Vender Review (VENT!) - Sears Portrait @ TTC
I'm NOT happy with Sears Portrait @ Triangle mall. Yesterday afternoon I randomly asked DH if he wanted to go over and get LO's picture taken. I had a coupon for a package at an awesome deal...we both had the afternoon off...and the mall wouldn't be busy due to the holiday (DH HATES the mall!). We weren't going for any specific occasion...the timing was just right and it would be nice to have a cute picture to send to relatives who don't check out our family website.
Our appt was 1pm. We get there on time and there was a mother w/ a newborn and the two grandmothers sitting at the desk, reviewing their pictures, taking their sweet time....granted...that's allowed. But there was only one photographer on duty! So I had to wait 10 mins before the photog. finally said, "I'm going to start this shoot, you just let me know when you're done." So we get started. The first 5 mins of "warming up" and getting Autumn used to the surroundings and the family says, "We're ready to order." Which takes ANOTHER 15 minutes from OUR photo shoot. And what happened during that 15 mins? The photog missed EVERY cute smile, giggle, and coo. By the time she got back Autumn was done. We didn't get ONE SINGLE SMILE! And only 13 shots for our whole session.
And then, after reviewing the pictures - which I was NOT happy with - we picked the best one and stuck with the coupon.
Just awful customer service. Because I'm not going to order a bigger package with crappy pictures. And just because you work on commission and you don't want to be working on the holiday does NOT give you the right to treat me like I wasted your time...you wasted MINE. I mean, huffed and puffed while setting up our order...threw my debit card back on the counter at me. UGH!
I'm just glad I wasn't counting on these pictures for a big occasion. The one picture we thought was semi-decent we ordered with our coupon. It will be ready in two weeks. I'll send it out the family members and that will be that. Maybe in a few weeks we'll try a different store and see if we can do better:o/
Re: Vender Review (VENT!) - Sears Portrait @ TTC
yeah that customer service is terrible!
I think Sears Photo places and other similiar places you get what you pay for. Its cheap and it shows. hire a real photographer and you'll be much happier with the finishes product!
This. Those types of places typically aren't going to cater to 1 customer at a time like a photographer that would come to your home could. It is for sure worth the money!
My feelings are mixed with "you get what you pay for." I did pictures at a Walmart almost 4 years ago with the kids I was nannying - I just wanted something nice done before they moved away, so I'd always have a memory...and as cheap as they were they came out GREAT and I had great customer service. The kids STILL have the picture next to each of their beds and send me kisses every night:o)
Yes, of course, if I was spending a few hundred dollars on someone to come to my home I would DEFINITELY expect them to treat me better and take nicer pictures, but I do believe that at least "nice" pictures can be taken for a decent price. Again, these were "just because" so I wasn't trying to get formal pictures done that will be hung on my wall for the years to come. It's something to send to the family members..it's good enough for now. I do hear good things about PI, so maybe when it comes time to do family pictures I'll head over there.
I think she was just pissy because it was a holiday and she had to work...which isn't my problem.
I semi agree "you get what you pay for." Obviously professional photographers are going to take more time and edit the pictures, but just because a portrait studio is less expensive does not give them the excuse to be rude. We've never gone to Sear's, but PI and PP have both been decent. They are there to take pictures of kids, so they should be willing to take the time to take GOOD pictures so they can make money.
I wouldn't entirely write off Sear's, sounds like you just got a sour employee.
I agree that no one in a customer service type position should be rude. Unfortunately you get it all the time though. :-( Hopefully that was just a bad employee. But I do agree that you get what you pay for sometimes. We can't swing an expensive photography session right now either, but I did find PI to be a decent compromise. I'd been tempted by those coupons you'll get for Sears, JCP, etc as well, but just wondered if those people weren't regular Sears employees with a camera set up beside the power tools, where as at least at PI, taking pictures is all they do (whether they truly care about capturing great shots of your LO or not--like a "real" photographer would!).
Sorry you had a crappy experience!
I'm going to be the odd man out here and say you might have had a better experience if you had made an appointment first, or maybe just called a little ahead to see what would have been the best time for you to be in that day.
Like you said, she gets paid on commission so she wasn't going to turn a sale away, but it sounds like she was feeling a little swamped with a walk in customer that came during the middle of a sale. I agree that she should have sucked it up and had a better attitude, but it might have been better for you and her if she'd had a little warning.
Also, she might have had someone working with her that day and they were at lunch. Even if you didn't go at "lunch time" that still doesn't mean everyone there got to eat at 12. The other person might have had to grab lunch at an odd time, and that wouldn't have been her fault either.
I'm sorry you had a bad time and didn't get any good pictures. Like PP's said, don't discount Sears in the future. It sounds like it was just a bad day for everybody.
I actually did have an appointment. There was actually no one else there that day to help her because of the holiday...I assume they weren't expecting a lot of people, so they only had one photog on duty. Her deginated lunch time was actually written on a board from "2-3pm" so she was well aware that she had an appt at 1pm with us.
Oh, well then. I wonder if the people before you were walk ins? Maybe they couldn't get anyone else to work?
If she knew you were coming she def. should have handled herself better. Was she a manager? I think I'd call and let someone know what your experience was like.