Lifetouch Reviews

Pros

This is a very good company at heart, especially the core people who have been around for many years. If you're fortunate enough to work in a stable group that knows what it is and has a clear focus, your experience will be good.

Cons

Some groups see quite a few leadership changes right up to the senior management level. Needless to say, each new leader feels the need to "make their mark" and "show value" which typically doesn't end well for anyone else in the group. If you work in one of these groups you may go insane and will definitely feel like every day might be your last.

Benefits are terrible and very expensive, but the retirement plan is generous if you stick around long enough to become fully vested.

Pros

There are a lot of good, caring people to work with. Retirement benefits are some of the best you'll find. There is a lot of experience to be had working for them.

Cons

The Upper Management from the MN headquarters are quick to cut hours AND jobs from those who labor the hardest. The first to suffer is ALWAYS the laboring employees. They also tend to promote the "YES" men in the company. Marketing is clueless - pure and simple.

Advice to Senior Management

If you absolutely need to make budget cuts, why not start with upper management pay and bonuses? Stop making your hardest workers at the bottom suffer first. How about those big bonuses that upper management collects, when we get squat as thanks for all the hard work we put in? We have kids, mortgages and utilities to pay to survive - not fancy cars and parties!! Thanks for cutting our hours for all the blood, sweat and tears we put in day in and day out. Think about other people than yourselves for a change!

Pros

Desk job, friendly co-workers, not at all physical work.

Cons

Sudden overtime with no warning, sudden lay offs with no warning.

Advice to Senior Management

I would suggest letting people know from the get go that lay offs are a possibility. I was laid off with absolutely no warning literally a week after working overtime. If things slow down even a little bit, they will likely not keep you. And they laid me off right before the holidays too. Not a great way to treat your employees, Lifetouch.

Pros

Great place to begin career as a photographer. You will have opportunity to photograph hundreds of people. Can move into studio portrait photography, sports or event photography, or become a trainer. Great job for someone with very reliable transportation, who is energetic, responsible, and an early riser. if you love people and photography, this is a great opportunity to get into the field.

Cons

Early rise required (4:00 -5 am) to get to the schools (which can be an hour or more away sometimes) by 6 or 7 am for an hour set up before photographing from 7 or 8 am to about 3 pm. Then an hour break down of equipment at end of day. You must enjoy working with people, be calm when there is a line of sometimes hundreds of kids waiting for photos to be taken. You may be required to carry photo equipment in your car for the season.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue to research current trends and technology changes in the visual media field and upgrade as often as possible to stay competitive. Reward employees who excel.

Pros

The people are fun to work with, managers are understanding and reasonable, the job is easy, the pay is low but it is worth it because the job is fun.

Cons

There isn't too much room for advancement unless you are there forever. They pay isn't great and the benefits aren't really worthwhile.

Pros

It's fun working with kids and schools. Most young ones are excited about picture day and look forward to having their picture taken. Co-photographers are usually a treat to work with as most enjoy what they do. It's a good job as long as you don't have to rely on the money - will keep you out of the house for a few bucks in your pocket.

Cons

Long-term photographers become very tight and not very welcoming. Company has lost touch with customer-service - removed the service function from local offices and centralized it to big call centres. Customers and accounts never know who they will talk to next. Management blind-sides employees with termination - mid-year or before year has ended - with nothing to back up their decision. Changing roles and elimination of key positions in past few years has lead to lower photo quality and lacklustre training of photographers. Lifetouch has gotten too big and lost too much focus. Pay is horribly low - competitors have better pay structure for photographers. It's now not worth what they pay you - it may cost you more than you make after gas, wear-and-tear on your car, food, etc.

Advice to Senior Management

Return some of the account-specific service functions to the local office. Return Lifetouch to its roots - top-notch photo quality and employees feeling valued. It might help to stop removing all the committed employees who loved what they did and supported the company through thick-and-thin. Did Lifetouch buy Jostens or did Jostens buy Lifetouch?

Pros

The best reason to be a part timer is that after 6 months, you are given vacation pay. Otherwise the only perk is that you're creating a memory.

Cons

You may have a full shift then get sent home after 1 hour. If there is a problem with management, the District Manager and HR never get back to you and address your issue. The raises are horrible. Sometimes we don't get a lunch break.

Advice to Senior Management

Value your employees!!!!!

Pros

If you have a passion for photography, it's a great place to work

Cons

The downside being, if you have a bad District Manager, you're just stuck. Lots of 'more more more' mentality. more sits, more numbers, policies and rules change weekly/monthly

Pros

Lifetouch treats its people pretty well. I feel that my salary is good; it's just that we haven't seen raises in 3 years! Communication from corporate is very good. They are always asking our opinions on how to improve everything.

Cons

Christmas season is extremely stressful. The industry as a whole is downsizing after the recession. The biggest negative is that once you are a studio manager, there is really nowhere else to go.

Pros

Customer service is key. Creating family memories through portraits is a gift.

Cons

Do not plan on making a career out of it. Senior management options are VERY rare.

Advice to Senior Management

What would be nice is if there were more regional training opportunities. Allowing a proven photographer the opportunity to be more creative would be beneficial for the company as a whole.