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 p.1 #1 · Approached by "PerksCard" | |
Have any of you been approached by the business called *PerksCard* to become the "exclusive [fill-in-the-blank] business partner to [fill-in-the-blank] institution"? For fair disclosure, it does appear that they are used by a number of large education, corporate, and government institutions, including the Univ. of South Carolina, AOL, and the FBI.
Let me explain.
I fielded a call this afternoon that began as if it were a solicitation for me to cover a pool of folks various needs over the coming weeks - from portraits to wedding to special event coverage. About halfway through the phone call, our discussion became "an interview" to see if a fairly prominent DC hospital would consider selecting me as the sponsored "go to" photographer for the needs of its personnel. Suspicious of the proposition of being cold called to qualify for on the call list of 2200 people - from orderlies to doctors - I wanted to see where the discussion would go.
A company called PerksCard (PC) essentially offers a service that institutions pay them for to vet local businesses that are inclined to discount their services for the promise of "huge" customer bases. For example, the representative made reference to attorneys, planners, consultants, etc. Apparently this year, this hospital wants to add "photographer" to the trusted business associates' list.
Of course, it costs $995 to become a part of the service.
With competition in the DC area very tight, a legitimate service such as this (not saying that *this one* is legitimate) could certainly help on the marketing front (something akin to this, in fact, my wife and I have recently discussed). I have shot a number of jobs on my own, and love the prospect of adding a larger clientèle, but I must say that this smacks of a scheme wherein PC would charge the up front fee, and then not play any further role, effectively moving on until renewal time (12 months). After all, one cannot make someone use a photographer - or select me even if they wanted one. So, if I ended up with 0 customers as a result, they're not accountable for anything.
I've made a list of pros and cons, but - in the light of how poorly companies such as Bella are regarded in the photography industry, and especially in this forum - I was hoping to learn if any of you have been approached by, or have signed up to use, the services of PerksCard.
General Pros:
-If legitimate, the fee could easily be paid for in a session or two.
-If legitimate, the customer base could certainly increase from its present size.
-If legitimate, it would be nice to further enhance the customer base beyond just hospital staff, to their friends and family, etc.
General Cons:
-The slightly manipulative call, along with blanket lauding of my work was without conviction.
-The fee, without much to show for it (no trial period, no stats backing up their "increased customer base", etc) is troubling.
-Just like the car dealer says, the deal "won't last long", as the CSR suggested that I get on board by tomorrow morning or others in the area would likely snap up the position.
In short, I'm inclined to run for the hills. But then, what of the list of companies who *do* use their services? (Maybe it's not much of a risk for them, considering their budgets!) Any comments?
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