Wednesday, April 04, 2012
PointRoll | This is for your news and comments
119 comments:
Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."
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Pointroll Executive Characteristics said...
ReplyDeleteTop 10 Pointroll Executive Team Qualifications/Traits/Skills:
1. Two year Community College degree
2. Have hired a therapist at least once in your life
3. Great at playing poker
4. Must be able to do shots of Patron
5. Must be able to disappear like David Copperfield when there i too much heat
6. Typically takes more vacation than allotted
7. Must have a tattoo on the ankle and neck
8. Be bald
9. Out of shape
10. Look like you think you look like you know what you are doing
Whoohoo! We made it to the big leagues. We have our very own "posting section" for the day! Now you really know we have some trouble here.
ReplyDeleteOk, so fellow Pointroller...Who remembers Jamaica? I know it was hard with all the drinking and partying by our executives.
While we were all partying, the Wall Street Journal was calling our clients to ask about of violation of privacy policies.
Ya man! You got some good weed there. We figured the Gannett lawyers will clean up our mess.
Now look at us. Falling apart at the seams. No where to hide as Gannett investigates us.
Tria is soooo amazing! She is so much better than Sarah Ripmaster. Everyone in our Chicago office wants Tria over Sarah to be the SVP of Sales.
ReplyDeleteI think if Gannett is smart, they would dump Sarah Ripmaster and replace her with Tria. They should also drop Rob Gatto.
Time for the Pointroll employees to take control over this rogue management team.
TRIA FOR SVP SALES
Certainly there are a lot of people reading this blog at Pointroll. everyone is talking about it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jim as you have helped us Pointrollers have a voice. Hopefully Gannett is listening and will take a look at this management team.
Our clients are even reading the blog and starting to really question if Pointroll will survive the lawsuit, the Congressional investigation and a change in the impending leadership change.
"Pointroll Executive Characteristics"...You forgot a few other ones:
ReplyDelete1. Must have been a washed up movie star in a B movie
2. Good at fake crying
3. At like a psycho while wearing Gucci glasses and carrying a Prada handbag
4. Dress up in a baseball uniform on weekends and sit around the house.
5. Pretend you are running the largest company in the world with the biggest ego
Quick Poll:
ReplyDeleteSarah or Tria?
I vote Tria
Tria all the way!
ReplyDeleteAt first, I did not like Tria and thought Sarah was the bomb, but now, I see Tria as a real professional and someone who people look up to. She is also very accomplished. When she is in Chicago with us, she is great.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for Sarah, her time has past. She was good back in the day when Ellenthal would brag about how little experience Sarah had prior to joining Pointroll and how she became a great sales rep.
If Sarah was to just go back and sell, she would be great, but as a leader, manager and coach, she just doesn't have what Tria has.
Sorry Sarah :(
Does anyone know what Catherine Spurway Hepler does at Pointroll? I think she has been here the longest and I still think she pretends she is new here.
ReplyDeleteSeriously Catherine, time for you to go!
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ReplyDeleteYou mean Tria the one who bragged about her paid for by PointRoll implants? Shes not a professional replacement. New Blood...out with the old in with the new. Full management change up and down.
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ReplyDeleteWe can't name any names, but lets name positions that need to be changed.
ReplyDeleteCEO
COO
Whatever Cat Spurway is or does.
All VP's
Operations Directors
RPMs
Our voice has been heard people. Keep it up. Only a matter of time until we get the change we want.
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ReplyDeleteTodd Pasternack created CTG. Every digital marketing company WISHES they had a department like CTG!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteJulie and Tria are both great people. But a fact is a fact, Tria lacks the maturity to be that high up. Don't know what Julie even does. Let me know if you find out.
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ReplyDeleteLast time I checked PointRoll is the only thing left that makes money for Gannett. You can thank us for your paycheck.
ReplyDeleteI don't care who stays or who goes I just want there to be accountability!! Most of these people were put into their positions because they were doers at one point, but they have all become lazy, self-centered, and greedy. We need people that will mentor the next group of managers and executives, while being accountable to the current group of execs, managers and employees.
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ReplyDeleteEnough of the mudslinging, we all know that this company hasn't been the same since Chris has left.
