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The Pros Wedding Services Not Reliable
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I spent a fun weekend fishing, seeing my parents, and, oh yeah, attended a beautiful wedding. Two of my college friends became one and I can safely say that everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and that it was a great time. The ceremony was beautiful, the reception was a lot of fun, and the cake was delicious. (Actually everything was delicious, I think I gained ten pounds between all the alcohol and the food) The only blemish on the night, not for me personally, was the absence of the videographer, from “The Pros,” who didn’t show up at all. At all.
This led me to wonder… does a large company, with a presence in multiple states, really necessarily mean reliability or good service? In most cases you would say yes because there has to be a reason why they grew to the size they are and that reason has to be a high level of service and reliability such that they get a lot of business. “However, value in product is only true value when it is supported by consistent, excellent service.” states their website but they weren’t consistent and who knows about their service since they never showed up.
In this particular case, no, and in fact I would venture to guess in a scenario such as this one (only one chance at it, you can’t be late or flaky or anything… it’s a wedding!) the best bet would be to go with a small one or two person operation (who does it out of enjoyment or is trying to make a name for themselves) that come with good references. Would I have guessed this before this weekend? Never.
Sadly, the couple were warned that The Pros were not 100% reliable, a product of having such a large operation, but very few videographers will give you 8 hours of raw footage (most cut and splice it down to a 30 minute product) so they reserved them anyway. The Pros can afford to miss a few weddings because they conduct so much business. They can afford to miss a few? Ridiculous! Now, do I know the full story? No I don’t, but I do know there was no videographer at the ceremony and that a very capable DJ, who did happen to have a camera, did catch the reception so all was not lost.
The Pros are not reliable, based only on this one situation, and I recommend that you not take the risk of their services. Dennis J. Tessler, Brian M. Tessler, and C. Keith Tessler should be ashamed of themselves that they permitted this to happen.
This is a courteous response sent recently (November 06, 2007) by President and CEO Dennis Tessler:
{ 67 comments, please add your thoughts now! }For several years now when people “Google” The Pros Weddings within the first page is an extremely uncomplimentary article about our company written by a guests at a wedding at which, according to this guest, The Pros videographer was late and missed the ceremony. Since we have no idea what wedding this relates to, the circumstances, or what restitution was made to the client, it is impossible for me to comment on this specific incident. However, after all these years of having to see this article I decided there is a need to respond.
Accepting the letter at face value, it appears, for whatever reason, the videographer was late. If so, I am confident we did everything reasonable and more to make restitution with the bride. I can speak with confidence that everything is done to ensure such instances are extremely rare.
The Pros is a family owned business. I am the owner and my two sons, Keith and Brian, are working hard to build this business for their family’s future. We, along with a dedicated staff, all work extremely hard, to provide the finest in wedding services. Last year we provided service to 8,000 weddings and in total did 13,000 services. We did not build this business by disappointing brides. In fact, we are the most referred provider of disc jockey, video and photography in the nation. With those referrals comes a trust we take very seriously.
Recently, we were given “The Knots Best of Weddings” award as rated by The Knot brides.
We do everything possible to create reliability and are extremely successful in this pursuit. We spend significant dollars in order to have emergency back up in every area at all times. Should a last minute issue prevent a professional from performing their duties, an 800 line is provided which goes directly to a qualified individual, armed with the information necessary to dispatch a backup on a moment’s notice. Because we have a highly professional, stable workforce of individuals
who have been part of The Pros, most of them for a very long time, our emergency line is not as active as one would think. I am constantly amazed that the quantity of work we do and the very few problems we have. It is a credit to those individuals with whom we have been able to surround ourselves.
The article you present “The Pros Wedding Services Not Reliable” written by a guest at a wedding who provides little detail, perhaps because of a lack of information, about what actually happened at a wedding no one can identify, is highly inaccurate and extremely misleading. It undermines the reputation of not only our family business but the 500 people who work so very hard to create an the organization of which we are so proud.
The article has been up for a very long time. I ask you to use your good judgment as to whether it indefinitely serves the consumer community. Perhaps the time has come to take it down. Your
consideration of this matter is greatly appreciated.
Dennis J. Tessler
President and Chief Executive Officer
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The Pros really do seem to be hit or miss, though I think it tends to vary from state to state depending on who runs the local office. I know you’re in the same general area as me, though I’m not sure if this wedding was in the same state in which we live.
We went with The Pros for our wedding based on recommendations of people we knew in the area who had a generally positive experience with them. We went with their photographer, videographer, and DJ, and the day went pretty smoothly. They did have to switch us to a backup DJ a few days before the wedding due to a family emergency with our first choice DJ, but everything worked out okay in the end. Whether or not we went with The Pros, we would have still had our backup plans in place: a photographer relative with a good camera, another relative who was filming everything anyway, and the entire reception music program completely automated on my laptop and ready to be hooked up to a friend’s speaker system on short notice.
As for the quality of the finished products: the pictures turned out nicely, the video looks good (we went with the raw version which I intend to edit myself later), and the DJ was entertaining and nearly flawless (he was missing one song we requested, but it wasn’t that big of a deal).
While our experience with The Pros went all right, because of all the negative reviews I’ve come across, I’d still recommend people explore other options if they can afford to do so. At the very least, be sure to have a backup plan should a Pro turn out to be a Con.
Thanks for writing about your experiences with them, my friends were married in New York about an hour and a half or so outside New York City.
