Go figure.....

[Reyneth]

Time for High School Seniors to order their announcements. Never mind that they have been told that the best time to order is March-April (to miss the rush) and that an appointment is required. We are swamped and have other events going on, so there are whole spans of days when portrait people are not available.

So the stories begin.....these are just a few more notable ones, only about 25% of what we are dealing with on a daily basis.


Ditzy girl
Twenty minutes before the store area closes the other night, a girl walks through the door and buzzes to the back of the store to the Portrait area. Halfway there, she stops, looks at her friend and the following ensues...

DG: It's dark back there!
DG: (to friend) Why is it dark back there? Who would want to be in the dark?
Me: It's dark because nobody is there. (go figure - I wanted to say that's where the vampires are)
DG: Well, I *need* my announcements!
Me: Sure, what's your name, were you called they were ready?
DG: No, I need to ORDER them. (In that "duh, you idiot" voice)
Me: There's noone here to help you with that.
DG: But I NEED them. They said I could just come in.
Me: No, appointments are required, always have been, because we need to make sure there will be someone here to help you. Can I schedule you for one?
DG: This is STUPID.

And walks out the door. Yeah, that's going to help you get your announcements. Such brilliant minds graduating high school nowadays.


Arguing isn't going to change the reality
Earlier that night, a couple walks in. To order portraits (surprise, surprise!) and don't have appointment (of course). In the midst of dealing with a rush right when my coworker was leaving, I learn that they are there to order photos from a shoot we recently did at one of the various preschools.

And they want specific cropping etc (which is why they couldn't do it online). They will *not* understand that not only is there nobody there to take their order, I was the only one in a visibly busy store so even if I knew the new system we JUST started using last week - I couldn't help them! But they stayed and argued for 15 minutes. And (go figure) walked out *without* making an appointment, grousing the entire time. How is that going to solve your issue, exactly?


The definition of insanity.....
This happened to my coworker. I came in for a meeting and heard him use "Ma'am" three times in under 2 minutes, so I knew it was a doozy. Mamma wanted to order announcements for her graduating senior. She was *only* available after 6:30 (our store closes at 7 BTW) to place her order. She's apparently tried to make an appointment multiple times, but "the associate wasn't helpful." (ie, there wasn't 6:30 open for her the day after she called)

Coworker was on the phone for a good 20 minutes, telling her the same things over and over but she was just belligerant, he thinks she was trying to goad him into becoming nasty so she'd have more to complain about. Eventually, she decided that her son's scheduled shoot for next Sunday she'd take over instead to come in and order the announcemnts.

So she's repeatedly called over the past few weeks, with a very specific and limited time she could come in - yet she refused to make an appointment for anything more than 2 days in the future even if there were times available (go figure). It's our fault we don't have an open appointment she hasn't been able to place her order how?
...is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results


If you'd do it RIGHT there wouldn't be problems
A "professional" photographer we deal with called this morning, bitching. We upload his photos to a website where customers can then order, deal with payment, etc and then he can pick up the completed order within a day or so and the money goes direct to him.

PP: I need to talk to {manager} about an email photo order.
Me: blahblah, he's not here, I'll have him call you.
PP: When my customers are ordering, what photo number do you need?
Me: The DSC_ one (aka the photo file number)
PP: Not the 1, 2, 8 ones? (
Me: (No, dummy, I just told you it was the other ones) No, the DSC
PP: That's a problem, they ordered like 100 photos using the other numbers.
PP: And in my last order, they used the 1, 2, 8 numbers and a lot of the photos were wrong.
Me: That's because they don't always upload sequentially into the system (we have no control over that) and why we need the DSC number.
PP: That's just a problem, it takes too long.....blah....they have to scroll all the way down below the photo......and it's hard to see....wahh waaah......the numbers are so small you need a magnafying glass (it's 12 pt font for cryin out loud).
Me: Then there's no way to guarantee things will be right, I'll have Rick call you.
PP: That is ridiculous, they need to fix that.

WHY is this such an issue? Because this numbnut INSISTS on having customers write their order requests down and emailing them to us, thereby bypassing the ordering system and any online processing fees. Ordering online is much easier for us, not to mention the customers don't even need to bother with photo numbers - it's click on the photo, then click on your option.
GO FIGURE that it's harder on your customers do to things in a way that was never intended. GO FIGURE that you call yourself a Professional, yet you can't be bothered to take care of your customers. We are *not* your whipping boys/girls. GO FIGURE that you didn't learn the *last* time there were issues with photo numbers and things being wrong yet you didn't even try to correct things with this order.
I think he should be paying for all of the photos that are incorrectly ordered (because they used the wrong numbers), since he actually ordered them it wasn't our mistake. (But he won't have to pay for them)

3 out of 4 coworkers think it would be justifiable homicide.
Grrrrrrrrrrrr

[Dips]

If you'd do it RIGHT there wouldn't be problems
A "professional" photographer we deal with called this morning, bitching. We upload his photos to a website where customers can then order,

<snip>

Ooooooo! That guy. The one who uses a product in ways it wasn't intended and bitches in a patronizing tone that YOU need to fix the "bug."

I hate that guy. He makes me want to smash things. :angry:

[Imogene]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results

So, what if you never expect different results? I do the same things over and over, and am amused at best if they turn out differently than every single other time.

[Emrld]

Oh I think my favorite was when I worked at a photo studio that had the contract with two of the High Schools . . .

