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Report: #17277

Complaint Review: PCA International, LLC - Matthews North Carolina

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  • Reported By: WINTER PARK Florida
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  • PCA International, LLC 815 Matthews-Mint Hill Road Matthews, North Carolina U.S.A.

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PCA, International, LLC is, according to former employees and consumers alike, a major ripoff organization that preys on churchgoing people. It is their policy to seek out churches to have their individual directories done "at absolutely no cost to the parishoners or the church" and the, after the pictures are taken, to offer them at "a great church discount" to the parishoners to "share with family and friends."

PCA International, LLC, is also the company who has all of the portrait studios in the Super Wal-Mart stores. If one would only check, the consumer could get the very same pictures and canvases at a mere fraction of the cost PCA imposes on the churchgoing community. Same pictures, same quality, same company. So the churchgoers are actually paying, quite heavily, for those directories and "free" pictures.

Further, sales personnel for PCA are subjected to a one-week long "sales training", conducted by Kenny West, in Matthews, NC, before they are sent out to the churches. During this intensive sales training, employees are taught how to con the churches into thinking that PCA is giving them a big savings, to start at top-end selling and lying to the consumer that once a picture is deleted from the computer screen, it is gone forever, when that is anything but true. Employees are instructed to "never let the consumer talk" in order that the only thing they can do is say yes to a huge sale. Kenny West was the top sales person for many years, has absolutely no management skills, and used the most unorthodox and heartless sales techniques this writer has ever seen.

As to the employees, it is worse. Sales employees, when in the field, are required to go wherever Kenny West sends them. A particular instance is this: Anyone knows that South Florida is very heavily laden with "snow birds" during the winter months. The result of which, the hotel and motel industry basically triples or quadruples their fees during those months. PCA International, LLC, has a policy of paying its employees $45.00 per diem to cover hotel fees. There is no salary involved, this is strictly commission. This employee, as well as many others, was subjected to a constant schedule in south florida, having to travel to locations hundred of miles away and had to pay motel fees all over the amount of $119 per night, which expenses were not reimbursed by the company. If one could not afford to pay this out of their own pocket, that sales person was taken off schedule and not given any work at all. Mileage is rebated at 13.5 cents a mile, while the federal rate is 32 cents. There is also a "pick and choose" nature to Mr. West, and allowed by PCA. He is constantly telling people to push push push for a high sales average. I should know, I had one of the highest; however, when it starts to cost me $500 a week out of my own pocket just for the opportunity to work in Miami for a very weak, tail-end promotion with no hope of making any money, I decided to see an attorney.

I was advised that this is a totally ripoff situation, that PCA International, LLC, and Kenny West, in particular, knows that when it comes to commission, he can do whatever he pleases. The chosen employees are making big bucks for the company, but the company is doing nothing but exploiting its employees. It is a "take what I give you and stop complaining" situation. I was advised to write this letter to consumer reports and to leave the company immediately.

PCA is constantly recruiting for sales people in the Florida area. If approached, run as fast as you can!!!!!! This consumer/employee learned the hard way.

Jan
Winter Park, Florida

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 03/21/2002 12:00 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/pca-international-llc/matthews-north-carolina-28109/pca-international-llc-the-complimentary-church-directories-are-anything-but-free-cheat-17277. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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#14 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Attitudes and Behavior Universal Nationwide

AUTHOR: Amanda - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 06, 2007

I was hired by PCA in October 2006. During my time there, an employee who had assaulted a customer (slapped her for reaching across the desk for a pen) was NOT fired for a SECOND assault on a customer! She was simply transferred from one store to another.

I was promised 32 hours a week minimum. I BARELY hit 25. The DM Kristin was completely dense in regards to her job duties. It took her 4 HOURS to respond to a 911 page when I had a family emergency and couldn't make my shift. My store manager Tina was SO confrontational and RUDE with customers and even ABUSED the children being photographed as evidenced by some of the photos SHE took!!! One child had a handprint on his arm from where she had grabbed him and slammed him down on the table. The child had tears in his eyes, a HUGE red handprint on his arm, and she STILL made the lady accept it as her package!!!!!! These photos were turned over to Lori, the RM, but did she do anything? NO. Tina is STILL there.

It costs PCA $.25 for every 8x10 but YOU the CONSUMER pay $10 for it. And yet PCA filed bankruptcy?????? Maybe if they would improve the customer service training and take the focus off the $$$, they wouldn't be losing their heads in customer service discounts.