1. You fish? That explains a lot…
2. The DJ with the camera — I bet he made out nicely. $$$$$$$$
3. You should have brought your own camera and picked up some spending money.
I have a little inside knowledge of how the company works, I can tell you assuredly that the pros (the professionals — yah right!) severely underpays their contractors. photographers, DJs and videographers are actually told to do substandard work, Dennis and co. would apparently rather save a few dollars on hiring the cheapest people. Even good people that take occasional work from them will not bring their A-game to your wedding… there is simply no reward for doing so. best advice, if you hire the pros, tip your contractor at the start of the night, and let them know that there will be another tip at the end of the night based on performance. Contractors (video, DJ, photography) will make an effort only if they know they will be taken care of by the client. Remember too, that your video and photographer need to do work after the wedding! if they leave feeling neglected, your video and photos will not be as good as they could be. the pros as a company will do nothing to improve the quality of the work that the contractors submit. The pros are a cheap alternative to hiring a local, reputable, actual “professional”. But as the saying goes “there aint no such thing as a free lunch!”, take some of the money you saved, and give the contractors a handsome tip… it will pay dividends. If you don’t, the quality of the work supplied will be substandard.
You sound familiar – Like you were fired cause you SUCKED as a Photographer. Before you slander a company check them out you idiot. The company does not hide you can meet them weekely iin a town near you. REMEMBER you SCHMUCK! In todays world you GET what you pay for. And as far as thehe other guy goes, Too bad for you if they miss 1 out of 5000 a year thats pretty damn good. Name me any other service company with a 100% unblemished cust. svc. record – EXACTLY YOU CANT! Go back to work the dishes are stacking up.
This company (The Pros) does not pay it’s contractors in a timely manner. I recently joined on to work for them, and spoke with a DJ, one of the most popular for their company who said on several occassions he was not payed what was told to him. I worked a job and still have yet to be payed the correct amount Stay away and look for another company for your wedding, or special event.
Never ever use them! The messed up my wedding sooo bad!
Brian, you sound like an insider, I hope you aren’t actually Brian Tessler. Whether or not you are, your crass comments aren’t doing anything to improve the perception of The Pros as a professional, reliable company. Your customers will find this page! I found it with a random Google search.
I did use their DJ services once a few years ago and they were, well, acceptable. I wasn’t really impressed and wouldn’t recommend the individual.
As for the original story, I think to judge them we’d need more information. When you contacted The Pros after the fact, what was their explanation for missing the event? Did they offer any kind of reparations? Lots of things could explain why the person never showed up that don’t actually reflect on the reliability or integrity of the company itself. But how they respond afterwards surely matters.
wow. if only i had found this website BEFORE i booked this joke of a company! I cannot believe how UN- professional the “Pros” are. they were going to replace my Dj at the last minute without telling me. i only found out through contacting the dj on his cell phone..he let me in on the bad news. in trying to get out of the contract i had to call back MANY times with much miss communication through out the “management”.. and they still are saying they wont give me my deposit back – from a breech of contract on their part…I DONT THINK SO! they have never heard of the better business bureau or hank phillipi ryans , or for that matter, my lawyer. well, they will. this company shouldnt exist. what a money making scheme it is. i replaced my dj ( thank god- as its only two weeks before the wedding, and the manager of the pros said, “thats plenty of time”, apparently he’s never been a bride planning her entire wedding) for HALF the price, and im so excited! tell everyone you know – NOT to hire the pros..
This company “The Pros” sounds a lot like the company “Solid Gold” which was then changed to “Solid Gold Sound” and then to “A Solid Gold Sound” They had to keep changing their name because of the bad reputation they have. $499 for a wedding is ridiculously low, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. The “company” is located in one state but they “SUB-CONTRACT” out the business in all the other states. Are they listed with the Secretary of State in your state as a legal business? In many states it is the law that they have to be registered and pay taxes in the states they perform in. Also check with the BBB in your state as well as the home state of this business to find out if they have complaints about them and if the BBB thinks they handled them properly or not. If you search the web you may find more discouraging news about this and other DJ services.
“After meeting with the premier design agencies in Philadelphia and New York, I chose AgileCat to completely re-brand our company. While it was a complex project, AgileCat did a wonderful job of staying true to our vision while producing an original image beyond our imagination. Since launching our new image, sales have sky rocketed over 30%.”
Brian M. Tessler
Chief Marketing Officer
The Pros Entertainment Inc.
That’s good for you but what about all the people that paid alot of money for your services and didn’t get professional Pros.
They were far from PROS at my Son’s wedding.In one of your responces you said your company does every thing to fix the problems. Well not in my case in fact you never even called me back!
June 07, 1998
RIAA Obtains Quarter Million Dollar Settlement For Illegal DJ Compilation
Washington, DC – The Recording Industry Association of America obtained $250,000 cash in a settlement with The Pros Entertainment Services, Inc. — a Philadelphia-based DJ company — for claims of copyright infringement. The Pros illegally manufactured 500 sets of a nine-volume DJ compilation called DJ Tools. The settlement was reached before commencing a formal lawsuit. In addition, The Pros has agreed to the RIAA conducting unannounced, on site inspections of their inventory over the next three years. This settlement is part of an ongoing effort by the RIAA to address flagrant copyright infringement by certain DJs who create and manufacture multi-disk compilations of top hits without obtaining appropriate licenses from the copyright holders.
In January 1995 Dennis Tessler, president of The Pros Entertainment Services, placed the unlicensed 500 set order with a domestic CD plant that promptly notified the RIAA. The Pennsylvania State Police Department, with assistance from the RIAA, confiscated the CDs upon delivery from the plant.
“We are pleased to bring closure to this case and delighted by the outcome — it’s an appropriate settlement given the nature of the infringements, ” said Steve D’Onofrio, RIAA executive vice president and director of anti-piracy. “DJs are not exempt from copyright laws. Each and every song on a compilation must be authorized.”
The Pro’s are just middlemen, you are booking a website, not personalized service. They get their people from craigslist, then add on a service charge of 300%
Videographers and photographers work for $250 or $300 a day, are told to shoot without style (since if they start getting creative, they might end up with nothing), so it’s very meat and potatoes at best.
Videographers are told to shoot on tripods and don’t try anything new. Most of the Craigslist videographers are not that experienced in the first place, so being told to get static shots is not a bad idea, but is this what you want for your wedding???
Price, well, its not cheap as they advertise, cheap work, yes, but paying $795 for a $300 videographer (you can book yourself on craigslist) and $50 for the edit to slap a company promo logo and then roll off the raw footage, is $550 more then you can find yourself.
