Anonymous said...

I heard gossip (have not confirmed) that Picture People laid off half of their managers. If this is true, you can not expect CPI to be very far behind.

Anonymous said...

I know I will be end of january...low prs...and lack of 5 star...I hate how we are threatened if we go back for our higher education that we will lose our jobs.

Anonymous said...

Well I can confirm that!..It was 2005 when West Oaks mall, Altomonte mall and 3 other in our district did what they call "closing in the dark" I was a manager there for 2 years. I've seen what happens to studios that arent pulling #s and blowing payroll.

Anonymous said...

Is it really "blowing payroll" when you are doing everything short of holding a gun to their head to get them to buy something...and we're doing the marketing because corporate is cutting costs by using threats. And we're calling "customers" from any point in a decade to the point of no contact orders...maybe if they didn't excess print marketing..just saying. oh wait that's right i'm a worthless bad a manager...what was I thinking

Anonymous said...

I have never worked for a company so willing to terminate employees and threaten new managers so much.

Anonymous said...

I warned my DM that I am depressed, having a bad home life, and I really really just need some compassion right now. All I heard on her visit was that I sucked, no even kidding. And that I would be fired on the 27th. I went home to be yelled at and swore at because I can't lose my job.

I go to sleep every single night wishing I could die in my sleep...yes I am that depressed. I've never worked for a company other than telemarketing that desired a turn over rate so high before.

Anonymous said...

"I warned my DM that I am depressed,"

I hope you are ok at home, it sounds pretty rough, THAT is your first priority, not this company. Nice of them to warn you though, so you could have time to get something else.
Good Lock to you!

Anonymous said...

Too "depressed"-
I know how you feel as i was married while working at CPI and getting tortured and threatened at both ends. There is one saving grace if you can pull yourself up enough to do it, and that is to go out on disability while you still have a job. I do not condone falsifying any type of aide, but this is COMPLETELY legitimate as you are on a serious path of self destruction and NEED to ask for help. You need to call 1-800-888-CARE and tell them how you are feeling. A licensed therapist will answer the phone and put you in touch with a professional in your area. This is paid for by CPI and should totally be utilized. Once you are under care, you can apply for psychological disability and CPI can not punish you for it. Make sure you tell them everything, they can not tell CPI anything you discuss and you should probably tell them that you fear retaliation since you are being threatened so severely. NO ONE has the right to berate or belittle you! NO ONE!! You are a child of God and deserve to live an abuse-free life. PLEASE get help. Your home life is your main priority and should be peaceful and a place of support and love. A safe haven from all the "CPI's" of the world. I tell you this because I have been EXACTLY where you are and I did exactly what I am telling you to do. My life now is happier than I could have imagined back then, when I had a horrible home life and worked for CPI at the same time.

the bunny lady

Anonymous said...

according to a manager and a guy from corporate, any manager making over $20 and hour is being kicked to the curb!! even though their life has been nothing but CPI! I really do hate CPI!!

Anonymous said...

I go to bed everynight and hope to wake up to a phone call saying there was a random fire and we are closed until furthur notice..... Thats how i feel.

I cant quit or get fired because i dont get enough hours for unemployment anymore. Im an asst. manager and LUCKY to get 20hrs a week. I have a family of 5 living off this since my husband is unemployed.


I love their bottom line......

Anonymous said...

Managers who are making over $20 per hour are not being fired for making that much money. They are being fired because it is that manager's responibility to be profitable. More is expected from a manager who makes that much and if they can't meet their SCR, it is their fault.

Anonymous said...

If they don't make SCR that is Their fault?! That's like saying it's a one person's fault for snow falling...somethings like what someone spends IS NOT IN THEIR CONTROL...omg....that whole statement just really makes me upset. CPI runs the company living off of brainwashed job threatened people, under appreciating them and under paying them. WAKE UP THE communistic nightmare can end...it really can.

I job hunting when I'm not at work. I plan on walking out with a one week notice, that's more than this company deserves.

Anonymous said...