ReplyDeleteNow we are going to be in transition mode, expect a couple of fall guys here and this will occur within the newxt two weeks.
Tria in a landslide
ReplyDeleteWhat people from the outside don’t understand sometimes is just how flawed the whole Pointroll setup is in terms of middle managers. What would you do if you had no moral sense, were a mid-level manager who was somewhat proficient, but your superiors thought browser cookies were something you bought at the grocery store? You’d take full advantage of the situation. You’d nod politely as things like Six Sigma and The Toyota Way were introduced as the Be All And End All Solution to all problems. You’d create a horde of useless groups that didn’t just fail to produce results, but actually hampered the process. You’d sit there and watch as upper management made decisions that not only made no sense but hurt the people under you.
ReplyDeleteWhat’s happened is that over the years the people who would have stood up to these inane upper managers were either fired or quit in frustration. Of the many mid-level managers left at the company today, maybe 2 or 3 of them are good at what they do. The rest are only at their respective positions because they have nowhere else to go.
What’s mostly left beneath them, sadly, is a group of employees who are convinced, either rightly or wrongly, that this is the best they can do professionally. If you ask almost any one of them at random how bad things are, you’ll hear an earful. I am willingly to bet that if you offered every one of these employees a job somewhere else for a ten percent reduction in salary, more than three fourths of them would take it. That’s how bad Pointroll is right now.
Gannett – please look into this.
Do you really think that Pointroll makes money for Gannett? You obviously have zero insight into the profitability or lack thereof this company generates for Gannett.
ReplyDeleteTherein lies an issue, associates at Pointroll have no clue about performa and bottom line revenue.
What kind of blog censors a person's voice? Gannett's does.... Big Brother is watching.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone monitor the expense reports for the excutive team? Did anyone see the pics from Vegas? Has anyone reached out to Ford or CVS and asked them there thoughts on Pointroll?
ReplyDeleteZero accountability, zero leadership.
Its amazing how quickly Tria has taken on the leadership role in Chicago. A breath of fresh air. She is a people person who is connected and has the company's best interest at heart. There is no hidden agenda and she is not full of herself.
ReplyDeleteYour blog doesn't, 4:03, so feel free to stick with the misogynist humor there.
ReplyDeleteTria gets my vote, no doubt!!!!
ReplyDeleteWow. Jim started a blog and a frat party broke out.
ReplyDelete4:22 you want to take a guess why we are spewing venom here? This place is a trainwreck and morale at an all time low..
ReplyDeletethe comments on here have gotten out of hand and i don't even think its Pointroll people writing them.
ReplyDeleteWe're better than this and perhaps talking to people about your concerns instead of posting remarks would get you the result your looking for.
or perhaps we'll get new management and you;ll be even more dissapointed.
My inside sources are telling me that Tria will be assuming Sarah's position once the transition begins next week. She will act as interim SVP of sales as they are currently conducting a search outside the organization. New leader will assume responsibility early Q3.
ReplyDeleteTria rocks!!!!!
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ReplyDeleteTria? Does anyone recall project empowerment? She has been in Chicago for 3 days and already has you fooled and wrapped around her finger. .
ReplyDeleteUh oh . . .
ReplyDelete"Rob Gatto has been invited to McLean VA to have a discussion with Gannett lawyers. He was told to bring his own attorney. This is not good for Mr. Gatto."
4:40 - what's "gotten out of hand" is Pointroll's treatment of it's employees. This revolt was a long time coming.
ReplyDeleteI tried contacting Rob's lawyer and he was not available to discuss the meeting in Virginia. It has been confirmed that the Sarah has been directed to attend a meeting next week in McLean as well and have her own legal counsel. The rapture is upon us.
ReplyDeleteTria has been more present in 3 days then Sarah has all year and Chicago is in her backyard. Lol I'm no fool when it comes to integrity and promise. Anyone that has the least bit of perspective will notice that Sarah comes off as insecure and has her own illusions of grandeur.
ReplyDeleteI vote for Sarah!!!! Pedro was not on the ballot :(
ReplyDelete5:07... put down your copy of the Hunger Games. 4:40 is right.
ReplyDeleteyou're not starving or persecuted, you get paid more than most, you're not on furloughs without pay like here at Gannett, you can get another job. I have to believe with digital experience it shouldn't be that hard.