Now, what the Pros are doing is not a bad business model, its not reliable or consistent and its hit and miss, mostly something associated with them is below average or totally of and at your wedding, all the vendors have to be experienced since this is when things go wrong.
a DJ that gets all the names mixed up, then plays the wrong songs or has no personality, and to top it off wears that tacky name tag on jobs and constantly blurts out ThePros advertisments all wedding long.
a photographer that is learning and experimenting with your wedding, its just a local person taken off craigslist, you can book that yourself, same guy or gal, no difference except you save $$$ if you go to craigslist yourself.
a videographer that doesn’t know how to operate the gear, blows out the shots, misses key moments, etc. Your cousing could do the same.
The Pros hi-tailed it out of most states, and even though the used to have telephone sales teams in some states with some open houses at Dave and Busters to try to get brides to sign up, they no longer are doing that, they ran back to New Jersey and left the sales people overnight, so if thats the kind of company you want to deal with, then just be careful you don’t end up standing left at the alter without vendors, and certainly not with anyone skilled.
Going back to their business model, its a good money making scam, many brides are only looking for price, they tote a Best of the Knot, but they don’t tell you they bonus brides for posting those votes, they only tell you the weddings that were complete, no mention to how many they screwed up.
They boast “the most reccomended vendor”, yet also mean “the most no shows in the business”, they post on the priavte WEVA forum they do 13,000 events a year and having some screwups is normal, and they are right, the numbers are against them, thier liability is more then any vendor in the industry, and overall it doesnt look bad on their bank accounts, yet it will matter when it’s YOUR wedding that gets messed up.
So those brides that are looking for price will have a decent chance thier vendors complete the task, you might be the one that gets screwed up.
Local companies wtih reliable reputations are not doing 13,000 events a year, they are doing 15, 20, perhaps 100 if they are very busy, yet they will make sure your wedding comes out better then someone hired from craigslist since they are looking to do thier best, not show up, get a few hundred bucks and walk away from the wedding, they do it from start to finish.
How hard would you work if you normally got $1000 or more and were hired out for $250-300?? Not your best, so its the same for their vendors.
Joel is not coming from New Jersey to shoot your wedding and he only cares about numbers, not you.
So my rating from that company is not an F, its broken into a few sections.
Business plan – A
Liability Factor – F
Customer Service – C
Support to thier staff and crews – F
So overall my rating for them is C-
btw – I am a vendor that has worked with some of their crew and not once did I see anything exceptional about the talent, some photographers were first time wedding shooters experimenting.
In all fairness, Bella is the same setup, they promise some sort of matching vendor with bride, but our on site experience tells us that the marketing scam, there is no training, their is no matching, its only which craigslit person is availalbe for a date.
Good luck on your wedding vendor search, and it’s better to support local companies and keep the money in your state instead of sending it to Dennis in New Jersy. He really doesn’t care about you, he cares about his position with the Jefferson Bank.
Do a google search for
“Dennis J. Tessler Joins Jefferson Bank Advisory Board”
Bullshit – Bullshit – Bullshit
Find out for yourself they do not hide they are now in every major metropolitan city because upset and jaded competitors paste this CRAP. It makes photographers like me all over the world have to work for them because they get ALL of The work! Do your research before posting negative shit. You got the location wrong (NJ? WTF?) you got pay wrong and you got the advertising wrong major companies like this use craig’s list and hundreds of other paid and non paid recruitment method.
So Let me see since you are WRONG on just about everything YOU GET AN F as well
ted sounds a lot like brian swift from above. and thanks to ted/dan swift and this whole blog, i’m so glad i decided to directly go with a local photographer for my wedding. i’m happy to know that the amount that i’m paying will go 100% to him as opposed to a booker. plus, the first thing the local photographer said to me when i called was “this is what i can do for you in your budget, come into my office to see my work and let me know if it’ll work for your needs”. the first thing the pros said on the phone to me was “let me get back to you to see if there are photographers in your area available for that date”. hmm, a day later, i still haven’t heard back from them.
ted – you just made it worse for the pros; why would i want to hire someone who fakes his name and is belligerent and rude?
As an experienced collegiate professor and digital multimedia specialist I can say that no “serious” videographer would outsource their skills to another company at a percentage of the cut; especially when the contracted individual would be responsible for 95% of the work.
I was led to this web thread after a simple Yahoo search for “The Pros Wedding Services”. Why was a searching “The Pros Wedding Services”? I was a bit curious! You see, from time to time I like to browse job solicitations on CareerBuilder.com just to see what new and intriguing opportunities might be out there.
As a professional videographer I found “The Pros” job solicitation on CareerBuilder.com to be an incredible insult to fellow videographers; it actually made me a bit mad. Apparently, they want to hire wedding videographers that will work at the rate of $300 per wedding. On top of this they expect you to submit a portfolio and go through their interviewing process; a big waste of time for only $300 a job if you ask me. What an insult! For those who aren’t familiar with wedding videos and fair pricing for such work, let me put it into perspective: Videographers have to have nice equipment which is very expensive ($8,000 per camera, $2,000 audio/mics, $2,000 fluid head tripods, $2,500 lights, etc.) and a certain amount of passion and talent in order to capture video that will be truly memorable. If the client wants the video edited, and who doesn’t, the videographer could be looking at upwards of 100 hours to produce a high quality product. Remember, the videographer has to go through all of the footage cutting it together into sections, color correct, create splashes/graphics, master sound, build/encode DVD w/ menu, design and print DVD package materials, etc. etc… The average wedding video should cost the consumer between $3,500-$15,000. If you’re paying less than this you’re probably not going to end up with the best possible outcome. If you’re paying more, well, I’m sure if you shop around you’ll find someone capable of delivering just as good of a product for less than $15,000.