SCR? Are you kidding me? Quit sending out the damn 4.99 pkg... or make it something reasonable... like being able to use a one pose pkg. ONCE a year instead of sending one every month! Or make it 16 portraits.. a sheet of petites and then let them buy the sheets at regular price. And WHY in the hell would ANYONE buy a supersaver card since EVERY coupon I have ever seen says NO SESSION FEE?
Quit tying my hands behind my back and sabotaging ways to increase our prs. WTF?

Anonymous said...

It is the manager's responsibility to profit, but like the post above mine says CPI sabotages us. Sure every once in a while you can get people from wanting a $4.99 package to a collection, but the majority of the time if a customer expects to pay one price that is all they are going to purchase... or 40% off regular price products no required purchase.... NO the customer isn't going to spend more, why the hell would they? And the package I agree should be a once a year thing. They see that price then they think we're insane for offering them a collection...

Anonymous said...

They especially think we are insane because they can use one every friggan day. "You mean i dont have to wait 6months?! Thats the rule at WAL-MART!"

Gee, thanks CPI for making things easier on Picture Me.

Anonymous said...

Anyone know what the pricing was at Kiddie kandids before they closed? I do know that their cd was only an "archival" cd.. not able to print from it, but wonder about sheet prices and pkgs. (like our collections)????

Anonymous said...

Isn't it illegal to NOT pay someone their wages? I see lawsuits.

Anonymous said...

I was a former store manager of PMPS from April of 2008 to June of 2009. Working for CPI was a total nightmare...the lies that the DM's and the Region Mgrs was so pathetic and uncalled for in the business world. If half of those people actually knew what business was all about within big companies over half would be fired. I wished when I had made them terminate me...which is hindsight now because today I have a much better job and I am so much better for having walked out on PMPS and CPI. Today I am currently a store manager for Dollar General which is a booming and thriving market for the current retail environment and would encourage some of you top managers who wish to carry your experiences to at least give the dollar stores a try. Without giving to much of my current rate of pay I will say it will be well worth it because it is over 30k plus bonuses...which is a whole hell of a lot more than what I made as a store manager with PMPS. I currently have seven employees working for me...I have two asst managers...i have five regular employees. Ladies and Gentlemen...DG is for real and I would encourage all of you on this blog to check them out and give them a try...its worth checking into...I feel the pain of most of you here...CPI is not a company you want to stay with now or in the future. CPI's President sucks...as a and leadership sucks and as a matter of fact he could kiss my ass. To treat your employees as a brainwashed group of people and to treat them inhumanely is uncalled for. I will never forget the day I told my DM I quit...she was looking to fire someone...my PRS was well over 135 a sale...my sits were up...the whole nine yards...never missed a day. Then she tried to argue well your paperwork is not being done and that is grounds for dissmal...if you dont do it next time your fired. The next time she came into visit which was four months later she wrote me up for non compliance. She called to tell me she was taking me off the schedule...I was like your going to take me a SM off the schedule...I said thats it I am done with you and you can go to hell. Life has been grand ever since....Best feeling in the world. Trust me there are other avenues people to explore!!!!

Anonymous said...

Anyone else been told that 1/2 hour apart apointments are now SINGLE coverage?

Ive already warned my manager. If im there with 1/2 hour appointments and im not allowed to call in someone, i WILL be walking out. I dont get paid enough for this crap.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, ive been told that as well. and I agree.. its not fair to us or the customers. I also am being told that if we clock out more than five min. after closing its a write up.

Anonymous said...

Yet, if we dont make that closing appt. when we get screen called then we get fired.

I just dont know what to do anymore. Make the appt or get fired. Stay after hours to do that appt and get fired.

My only option: get fired.

Anonymous said...

I applied to Dollar General I am still waiting to hear back how my interview with their DM went, I should hear the start of next week. I really really hope they decide to choose me. I've got 2 years of being a retail manager and over 5 years of customer service under my belt. Oh my word to be able to get out of CPI would be wonderful!

Anonymous said...

My employee is booked every hour on the hour all day long today with complex sits. Aka, pushy parents with 4 outfit changes with props, and lots of extra family member "help"...insert groan... I really feel the few employees left are going to quit. One gets horrid hours say 3 a week, and the other is over worked and under appreciated by the DM. And the DM won't give her a pay raise or recognize her worth at all.