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#13 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Attitudes and Behavior Universal Nationwide

AUTHOR: Amanda - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 06, 2007

I was hired by PCA in October 2006. During my time there, an employee who had assaulted a customer (slapped her for reaching across the desk for a pen) was NOT fired for a SECOND assault on a customer! She was simply transferred from one store to another.

I was promised 32 hours a week minimum. I BARELY hit 25. The DM Kristin was completely dense in regards to her job duties. It took her 4 HOURS to respond to a 911 page when I had a family emergency and couldn't make my shift. My store manager Tina was SO confrontational and RUDE with customers and even ABUSED the children being photographed as evidenced by some of the photos SHE took!!! One child had a handprint on his arm from where she had grabbed him and slammed him down on the table. The child had tears in his eyes, a HUGE red handprint on his arm, and she STILL made the lady accept it as her package!!!!!! These photos were turned over to Lori, the RM, but did she do anything? NO. Tina is STILL there.

It costs PCA $.25 for every 8x10 but YOU the CONSUMER pay $10 for it. And yet PCA filed bankruptcy?????? Maybe if they would improve the customer service training and take the focus off the $$$, they wouldn't be losing their heads in customer service discounts.

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#12 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Attitudes and Behavior Universal Nationwide

AUTHOR: Amanda - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 06, 2007

I was hired by PCA in October 2006. During my time there, an employee who had assaulted a customer (slapped her for reaching across the desk for a pen) was NOT fired for a SECOND assault on a customer! She was simply transferred from one store to another.

I was promised 32 hours a week minimum. I BARELY hit 25. The DM Kristin was completely dense in regards to her job duties. It took her 4 HOURS to respond to a 911 page when I had a family emergency and couldn't make my shift. My store manager Tina was SO confrontational and RUDE with customers and even ABUSED the children being photographed as evidenced by some of the photos SHE took!!! One child had a handprint on his arm from where she had grabbed him and slammed him down on the table. The child had tears in his eyes, a HUGE red handprint on his arm, and she STILL made the lady accept it as her package!!!!!! These photos were turned over to Lori, the RM, but did she do anything? NO. Tina is STILL there.

It costs PCA $.25 for every 8x10 but YOU the CONSUMER pay $10 for it. And yet PCA filed bankruptcy?????? Maybe if they would improve the customer service training and take the focus off the $$$, they wouldn't be losing their heads in customer service discounts.

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#11 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Horrible working experience

AUTHOR: Stephanie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 22, 2007

I only worked for the company for a few months and it was one of the worst experiences ever. I got hired in November, right before the busy holiday season. I got trained for one week by a studio manager who was quitting that week, was told by my DM that she would resume my training at 'my studio', but first day in 'my studio', I was all by myself, from opening to close. Which was okay, I did fine, by calling other studios when I had any questions.

It turns out my DM was the most inept manager ever. She had hired several new people all at once and basically left us to fend for ourselves during the holidays. We were told to page her if we had any questions, she would never call us back.

I started school in January (which she was aware of upon hiring me) and was supposed not work on the days I went to school so I could study and do homework as such. But because about half of the new people she hired quit by then, we were short handed. So, she would call me while I was in class to ask me to work after school. She wouldn't put it on my schedule, she would just wait until the day of to ask me to come in. I said I couldn't one day and she said that we had so many appointments, so I gave in and went to work...we had absolutely appointments. I was mad as hell.

Then in February my studio was one of the studios that was chosen to close down. I had no clue. I came in one day and there was an email on the POS that said, "As you know, we declared bankruptcy in October..." I didn't know! I was hired in November. No one told me. So the next time my DM called in I asked her about it. She said not to worry, that I'd be reassigned to another studio and that I was an important part in the shaping over of the company.

Well, my studio was scheduled to close on the 25th, a Sunday. She called me and my studio partner that Thursday to tell us that we weren't reassigned and after Sunday we would no longer be employed with the company.

Talk about shady! I called corporate and they basically said, oh well and I could reapply for my job in six months. I would never work for that company again! Ever!

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#10 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Horrible working experience

AUTHOR: Stephanie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 22, 2007

I only worked for the company for a few months and it was one of the worst experiences ever. I got hired in November, right before the busy holiday season. I got trained for one week by a studio manager who was quitting that week, was told by my DM that she would resume my training at 'my studio', but first day in 'my studio', I was all by myself, from opening to close. Which was okay, I did fine, by calling other studios when I had any questions.

It turns out my DM was the most inept manager ever. She had hired several new people all at once and basically left us to fend for ourselves during the holidays. We were told to page her if we had any questions, she would never call us back.