Maybe one without free lunches, flexible hours and the ability to complain and call for a 'revolution.'
The one thing I haven't seen posted is concrete asks. What do you want your management team to do differently, what's missing or do you just not like them as people or you're genuinely not getting something?
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ReplyDeleteI HAVE seen the pictures from Vegas and I am sick. I am a woman who joined Pointroll two years ago and I am appalled at the immature behavior from our executives.
ReplyDeleteI do think that if I get fired from this place (as it seems to be Sarah Ripmaster's only form of discipline), then I will send everything to Gannett and have my attorney sue this company.
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ReplyDelete5:46p asks a good question...What is it you want (or don't want) this management team to do.
ReplyDeleteFor starters:
1. Stop lying
2. Treat people (employees) with respect
3. Don't try and fool our clients and don't force us to be out into compromising positions with our clients.
4. Stop pitting each employee against each other
5. Have respect for woman and working Moms in this company
6. Innovate
7. Stop doing silly, childish marketing
But most of all...I would like for Rob, Sarah, Sandy and Catherine to quit. You are not that good and you are all an embarrassment to Pointroll, Gannett, your employees and your family.
6:05 Allegations like "paying someone off" will get your comment removed unless you can provide evidence to me in an e-mail at jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]
ReplyDeleteRemember: Just because you hear something is true, or believe something is true, doesn't make it true.
Here are some mid-level managers that I hav no idea what they do and neither does anyone else:
ReplyDeleteGeorge Thomas- Product manager...What product?
Todd Pissonmyneck - CTG...Come again?
Julie Murphy - Trainer operations...Who trained her?
Matt Flanagan - Business development...Really, where?
Lisa Eckel - I am not even sure what she is even doing on the planet.
Can anyone help here?
5:07 - your comment ignores the previous 40 plus comments in this thread and hundreds of others in other places in this blog. I have to be generous and assume that perhaps you have not been with the company very long, because your stance is directly contradictory to the facts.
ReplyDeleteAs far as "asks" - the first dozen or so people who dared suggest that management wasn't following the right course or offered alternatives were fired or marginalized. After that, the only sensible reaction was to quit (as many have) or to put out a resume. And all the free lunches in the world cannot make up for a company where nervous breakdowns and drug and alcohol abuse are frighteningly frequent. The employees who stay do so because they believe they deserve better from their current company, and they demand better. Sadly, what they have now has only worsened year after year. Hopefully, this crisis will be a tipping point, and the whole management structure will be revised. Otherwise, it's the same ol same ol.
Well said 6:13.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that executive team has finally put Gannett in a position to take notice and act. The "Leadership" team has put the company at risk and laswsuits from umlawful termination, to Cookie-gate and misappropriation of funds to perjury await...... It is now only a matter of days.
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ReplyDeleteRumor has it top leadership has been trying to get Neil Ford to join and run sales. He left USA Today 2 years ago.
ReplyDeleteIn response to 6:22: Lisa Eckel was at PointRoll from day one. She built this business. Get your head out of your...
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ReplyDeleteExactly she needs to go
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ReplyDeleteIs there anyone from Gannett Corporate that can verify some of the claims on this blog? Is there anyone that can verify if Rob is actually in McClean Va. tomorrow or Friday?
ReplyDeleteRob is on vacation today and tomorrow. Opening Day for the Cubs.
ReplyDeleteSeriously? Has anyone seen Rob lately? Does he even go to the office anymore? This is a joke - the guy is CEO and doesn't come to work. Explain that to me. Home office does not count when you are the CEO.
ReplyDeleteI am serious he is going to the game today, no joke. Kat is always present and tria is taking a more active role. Sarah knows that her time is over and taking more of a subdued role.
ReplyDeleteSarah is a waste of space she sounds defeated and didn't do squat this week in Detroit. Does anyone monitor what she actually does? Wow.
ReplyDeleteCan anybody tell me what she has done strategically in 2012?
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ReplyDeleteI'm sitting at my desk and this place is a ghostown. I have done nothing all morning except shop on line. I think its great I can blog knowing that Sarah and Robb read all of it!!! Lol.
ReplyDelete10:44 if you have done nothing but shop online all morning than you are part of the problem too!!