If Corporate ever reads this, oh man I wish someone is corporate had a brain and read this blog. They would be able to learn very quickly that shit is rolling down hill, that some DM's are tyrants that just make shit up and when they are caught blame the nearest manager. And it is a mad mad world at SPS. Fix it fast because my middle name isn't Pushover.

Anonymous said...

Ok so here is our latest updates from our region:
We recognize employees are falling on the ice outside so be sure to relax as you fall. Now if a customer falls rush over there quickly and say we just put ice melt down...nice..

I'm tired of being told to sell the world to people who came in yesterday and said they were living off of canned soup and ramen because both parent's were unemployed. And this is the scene everywhere around this area.
My PRS and my employees PRS is in the 80's for 4 week. Nothing we can do about it.

But apparently we are losing our jobs tomorrow because we aren't selling 100's of dollars to people living off canned soup and ramen.

Anonymous said...

Hell, IM living off canned ramen and soup. My husband has been out of a job for almost 2 years and we have 3 kids.

I dont care anymore. I go to work and go through the motions now. I no longer go out of my way to con ppl out of money... it makes no difference. I had over a $160 prs for over a year, did i get a raise? NO! Did i bonus? HELL to the No.

Anonymous said...

I have heard now for the 3rd time that my store manager has bad mouthed me to another person. does she think this will not get back to me? Well I don't even care what she thinks because nothing she can say would bother me after the numerous times she has lied to employees, customers, our DM and ME. If she thinks she is a great manager .. she is not, she is lazy and does not focus on her duties as a manager. She takes 2 to 3 star photography at best and I hated the pictures she did of my child but had no choice in who took the pictures. And since she wants to talk behind my back then I hope she is prepared for when i find a different job because i will not be giving a notice, warning or anything else..

Anonymous said...

if u don't give notice, you are hurting yourself for future employment. Sorry about your manager but think of YOU first and take a deep breath, then if you need to quit, give her 2 weeks and hang in there, then you won't have a negative referral. good luck!

Anonymous said...

The two week notice is only for respect for your present employer, and if you ever plan on going back to that job. Quitting with no notice can not negatively affect you at future employers because it is illegal for anyone anywhere to give you a bad referral. They are only allowed to say the dates you worked there, period! Anything more and they could be jeopardizing your right to provide for yourself financially. When I was a manager, I never worked anyone after they gave me their two weeks anyway. It is a courtesy and not a requirement that they stay on the schedule. It simply is too much trouble covering staff at the last minute that decide not to show up on their last few days.

As far as your stupid manager, just do your job and know you can not change her. She will get whats coming to her times ten!

Anonymous said...

Our district just got an edict from the powers at be that we are not to go over on hours without permission from Jim Mattox himself or face the consequences.

I wonder if a customer shows up at closing time at 7:00 pm should I call up Jimmy and ask him if I should take the customer since I will be over on hours on a Saturday night the last day of the week?

I am not working off the clock on session planning, outreaching, standing in line for 30 minutes to get a money order from Wal-Mart. Sorry about their luck it will be done on the clock.

Sooner or later I look for them to try and put us managers on salary instead of being paid hourly.

Anonymous said...

I heard through the grapevine that the new store manager where I worked **before I was told to not bother coming in if I couldn't make it in by the DM when I was sick** told several customers who called and asked for me that I was fired....I wonder what I can do about that? Oh well, I got unemployment anyway...

Anonymous said...

Just wondering how many of us have started persuing our own photo businesses?

Anonymous said...

You can't say someone was fired regardless of whether they were or weren't. Its slander. You'd probably need proof though, like someone to testify they said that. Thats if you're wanting to make this a legal matter.

Anonymous said...

every state has diff regulations about what can and can't be said, check with your labor board. I say let it all go, you got your unemployment and you are no longer a part of CPI, don't worry,,,be happy!

If I leave CPI, I am not looking to stay in photography, with all the easy as pie cameras everyone can buy and use and all the other people popping up all over for almost nothing, not worth the competition.
I am wondering how everyone is doing after the holidays, my studio is more than struggling to even get an appointment, to the tune of 3 a week total !

Anonymous said...