As a general rule of thumb, don’t go through an intermediary when hiring a videographer! Shop around locally and on the internet. Talk to friends who’ve hired a videographer before to get an idea for what they paid and their satisfaction with the final product.
Anyhow, all I’m saying is that no respectable videographer would outsource their skills for the type of peanuts that “The Pros” pay their contractors. Likewise, I’m not surprised that they have so many unhappy customers!
Did anyone ever get told that they were going to receive their deposit refunded and never did? That was my experience, even though I was told, by their website, that I would, if I canceled by 7 days. Thank you reviews for making me back out of this crappy situation, I ended up finding a great DJ on my own. I hope that my deposit is actually being refunded like I was told…
It sounds like the owner of “the Pros” is a liar and should be compared with the likes of “A Solid Gold Sound”. He did not admit any guilt in what they did at this wedding. It looks like he didn’t even read the letter because the person said the Videographer did not even show up at all, Dennis said the Video guy was late, sounds like another wedding gonne bad.
Neither one of these companies actually employs any DJ’s, Photographers or Videographers. They book the event, take your money & then hope that they can get some clown that they call blindly in your area to do your Wedding for $200.00.
I truly hope that any comsumer will research these two businesses in detail before they waste their money & disaster strikes at “the MOST important day of their lives”.
How much do you think they paid “The Knot” to call them “The Knots Best of Weddings”????
I too mistakenly, hired “The Pros” for my photography and videography on the biggest day of my life. That was the biggest mistake I made. The photographer I selected from one of their cheese and wine tastings was a no-show the day of my wedding, so they dispatched another photographer, who knew nothing about my check list or what I was looking for. As a result, I have 2 pictures with my mother (awkwardly posed) no pictures with my flowers girls, child and more questionable shots, than good quality ones. Additionally my videographer was late, though he did call because traffic was horrendous that day! The videographer was nice and you hardly noticed his presence, however after receiving my Grand Event video I am completely and utterly disappointed! The photo lead in is full screen instead of the photos dropping down into the screen, the font is basic and unattractive, the video is shot 85 % in close up view, which allows for awkward moments to be viewed (We could have wore jeans to our wedding and no one would have noticed by the video). Additionally, my daughter’s and maid of honor’s speech was cut off in the first few seconds due to editing and the editing overall was horrific! When confronted about these issues The Management team led by Hugh Riley and Vince Pisek was handled in my opinion very poorly. Vince did everything but accuses me of lying for a refund because according to him he deals with “people like you every day” and spoke to me in a tone which was accusatory as oppose to sympathetic. I mean we are talking about photography and videography the proof is there. They know I received bad service and are just not willing to own up to it. At the end of the day I received a $300 refund on my photography and an upgrade on my video, which truthfully, the raw footage may have been better.
With the Pros, you get what you pay for!
Pay the extra money for a real photographer, videographer and editing and most importantly do your homework!!!! Do not be fooled by what is seen at a wine and cheese tasting, that is not what you will receive.
What everyone is saying is basically true. Take it from the guy who worked for the company for years.
All the negative things about this company aren’t all true, but pretty close! “The Pros” entertainment services, really are a middle man when think about it.. This company does not hire employees, they hire IC’s (independent contractors) So in saying this, if you did hire the The Pros, you really hired, (Joe’s DJ’s or Johns / Magic Music man / Craiglsist man
) someone from their list of IC’s..
Now, keep in mind, I’m not saying these guys are from cragslist, some are pretty experienced talented and professional.. The ones who walk thru the door with no experience, are the ones to look out for.. These are the men and women who go thru a 2 week training session, then sent out to work! Yes two weeks! Oh, and yes they are sent on Weddings after the training..
I mean would you want someone who was trained for 2 week sent out on your wedding day?!? I personally wouldn’t.. This is the biggest day of a couples life.. The last thing they want to worry about is their DJ, Photographer or Videographer.. Not with everything else going on that week before the big day..
Trying to keep this short and sweet.. This is the main reason you will get no shows an unprofessional workers at your event, is the way the company is ran.. Dennis/this company does not TREAT or PAY it’s IC’s well at all.. This is a major role is why you get, what you get on your big day..
Almost forgot
Photographers and Videographers are told what to shoot! This is the same for ALL WEDDINGS! The Pros does not like creativity from the staff, or a heavy shooting photographer (takes a lot of photos).. It’s digital so why would it matter?! An why worry about the number on the top of you Nikon when you’re in the moment!
Well..If your wondering why!! It’s because all footage is sent out to Pakistan for editing! The more shots or video they need to edit, the more money the company needs to put out.. An DENNIS does not like using anymore money then he needs to!!
Hope this rant helps some Brides in the future.. Thanks for listening all..
The DJ
Former IC
AND YOU GOT FIRED FOR STEALING THE ENVELOPES FROM THE BRIDE! LOL
way out of topic…we take so much care and planning for our weddings only to end up in high divorce rates….(divorce rates rising up steadily in USA)
I used the pros for my DJ, photography and videography, and like most people here, also regret using them. You DO get what you pay for.
My DJ had issues, but overall played good music.
My photos were all taken in front of the one patch of dead grass there was. A skilled photographer should have noticed that and moved us one foot back.
By far my biggest regret was buying the video. It was the most important part to be so I payed top dollar and got the master piece video. After anxiously waiting 12 weeks for the results, I got a video that looked like some kid edited it in his parents basement with his free downloaded video editing software. The music made it sound like a bad 80′s porn video. I hate it and now have to pay another company to re edit it. They dont tell you ahead of time they can only use studio music.
Long story short, trust these reviews and use a smaller more personal company!
Sandiego..
Sorry to hear that, but have to say, I’m not surprised one bit.. The Pros, send all the editing work out to Pakistan!! This is why the editing turns out the way it does.. These people who are editing don’t know you, from John Doe! Nor do they care! For them, it’s all a numbers game, thats it, just numbers.. It’s how many videos and photos they can they hammer out each month.. For the future, (if I may) I personally like using Photographers and Videographers who edit their own work.. In my experience (10 years in Weddings) you will always get better results.. Not only will a true professional be seeing the couple in the moment as they happen, they also capture your true highlights.. Your likes, views, and visions.. Editing is where it shows up most (imo).. Who better to edit then the professionals who actually worked the event..
