Lifetouch reviews

Minimal training, they throw you to the sharks too quickly. Cold-selling to random customers as "pull-ins" from the attached unaffiliated retail store (terrifying and mentally taxing for someone with anxiety). Studio training itself was difficult to feel confident about--little practice with the equipment and photograph style expectations, memorizing a sales schpiel that cannot deviate in words, and focused more on sales then on the portraiture. Hardly any real chance to get accustomed to different styles and layouts in the post-process software. Expected a certain number of clients to be pulled in from the surrounding store if appointments weren't scheduled for a span of time--trolling the toy department asking parents if we could photograph their kids for free fees and three free prints. It's creepy and NO ONE goes out shopping dressed like they're expecting to have an impromptu photo shoot. Photo style is cookie cutter with little creative license. Part-time really meant "scheduled once a week and on call for the rest of the week," if you can't have photographers solidly scheduled, why do you hire them? Also, I've never known a store to have an opening/closing shift without a manager present--too much responsibility/room for error for a two-week-old associate.

In the field, the " front lines" of customer ( formally guests ), interaction, The expectations are far to high for the labor used. The pay for a manager running a retail operation is far below standard management pay. Team members(associates) newly hired are supposed to get minimum wage and only slightly higher with experience. In the photography market it is true profit margins are shrinking. Lifetouch has still made a profit. Recently, they initiated a 20% reduction in the work force in the field, laying off many, many employees in managerial positions in the field, I was one of them. Studio, territory, and regional management. Why? To keep the employee owned stock price stable. They sacrificed many dedicated individuals who truly cared and lived by the Lifetouch mission statement. The remaining portrait studio managers have dual studios to manage. Two studios instead of one with twice the work. Only higher volumes get an assistant manager. I am very thankful of all that this company has given me, but I can not in good conscience recommend a career path with this company(unless they CHANGE). Executives and upper management have forgone their own mission statement, wherein they say (not verbatim) "we respect our customers and our employees" The customer will feel an even deeper impact on labor reduction decreasing greatly their WOW experience. And, well, just total disrespect for your employees.