I would like to know how someone who is about to Graduate from High School is not able to figure out how to fill in a personal check? I mean to get that far in school you are supposed to be able to read . . . maybe it is just me and my parents taught me about money early on - but come on if you are going to send your kid in with a check - make sure they know how to fill it out. (seeing as I was a member of the graduating class - I am aware of the education we were getting and I knew how to fill out a check)

I also loved the Prima Donna's who are told when their pre scheduled appointment is (that they are welcome to reschedule) Told how many changes of clothes they can have . . . and they show up with 20 more - cause they just can't decide. (you have known for oh say the last 5 years that Sr photos are a big deal - you have known for 2 months when your appointment is - you have known for at least a month how many outfits you can wear without having to pay more or reschedule. . . .the photographer is just that - a photographer not a fasion consultant)

I feel better now - didn't realize I still had that bottled up - thanks

[air914]

Wow sounds like a lot of last-minute people!

I hated senior shots. We had to go to this horrible studio that took terrible shots of me and put ME against a white background - let me let you in on a secret - I'm PALE! Paler than pale - I don't tan. So to put me against a white background - hmm let's think - I look like a ghost! Anyway, I think we bought maybe 1 of the photos. And for our yearbook we had to have this hideous pink "drape" thing - and I don't know why they had this particular color - our school colors were maroon and white - not pink - and the drape they had & lighting caused weird pink reflections on people's faces and in blonde hair - like you would have this weird streak of pink going through your hair if you were blonde (thankfully at least in this instance - I'm not a blonde). I think very very very few people actually went and got their senior shots at this place - but b/c the school had a contract with them, you HAD to get your senior portraits there.

Oh and on graduation announcements - ugh I didn't even do those. Neither did my brother. Anyone that needed to know we were graduating - knew. I'm not spending a ton of money on fancy announcements so I can send them to my family & friends who already know I'm graduating...... why do you need to "announce" it in a special way w/ a fancy expensive card in the mail? It's hard to even invite people to those kinds of things anymore - sometimes the seating is really limited. No offense to anyone working in the "announcements business"- I just don't get it.

[draggar]

I'm glad I did mine in January when I needed them done.

[Noelegy]

*blink* I had my senior portraits taken in November or December of that year. What's wrong with people that they think they can wait until now? Never mind, I know the answer to that...

[Noelegy]

... for our yearbook we had to have this hideous pink "drape" thing - and I don't know why they had this particular color - our school colors were maroon and white - not pink

We did the weird little maribou-trimmed drape thing, too, but at least it was maroon, and we had a decent blue-gray "cloudy" background that was generally flattering to all skin tones.

My high school's colors were maroon, gold, and white. Those colors can be quite handsome if the right shades of maroon and gold are chosen. For instance, the colors on our band uniforms weren't bad, despite being at least 8 years old and looking sort of like toy soldiers. Likewise, the football team's "dark" jerseys were a very attractive dark shade.

However, when we received our graduation caps and gowns, they were MAGENTA. Not maroon. Not burgundy. Nothing resembling the handsome dark wine shade that is achievable under the heading "maroon." Gah.

Fortunately, when it came time to graduate from college, although our school colors were maroon and white, we used black gowns.

[Bella_Vixen]

When I got my senior pics done, I got them done in July. As in, a month after junior year FINISHED. Hell, I was handing them out before half the senior class had even sat for theirs.

[Andara Bledin]

My school was royal blue & white with red as tertiary. When we had senior pictures done, the company used a slate blue backdrop that would work nicely with most skin tones. The gowns were blue for guys and white for girls, cost too much, and were incredibly cheaply made.

I've never understood the whole announcement thing, either. Then again, I didn't have any family attend my graduation. It was a huge, long, boring ceremony, and if it weren't for the photo ops with all my friends that I'd never see again, I wouldn't have bothered going, either.

^-.-^

[draftermatt]

At my high school you sat for them in the summer right after junior year ends. It's at the school (cafeteria) and we go to wear the sexy drapes.

You had to go. They had scheduled times for what your last name started with, and if you didn't show up or make other arrangements you weren't allowed to attend the graduation ceremony.

[Banrion]

I had my senior pictures taken the day of graduation, and had them in my hands to give to my friends at graduation. YAY Picture People!!!!

[Sliceanddice]

.
The definition of insanity.....
This happened to my coworker. I came in for a meeting and heard him use "Ma'am" three times in under 2 minutes, so I knew it was a doozy. Mamma wanted to order announcements for her graduating senior. She was *only* available after 6:30 (our store closes at 7 BTW) to place her order. She's apparently tried to make an appointment multiple times, but "the associate wasn't helpful." (ie, there wasn't 6:30 open for her the day after she called)

Coworker was on the phone for a good 20 minutes, telling her the same things over and over but she was just belligerant, he thinks she was trying to goad him into becoming nasty so she'd have more to complain about. Eventually, she decided that her son's scheduled shoot for next Sunday she'd take over instead to come in and order the announcemnts.

So she's repeatedly called over the past few weeks, with a very specific and limited time she could come in - yet she refused to make an appointment for anything more than 2 days in the future even if there were times available (go figure). It's our fault we don't have an open appointment she hasn't been able to place her order how?
...is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results

Ok i think i would be happy to make an appointment far into the future, so i can plan, and to make sure her son had approipriate clothing.


Oh for who ever complained about check writing, its taught in highschool now. If they dont know it they didnt pass their class.... how did they graduate???


OH and i never had a senior picture, page or announcements. I DIDNT WANT THEM. though what does bug me is how gaga my mom is going over my brothers graduation, and how she barely noticed MINE. true i didnt graduate with honors, just the top 35% percent, my brother is number two in his class... but i worked through so much crap from my *classmates* that it was a miricle i did graduate, and she didnt care. I don't see why some girls and mothers go insane about these things.