CPI Corporation Jim Mattox, Vickie Poston, Kevin Spencer Users, Cheapskates, Liars, Manipulators & Lazy St. Louis Missouri

10th of Dec, 2011 by User577712

I worked for CPI in the Picture Me Studios located inside of Walmart, at several locations here in NC; I gave them 18 months of my life & my time! The day I was hired, I was sitting across from both my soon to be studio manager (I have no quarrels with her) & the district manager for the Charlotte & surrounding areas, Kevin Spencer. I was told by my district manager that I would be coming on at $8.00/hr & as a M.I.T. (Manager In Training); this was the first of many lies that I was told during my employment with CPI. It wasn't until I had been working for 4 months, that I was able to view my paystub online for the first time. After weeks of asking & informing my DM that my pay was not matching my hours, when I saw my first paystub; I found out why. I was being jipped .50/hr, my pay= $7.50/hr. It stayed this way until my very last check of 2010, after I transferred to another district! Do the math, from March~December; how many pay periods was I being shorted in my pay? Too many! Even on my final check for the year when they actually corrected my pay/hour, they DID NOT COMPENSATE ME for all the hours that I had worked up to that point, where they neglected to pay me correctly! The other half of what I was told on my hire date (03/06/10) about the M.I.T. program; it never materialized! There was ALWAYS some excuse, some policy regulation for not advancing me as promised. Even when I was #1 in for both SALES (the REAL concern of CPI) & PRS (our average sales amount per customer), they STILL overlooked me for a promotion! PLUS, I was told by BOTH my studio manager & my district manager (Vickie Poston), that I would be receiving a "monetary bonus" for my "achievement". Again, after months of not seeing it on my check, I was finally told (through the grapevine), that I WOULD NOT be receiving any bonus for my accomplishment! The other side to this sad realization is this, NO ONE from within the company, being those higher up on the ladder, even acknowledged this (company wide via our monthly newsletter, where you get your "pat on the back") & I wasn't even told until weeks later that I had placed first! Like I said, this company is ONLY interested in money & I accomplished this feat without fanfare of any kind, while they lined their pockets off of MY HARD WORK!!! When it comes to compensating employees for their drive time & mileage, CPI fails at this as well. On my hire date, I informed the district manager (Kevin Spencer) that I was living in Asheboro & not in Indian Trail as stated on my application. I explained that the address on my application was a temporary address while I was waiting for my apartment to be turned in Asheboro & that since I submitted my application in mid- January & it was now March; I had already moved into my apartment. "Oh, thats okay! We will train you here on the new software, transfer you to Asheboro and then you can help to train the employees there on the software (Portrait Suites (new s/w vs. Portrait Suites & Weddings (old s/w))." per district manager, Kevin Spencer. Again, the transfer NEVER happened; that is, not until I contacted our regional manager & explained to her all that was going on & how I was driving 4hrs r/t & 164m r/t per day that I was scheduled to work. This DID NOT include when I had to travel to other store within the district (Westinghouse Blvd (1 exit from SC), Gastonia, Belmont), all while driving from home in one district, to work & cover studios in Kevin's district (without any type of compensation). After driving Kevin crazy (for several weeks)with emails, phone calls, face to face questions & even text messages about the matter as well as the M.I.T. program, all he said on the issues of my pay/hr & drive time/mileage compensation was & I quote, "You signed off on the pay per hour & your application lists your address here within my district". Even though he knew that HE told me my pay would start at $8.00/hr & that he would transfer me after I trained on the software because he knew that I was living in Asheboro! Regardless of ALL OF THIS, I maintained a professional attitude, worked hard to ensure that my customers enjoyed their sessions & that I did work they would like & purchase; I worked every hour I was scheduled & plenty more (on my NON-EXISTENT days off) to cover other studios; not to mention the multitude of hours that I worked OFF THE CLOCK with both my manager's & district manager's knowledge. My district manager (Vickie Poston) even told me to my face one evening, as she was standing hunched over a workstation, "You need to clock out, Jeff's budget cannot handle these hours", so I clocked out & remained in the studio for another 2-3 hours, OFF the clock , working & she was still there! ALL OF THIS & not a single person from my district manager up, ever considered me for promotion or a pay raise. Vickie even quipped at me one day this summer, " I have been given the 6 lowest in sales/PRS studios in the company which made my chances of getting a raise, NOT HAPPEN! The next person who asks me for a raise, I am going to shove my foot up their ass!" (8/03/2011). The final straw, after my studio manager walked off the job (who can blame him? On 7/22/2011), I went in (on my day off) & worked the remaining 3 hours & closed the studio at 8pm. I then prepared things for the audit/inventory that was to take place the next day, Saturday, 7/23/2011.