It's crazy how much DMs and other managers like to talk trash about employees who leave. I became the mgr overnight b/c the current mgr left on the spot. Immediately, the DM and mgr from the store closest to us started talking all kinds of trash, saying that she "stopped trying" and "didn't care anymore." This, despite the fact that she was working injured, in pain, on lots of meds, and not being compensated properly by disability.
Then, after I put in my notice because I decided to move and was tired of being commanded to work, even when I was sick, I heard from other employees (who happen to be my friends) that the same kind of trash talking was happening again, with ME as the subject!
It is incredible how much this company doesn't care, even when you put in 7 years of your life, run the highest PRS in the studio consistently, perform despite lack of training, train an entire studio without assistance as a new manager and work overtime when you're sick.
All I can say is that I am SO much happier now that I don't work for this company. Heck, I'm actually looking forward to Valentine's Day instead of freaking out about booking enough appointments for events. Yes, life is a pleasant place without CPI in the mix.

Anonymous said...

I would love to hear some outreach strategies from some of you

Anonymous said...

I wonder who would be asking for outreach strategies? Well, I feel compelled to oblige.
1) sneak into the children's "play area" in the mall and pass out coupons while discreetly talking to the mom's about making an appt.
2) go through the phone book and send flyers to every school and daycare in the area.
3) on those rare occasions that you get a break, spend it in the food court scanning the crowds for potential customers and give them coupons and beg for appt's.
4) find all the orthodontists in your area and start a program for when braces get removed they and their patient each get a free 5x7
5) keep a sign up sheet on the cash wrap somewhere in Sear's to get potential customers
6) put up flyers at Starbucks on the community board
7) set up programs with local pediatricians to pass out coupons
8) make friends with the stores in your mall that carry children's clothes and get them to stuff their bags with coupons
9) sponsor one senior from each high school around to bring in classmates in exchange for discounts

There are so many more but I am tired of typing. These are just a tiny little sampling of the things I did as a manager at CPI...before I was fired for making over $20. an hour. You're welcome.

Anonymous said...

TY very much for your ideas as mine are whimping out in my area. We are not allowed to browse the mall, only the mall employees. I really do appreciate it. I am sorry you lost your job and I hope you have found a happy place to be successful. I am barely at 1/2 that so I am still employed. As you know, all the posts are anonymous but I have posted somewhere in here before, have a nice day and TY again :}

Anonymous said...

Goods ideas.. hopefully you will get better response than I did. I took flyers to 5 daycares only to tell me that they would "see if they could put them in the cubbies"... yet in 2 years, i NEVER received any back into the studio... I made it "free collage and NO session fee"..
Also mailed the marketing coupons with a cover letter to 6 pediatricians offices.. yes, had to pay for postage and the padded mailing envelopes....
also gave 150 free 10x13 and 20% off flyers I made to elementary school which handed out in their "back to school" goody bags. So I now leave it to the company... but I do log anything that I try for backup. Good luck! I hope you are more successfull. Oh and referral slips.... most of mine are "wrong #'s" so depressing when you are trying and hoping for just 10% of outreach to work!

Anonymous said...

I would keep an outreach book. I would put all of my fliers and any thing else that I did in this book. I would write when I sent them out..where I sent them, how many I sent and how many we got back. Then I would show this to my DM when he came in. I held at least 2 events a week..one for Sun-Wed and then Thurs-Sat. I would also mark which ones worked the best for our area..something that worked in one studio may not work in another...

Anonymous said...

Well, after nearly four years with SPS, I've finally thrown in the towel. I left feeling under-appreciated, angry, and knowing that things were not getting better. I thought I'd be elated after my departure, but, really, I'm just sad. Sad that I'll not be serving my long-time customers and sad that I'll not be getting those precious smiles out of the little ones. But, I'm most sad for everyone still on the inside. You work for a company that cares little for its field staff and makes a concerted effort to achieve results through fear and intimidation. You're expected to handle appointments on the half hour with single coverage, while answering phone inquiries, delivering photos, making appointments, doing passports, and fielding reorders. And that's assuming your not a manager. At the same time you'll have to maintain an acceptable PRS, and keep those waiting customers happy however you can so that your customer satisfaction scores are decent. And, on top it all, don't fail to achieve a five star photography rating, or take that lunch break you won't have time for, and do at least 10 outreach calls, and ... It's just crazy!

