A Costly Decision – Breach of Agreement and Lack of Accountability I sought assistance from a service provider during the peak season of my photography and media business, needing dependable help with social media, marketing, and general administration to lighten my workload and focus on my clients.
Regrettably, this choice turned out to be an expensive ordeal that added significantly more stress and work than managing everything myself.
Service Concerns:
From the beginning, my assigned assistant was unreliable – frequently missing details, making spelling errors, and not meeting deadlines. While there were sporadic instances of satisfactory work, the quality was never consistent enough to be trustworthy.
The situation worsened in November when my assistant was absent for an entire week without proper communication, citing only vague "technical difficulties" and providing no clarity on when services would resume.
During this time, I was still charged for services that were not delivered.
Impact on My Business:
Instead of alleviating my workload, I found myself spending countless hours:
Constantly reviewing and correcting their work
Pursuing communication and explanations
Managing and essentially guiding someone who should have been assisting me
Dealing with the stress of unreliable service during my busiest season
This was the complete opposite of what I had paid for.
Response from the Company:
I made several attempts to address these issues:
Direct emails to my assistant
Filling out feedback forms and reviews
Scheduling one-on-one support calls with staff
A Zoom meeting with a representative who didn't have the correct account details
Despite these efforts, no satisfactory resolution was reached.
When my assistant failed to report for work for over a week without a valid explanation, I formally requested to terminate the agreement, citing breach of service standards outlined in the agreement.
The Core Issue:
The company refused to acknowledge their breach of the agreement or offer any refund for the period I had prepaid but did not receive services. Instead, they offered to reassign me to another assistant or provide "coaching" for the current one.
After this experience, I have lost all trust in the company's ability to provide reliable, professional service. I refused to waste more time, energy, or money on a partnership that had already proven to be a failure.
The Conclusion:
This was an incredibly costly business decision that I regret deeply. I paid a substantial upfront fee (including a non-refundable training and recruitment charge) for a service that ultimately created more issues than it resolved.
My recommendation: Seek better-managed agencies with greater accountability, or preferably, hire an assistant locally where you have more options and clearer employment standards.
I have also filed a formal complaint with the relevant authorities and disputed charges with my credit card provider due to breach of contract and non-delivery of services.
I won't repeat this mistake, and I hope this review helps other business owners steer clear of a similar costly experience.
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