Don’t want to rant forever because I know I could!
About the Photographer, I agree 100% once again.. A skilled professional should have known better and moved you away from the dead grass eye sore.. Weather it be a different location or even just a few steps back as you mentioned..
I really don’t know if this would help but did you call and mention you are now putting money out of your pocket for a re edit?
Hopefully this link/page gets going pretty good, so more soon to be Brides can have fair warning..
DJ
I realize now how important it is to use a smaller company for editing. I did call customer service and mentioned this to them, and that I will be getting the video re done. The guy said “you videographer doesnt really know you” basically he just spent time with you. Okay I know I didnt become best friends with the guy but he knew me a little better than the guy in Pakistan. They said there was not much he could about the video because it is illegal to add different music and the prices would be “astronomical” to get copy rights. So how do all these other compaines do it?
They did offer me $150 voucher to use more of their services. Thanks but really? Oh well, reading some of the other posts here and on other sites, i guess i didnt have it that bad.
Thats their best solution for solving the unprofessional work they display.. Offer past clients a $150.00 voucher, only to go right back to their pocket.. What a joke..
During their yearly meeting with all of us (photographers, videographers DJ’s) They used to read off a few of the complaints (email/letters) they received over the past year.. In some cases they did give money back to the unhappy client.. This was normally a major screw up though!
Me personally, I used to laugh at some of the STUPID crap the IC’s couldn’t do right.. I could use a couple examples, but reading on line lately I’m starting to see you all already know
DJ
former IC
why the hell are djs commenting on Photography & Videography. LOOKS like upset former contractors who were fired for one reason or another.
Heres an example on pay:
what do you pay an accountant?
now
What do you pay H&R Block?
GET IT?
I AGREE WITH MOST THOUGH
YOU DO GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
so SHELL out THE MONY YOU CHEAP IDIOTS!
That’s telling it Dennis…..
Jeff Dunston
Pros DJ
We are getting ready to book the pros for our wedding. Now I am not sure. How can I find out more info. We were booking a photographer and dj in california and both of them claim to have done over 200 weddings.
Joe.. DON’T DO IT! If you’re here and reading then you already know in your heart these guys are clowns. I used them in August for my wedding for the photography. What a joke, my 17 year old could’ve done a better job with her cell phone. The photos had all sorts of things in them that the photographer (well.. one with decent eyesite) should have seen before hitting the button. The colors were all wrong making people look dead and such. I complained and dealt with Tomas Banks, who swiftly offered us 500.00 back.. of course he made up for that for the company by downgrading our package to a lesser one (thus really gave us no credit whatsoever!). So now we come to the final prints, our book came out okay, I had to do a lot of black and white to cover the color issue and had to pick around to avoid unsightly background junque so it took some time. We’d ordered a large print and when it came it was poorly edited so now we get to look at a bad picture for the rest of our lives. I went on to order the candy album for my mother in law (we’d paid in advance) I was just past the deadline so my photos are no longer available. Emailed them a week ago and got no answer, I called just now and a customer serv person tried to tell me that their email isn’t working… funny… I can ping their servers!! Basically.. read what’s here and go elsewhere… I’ve got a call into the owners but don’t think they’ll respond. It seems this company strives for mediocrity!
Well I read everyone’s comment. I used to work for a similar corporation and let me tell you that you will always be better off hiring someone who is a true craftsmen of their trade be it photography,videography or DJ/MC.
Even highly trained photographers who work for such middlemen just don’t have the same incentive to produce quality work.
I have nothing against other peoples of the world but I believe in hiring locally first and then go further if the quality is there.
If anyone books with this company you are completely foolish take it from someone who work with this company for years. There “hall of fame djs are the most unprofessional in the business and the focus more on the cheese factor than on making your wedding flow flawless and they yell and that dj that does. Personally I used to take my own assistant out on every gig to help handle requests and to make sure the event flowed smoothly at no charged to the bride and was never a problem well I got yelled at because this never heard of by them and they said that I need to focus more on props than on having the proper music for the event. Personally I have been djying for over 15 years and I don’t work this way book with a local company depending on your taste or a national company that you can screen you dj carefully. A good dj can switch gears and properly meet everyone music needs through out evening with out being unprofessional or overbearing.
These guys sound alot like solid gold sound. A total scam company. They charge $495. Then get a DJ from Craigslist for $150. Then never pay them. What a scam. Then they go out of business or change there names. I know I’m a DJ who was cheated by Solid Gold Sound. These guys sound like they are a reincarnation of Solid Gold sound and Formef scam artist owner John Kruer.
I am a “hired” dj for The Pros. I have been in business for over 20 years. Though you may have run across some problems with Solid Gold Sound. They are no way affiliated with The Pros. Our city staff is professional, and always working our best to make the Bride and Grooms day special. Don’t compare us to a bunch of yo-yo’s that give the mobile Dj business a bad name.
It’s disappointing that so many have had terrible experiences with the people most essential to your day. Your wedding album is your new family’s first heirloom, and to create it is such an honor.
Some tips: When picking out your wedding photographer/videographer dont just look at their best of reel, look at a full wedding album start to finish, anyone can get lucky with one or 2 shots, you want to make sure that they will capture your entire day, no just a few nice shots. If you are interested in a studio that employs multiple people make sure you are seeing work from your specific photographer. Check to make sure that you are with a reputable photographer, you can look them up on http://www.ppa.com {professional photographers of america} which is essentially a guild for photographers, the organization also provides indemnification insurance so if you are unhappy you can rest assured that you can seek retribution. Book an engagement session to get comfortable in front of the camera, and with your photographer, if you dont have a good rapport or feel comfortable with your photographer it will show in the photos.