As I watched the first episode of CBS' Undercover Boss, I thought Renato Cataldo would be a good candidate for the show. It would be great to see if he could earn his half million annual salary as a single-coverage associate. But, alas, we won't get to see him hoisted with his own petard.

The best of luck to you all.

Anonymous said...

What's really sad is watching a super high volume studio be mismanaged into a low volume studio in a little over a year. I also was termed for making too much money. After 15 years of CPI hell, I am now on the management team at Sears. So, I get to deal with a studio that doesn't open on time on a regular basis, is over 200K down in sales, fails to keep signage current, is at least 60% down in sits, and apparently has only an incompetant assistant mgr. to run things as the mgr. seems to only work about 25 hrs per week. When I walk by I no longer see a crowd of customers and at least 5 employees working together in a fun atmosphere. I see almost no customers, and a manager who almost never smiles. Our Optical is closing down for good on April 2, and rumor has it the studio is not far behind.

Anonymous said...

Thank G-d they went out of bussiness, more for PicMe and SPS.

Anonymous said...

Guys, I feel all of your pain. Recently I quit working at picture me, and yes, without another source of income. Long story short, my manager and I could not take another day of constantly being yelled at, even when we carried the district with our high numbers. I've just now gotten a new job, and I feel better than ever! I got depressed as many of you have gotten. I would never recommend anyone quitting without another confirmed job or anything. Most of the people I worked with have so much more than to offer than to be stuck in this crappy, underpaid, and unorganized job. Guys just keep looking, there are jobs out there. Picture me and sear's portrait studio can be depressing, but don't let it hold you back from all of your potential. :)

Anonymous said...

No double coverage, I don't care if you're booked every half hour.... oh and make sure you get at least 3 outreach appointments as well... and make sure you walk around the store until you talk some poor sucker into making an appointment.... oh, you're 150% to plan? but you're down in sits so you aren't doing your job... what do you mean you didn't have time to outreach?

UGH! I'm so over it.

fedupwithsps said...

I know this is off subject, but i felt as if i needed to add a little something to this blog.

The other day i had a customer come in 2 hours early for their appointment, wanting to be taken early. I had an appoint every hour until her appointment. so i polietly explained that i did have other appoinments scheduled to come in before her, but that if they cancelled or didnt show i would be able to get her in early, then suggested they walk around the mall so that the children did not get restless sitting there there for possibly 2 hours. she declinded and said she would just wait. During the next two hours both appointments showed, and while i was with them, her children were literally tearing the studio up. they knocked down and broke 5 of our hanging pictures, and put a hole in the wall. so i again suggested maybe they go play in the play place to keep them entertained. again she declined. so i finally made it to them, and began trying to take the portraits, and they children were crying with snotty noses, and they would not cooperate. i tried for a full 30 mins and only got 2 photos. so i suggested that if they came back, we could try again. she threw a fit and said that i was giving poor customer service, because i didnt take their pictures right away.. i mean forget about the other people that had appointments.. she yelled and cussed but agreed to come back. ?? she then called in on me the next day, saying that i made her wait for two hours when she had an appointment, and that i kept taking people before her...and then i got mad that her kids would not take pictures and demanded they come back later. so like everything else at sps, instead of listening to what really happened, because the customer is always right, i got a coreective action, because of poor customer service. now you tell me is that fair? i did everything possible, yet still got in trouble. this company is messed up, and if they dont start treating their employees right, they have none.

and for this entire past week i have had the flu and pneumonia. i have been on bed rest and breathing machines and an at home IV. The meds they put me on, i found did not react well to stomache ulcers...which is how i found out i have one. I called the manager and explained that i would be out for at least a week, told her all the details, and all she said was if yu dont have a doctors note, you dont have a job... i recieved a text today asking when i was coming back.. there were no, " how are you feeling" or " i hope you are doing better" messages at all. its completly rediculous that i can be as sick as i am, and the biggest problem in their life is the fact i am sick, and they might have to work a double to cover it.