ReplyDeleteWhy is that any different that Sarah, "visiting" LA office and never showing up but bragging that she went shopping, stayed in a 5 star hotel and had car service.
ReplyDeleteI'm honestly more appalled by the behavior on this site than anything the management team has done. Talking about how much hair people have? Come on, guys! Be better than that.
ReplyDelete11:17, the people here are far worse than the Gannett managers. Far worse.
ReplyDeleteDeep down, I think they know that. Instead of trying to improve, though, they bitch and moan and throw accusations around. Pathetic.
As someone said in the early days of this blog, the real tragedy isn't that these people are no longer working at Gannett. It's that they were there at some point.
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ReplyDeleteThe people at PointRoll posting these insults and childish comments are riduculous. You are part of what is causing PointRoll to fail. If you dont like what management is doing this blog is a place to voice that. Everyone agrees its not ok for our leaders to go to LA for a visit and never show up at the office. Everyone agrees pushing sales to sell audience and an AK partnership that never came to happen is a problem. Those are very real concerns. But talking about peoples weight, hair, realy? If you wouldnt say it to their face then dont say it at all. Stick to the issues at hand.
ReplyDelete11:17 - so talking about people's hair is worse than creating a work environment so bad that employees feel they have no where else to turn but this blog? Strange priorities there.
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ReplyDeleteAnd hey 11:42 - we are trying to improve - by highlighting how bad managment is here in the hopes they will be removed. Hopefully Gannett's eyes are on this blog as much as Pointroll's are.
ReplyDeleteDo you really think anything will change with the exec team? I hope not Sarah and Robb are the glue to this company!!!!
ReplyDeleteI support Robb and Sarah!!!! Who is behind me?
I think Sarah should stay and Robb must go, Sarah now understands the error of her ways and will have a better work ethic.
DeleteRobb is in too deep and would rather golf then be in the office.
No one is going anywhere. Nothing is happening. This blog is a joke. Rob and Sarah and Sandy and Cat, all of them are staying put. If you don't like where you work go get a new job or do something about it.
ReplyDeleteRob isn't going to VA, nor is Ripmaster. This is all blog BS. Every manager from the middle on up is safe. Like them or not they are the best fit out of anyone in the company for the roles they are in. Smarter and harder workers than the rest.
This blog is now just a haven for idiots and flat out liars to spew garbage. If anything soon enough people will find out who the posters are and they will be out of this place.
Work is a job, that's what they call it work. Your not forced to stay there.
I am in the know. Nothing is happening. Business as usual.
Thanks for the update Rob. Let us know how that meeting goes at Gannett next week. Better yet, your cleared out office along with Ripmaster's will let us know.
ReplyDeleteBusiness as usual seems to be the worst condemnation someone could assign to PointRoll.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'd tap that. (ad)
Thanks Robb, funny how people leak information and there is indeed flights confirmed next week for both landing at Regan flying from O'hare.
ReplyDeleteYou think those closwns are the best people is like saying you are the best looking ugly person.
Get your head out of your Ripmaster.
There is no meeting with Gannett. Ofer has provided management with a list of employees who have posted on this page from current to past. For those of you that have I suggest you pucker up and beg for mercy. KOP will know who those folks are by this weekend. As for the outside disturbances I suggest you seek legal counsel.
ReplyDeleteLOL 7:09 .. your leak is incredibly poor or you are just too stupid to know when someone is lying to you. Definitely not flying into VA or Reagan. Oh and by the way my name is spelled Rob not Robb .. of course it doesn't look like the ability to spell is one of your strong suits !!
ReplyDeleteManagement posting to the blog at 10:03? Stooping to the same level and calling a poster stupid?
ReplyDeleteOfer now has the ability to see what employees do on their personal computers?
unreal Robb is the real deal he want turn this place around..... Ha ha ha
ReplyDeleteThey can NOT see or TELL who is posting what. Typical management scare tactic. Shows were getting to them.
ReplyDeleteYou think that PointRoll mangement would have learned something from the whole Safari browser cookie issue!! Stop invading our privacy!!
ReplyDelete9:54 is a weasel whose post indicates management is now running scared.