If you are going to splurge anywhere, make it your photos, at the end of the day the dress goes in a closet, or the attic, the flowers are wilted, the left over food gets tossed, and the photos last forever.
I recently scanned all my grandmother’s photos and set them to one of our company’s Cinematic Presentations as a birthday gift, she was watching these images from 2yrs-80yrs old and an image of her in her wedding dress came up {my favorite photograph} and my 4 year old daughter looked at her great grandmother and said “GGma! you were a princess!” …My grandmother started crying… That is what I am doing for people as a wedding photographer, that is what every bride deserves, not only impeccable service on the day, and fantastic photos, but someone that cares as much about what the images mean to you now, as what they will mean in 50 years, not only to you but to future generations! It breaks my heart that people thrive in this industry when they lack that kind of passion and conviction, or general respect for your day, it is always an honor to even be considered as a possibility to share such a special occasion. Shame on anyone that treats it like a casual business transaction, it is a sacred responsibility.
I had my wedding ceremony on 6/26 and 3 days later my photos were available on the Pros website, I was thinking wow,that is really fast I was expecting 2 weeks. Well I can see why! The photos are horrible, nothing special, not even cropped right, half of them are uploaded sideways, they didn’t even take the time to rotate them for me to look at.I should have expected it.. the photographer did not seem to have a plan or agenda or shots he wanted to take…. Most of all he just didnt care, he put no extra effort into the photos. You would think a professional photographer would know good angles, when to reshoot, what was important and not too important. Ex: I suggested we do a veil over both my husband and my faces shot and he didnt even make sure the veil was not all bunched up in the way, so you cant even see us under the veil because it wasn’t straight….OMG, really? I have a message into The Pros and I can tell you that I better get this taken care of. I even questioned their experience based on the horrible reviews and the manager I spoke to had promised me they had really turned things around and the photographer was really good and he knew him personally, blah, blah….my 10 year old took better pictures. I am so dissapointed, look into other photographers….it will be worth it, nothing will bring back that day and what could have been captured.
On another note our DJ was awesome ….Thank you Sheldon!
OK, so I will say that the Pros handle my complaint very professionally. They did leave me with the impression that quality is very important, the regional manager I worked with was very understanding. So just look into the photographer they assign you and make sure you talk to your photographer Do I recommend the Pros…yes,just really do your homework on the professional they assign you. Their DJ was GREAT! He had a microphone for toast he knew what got everyone in the dancing mood and had lighting perfect…thank you again Sheldon!
As as ex-employee of The Pros who worked in a sales capacity a few years ago, I can tell you that The Pros are a middle man. I have never known them to get a professional off of Craigslist, but I will tell you that their wine and cheese showcases, are a joke. The photographers and videographers that show up to these showcases, in 70 percent of the time, will not be your professional for your wedding day. Some of the more experienced DJ’s, will not take your wedding that evening, when you ask them to because they want to take only the most expensive packages that are booked. The more expensive of a package, the more money they make. Too many times, I was left to apologize to the bride, concerning the SWITCH in their selected photographer or videographer. Remember, you only get whatyou pay for. The Pros are like the Dollar Stores of the wedding industry.
i used to work for a wedding album production company
and as a freelancing photographer, i thought that i’d have a lot to learn and be inspired by all the photos i had to look over each day, but to my surprise, most of them sucked.
THE PROS was one of them and their pictures were definitely NOT professional. give a 10 year old kid a point and shoot, and he/she’ll do a better job in capturing some memories for you.
I started my career w the pros many yrs ago and now run my own biz. The majority of the info here is downright unhelpful. Here’s my take:
You can get a really top notch dj for less than what the pros charge. Don’t hire any dj without a face to face meeting. References might help. Past event vids might help too, and there are none on the pros website. You can avoid being switched from 1 dj to another by the pros simply by going to the wine and cheese and selecting 3 acceptable performers. I recently talked to the pros again about working for them and know they won’t use a DJ that doesn’t have good availability…so the guys they have do volume for them. I’m guessing if they get complaints about performers they fire them. I’m not sure hiring a smaller company assures a better outcome. I have subcontracted with much smaller dj companies and they have a similar approach but on a smaller scale. Even I have a similar approach in that I have a good reputation and good people skills and overbook then handle down the road. When i outsource my client has no clue but i know the person being sent is cool bc i know their work. I never get complaints, despite the fact that the difference in quality between me and anyone else I send is profound. I won’t do this on an event that requires significant attention to detail, bc I know that even the best performers don’t have the patience and cust serv skills I have. I also know that all the “small guys” I compete with do the same thing. They outsource too so it’s naive to think this can be avoided.
If the pros have the same emergency backup as when i worked for them yrs ago, it’s really good. I had many situation with them with equipment problems and they got to the event quick and fixed it or swapped equipment. This aspect I thought was top notch, not sure if quality level is the same.
As far as photo and vid i have a lot of experience bc I’ve done so many events and actually worked for Lindelle studios(presumably out of biz bc the owner died) in sales for a while. I believe getting quality in this category is way different and requires spending a lot of money. Anyone I know that does good work charges many many many thousands for either service. If you aren’t loaded, don’t bother hiring. Let your guests do the job and/or use a family member to help. Anything under $3k for either service puts you at risk. Typically these expensive vendors will be on the smaller side, so be very aggressive about finding out how backup works.
I am so glad I read all this before committing to work for them! Thank GOD for Google and you guys!
Man!!!!! I have an upcoming interview scheduled with them…..now I’m not sure if I want to go. I surely don’t want people to think of me this way.
I was just about to book them until I decided to read the reviews and am now VERY happy I did read them! This is not the first reviews on the Pros that I have read, I have read several and the only place that has good reviews for them is The Knot. Thanks guy for all your comments!!
Sorry my review is not as favorable as most of the others.
I found the thought of not being able to even speak with my photographer unit 2 weeks before the wedding date a little scary. I wish I was able to meet him in person so I have could have judged his professionalism earlier.
