Release *MY* Customer Info! Vote NOW!

Jonathan R. Walcher

I know this has been brought up before...but my patience has withered. I still have no idea why SmugMug refuses to release *MY* client information and I'm concerned that unless they change their position on this they will start losing customers.

I'm posting this as a call to the other pros who would like a commitment from SmugMug that this will be changed in the *near* future.

Regardless of the great customer service, fantastic interface, and great prints the bottom line is this...

Next to my photos my customer base is my most valued asset...please release it. Thank you.

Jonathan R. Walcher

And if the folks at SmugMug read this...this is a real issue that needs to be resolved ASAP.

Angelo

What additional information are you seeking?

I for one am not interested in knowing more about those buying prints than I already know.

I use SmugMug because I can think of it like an art gallery representing me. And I would bet, based on some personal experience, there isn't a gallery owner alive who would share their customer database.

Jonathan R. Walcher

A bit Prima Donna

Angelo wrote:

What additional information are you seeking?

I for one am not interested in knowing more about those buying prints than I already know.

I use SmugMug because I can think of it like an art gallery representing me. And I would bet, based on some personal experience, there isn't a gallery owner alive who would share their customer database.

An art gallery has a big sign above the door when you walk in that most likely represents the owner and probably a host to guide you in your search for art.

When you go to my site...there is a big sign at the top that says.."Jonathan R. Walcher"...and if you have questions about my pictures...You call Me...in other words...your walking into my gallery...not SmugMugs.

You're response sheds some light on why something that seems so logical and common place among other pro sites is so difficult for the smugmug folks to understand...it appears to be a prima donna attitude about the issue...It was an overstep in the wrong direction from the start...and it should be resolved. SmugMug is an Application that should be helping ME! Short of my contribution each year (and $ each print) I'm not in the business of making SmugMug a successfull Art Gallery.

In fact...SmugMug shouldn't even appear to my customers...except when something goes wrong.


Oh...and I want all of it...if my Client provided it...it's mine.

Andy

Hi Jonathan, thanks for posting and for the poll. We'll be watching.

We still maintain that you have the client email address, and the client has yours. The way I look at it, if the client wishes you to have their physical mailing address, and phone number, they'd gladly give it if you asked them when you sent them your usual thank you note, after an order.

I get orders all the time from people I do not know personally - and it has happened that some have said "no thanks, we don't wish to give out that info, but you're welcome to email me if you have new images to share with us.." Those people would only be annoyed if I sent them something, or phoned them. But without fail, they've never objected to me shooting them a note, with a friendly link to a similar type image or gallery to one they've already purchased from. Nearly all buyers of mine, have happily given me their physical info, when requested.

It's certainly a real issue - and we know it. It's come up here, and on Dpreview and on other forums, too.

Thanks for telling us how important it is to you!

fiatsurf

It would be nice to have the info for my customer base (i.e. mailing addresses) so I can do periodic mailings (like photo greeting cards now available vis-a-vis SmugMug). Yes, emailing them is cool and all, but getting them one of the high-quality cards, something tangible in their hands with whatever message for the season or upcoming event, would be an excellent way to remind them of my site and showcase (again) the top quality products available from both my site/SmugMug. Since they've already given their address to receive the ordered prints, I can't see them having a problem with me having that info.

Along a similar tangent, it would help to be able to at least add to the keywords and other meta information on my site to further customize it, help the spiders index it better with my branding while still keeping the main SmugMug info in there.

Andy

fiatsurf wrote:

Along a similar tangent, it would help to be able to at least add to the keywords and other meta information on my site to further customize it, help the spiders index it better with my branding while still keeping the main SmugMug info in there.

You can impact this, to a very large degree - have you followed all my tips here?
http://wiki.smugmug.com/display/SmugMug/Maximize+Search+Engine+Findability

Jonathan R. Walcher

fiatsurf wrote:

It would be nice to have the info for my customer base (i.e. mailing addresses) so I can do periodic mailings (like photo greeting cards now available vis-a-vis SmugMug). Yes, emailing them is cool and all, but getting them one of the high-quality cards, something tangible in their hands with whatever message for the season or upcoming event, would be an excellent way to remind them of my site and showcase (again) the top quality products available from both my site/SmugMug. Since they've already given their address to receive the ordered prints, I can't see them having a problem with me having that info.

An excellent example of a common practice among pro's...It pays to "hit the pavement" and thats a great way to do it.

