PrintingForLess.com Reviews

Pros

PFL invests in and cares about its people. Great place to work hard and enjoy going to work! Tough interviews to ensure only the best and the brightest are hired.

Cons

Some may see it as a small organization, but it i growing and PFL is currently investing in its growth.

Advice to Senior Management

Management should continue to put a high emphasis on growing to ensure engagement and opportunities for its people, especially at higher levels.

Pros

Scenery surrounding PFLs location is beautiful, no traffic on the drive to work, and the people doing the real work are great.

Cons

Management and workers are completely disconnected. It is a total grind working here and without a sense of doing any good. We all go to work, work our tails off processing files, taking orders, selling and the company's value continues to decline. The valuation of the company has slipped from close to $3.00 per share to less than 1.37 per share and it continues to drop. The only solution that management offers is work harder. The concept of working smarter totally escapes this place. They have no idea how to get things done. Projects seem to languish indefinitely and there is absolutely no accountability on the behalf of management while there is no tolerance for anything less below them.

I realize the job market is tough. If you consider this place for employment be aware that their approach to business has nothing to do with their published values.

Also read the comment under the “Progressive, Rewarding, and Challenging” review about employees leaving without having another job (I think it is the one titled may 2010 update). I believe the action of these employees speaks louder than any words ever will.

Advice to Senior Management

It looks like the end of the road for this management team. Their attempts to turn the business are completely in vein. Sell or find someone that has the experience to advance the business where you cannot.

Pros

Some of the best people I've met work here. I find the work very rewarding, I enjoy the flexibility in my job and the freadom to make decisions without having to consult with a manager.

Cons

Yes, upper management has some flaws, but no one or no company is perfect. Benefits could be a little better, a high deductible insurance isn't a perfect fit for everyone.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep us upto date on whats happening, no one likes the unknow. Reward those who excel with opportunity and listen to the advise from the floor.

Pros

Most of the people are great to work with and very smart. The company is in a beautiful location and offers on-sight daycare to families with young children.

Cons

They specifically hire people that have come from "not so great" working environments to make PFL seem great. Management wrings you for all you are worth and then tells you it's not good enough. This tends to cause a low morale.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't make so many reactive decisions. Think long term. The company is in a position that it could go either way. Dig deaper to find out the real reasons that people leave. While claiming to be a transparent company, it is very apparent that isn't the case. Be honest and up front.

Pros

they provide a relaxed and informal work environment

Cons

I guess like any company they will drop you without hesitation if it benefits the bottom line and or you don't completely buy into managements plans even though they talk a good game about being accountable and wanting feedback.

Advice to Senior Management

pay people based on their productivity not on what they made at their last job or what you think they might be willing to work for.

Pros

Montana. Dogs. PrintingForLess provides a very rewarding work environment for those who are self driven and willing to make work towards the bigger picture. PFL also provides lots of professional development activities, and invests heavily in their employee’s success.

Cons

PFL is not the place for you to work if you just want to be a cog in the machine and work from 9 to 5.

Advice to Senior Management

Get rid of negative and low perfomance employees faster.

Pros

Ok, I went to work for PFL because the place is in Montana (the windiest spot in Montana), they allowed people to bring their dogs to work, and on the surface the people seemed pleasant.

Cons

What I found out later is that it is incredibly windy in Livingston (100+ mph winds... no kidding), if you wanted to bring your dog to work you had to be juried in by management (somewhat political process), and the people doing the work there are nice people. Management however is not.

So my story is that I was one of those let go in 2009 due to what they call downsizing. What I found incredibly strange is that a week before letting me go they gave me and 160 other employees company carhart jackets (cost $10,000). Spend 10 grand on jackets then let 15 employees go. How about save the money and keep the people. My history with the company was perfect. What's more is how immediate the news was delivered. I had a management team memeber come to my desk, then bring me to one of the ir conference rooms. The management tema memeber read from a sheet of paper what they were doing then I was escorted to my desk, not allowed to retrieve personal information on the computer I used and then escorted out of the building. I was treated like I committed a crime.

Now I know this type of lay off procedure is common for sterile coporations. The sad news is that this company preaches that it is not what they call a sterile corporation or a big sucky company. Well from the looks of this experience it sure looks like you are a sucky company.

So far to date more than 25 people have been let go in the last 2 years.

Fast forward several months and they are hiring people again. One would think they would call back those let go. Sorry folks, not one has been called back.

I guess my lesson learned is that regardless of where you work you really can't trust what they tell you when they hire you. You have to go in do your job and go home. Don't go to work for these guys expecting to receive any praise or rewards. If you have to work for them, do so for the money, because if something goes wrong management will be the last to accept accountability and the first to assign blame on those busting their butts for them.

Looking back, I do miss those that I worked with. I really do not miss the constant verbal abuse from management.

Good luck and God bless to those still there.

Advice to Senior Management

Quit using the phrase that you are not a sucky company. Sooner or later your employees discover that you are.