Out of 415 photos only about 60 were what I would consider album quality.
A lot of my guests made comments about his appearance and creditability.
He lacked any kind of creativity and I feel we had to lead him to take good photos.
Am sorry to say amateur at best.
I will not name the Photographer but be careful who you choose
I was very diappointed with the wedding PROS service. I only booked them because I went to a Bridal Expo at the Marriot Hotel and they had a great prsentation set up. They was very professional, reasonable rates and seemed very organnized. The day of my wedding, the videogapher that I picked was not the one they sent. They didn’t even notify me of the change. I thought every thing went great until I received my wedding video. There was 10 minutes of coverage with just the back of our heads, our cocktail hour was not even in the video,and he didn’t even walk around and let the guest give their wedding wishes. I called them several times and left them voice messages but one ever got back to me. With services like that, I do not reccommed them to anyone. I should of just used Pinillo Photo studio for everything but hey that’s what happens when you try a new vendor
I am so so glad I found this page. Thank you for all the information and I am sorry for those people who had have them without knowing their poor service.
Now, I do not hesitate to hire a videographer who charges me $1500 to $2000. It must worth it.
Brian/Ted/Anthony – If you wish for people to take you seriously, please act like an adult. It’s obvious that you are a ThePros employee and no one here believes a word you’re saying anyway. Accusing one of the complaintants here of theft? Really? lol
My buddy’s experience with ThePros was just as nightmarish as everyone else’s. They pulled a bait-and-switch not only for the photographer, but for the DJ as well.
The photographer admitted to one of the guests that this was her first wedding job and that she was nervous. The DJ was okay, but just okay. He played music and announced names, but did not do much else to keep the party going.
I saw the final wedding photographs, which were horrid. There is no difference between those photographs, and the others taken by the guests from their chairs with their little point and shoot cameras.
Avoid these Bozos like the plague and spend your money hiring local, quality professionals who can show you their work and who are willing to stand behind their work because their own reputation depends upon it. Craigslist Independent Contractors don’t care because there are no consequences as long as they show up and snap pictures of at least something before leaving.
Im glad that I came accross this page. I was a little skeptical when I saw their website so I decided to do my research (just like any bride should!) It seemed way too cheap! And I guess their prices reflect their services. I definitely will NOT be booking The Pros for my wedding services!
The pros do not pay any of there employees well. So when they do a wedding they don’t care. The owner and his sons do not care about the people who work for them. All they care about is how much money they can make. DO NOT USE THE PROS FOR YOUR WEDDING. TERRIBLE COMPANY.
DON’T USE THEIR SERVICE!!
I made the mistake of contracting The Pros for 2 services before having fully vetted other vendors. I selected the company because they were rated highly on the theknot.com which, before my horrible experience with ThePros, was my wedding planning bible. My first bad experience started with the photographer that we chose for our engagement photos. He cut what was supposed to be a 2 hour session to 1 hour, claiming that he had such excellent photos already and he was certain that we would be happy with the shots he had. That was a lie! My (now) husband was squinting in more than half of the photos and they just looked unprofessional overall. We went complaining to one of the owners and he tried to appease us by showing us a different pool of photographers. When I asked why these choices weren’t available to us in the beginning, he evaded the question. I guess they save the best photographers for their VIP. (SUCH BS!) In keeping with the old saying “once bitten, twice shy” my husband and I decided not to select another photographer from their company but they refused to refund us any money and wouldn’t let us cancel the contract that we had for the video service. I was nervous up until the day of our wedding when we met GiGi , the videographer. She was great. We were reassured that she had a wealth of experience and were comfortable with the sampling of work that we’d seen. Gigi was great, however, the independent contractors they hire have no involvement with the processing and handling of the footage once it’s done. Here we are 6 months after my wedding and I still don’t have my video. They have been unresponsive and I’ve had to drag the videographer back in to the mix to help me get an answer. I would not recommend this company to my worst enemy!!
Anybody who would book this company, or one like this, is an idiot. Those idiots is how this company is staying in business. If you want good service, and good quality, then don’t use a company like this, period. Why in the world would you hire a DJ or photographer without meeting them, and without their name on your contract? Then you are surprised when they won’t refund your deposit because they changed your DJ at the last minute?? Give me a break.
to Jackie (above).. not sure where you saw them highly rated on The Knot, but if you had asked around on there, you would’ve heard plenty of horror stories about them.
My rule is, if I hear more than 1 bad story about a vendor, I don’t use them.
Wow..I really am just shocked! I am currently employed by this company (kind of) and I am so glad I found this site. I had received a phone call from Hugh Riley who is the CEO (I think nobody will really tell me who he is)that he wanted me to interview after I sent in my application. On the application it was stated that payment was 800 dollars for 8 hours of work. I thought great! that’s what I charge as a private photographer but now I do not have to do the task of bookings. WRONG! I get another call from the DM of my area and he doesn’t tell me anything but that he’ll look at my photographs and let me know when to interview.
I get an email stating that I’m hired…wait what? no interview…just hired like that. I know if I was a bride I would be a bit horrified to know that bit of information. I have been trying to get in touch with this guy for a week now to ask him about this contract they have. Apparently you only get 300 dollars for eight hours of work. Excuse me, I bust my tail all day long and don’t even get half of the money charged….and if the client doesn’t like the crappy editing done by ThePros then they only take MY portion of the money!
There is no training period they just send the new photographers out there to take charge of your day. They will not pay gas and millage so that has to be done at tax time and the editing is done by someone you will never meet and the photographer will never know. They send you raw photographs out. I know that some photographers are comfortable with that but I am not. I want my clients dazzled when they see those shots. When asked about editing my own I was told no they handle all of that.
After further investigation, I will not subject myself to this type of company. Treat employees well and they will do right by your clients. Do right by your clients and they will keep you afloat.
I am in independent photographer, a Masters Degree in Business Administration and Customer relation and Marketing, a Bachelors in Photography along with an Associates from the New York Institute of Photography. I’ll take my chances with the masses and treat my clients fairly and with respect.