Thank you for your input.

fiatsurf

Good info

I do all that already with any site I work on but putting the meta info in the bio box is new to me. Will have to try that. I generally am pretty visible with the major search engines but am always looking for that extra thing to do to further increase visibility. I'm guessing SmugMug controls the main meta data in order to create a trickle-down effect; i.e. the more visible SmugMug is, higher up in search, the better for all? While still making sure the SmugMug branding is in the fore. I understand that from your standpoint but still would like to be able to have more of a co-branding scenario. No worries, though.

One other thing, Andy. Lately the waves and weather have been a bit inclement, thus hampering my main photographic interest, surf photography (once in a while I do get a good one). If you could arrange sunny skies, 6-7 foot swells and an abundance of world-class surfers to congregate in my immediate area, it would be very much appreciated.

Thanks for your quick input.

Andy wrote:

You can impact this, to a very large degree - have you followed all my tips here?
http://wiki.smugmug.com/display/SmugMug/Maximize+Search+Engine+Findability

Andy

fiatsurf wrote:

Good info

I do all that already with any site I work on but putting the meta info in the bio box is new to me. Will have to try that.

Yes, do - it really works! Try searching for Andy Williams - I have a fairly famous google-ganger and I still show up on page one. Lots of high results for other search terms, too.

One other thing, Andy. Lately the waves and weather have been a bit inclement, thus hampering my main photographic interest, surf photography (once in a while I do get a good one). If you could arrange sunny skies, 6-7 foot swells and an abundance of world-class surfers to congregate in my immediate area, it would be very much appreciated..

I'll get on it!

rdlugosz

I have a hard time understanding why this is always such a major issue. You get the buyer's email address - why not just send them an email as Andy suggests and offer to add them to your USPS mailing list? If they want you to have their address then you'll get it from them. If not, just leave them on your email mailing list.

Plus, I think there's a strong argument to be made which says that these *aren't* entirely your customers. In fact they are SmugMug's and you are providing images to SmugMug which are sold on a hybrid consignment model.

*****

Finally, regarding the Google Findability issue (off topic here, but it was mentioned)... One of the biggest problems that is extremely easy to fix is the Page Title inside a Gallery!! The page title is highly weighted for keywords by the search engines... there would be a marked improvement if the Title assigned to a gallery was the actual Gallery Name (or Category name in Category Pages).

With today's model, Google sees a thousand pages with exactly the same title & it therefore cannot use that to understand the content. It hurts the display of results as well - while I'm on page 1 for "Plymouth Ice festival photos", the link to my SM gallery of these pics looks unrelated because it reads "Cincinnati Photographer Ryan Dlugosz...".

That's a simple change from a programming point of view and would make a big difference. It'd be even better if this were configurable in the Options for each Gallery, but I'd be happy if it was just the title! This issue has been brought up over and over, but there's no change.

Yes, this is useful when searching for "Andy Williams", but that's not what I'm going for - I'm looking for people who are looking for photographs of a specific thing & may randomly buy a print. They're not going to search for my name if they're looking for Ice Sculptures.

3rdPlanetPhotography

rdlugosz wrote:

Plus, I think there's a strong argument to be made which says that these *aren't* entirely your customers. In fact they are SmugMug's and you are providing images to SmugMug which are sold on a hybrid consignment model.

I have to disagree (to a point). Those are my customers. They are buying my prints. I am Smugmug's customer. So really Smugmug is processing orders for "my" customer. SM wouldn't be processing an order for the person without my image which brings the (my) customer to purchase.

That was just my arguments. Andy and everyone here has the full right to tell me to STFU because I no longer use SM for my customers, however, I'll always be a customer of Smugmug for my own stuff.

rdlugosz

3rdPlanetPhotography wrote:

I have to disagree (to a point). Those are my customers. They are buying my prints. I am Smugmug's customer. So really Smugmug is processing orders for "my" customer. SM wouldn't be processing an order for the person without my image which brings the (my) customer to purchase.

Right - I think we more or less agree... note that that I said that they "aren't entirely" your customers. That's precisely the service I'm paying for - let SM hold & present my images, provide for a transaction management system, handle printing, etc.

But, at the end of the day Smugmug is the one that is brokering the deal with the customer, providing the support, etc. They are the only ones in this equation that needs to be directly invovled with the customer.

In the cases where the customer isn't just an anonymous web browser, you likely have already been commissioned by that customer to shoot their portrait, event, whatever... In that case *you* should just get their address if you are interested in it.

