Thread: Charlatans
View Single Post
seesaw
Human
 
seesaw's Avatar
seesaw grieving
 
Member Since: Apr 2014
Location: Home
Posts: 8,341 (SuperPoster!)
8 yr Member
1,262 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Apr 26, 2019 at 05:28 PM
 
I'm so exhausted so forgive typos. I'm so over this PR firm we have contracted with.

So we launched this national project. Just to clear things up, I am a consultant, but I work almost full-time with one client. So if I say "my boss" I mean "my client" and vice versa.

We have been designing and planning for this big national social media campaign that is also part of a scientific study. We decided that we didn't have the capacity to also run a PR campaign to get the word out through traditional media about this new health resource we created. So we contracted with this firm.

At first they came in and wanted to do all this stuff, didn't understand the project, actually gave us a bid to take over and redo our project (which they aren't qualified to do since they aren't researchers) and also wanting to change our project from what it was (and it's important because it's a specific thing we are studying through this to change health behaviors) and make it something entirely different, which wouldn't be research-evidence-based.

After some discussions they said they understood the project and were on board and wanted to promote it for us. Except every step of the way in every document they produce, I have to fix the language because they keep messaging it incorrectly or worse, not even calling the disease area by the right name.

First, they cancel calls at the last minute or call in late and hop off calls early with no explanation.

During our launch week, they told us they were busy with other clients. Seriously?

They have yet to submit their revised scope of work.

Everything we request that they say they will get to us by X day has to be followed up on and is given late and not right and therefore has to be redone.

They drafted an Op-Ed at our request for our lead to submit and it's not even an op-ed, it was just a regurgitation of a blog post that we wrote for our blog.

When asked for a specific plan for any given thing, they waste time writing us briefs on a ton of background but with no specific plan to implement anything. So it's basically useless.

They pushed us to put the press release out two days before the website went live, then told us after the fact that it probably didn't get any traction because the site wasn't live when the press release hit the wire. So, um, why didn't they realize that when they told us to put it out two days before?

The only interview they've gotten us so far is a crap local free daily paper. The PR rep was supposed to meet my boss there early, but, of course, she was late and didn't have any time to prep her.

Early this morning, before the interview, my boss called ME to prep her, because she doesn't like them and doesn't want to deal with them.

They don't know how to pitch our project in a compelling way. And they don't understand our field.

I don't know why we are working them. This is just a bad fit. Anytime I ask for anything they give me a hostile, defensive attitude.

My colleagues agree with me we should end the contract. We aren't tied to any time frame, especially since they haven't submitted the scope of work and since it's a monthly agreement. Also I think we could just list all the crap I listed above and say "you are not responsive, you do not communicate, and you are not communicating our cause in a way we approve."

My boss has said we could end the contract if myself and my colleague agree. The thing is, I want someone out there pitching for us. But I don't know that what they are pitching is useful.

And so far it's just a pain in my *** to deal with them. And I have to redo a lot of their work, so I can't even get the work I am paid to do done.

I think we need to look for a different firm. And I think it's okay for us to put a bid out for a new firm. And we should be pickier with hiring. I wish these people well but they are just floundering and we shouldn't be paying them to fail on our time.

I gotta say that it's particularly annoying that they don't return calls or answer emails at times, and then don't come to meetings or do come late and leave early, or dismiss us when we tell them the messaging is wrong.

I think we just sack em and move on. Why waste our time dealing with their nonsense? They should be making our lives easier. They are not. So let's just move on and find someone who can do this and make it easier for us. Right? Why are we committing to this suffering when we don't need to?

Seesaw

__________________


What if I fall? Oh, my dear, but what if you fly?

Primary Dx: C-PTSD and Severe Chronic Treatment Resistant Major Depressive Disorder
Secondary Dx: Generalized Anxiety Disorder with mild Agoraphobia.

Meds I've tried: Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Effexor, Remeron, Elavil, Wellbutrin, Risperidone, Abilify, Prazosin, Paxil, Trazadone, Tramadol, Topomax, Xanax, Propranolol, Valium, Visteril, Vraylar, Selinor, Clonopin, Ambien

Treatments I've done: CBT, DBT, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Talk therapy, psychotherapy, exercise, diet, sleeping more, sleeping less...
seesaw is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
unaluna, Vossie50