I ran the studio until Wednesday, 8/17/2011, ALONE; the only extra coverage I had (Tina McClean) was when I had to be out of town from 8/5~8/8 (already planned & approved, could not change) & for 2 or 3 other days during this time! I was acting as studio manager without the title, pay or benefits for doing as such...BUT...I STAYED & I DID NOT let CPI DOWN! this time, my weekly sales were good, at times, sessions were hard to obtain (economy), but I was selling the top collection we had to offer on a regular basis. The week I was fired, my sessions were only 4 but my PRS was $312. In the first week by myself, I sold just under $1600 & missed our "sits goal" by only 2 (PRS was high that week as well). Why was I fired if I was so willing to do all of this in faith that I would be noticed one day & have a studio of my own (Asheboro)? My daughter surprised me with an improptu visit on her way to Raleigh for her corporate meeting. She went with me to the studio (7/18/2011 to see where I worked) & as per company policy; I asked if she would please let me photograph her in order to check the camera & the lights for the "Daily Studio Checklist". I shot 2 pics & that was it!!! Two minutes later, my daughter was on her way up HWY 64 headed to Raleigh. The day was slow & as it dragged on, I played around with the 2 pics & then I used them as an "in-studio advertisement" by putting the enhanced images on the computer screens to help draw customers in. To enhance the 2 images, I had to treat it as a session (Crystal Blackwell) but it was not a session by CPI's requirements (not enough "poses"). I DID NOT hide the fact that Crystal Blackwell was my daughter, I even TOLD & SHOWED Vickie Poston, the "session" (on 8/3/2011), like any proud mother showing off her child. There were no plans to purchase anything from this "session" because I told my daughter that we would do a complete session when I get my end of the year free certificate (20 sheets). But during lunch at her meeting, Crystal called me & asked me if the pics were any good because she would be needing a current photo for her promotion. I told her that I had made several enhancements (about 30) & that we should be able to find something. She asked if I could put the pics on CD INCASE she liked them & could use them for facebook, business cards and such. I said yes & explained that I WOULD NOT be able to give her preferential treatment such as discount & so forth because I was the ONLY EMPLOYEE at the studio & I could not do so. She understood. I tried to burn the CD that evening before close but the burn "failed" & per company policy, a failed burn, is to wasted in the SAS & then the word "WASTE" is to be written across BOTH sides of the disc as well as the cover it goes in & then placed in the "CD/PASSPORT WASTE" folder in the drawer to keep inventory balanced/correct. I DID JUST THIS!!! My daughter ran late & did not make it to the studio. I tried again twice to burn a CD for her because she thought she might make another trip to see me. Again IT FAILED, so I did the same as before. The CD WAS STILL IN THE DRAWER AS OF MY LAST DAY OF EMPLOYMENT 8/17/2011!!! Why do I stress this point? I was wrongfully fired because I was ACCUSED of "removing merchandise WITHOUT payment OR authorization". I was asked to come in (dressed for work) on my day off 8/18/2011 & subjected to a humiliating conference call with Leonard Halstead (LOSS PREVENTION, CPI), Vickie Poston (District mgr.) & myself, in a backroom somewhere in Walmart!!!