I started school in January (which she was aware of upon hiring me) and was supposed not work on the days I went to school so I could study and do homework as such. But because about half of the new people she hired quit by then, we were short handed. So, she would call me while I was in class to ask me to work after school. She wouldn't put it on my schedule, she would just wait until the day of to ask me to come in. I said I couldn't one day and she said that we had so many appointments, so I gave in and went to work...we had absolutely appointments. I was mad as hell.

Then in February my studio was one of the studios that was chosen to close down. I had no clue. I came in one day and there was an email on the POS that said, "As you know, we declared bankruptcy in October..." I didn't know! I was hired in November. No one told me. So the next time my DM called in I asked her about it. She said not to worry, that I'd be reassigned to another studio and that I was an important part in the shaping over of the company.

Well, my studio was scheduled to close on the 25th, a Sunday. She called me and my studio partner that Thursday to tell us that we weren't reassigned and after Sunday we would no longer be employed with the company.

Talk about shady! I called corporate and they basically said, oh well and I could reapply for my job in six months. I would never work for that company again! Ever!

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#9 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Horrible working experience

AUTHOR: Stephanie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 22, 2007

I only worked for the company for a few months and it was one of the worst experiences ever. I got hired in November, right before the busy holiday season. I got trained for one week by a studio manager who was quitting that week, was told by my DM that she would resume my training at 'my studio', but first day in 'my studio', I was all by myself, from opening to close. Which was okay, I did fine, by calling other studios when I had any questions.

It turns out my DM was the most inept manager ever. She had hired several new people all at once and basically left us to fend for ourselves during the holidays. We were told to page her if we had any questions, she would never call us back.

I started school in January (which she was aware of upon hiring me) and was supposed not work on the days I went to school so I could study and do homework as such. But because about half of the new people she hired quit by then, we were short handed. So, she would call me while I was in class to ask me to work after school. She wouldn't put it on my schedule, she would just wait until the day of to ask me to come in. I said I couldn't one day and she said that we had so many appointments, so I gave in and went to work...we had absolutely appointments. I was mad as hell.

Then in February my studio was one of the studios that was chosen to close down. I had no clue. I came in one day and there was an email on the POS that said, "As you know, we declared bankruptcy in October..." I didn't know! I was hired in November. No one told me. So the next time my DM called in I asked her about it. She said not to worry, that I'd be reassigned to another studio and that I was an important part in the shaping over of the company.

Well, my studio was scheduled to close on the 25th, a Sunday. She called me and my studio partner that Thursday to tell us that we weren't reassigned and after Sunday we would no longer be employed with the company.

Talk about shady! I called corporate and they basically said, oh well and I could reapply for my job in six months. I would never work for that company again! Ever!

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#8 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Horrible working experience

AUTHOR: Stephanie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 22, 2007

I only worked for the company for a few months and it was one of the worst experiences ever. I got hired in November, right before the busy holiday season. I got trained for one week by a studio manager who was quitting that week, was told by my DM that she would resume my training at 'my studio', but first day in 'my studio', I was all by myself, from opening to close. Which was okay, I did fine, by calling other studios when I had any questions.

It turns out my DM was the most inept manager ever. She had hired several new people all at once and basically left us to fend for ourselves during the holidays. We were told to page her if we had any questions, she would never call us back.

I started school in January (which she was aware of upon hiring me) and was supposed not work on the days I went to school so I could study and do homework as such. But because about half of the new people she hired quit by then, we were short handed. So, she would call me while I was in class to ask me to work after school. She wouldn't put it on my schedule, she would just wait until the day of to ask me to come in. I said I couldn't one day and she said that we had so many appointments, so I gave in and went to work...we had absolutely appointments. I was mad as hell.

Then in February my studio was one of the studios that was chosen to close down. I had no clue. I came in one day and there was an email on the POS that said, "As you know, we declared bankruptcy in October..." I didn't know! I was hired in November. No one told me. So the next time my DM called in I asked her about it. She said not to worry, that I'd be reassigned to another studio and that I was an important part in the shaping over of the company.

Well, my studio was scheduled to close on the 25th, a Sunday. She called me and my studio partner that Thursday to tell us that we weren't reassigned and after Sunday we would no longer be employed with the company.

Talk about shady! I called corporate and they basically said, oh well and I could reapply for my job in six months. I would never work for that company again! Ever!

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#7 UPDATE Employee

I've been with PCA for 2+ years now

AUTHOR: Tricia - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, August 20, 2006

Yes we're taught "Top down selling" - lead with the best, show all of the free items, and explain the value - then say the price. As far as not allowing a customer to talk... lol... yeah, ok. *rolls eyes* Whatever magic wand you have for that trick would be greatly appreciated this coming holiday season. LOL

Like someone else said, if You're photography is good, your work will sell itself.