Jonathan R. Walcher

Unprofessional and Disorganized.

rdlugosz wrote:

I have a hard time understanding why this is always such a major issue. You get the buyer's email address - why not just send them an email as Andy suggests and offer to add them to your USPS mailing list? If they want you to have their address then you'll get it from them. If not, just leave them on your email mailing list.

• Because my Client was already solicited for their information once and requesting it again would be unprofessional at best and rude at worst.
• It makes you appear disorganized to your client base.
• It isn't just about the mailing address!
• In 5 Years...XXXX Sales later...all you have is an E-Mail address? (what a great way to buid a client base. really...)
• Did I mention...When my client chooses to purchase a print from me *I'm* asking for all of their information already...They freely supplied it...SmugMug (whose job imo is to merely handle the transaction) forces me to contact a client TWICE and solicit the info again.

And in regards to the fact that Andy reports success with this...If I were a gambling man...I would bet that the people who don't provide their address Don't do so because the fact that he asks them for info already supplied so they’re overly cautious. Imagine the scenario ..shortly after you order something from a website represented by one party, another party contacts you and says Hey I noticed that you purchased something of mine...can I have your info again please?

Obviously your going to be suspect and decline because *you just gave it to them*

rdlugosz wrote:

Plus, I think there's a strong argument to be made which says that these *aren't* entirely your customers. In fact they are SmugMug's and you are providing images to SmugMug which are sold on a hybrid consignment model.

Well...with all due respect...This doesn't make sense...at all...

Consider this...It's a well known fact that SmugMug Uses Amazon S3 for its data storage needs. With that in mind, when a customer goes to my site and pulls up an image they are most likely seeing something that was provided by amazon S3, not by SmugMug. Further, when they order a print, SmugMug doesn't print it they merely pass along the info to the lab.

So really...are my Clients actually Amazons? or the Print Lab? Um..no...and they're not SmugMug's either. SmugMug's customers are the ones that pay 149.95 per year...and contribute a portion of their sales. It's that simple.


All that said, The more I think about this the more I realize that SmugMug is providing a service that isn't really geared towards those who are wanting the truly professional experience. I think that as I progress in my business I'm finding that while SM has a great product and it's served me well in this phase...they really don't provide the means for me or other Pro photog's to progress to the next Phase (See Dpreview link in first post...I'm not the only whose hitting this wall)

In a practical sense...I think SmugMug should consider another level of their service that provides Pros with all of the current tools *plus* full control of the client base (heck, build some tools that help with marketing...like email announcements and mail outs and such) and the ability to remove all of the SM branding (especially from the shopping cart...I constantly get "Who is SmugMug" from my clients). Personally I would pay $300 to $500 a year for this service.

Without the above features SmugMug will become and remain a second-tier service provider in my opinion.

JRW

PictureThis!

Also, for some of the customers, they don't have an email address and end up using someone else's (thats not even your customer!). I used Shutterfly in the past and it was nice having the customer's address. I update my customer database with that information. I agree with whoever mentioned it would be redundant to ask for this after they've given it to 'you' when they ordered.

rdlugosz

Jonathan -

Clearly you're pretty passionate about this; I'm sorry that you feel like SM is preventing you from taking your business to another level but I'm pretty sure a lot of folks around here would disagree. I read the DPreview thread... I'm not sure why you think it looks so dire for SM - looks to me that they're regarded to be "excellent" among their competitors.

A good "fix" for Smugmug on this issue would be to include an opt-in checkbox on the checkout page that says "Allow Foo-Man-Photos to see my mailing address". There you go - problem solved. Of course, you'll probably say that SM owes you that information & it shouldn't be an option for the customer... I say "who cares?" If they uncheck that box then I'd bet you'd be wasting your money sending out a mailing to them anyway.

In the meantime, you could deal with this without looking "unprofessional" by putting up a web page that allows people to sign up for info and mailings. When you email your customer thanking them for your order, point them at that link and suggest that they can sign up if they're interested in getting a mailing once or twice a year about your new products. (This way you're not really acting like you don't have their info, rather you're giving them the choice to opt-in.)

Another option would be to use another service or host your own where you can get all of the information you want. Just remember that now you're going to be responsible for handling credit card transactions, fulfilling orders, retaining sales tax, maintaining the gallery software... There's a lot of overhead that you will be choosing to manage instead of taking photographs or marketing to your customers.