Anonymous said...

So now lets give out a free collage, a free 8x10 AND a free sheet w/ 5x7 and 4 wallets AND NO SESSION FEE......... why buy anything else? WHY BUY A SUPER SAVER CARD.. ALL THE COUPONS SENT OUT & ONLINE SAY "NO SESSION FEE" if you're going to send out those friggin damn free coupons, at least send them out to people who are not current customers!!!! what the hell? And you want our prs to be $200.???????????

Anonymous said...

I know I'm a little late in response, but I just stumbled onto this site. On January 17th somebody commented asking about KK's pricing prior to closing. I worked for KK studio 27 in Glendale Arizona for the last 2 years. The pricing was really similar to Picture People. The archival CD actually did allow you to print off pictures, however you could only print from your home computer. A few months before they closed, KK released the "Expression Session CD" which was a fully copyright released CD which allowed you to do any editing/enhancing/printing anywhere you'd like. Although KK had always had the option of a copyright released CD it was way over priced - at $200 - and therefore was rarely mentioned. When the Expression Session CD was introduced, it came along with a value of $49.99 price tag. They offered traditional packages ranging from $99 - $149, Framed Wall Galleries from $300 - $400, and Fine Art Collections from $330 - $750. You could also choose to purchase individual sheets (sizes ranging from 2x3 wallets to 8x10, and many combos including 3.5x5 and 4x6 in between) for $19.99 each. No sitting fees. Pictures printed in studio in about 10 - 15 minutes. Of course there were always coupons/specials/club offers which lowered the prices significantly. Also, there were several specialty products for sale at various prices which I did not list.

One of KK's greatest faults was their customer base. Towards the end, we had several meetings centered around the fact that 60% of customers make up 40% of profits. 2% of the customers ["2-percenters"] will not spend a single penny, ever - making use of "free sheet" offeres, etc. Once these numbers came out, the focus turned to the 38% of customers that made up the majority of the profit. Millions were spent on advertising for special programs and systems for prototype studios (mine was one!) and thousands of dollars went into the "Studio Refresh Program" which provided studios around the country with a sort of remodel. From discussions I've had with former coworkers, it did not appear that the closing of Kiddie Kandids, and bankruptcy, was as sudden as they would have it appear. In my opinion, it was truly a tragedy. :( RIP Kiddie Kandids.

Anonymous said...

Yup, based on the bankruptcy hearing, it was known well ahead of the ultimate closing that KK was heading for a brick wall. Apparently they were trying to reach an agreement with their competitors to sell parts or all of the company very shortly before the end. CPI pulled out at the last minute, and the banks, who for all intents and purposes ran the company, pulled the plug. They were not going to sink any more good money into a losing venture. That was truly tragic for the many dedicated longtime employees and their adoring customers. It makes you mad that they didn't fairly warn their employees, but then doing so would have undermined their efforts to sell off to the competition, which, had it been successful, would potentially have saved jobs. Ex-KK staff have to look on the bright side; they could have been working for CPI.

Anonymous said...

Just so everyone knows, kiddie kandids has now been bought by CPI corp, so I guess they are not doing as bad finiacially as everyone thinks

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen any comments at all lately, even on this thread considering CPI bought the rights, what is everyones thoughts???

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to say that i have been a manager with this company for almost 5 years. I came in to this company with a love of photography and people and to what i thought was a job that would be rewarding and fun. But it is by far the worst company out there. They expect way to much from us for way to little and in the end i believe their goal is to set us up to fail or quit, you know they dont want to pay unemployment. Lets talk about labor; my min. wage employees cannot come into cover double booked appt or for even weekly training because the whole $8 an hour the company pays them will kill our labor. But they can send a studio that does about 120 sittings a month 1000 coupons (5 different versions of the same thing) every few week to hand out or hideous backgrounds that we never use....who can say waste of money...i can! Also they can buy other companies that have closed down...ie Kiddie Kandid and wouldn't you know reopen the one 5 stores down from us in the mall, are they retarded? Lets compete with ourselves cause that is how u make $, double the labor for the same amount of money. I wonder are they gonna pay the kiddie kandids staff what they were making before or are they gonna screw em like they do us. I mean our incetive program is so great, right i mean my staff totally buy into an insentive where they can earn an extra $1 for 3 months worth of work (i actually have an employee who is getting that as her bonus) I truely love what i do but i hate this company, they need to get their heads out of their asses and start treating their employees like people. Instead of treating us as if we are expendable and easily replacable. I'm sure most of our studios would loose 75% of the business and sales with out us there.