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#6 UPDATE EX-employee responds

PCA International LLC Church Division

AUTHOR: Eileen - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, August 11, 2006

I must agree that PCA church division was over all a horrible employment experience for me. I feel I was abused and taken advantage of which has left me in an extreme amount of debt, soley from the cost of travel not reimbursed by the company, and then additional troubles from going almost 2 months with out any scheduled work over the winter months, though I ran the highest sales average in my area for the entire season previous to this past winter. When I did get work, it was usually several hundred miles from my home and for a mere 1 or 2 days at a time.

When hired, Kenny West assured me that I could recieve partial claims unemployment during off times which he refered to as being "a week or two around Christmas." Well, he neglected to research this claim and as it turns out, partial claims is not available in my state, so I went enirely without income for the winter. In loyalty to Kenny who seemed like a very genuinely nice guy, I tried to stick out the hard times to stay with the company.

Turnover was so high in the church division that new employees were frequently sent out on their own to churches with less than one full week of training. Our equiptment was shotty-frequently breaking down, and leaving the sales and photographers to helplessly deal with angered churches. Account directors also had very little training and set up horrible accounts where it was nearly impossible to make sales, or even maintain a proper studio set up. Customer's appointment scheduling was a joke. Either we would have only a few people show up, which if you've ever worked commision, you know that no customers means no sales, or we were ridiculously over booked, leaving us with angry impatient customers and not enough time to do a quality and thorough job on their photo sessions or sales.

Communication was lacking between managers. There were many discrepancies in scheduling of employees, and church contracts. Many times I was called the night before or the day off a shoot and asked to drop everything to drive hundreds of miles to set up. Employees were not notified of special circumstances like a church's schuled day starting early, so when the employee showed up at their regular time, again had to take the blame for the company's disorganization.

The week I finally called and gave my two week notice, I received a paychaeck for a 4 day church where I put in about 60 hours including my drive time. After my out of pocket travel costs and gas which the company's perdiem and mileage rates did not cover I cleared about $60. I realized I could be making this at the Mc Donaolds down the street from my house in about 10 hours a week, so what was the point? I quit and gave a fair notice as I always do.

The people involved with PCA are not bad people, but the company is poorly organized and the benefits are very much lacking. Until train employees properly, raise the per diem to a fair rate and the gas mileage to match the government rate they will continue to have the turnover which is probably the root of the poor accounts or lack of any accounts at all.

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#5 UPDATE EX-employee responds

PCA Church Division IS Horrible

AUTHOR: Diana - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, July 23, 2006

I worked in this division and from first hand experience all stated is true!
I left due to cost of hotel rooms and I mean flea bags near promotions that cost above $45.00.
I left since I am a great photographer. The sales people sell the photographer's work at each church division promotion.

Anyone with PCA currently is to be commended, however unless you work in the only travelling division left at PCA which is church, then you do not know what it is like to live on a "commission only" paycheck.

Walmart and other employees are paid salary or hourly but church division employees are paid ONLY on commissio.
I went into the job accepting of this and have left for a better oppurtunity.

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#4 UPDATE Employee

I totally agree with you, Michele

AUTHOR: Vallerie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, May 05, 2005

You are very right, Michele. I have worked for this company for a long time, and as long as you do good work, you get paid, GREAT. I'm glad to see there's someone else taking up for the company.

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#3 Consumer Comment

You are going to loose A lot of BUSSNESS!

AUTHOR: Casey - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, April 01, 2004

I am A customer at the Wal-Mart store in Sikeston,Mo.and there is A gentelman who always takes my childrens portraits for a number of years and has done A very wonderful job.

I am very dissapointed to hear the district manager is seldom there anymore and my children love him taking their pictures.

As for myself and my friends we are very pleased with his well mannered performance and attitude toward my children, He is the only one who can make my children smile and feel comfortable with, The girls don't pay enough attention to my children or take the time with them. The girls pop them on the table and snap their pic's.

When Bill leaves I leave too, He does such A wonderful job and I wont let anyone else take ny childrens pic's but him and as for me and my friends will take our bussnes to JC Penny's.

Mrs Jean already has him to one day per week and I never know what day he will be in anymore so there is no way I will trust the girls or anyone else for that matter take pictures of my children but him, and if he don't get more hours I'm afraid he wont be there much longer.

Bill has done A great job and he has been there for A long time and he knows what he's doing.

Again I am disappointed he is no longer there for my children.

Truely yours

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#2 UPDATE Employee

PCA IS A Good Company to work for, and it's NOT a rip off!!