You're entitled to your opinion but I think there are bigger fish to fry that are holding back pro users:
* Page Titles
* Lack of Package Pricing / Coupon Codes
* SM Branding in checkout
* No Finishing Options (matting, framing, etc)
* No price benefit on prints - this is a big one, IMO... Why should pros be paying the standard EZ-Prints price for prints, esp. large ones? The high cost of large prints really eats into margins when combined with the 15%.

Wouldn't you agree that if some of the above issues were addressed (no pun intended) that you'd be better off than if they told you somebody's mailing address?

Jonathan R. Walcher

The long term perspective...

rdlugosz wrote:

I'm pretty sure a lot of folks around here would disagree.

I would suggest that it's becuase those that agreed felt that rather than try to help improve the product they chose to go elsewhere. The rest that stayed have already voted.

rdlugosz wrote:

I read the DPreview thread... I'm not sure why you think it looks so dire for SM - looks to me that they're regarded to be "excellent" among their competitors.

I'll clarify and say that the situation is dire for a certain demographic...mainly semi-pro and pro photographers who want their middle man to be as transparent as possible.

rdlugosz wrote:

There's a lot of overhead that you will be choosing to manage instead of taking photographs or marketing to your customers.

As it is...SmugMug is adding to the overhead. Talk to any brick and mortar studio and ask them how important their clientele database is...when they need to increase their marketing efforts they go straight to it and utilize everything...Phone...Mail...Email...whatever. I on the other hand...as you've suggested...need to first contact the client after they have purchased a print then compile all of the replies into a database. And not just once, but every time someone purchases something I'm required to go a re-solicit the information...I'm duplicating everything and wasting my time.

Oh...and may be I'm old fashion...but what happened to the "Follow-Up" call to ask your customer if they liked the product they ordered. E-Mail is about as informal as it gets...and with all the Spam these days...it's borderline pointless. If someone goes to my site and orders $100's in prints...I would like the option to call them *personally* and thank them and make sure they are completely satisfied.

I strive to provide the best possible experience to my clients from start to finish...as it is I can't do that...and my hope is that SmugMug will change there position or I'll be forced to take my studio *and clients* elsewhere where the middle man doesn't have so much control over my business.

I’ve invested a ton of time into my site and I don’t want to see all of it go down the drain. On the otherhand…I don’t want to be 5 years down the road and have only a list of E-mails to market to.

rdlugosz wrote:

You're entitled to your opinion but I think there are bigger fish to fry that are holding back pro users:
* Page Titles
* Lack of Package Pricing / Coupon Codes
* SM Branding in checkout
* No Finishing Options (matting, framing, etc)
* No price benefit on prints - this is a big one, IMO... Why should pros be paying the standard EZ-Prints price for prints, esp. large ones? The high cost of large prints really eats into margins when combined with the 15%.

Wouldn't you agree that if some of the above issues were addressed (no pun intended) that you'd be better off than if they told you somebody's mailing address?

I've already mentioned the SM Branding in the Checkout (this is huge to me as well) and I completely agree with you all the other options. I bring up this one because I don't want to keep growing my business with SmugMug given their current stance on my Client information. The longer this goes on the more it costs me in future business.

You may not realize what you don’t have now…but 5 years down the road and the blood sweat and tears later…you’ll be glad to have that client base to market to and will respect every single one of them like they were your family because they’re putting food on the table.

All Artist's ideals aside...your clients are your second most valuable asset next to your art...do some business/marketing research and you'll find this confirmed time and time again.

rdlugosz

You've made some good points here & I think this has been a good discussion. Hopefully Andy and crew will take this back to the lab and work it out.

What are people's thoughts on the "opt-in" address concept I suggested above?

Note I wouldn't be too quick to discount the value of email addresses. Especially considering that my non-local clients are buying exclusively from the net, there's a lot of value in their being able to click right on something in their inbox and be taken directly to my site to see the newest thing that I'm pimping. A card that comes in the mail requires that they take that to the computer, type in a URL, and then shop.

Not at all discounting the value of being able to send out physical mailings - just noting that there is considerable value in email lists.

PictureThis!

I think the opt-in address would take away from your business. My customers get on 'my' website to order pictures and they know nothing about SmugMug. So why should they be asked if it's o.k. to give out their address to me? I don't want to cause confusion for them. Maybe if it was worded differently, like would you like to be added to XYZ Photography's mailing list.?.

fiatsurf

The customer already provides the address and shouldn't have to click anything for the photographer to have access to it. SmugMug should freely provide this information to the pro level photographer. Period. If people don't want to use it and prefer to email, that's fine.

nmh

What about the people who give you money?

