SEARS PORTRAIT STUDIO - rude service

December 26, 2001:

From:

RE: SEARS PORTRAIT STUDIO - rude service

After emailing my story to everyone in my address book I learned about your complaint website...... and that many other friends/family/co-workers have had the same problem with Sears Portraits:

Complaint emailed to Sears and Response:

Status: Closed

Type: Problem

Regarding: Sears Portrait Studios Customer Support

Subject: cropped photos

Description:

Last year I was excited to pick up my 6 month baby girl's christmas photo- her hand was cropped off. I was told that the hand was not in the photo - I objected, for I had the disk and her hand was clearly within the frame (or I wouldn't have ordered the 5x7) The photos were reprinted, and of course the poor crop job was repeated - but worse.

The photographer at the Key West location apologized - she said that there were a lot of poor reproductions coming back because of the busy time of the holidays (poor excuse). She gave me credit towards free print pages to be used in the future to help with my disappointment. I thought I would try again this year - same result. Poor cropping.

I again protested. However, this photographer was VERY RUDE and said the original photo was over anyway. I told her it wasn't that bad and that the same thing happened last year. She said she could give me my money back and rip them up in front of me. I told her that wasn't the point.

The point was that these were supposed to somehow help with the disappointment of last year - she didn't seem to care. I told her I was never coming back - two times was not acceptable. She didn't say anything. I have to say that I am VERY FRUSTRATED with your quality care. I am a graphic designer. I have worked with digital cameras and desktop development. I know how easy it is to crop a photo and print. Why can't your company take the time to do it right? It's not the money lost, but the time I spent at the studio. The disappointment of poor photos with a bad memory attached to them instead of seeing my child at 6 months, 12 months, etc. I am black-balling sears portrait studio's. I have a degree in advertising - and know the power of word of mouth. I plan to email all friends and family my story and urge them to forward the email on. Maybe you'll suffer from less business - but hey, maybe it will allow more time for the crop/print to be done correctly and those that do order from Sears will benefit from your lack of business. You may want to also consider looking into the Customer Service in Key West. One photographer was outstanding, the other - wicked. --- A woman scorned.

* First Name: Shana

* Last Name: Good

Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

* Country: USA

* Email Address: Email User

* Phone #: 305-296-4669

Studio Location #:

Sitting #:

Sears Portrait Reply praynor

12/20/01 04:20 PM

Comment: Dear Shana, I apologize for the problems you had in the stuido. Our cameras in the studios are NOT digital, there is digital equiptment that prints out the proof sheets and the discs but the lab that develops the photographs prints only from negitives.

We deal in mass productions and hand cropping is not possible. As far as the problem with the hand in the photo, if it shows on the proof sheet and disc then there is a very good chance that the print will be identical and no matter how many times it is reprinted it will come back the same way.

This again refers back to the cropping procedure. I will forward this to upper management and have them look into the matter. I apologize that we can not provide the service you expect. Patty

SPS Team

Customer Comment Email User

12/24/01 07:36 AM

Comment:

Maybe you ought to look into new equipment. There are very high quality cameras out there that take digital shots - and the photographer could easily re-crop. The quality of your photographs do not represent negative/ quality - they look as if they are pixelated, probably the printer.

So what's the point of using a negative if your printer output is not that high of quality??? I've enclosed a file that includes the disc image, what I received as a print, and how it preferably could be re-cropped. Seems to me that quality for the customer should be more important. I sent out several emails (as I indicated before) to my surprise (or perhaps I shouldn't be) other people have had the same problem with your service (cropping). (In a different region of the country at that) Please do not reply with more excuses. I feel I have already wasted too much of my time already.

Comment On This

You spend $400 a month on pictures..I have an idea buy a camera and send me the rest for gas..

Comment On This

I RECENTLY TOOK MY DAUGHTER TO GET HER PICTURES DONE AT THE NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA (YODER) STUDIO, AND SINCE MY REGULAR PHOTOGRAPHER WAS GONE FOR THE DAY I HAD A NEW PHOTOGRAPHER WHICH WASN'T A PROBLEM SINCE I'M FAMILAR WITH A MAJORITY OF THE STAFF THERE. HALF WAY THROUGH HER SESSION, I HAD TO USE THE REST ROOM AND WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME OUT, I OVERHEARD THE MANAGER OF THE STUDIO (JULIE) SPEAKING TO ANOTHER ASSOCIATE ABOUT MY FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHER!! I WAS SHOCKED ABOUT WHAT I WAS HEARING AND SHE EVEN WENT AS FAR AS TO CALL THE PHOTOGRAPHER OUT OF HER NAME!! HER EXACT WORDS WERE "F*CK THAT B*TCH", AND THEN SHE WENT AS FAR AS TO SAY "I CAN'T WAIT TO GET RID OF HER" NEEDLESS TO SAY I COULDN'T BELIEVE SHE WOULD BLANTLY SPEAK LIKE THAT ABOUT ONE OF THE BEST STAFF MEMBERS I'VE SEEN SINCE I'VE BEGUN COMING TO THAT STUDIO. IT WAS RUDE, DISRESPECTUL AND VERY HURTFUL FOR SOMEONE ESPECIALLY A "MANAGER" TO SPEAK THAT WAY! UPON HEARING ALL OF THIS, I IMMEDIATLY GRABBED MY MOBILE PHONE AN CALLED THE PHOTOGRAPHER (I HAVE HER NUMBER BECAUSE OF ALL THE NEW BACKGROUNDS/SPECIALS SHE CALLS ME ABOUT) MAYABE I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN EASEDROPPING, BUT IF I HADN'T OVER HEARD ALL OF THIS I WOULD'VE WONDERED WHERE MY FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHER WENT BECAUSE THIS MANAGER EVIDENTLY HAS IT OUT FOR HER!! MY DAUGHTER HAS GROWN ATTACHED TO THIS PHOTOGRAPHER AND EVEN THOUGH I TEND TO SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY EVERY MONTH WHEN I COME IN, I WOULDN'T TRADE HER FOR THE WORLD. SHE WAS VERY HURT BY THE INFORMATION I TOLD HER, SHE EVEN BEGAN TO CRY BECAUSE SHE SAID SHE REALLY LOVES BEING A PHOTOGRAPHER AND NEVER DONE ANYTHING TO HER MANAGER TO DESERVE THE THINGS SHE SAID ABOUT HER. I'M NOW VERY UPSET BECAUSE I MAY LOSE THE ONLY PHOTOGRAPHER WHO'S MADE MY DAUGHTER SMILE AND THAT MAKES ME AS A CUSTOMER VERY HURT MYSELF. HOW CAN SOMEONE CONTINUE TO WORK AT A JOB WHERE SHE KNOWS ALL THE NEGATIVE THINGS HER MANAGER SAYS/FEELS ABOUT HER, ESPECIALLY TO ONE OF HER OWN CO-WORKERS? MY HUSBAND WORKS FOR THE LABOR BOARD AND HE WILL BE GIVING HER INFORMATION ON HOW TO REPORT SUCH TREATMENT AND I WILL BE A WITNESSS IF I HAVE TO TO WHAT I'VE HEARD!! NOT ONLY WILL SEAR'S BE LOSING ONE OF THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHERS I'VE EVER SEEN BUT THEY WILL ALSO LOSE A CUSTOMER WHO SPENDS AT LEASE $400 EVERY MONTH!! WHAT A WASTE!!