Could never get the web page to work correctly to buy photos and finally thought I would call. No one ever answered. Gave up on buying any photos
I am a professional freelance photographer who specializes in weddings. I was on a recent flight to shoot a destination wedding in Cancun and met a couple going on their honeymoon. I asked them how their wedding went and they said (un-prompted, mind you) “everything was great except for the photographer.” My next logical question was whom they chose and they replied “Some guy from ThePros.com.”
They said that everything seemed fine until they started taking their family and formal shots after the sun went down and this photog suddenly lost confidence in what he was doing. They said he didn’t seem to know how to use his flash and made a comment like “I THINK these will come out ok….” That is NOT a statement that inspires confidence in your clients, is it? They told me that caused them to worry about all the rest of the images that he had been taking as they hadn’t had a chance to see anything yet.
I asked why they chose them in the first place and they said “because they were cheap.” It sounds like they may have gotten what they paid for. Can you imagine spending your honeymoon wondering if your photographer failed? If, in fact, he did a hack job, can you imagine wanting to look at those crappy images the rest of your life?
I find it ironic when I see couples spend many thousands on parts of their wedding that last less than one day, then want to skimp on the ONE part that they have to look at for a lifetime.
It leads me to believe that, in my humble opinion, these mutli-state companies like ThePros and Bella Pictures mass-market, bring in clients, then farm out the work to cheap, mediocre local shooters. In many cases the couple meets the photographer for the first time AT THE WEDDING! I’m sure they’ll say that they screen carefully but think about what they might pay that photog out of a package that only costs 1200.00……maybe 300.00! Not many true professionals would work for such a low amount.
Fortunately I meet a lot of brides that are very smart and aware that there is a huge difference between the hobby photographer willing to shoot a wedding for 1000.00 and the full-time professional who charges 3, 4, 5 times more for their services.
The cost of entry to become a “professional photographer” has come down to the point the it seems ANYONE can call themselves a professional just because they own a decent camera. They market themselves as “natural light photographers” because it sounds sexy but in many cases that is just a statement to cover up that they don’t know how to use light. You know, a lot of wedding receptions continue after dark!
Owning a nice camera doesn’t make anyone a photographer any more than owning a nice skillet makes someone a chef.
I’m NOT claiming I know everything, by the way, just that people “don’t know what they don’t know” when it comes to really being a professional photographer. I learn something new from every wedding and every session; learning never stops.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Reviews are needed and neccesary! I was torn, but I simply can’t take a chance on my WEDDING memories. Now I know why the rep you HOUNDS me via phone and e-mail pounded particular info into my head….things that contradict experiences listed here…most likely knowing I would EASILY find them! In regards to the accusations that the owners are posting some of these comments, I truly hope not. A business who would participate in something so un-dignified and un-ethical will see the consequences catch up to them! Thanks again all!
How can a company like The Pros Entertainment services do business WITHOUT a true customer service department. First I call to complain about my pictures and get Customer service, all they are is a message taking service that probably gets paid minimum wage. They tell me that a manager named Bill Mazarra will call me which he did not. Second I call to complain to that manager Bill who is rude and knows totally nothing and all he can offer me is a gift certificate because that is company policy and his bosses tell him that. Then I ask for his Boss Mr Hugh Riley who is another arrogant employee that thinks he knows everything and wants to educate me on what he knows. Frankly I think a company that is large as this should have some kind of real customer service like most MAJOR companies do. Not to be passed on Three times to someone that will not listen to what I have to say. SHAME on all of you.
I used The Pros for my wedding and loved them.
They gave me a lot of ways to voice my opinion.
After reading the comments I’m curious why the other couples didn’t voice their selections.
I’m not trying to be mean, but I think it’s kind of funny for ex-employees to even comment. If I was fired from a place I don’t think I would be too happy. It all seems kind of one sided.
Brides be smart. Read reviews off a 3rd party site without an agenda. Reading reviews of an Anti Pros website is just as hazardous as reading reviews an a Pro Pros website. Obviously you are going to find nothing, but negativity in a negative situation.
The Pros is one of the many companies that I looked at for my wedding. When you look around just be sure you KNOW what you want. I was beyond happy with my pictures, but it appears a lot of you were not.
When researching any company 3rd party reviews are always best. This dude obviously doesn’t like the company.
Only a matter of time..
Just the facts….
The Pros broker services to independent contractors.
The BEST of the IC’s use the broker to fill empty dates or supplement their booking calendar. Therefore, the IC who has done the most jobs is NOT necessarily the best, as the best don’t have enough open dates to do a lot of wholesale work.
The BEST IC’s perform their best show (DJ), and shoot their best shots, because they have a professional standard in their own business that thy are unable to turn off and on like a light. They do not, however, offer all of the same services or options as in their retail business. They offer basic wholesale service, designed to be more than satisfactory for the money the client spent.
You can hire all of the BEST directly, if you do your homework. Google providers in your area. Talk to friends etc., and get recommendations.
The pros has many consumate professionals who they contract to do weddings. For the basics, given a good choice in contractor and a tight budget, a national company like this will do just fine….. At the same time, you can get more tailored, and inclusive services when you shop with smaller companies in your geographical area. Will they be as inexpensive? Probably not, but you will get more. After all, it IS your wedding day…..
Consider this when seeking these services…. I spent $3,000 on the gown, 2,000 on the hall, 1,500 on the limo, 800 on tuxedos, 400 on the cake, 1,000 on maids dresses, 3,000 on the caterer, 500 on flowers, 300 on invitations, 400 on decorations, but I want PROFESSIONAL DJ, emcee, great sound, song selection, Photog, Videographer, photoshop prints, and chaptered/edited cd (about 80 hours labor minimum) plus equipment maintenance, plus travel costs, plus consultation with my professionals, a product involving the work of a
minimum of 4 people for $1495. Seek value, but don’t be cheap when it comes to these critical services.
This is one of the most impor