Right on que, he began playing psychological head games with me, giving me scenarios of 1 who
co-operated with the investigation & 1 who did not. The advanatages & the consequences with both cases. His EXACT words were as follows; "Before I make this call, I already know the who, the what, the when & the where. The reason for this call is to find out the why". He also added, "This company provides me and the department, with all the tools needed to do my job & do it confidently. The SAS system, reports that are generated to check the inventory, cameras mounted in every studio with live feeds (our studio camera was had not been working since before my manager walked out. I reported this several times to my DM starting on 7/22/2011 when I closed the studio) & so forth". Then his question, "*******, are you one that
co-operates or no? I politely asked in return, "Will you please tell me what it is that you are indirectly accusing me of before I answer your question?". He nor Vickie Poston either one, came out & DIRECTLY answered my question, as a matter of fact; Vickie lied to me as to why we needed to have the "meeting", in the first place. she told me on our llittle walk to the back ( as she complained about the new studio manager's photography skills ("God, does she need help! But she has been is SALES all her life..."), that Mr. Halstead HAD CALLED HER about "some report or something or other, this morning & that he needed to speak with me". During the teleconference, Mr. Halstead plainly said, "Vickie, do you have the paperwork I told you I would need when you CALLED ME THIS MORNING?". Suddenly, Vickie ws all flustered & played it off by making a comment that my work slacks could not have pinstripes, "they have to be solid". All this in the hopes of throwing me off to what what Mr. Halstead had just said. I gave my statement, which echoes what I have already told you; first verbally & then he asked to speak with Vickie PRIVATELY while I also gave a written statement. Next, I was told that I would be on "SUSPENSION" pending the investigation & outcome thereof. "As soon as I know ANYTHING *****, I will let call & let you know, I PROMISE!". That was Thursday, 8/18/2011, Vickie went on a 1 week vacation (the 3rd/4th one of the year alredy) that Monday, 8/22/2011 (Kevin Spencer was ALSO on vacation this same week & "rumors have it, they are dating). From 8/18/2011 ~ 8/31/2011 (13 days), I waited. During this time, I called my studio, I texted Vickie, I called my Regional Manager; I even spoke with both of my previous store managers. I ALSO emailed JIM MATTOX twice in reference to all of this, informing him of all I have you; did he EVER respond? NOT ONE EMAIL RESPONSE from him at all. I still have all the emails, text messages from Vickie, my previous studio manager, my regional manager & associates that I have worked with who NEVER saw this coming. I filed for unemployment in October, the ESC sent CPI the paperwork showing my claim & requesting their "side" of the story. I called the ESC almost 2 weeks after I filed & I was told that CPI's deadline was due that very day & I said, "Let me guess, if I know CPI as well as I think I do, you have not yet received any response from them". He politely told me that they had not & therefore, he would be sending out paperwork to Raleigh that very afternoon. I received a letter from the ESC in Raleigh about 4/5 days later. I was told that they found my claim to be legitimate & I was being awarded benefits. I was also told that CPI had until 11/13/2011 to appeal if they disagreed with the ruling of the ESC. I can remember the date because it is my sister's birthday. I received my 1st benefit check for the week ending 10/22/2011. Last week, I received another letter from the ESC, guess what; CPI IS APPEALING the ruling (surprise, surprise). While reading through the paperwork I was sent, they didn't even file for appeal until 11/14/2011, 24 hours AFTER the deadline! Now I have to be at the ESC tomorrow at 1pm for ANOTHER teleconference hearing. My benefits MAY BE STOPPED!!! They LIE & MANIPULATE to WRONGFULLY FIRE ME, they were to LAZY to send their portion of the paperwork in at the start of my claim, they were again TOO LAZY to file their appeal of the ruling before the 11/13/2011 deadline & they are still refusing to compensate me accordingly for the way they have mistreated me!

Track this Report 0 Comment | Post a Comment