AUTHOR: Michele - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, May 27, 2003

I have worked for PCA for almost a year now, no, I don't travel for PCA, nor do I really know too much about the church directories, BUT, I do know, that I have never worked for a better company! I don't know what kind of paycheck you weren't recieving, because mine have always been excellent, if I where to make just strictly commision, I would stil be paid well. Obviously, you where not selling your work, obviously, your work sucked or you would be making money!! If you where only making commision, that should have made you sell, sell, sell. And it's not a rip off to sell portraits, especially as cheap as they are at PCA, whether you are a studio or traveling studio. And as far as PCA not re-embersing you for your hotel stays...did you fill out an expense report?? I fill out an expense report for everything that I purchase for PCA, and you know what? I get my money back for it. And what kind of hotel are you staying in the it costs you $119 a night? Even the Hilton isn't even that much a night!! I do know that you are trained to sell your butt off, but it's for your own benifet as well as PCA. And, I am sure that before you ventured out on the road, you were told everything about what you where selling and giving for "free", and if you had a problem with it, you should have quit then, not wait and then say its a scam!! And, further more, when one receives something "free" there is always a purchase involved to get the "free" item...that's anywhere!! Same as Sears and Olan Mills, and from personal experience, Hudson Studio's. I think you are just a disgruntal employee because you couldn't properly sell YOUR work.

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#1 0

AUTHOR: - ()

POSTED: Thursday, March 21, 2002

PCA, International, LLC is, according to former employees and consumers alike, a major ripoff organization that preys on churchgoing people. It is their policy to seek out churches to have their individual directories done "at absolutely no cost to the parishoners or the church" and then, after the pictures are taken, to offer them at "a great church discount" to the parishoners to "share with family and friends" when, in truth, they have greatly exaggerated the actual price of the pictures from what one would have to pay for the very same pictures at one of their studios in the Super Wal-Mart stores. PCA International, LLC, is the company who has all of the portrait studios in the Super Wal-Mart stores. If one would only check, the consumer could get the very same pictures and canvases at a mere fraction of the cost PCA imposes on the churchgoing community. Same pictures, same quality, same company. So the churchgoers are actually paying, quite heavily, for those "free" directories and "free" pictures.

Further, sales personnel for PCA are subjected to a one-week long "sales training", conducted by Kenny West, in Matthews, NC, before they are sent out to the churches. During this intensive sales training, employees are taught how to con the churches into thinking that PCA is giving them a big savings, to start at top-end selling and lying to the consumer that once a picture is deleted from the computer screen, it is gone forever, when that is anything but true. Employees are instructed to "never let the consumer talk" in order that the only thing they can do is say yes to a huge sale. Kenny West was the top sales person for many years, has absolutely no management skills, and used the most unorthodox and heartless sales techniques this writer has ever seen -- all of which he instructs the sales personnel to use.

As to the employees, it is worse. Sales employees, when in the field, are required to go wherever Kenny West sends them. A particular instance is this: Anyone knows that South Florida is very heavily laden with "snow birds" during the winter months. The result of which, the hotel and motel industry basically triples or quadruples their fees during those months. PCA International, LLC, has a policy of paying its employees $45.00 per diem to cover hotel fees. There is no salary involved, this is strictly commission. This employee, as well as many others, was subjected to a constant schedule in South Florida, having to travel to locations hundred of miles away and had to pay motel fees all over the amount of $149.00 per night, which expenses were not reimbursed by the company. While at the same time, Kenny West would send sales people from as far as South Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, etc., to work the northern areas of Florida or in this writer's hometown. If one could not afford to pay this out of their own pocket, that sales person was taken off schedule and not given any work at all. Mileage is rebated at 13.5 cents a mile, while the federal rate is 32 cents. There is also a "pick and choose" nature to Mr. West, and allowed by PCA. He is constantly telling people to push push push for a high sales average. I should know, I had one of the highest; however, when it starts to cost me $500 a week out of my own pocket just for the opportunity to work in Miami for a very weak, tail-end promotion with no hope of making any money, I decided to see an attorney.

I was advised that this is a totally ripoff situation, that PCA International, LLC, and Kenny West, in particular, knows that when it comes to commission, he can do whatever he pleases. The chosen employees are making big bucks for the company, but the company is doing nothing but exploiting its employees. It is a "take what I give you and stop complaining" situation. I was advised to write this letter to consumer reports and to leave the company immediately.

PCA is constantly recruiting for sales people in the Florida area. If approached, run as fast as you can!!!!!! This consumer/employee learned the hard way.

Jan
Winter Park, Florida



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