Things Went Downhill Quickly, And Still Are
Pros
At the time I was hired, middle management was great; they were kind, personable, and really looked out for you on both a professional and personal level. I can easily say that I met some of my best friends working at UberPrints. Also, at the time, we had a "Caught Being Uber" system in place where co-workers could cast votes for each other whenever someone went above and beyond to help out a customer or co-worker. It essentially served as an Employee of the Month award, and we were recognized with a few treats for our good work. For a time, office culture was casual and friendly while still maintaining a high level of productivity. We also had free lunch on Fridays with catered meals that would change on a weekly basis.
Cons
Company culture and general workplace atmosphere began to change dramatically soon after I started, when someone not equipped to oversee the day to day operations of a company with great potential was thrust into an umbrella manager type position. Fellow employees began leaving one by one, knowing that the positive atmosphere that had been cultivated would soon deteriorate. The review and raise I was promised within three months of working there was put off for more than double that amount of time with no clear explanation. Likewise, our Employee of the Month program was nixed for no apparent reason, other than budget concerns, which is ludicrous considering it was maybe a $30 per month expense. Many operational changes were made at this point, too, the majority of which made little sense, like broadly tightening copyright policies then caving in and loosening them whenever customers demanded to speak to a manager or go elsewhere with their business. Additionally, it was determined that we would suddenly allow for the printing of ink on similarly colored fabrics, despite many artists' and customer service representatives' disagreement and better judgement. Originally we would contact customers to inform them that the print would be too subtle, and we would recommend they either switch the color of the ink or the fabric to ensure customer satisfaction. Essentially, any sensible policy that took up too much time was thrown out the window just to make a few extra bucks. Aside from the nonsensical changes to our day to day work, the biggest and most negative change to our work experience came on a personal level. This middle level of management, as described accurately in just about every other review posted here, is egotistical, condescending, insensitive, rash, and unfit to manage. In essence, they don't work well with others, which is what you want from someone you spend 40 hours a week with. They put my co-workers to tears, cursed at them, and fired them for little to no reason. Whenever I told acquaintances around town that I still worked at UberPrints, they responded with disbelief, saying they were surprised I'd lasted as long as I did considering they had friends who left on their own accord because of poor experiences, or were terminated for no apparent reason. Time after time, unqualified individuals were hired into management positions while knowledgeable, caring individuals within the company were overlooked. It was believed and communicated that employees were expendable. True, living in a college town full of cheap labor guarantees the freedom to pick and choose one's labor force, but who honestly operates under that business philosophy, much less actually communicates it to their employees? Rather than take the time to invest in hard-working employees, management consistently chose to force them out and replace them either with college students or applicants naive of the company culture, giving them little to no training in the process. I cannot stress enough to potential applicants how important it is to consider these reviews when attempting to work for this company. If you do accept employment, it won't take long for you to see these things for yourself. The lack of internal thought and care is astounding for a company that seems to be doing so well from the outside. I urge anyone looking for work in Athens to direct your search elsewhere. Work at a restaurant. Work for a competing printer. Work anywhere else except this heartless, imploding company.