Anonymous said...

I am totally missing this site. Why is it not being updated? Tons of stuff has happened since March '10.

Kiddie Kandids was bought out by CPI & many of their district managers & regional managers took over similar positions at SPS.

CPI has also bought 2 other businesses: A smaller portrait studio chain & a wedding photography company.

VERY recently they have supposedly laid off/fired several dms & rms. They sent out an email to the company today in regards. This is enlarging existing districts & making the travel area expand.

They have also done away with most of the reports on SAS, but have no logical way to track numbers because all paperwork is done from Going for the Green, & we all know how well staff keep up with this! There is also no way to determine what individual staff members' PRS & Loyalty Conversion is since there is no longer a Site Sales Report. So long & short is that they took away the only USEFUL information we had access to to "simplify" when in reality, they've made studio reports next to impossible!

Anonymous said...

CPI Corp now owns.. Sears Portrait Studio, Picture Me Portrait Studio which was known as WalMart Portrait Studio when PCA owned it. CPI Corp also owns Kiddi Kandids an GO Portaits and is now starting a new version called FotoNet. However, the bad thing is they are all mishandled & mismanaged by CPI Corp. This company as most of you have experienced cares little for their employees, Managers or District Managers for that matter. They care less about the wants or needs of the Customers and even less about the children. Currently in SPS they have 35 backgrounds and lots of props evidently CPI's favorite, PMP has 21 backgrounds since taken over by CPI .. prior they had well over 35 backgounds cute ones too. KK has only 11 backgrounds. CPI has taken away most scenic and all fantasy type backgrounds sticking with the mostly just plain colors, Black, White, Pink, Blue etc.. CPI calls it the Classic look .. the customers calling it boring!
Most managers in our region has not had a raise in over 4 yrs..yet CPI continues to increase their workload, constantly changing the rules.. almost as often as some people chance their socks! EVEN in small communities you are required currently to get ten email leads per day plus everything else you've got to do .. the harrassing phone calls and redundate paperwork. Now 10 email leads a day doesn't sound to hard UNTIL you run of of people to get those emails from.. soon it becomes impossible in those smaller communites. So then your jobs gets threathen.. doesn't matter what your PRS is or that your making sales goal. Your Sits are down and you are not getting the emails for the company so they can harrass people with MORE FREE stuff that again will hurt business and your PRS. This company took all the toys away in the studios so the kids would have nothing to do while the parents are looking at and deciding on their portraits. they took 99% of the props away and give us crap backgrounds that customers do not like .. and then CPI wonders why WE are losing business. CPI is just plain ignorant.. and I wish all the
Associates past and Present and ALL managers Past and Present could figure out how to sue the pants off this crooked heartless company!

Anonymous said...

Wow! I thought that I was the only one having these thoughts and feelings! So glad(or am I?) that I am not the only one.
They continue to add to our plates but get mad when we don't have time to complete it all. Who do they think we are? I put 110% into all of my studio duties and still it is never enough. I have clocked out to finish phone calls, send the daily email(the DM can pull reports to get this info but we need to know our business)If we don't we shouldn't be there anyway... and try to get the leads(so that we can have more $0.00 sales to lower our prs so that they can complain at us more...do you know how to say catch 22..)
It has been nice to be able to vent to others who understand where I am coming from and going...
I am the only income in my home and can't afford to quit.
thanks for listening

Anonymous said...

So i understand that everybody is having problems but what kind of pushover would stand getting " yelled" or "screamed" at??? Are you serious. You can remind your DM to be professional and report his/her behavior or you can find another job. Your DM has a boss and i wouldn't hesitate for a moment to call attention to somebody's inappropriate behavior. Stick up for yourself and do what you can and screw whatever you can't. Puh-lease!