Jonathan R. Walcher wrote:

I know this has been brought up before...but my patience has withered. I still have no idea why SmugMug refuses to release *MY* client information and I'm concerned that unless they change their position on this they will start losing customers.

I'm posting this as a call to the other pros who would like a commitment from SmugMug that this will be changed in the *near* future.

Regardless of the great customer service, fantastic interface, and great prints the bottom line is this...

Next to my photos my customer base is my most valued asset...please release it. Thank you.

What about the clients who prefer for this information to not be passed around?

Jonathan R. Walcher

Who is SmugMug

nmh wrote:

What about the clients who prefer for this information to not be passed around?

If a customer goes to my website and wants to order a print from *me* *I* need their information to facilitate this...

Ask any one of your customers who they ordered their last print from and I gurantee they will say..."Well it was you of course...but it came from someplace called SmugMug"

SmugMug is the middle-man between me and the lab that's processing my clients order. This should be transparent with me as the primary controller .

My client could care less about SM...they want a print from me...so they provide all that information freely....

Again...this is baffling...am I the only one that talks to my clients and see's the confused look when this company called SmugMug pops up and then wonders "Gee if I Jonathan is asking me for my info and I just gave it...who the Hell is SmugMug and what are they doing with it? "

nmh

Jonathan R. Walcher wrote:

If a customer goes to my website and wants to order a print from *me* *I* need their information to facilitate this...

Sorry, I thought that is what you are paying smugmug to handle for you.

fiatsurf

If someone is buying prints (etc.) from your site and entering their information, I would think it natural for them to assume that the person who took the pictures would have access to it. If this were purely a stock photography site (iStockPhoto etc.) I can understand not giving the photographer any information.

While this isn't a "deal breaker" for me personally, having the info could potentially help me drive even more traffic to my site, increase sales and further tie the customer in to what I'm doing (or what I will be doing), keeping on their radar. And it could be a good way to showcase some of the "other" items available through SmugMug (photo cards come to mind-- like sending a "Happy Halloween" photo card and reminding the clients that they can do their holiday cards through my site). Overall I'm extremely pleased with my SmugMug experience but would enjoy being able to do even more. Heck, I still have lots to do regarding furthering my photographic and post-processing skills but when surf's not up, I have too much time to pore over these boards.

nmh wrote:

What about the clients who prefer for this information to not be passed around?

chuckinsocal

My $.02
I'm not really effected by this issue because, as a newbee, I have't sold a print yet.

But, in reading through the posts, I see where SmugMug has stated that you really don't need the information and explained how you could get it yourself.

What I haven't seen SM address is WHY they won't give the info to you. Is it too expensive? Too much trouble? Requires additional programming? Privacy issues? WHY?

Remember, they can do all the same things with random strangers that order prints that they can do with your real clients who paid you to shoot photos and ordered prints The fact that SM is silent as to WHY, and I'm not making a statement here, makes me wonder if they have some hidden agenda. Why do they want to hold that info so close to the vest? What do they do with it that they can't share with you?

Again, I'm not making a statement here, but I am curious.

Chuck Cannova
http://chuckinsocal.SmugMug.com

Jonathan R. Walcher

Great Question...

chuckinsocal wrote:

I'm not really effected by this issue because, as a newbee, I have't sold a print yet.

Think about this...you've decided that you what SM to host your Studio...in a year...when you have sold XXX prints...you'll look back and for every customer that has walked through your "door" and has bought a print...your going to get only one thing...an Email Address...meanwhile...SM...has a full Clientele list of everyone that has purchased from you.

If your aim is to be the best studio possible...this doesn't make any sense...and you'll be asking yourself the same questions I've asked...why don't I have more info on *my* clients...why does my middle-man have more info about my customers than I do...

It doesn't make sense for folks like me...thats why I'm seeking change or I'm going to find an alternate route.

chuckinsocal wrote:

Remember, they can do all the same things with random strangers that order prints that they can do with your real clients who paid you to shoot photos and ordered prints The fact that SM is silent as to WHY, and I'm not making a statement here, makes me wonder if they have some hidden agenda. Why do they want to hold that info so close to the vest? What do they do with it that they can't share with you?

Great point...consider this...I get more info about people that buy stuff from me on E-bay than from the people that buy prints from me...That is just plain ridiculous...

Money talks...and SmugMug should offer and alternative for people who would like full control of their studio...$300 a year...$500 a year...make it happen and I'll pay.

My personal theory is this....SM set out to be a flickr competitor...not to serve serious folks who would like a Studio to host their pics at.

It's a paradigm that, for whatever reason (there aren't enough...otherwise there wouldn't be competitors offering the functionality I'm seeking), they can't...or simpy refuse to...get past.

PictureThis!

nmh wrote:

Sorry, I thought that is what you are paying smugmug to handle for you.

We're paying SmugMug to print images and collect the money and webhosting, not to retain our customer's information from us. They are our customers. We are SmugMug's customers.

PictureThis!

Jonathan R. Walcher wrote:

It doesn't make sense for folks like me...thats why I'm seeking change or I'm going to find an alternate route.



Great point...consider this...I get more info about people that buy stuff from me on E-bay than from the people that buy prints from me...That is just plain ridiculous...

Money talks...and SmugMug should offer and alternative for people who would like full control of their studio...$300 a year...$500 a year...make it happen and I'll pay.

I don't know about the other sites, but when I used Shutterfly, I have all the customer information from each sale. I definitely wouldn't pay $300 for an address, I'd just go somewhere else and pay less than what SM is charging anyways......

PictureThis!

PictureThis! wrote:

I don't know about the other sites, but when I used Shutterfly, I have all the customer information from each sale. I definitely wouldn't pay $300 for an address, I'd just go somewhere else and pay less than what SM is charging anyways......

Not to get off the beaten path here either, but another huge benefit that I lost when I left Shutterfly for SmugMug is at Shutterfly, you got money every month (automatically, without having to send emails begging for your money) DIRECT DEPOSIT!!!! Man, that was nice. I don't see why that's so hard for SmugMug to do?

Andy

PictureThis! wrote:

without having to send emails begging for your money

I'm very sorry but I'm going to jump in here, this is a bit inflammatory, not based in any sort of fact at all.. We are 1000000% up front about our payment methods, and the fact that your money is your money. Nobody has to beg for it, not one single pro since the beginning of our pro offering. If you've filed a W-9 form, checks are sent automatically, for amounts of $500 or more, each month. Automatically, for amounts of $200 or more, each quarter. And for any amount, upon request. We don't require begging, and that word is frankly insulting to us. It's your money. Simply follow the instructions on our payment page, sending an email to showmethemoney, and the request is honored, no matter how small the amount is.

Our Help Page on Pro Payments.

PictureThis!

Andy wrote:

I'm very sorry but I'm going to jump in here, this is a bit inflammatory, not based in any sort of fact at all.. We are 1000000% up front about our payment methods, and the fact that your money is your money. Nobody has to beg for it, not one single pro since the beginning of our pro offering. If you've filed a W-9 form, checks are sent automatically, for amounts of $500 or more, each month. Automatically, for amounts of $200 or more, each quarter. And for any amount, upon request. We don't require begging, and that word is frankly insulting to us. It's your money. Simply follow the instructions on our payment page, sending an email to showmethemoney, and the request is honored, no matter how small the amount is.

Our Help Page on Pro Payments.

O.K., perhaps begging was exaggerating. However, I didn't imply that your payment methods are not given up front, I was stating that it was a policy that I believe could be improved. I do disagree on the 'any amount' statement. I have asked for a check before and was told that it had to be $100+ in order to have a check cut (which I was between $90-100). I think that direct deposit would be better for everyone. We could get payment on a monthly basis no matter how much it is. Most of us need the money when we make it, not after $500 is built up. For some of us, that's a long wait.

Andy

PictureThis! wrote:

O.K., perhaps begging was exaggerating. However, I didn't imply that your payment methods are not given up front, I was stating that it was a policy that I believe could be improved. I do disagree on the 'any amount' statement. I have asked for a check before and was told that it had to be $100+ in order to have a check cut (which I was between $90-100). I think that direct deposit would be better for everyone. We could get payment on a monthly basis no matter how much it is. Most of us need the money when we make it, not after $500 is built up. For some of us, that's a long wait.

If you were told that ( I searched our email system and couldn't find that) it was an error on the part of the person telling you. We're very clear in your payment page - we'll send a check for any amount upon request.

It's not hard and we do it routinely. I'd love to improve the system with direct deposit and such and I'm working on just that.