ReplyDeleteOnly Google knows the identity of anonymous posters, and won't release that information unless compelled to do so by a court or law enforcement agency. And the fact that some posted mean things about an individual doesn't constitute criminal activity.
Thanks Jim for a minute I feel like I was being reprimanded for speaking my mind. Last time I checked I believe as an American we still have the freedom of speech. One would think this is a democracynot a dictatorship.
DeleteSorry Robb I spelled your name wrong, guess that is my shortcoming. I think our energies should be channeled in a different direction and trying to strongarm your employees with threats is not the way to do it.
You don't have freedom of speech as an American. Congress is enjoined from making any law abridging the freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteAny employer, any parent, any blog owner is entirely free to deny an employee, child or anonymous poster's urge to express themselves, by firing, time-out or deletion.
It's not a minor distinction. When you make errors like these, your readers assume you've made others or that you're too careless to have formulated meaningful opinions.
Is it fair that poor language skills reflect on the message? Probably not, but The Game of Life hasn't been fair since Milton Bradley created it in 1860, either.
Wow that was well written perhaps you can become a part of the next generation of failed executives at pointroll. You have upper management written all over your post.
ReplyDeleteNope, just one of those 'legacy' journalists keeping your frat house running.
ReplyDeleteYou have a champagne vocabulary in a beer world, don't fool yourself. You are on this site makes you a blogger like all of us.
ReplyDeleteA true journalist would be at the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times.
Will we hear from Robb this week or will he continue to be like Chuck Norris MIA? Says a lot about her fearless leader who in a time of crisis goes to Cubs and spends his time on the golf course.
ReplyDeleteOur other "leader" takes a 4 day vacation and then " travels" to Detroit and spends about 1 hour facetime while there. She is carrying herself like a girl that just lost her puppy.
Who is gonna step up in this time of peril? Can anyone answer this?
No one is going to step up during any time of peril all of the real leaders have left the company. It took a couple of years to happen, but the real leaders are all now gone. So either you get a new job or deal with the fools they have now. Although you may not agree with management, they are people too. Sadly they really really believe the decisions they make are the best for the company. Scarey isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYeah that is real scary especially since they have the intellectual horsepower of Jeff Spicoli.
ReplyDeleteMr. Gatto announced he will be stepping down
ReplyDeleteSarah is making a similiar announcement on Thursday. Congrats to Sandy, best of luck Robb!!!
ReplyDeleteRobb is too proud to resign in public, wishful thinking. He will send it via email, I have never met a leader so non existence in times of crisis.Today will be another sh+# show, can't wait.
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ReplyDeleteGatto is NOT stepping down or leaving. This is blog BS yet again.
ReplyDeleteAgreed he is not going anywhere, he will show up today and continue with his normal "spin". There will be no answers, no strategy, no solutions. Here is our homework today my fellow bloggers, let's post the top 3 ideas we get from this meeting today.....
ReplyDeleteWord on the street is that Sandy and Robb are leaving to run the new magazine Outlook which just launched its first publication. Just going to another Gannett owned company.
DeleteGatto has told several folks he is leaving. Direct from the horses mouth.
ReplyDeleteOK. Gatto is not going anywhere. If he really is then why don't you post your comment under your name. If he is leaving you have nothing to fear. Who did he exactly say this to? No one. This is just the same people posting over and over cause they have nothing better to do. If you have it here so much then get another job. Leave. No one is forcing you to stay here.
ReplyDeleteWow you are so tough !!!! Big guy with your veiled threats, you have upper management in your future kid.
ReplyDeleteDon't call me kid, I don't appreciate it. As for upper management that would be a compliment but not at this place. Life cycle is less and 3 years.
DeleteLook people cried on this blog when the old PR regime was in place. They cry with this one. Same garbage. Diff people.
ReplyDelete3:29 -- It is the people's right to cry and complain, but there is a big difference between the past management team/s and the current one. The old team was considerably more mature, professional, and well versed in the industry. The current team does not have the pedigree of the Saridakis/Tafler/Gelles/Ellenthal team. So while there was much complaining under the Tafler regime, it was more about how much Jason/Chris expected from their employees like “they expect us to be available over the weekend or holidays”, “they expect us to be accountable”, “they expect us to be professional!!!” Rather than the unprofessional complaints you have today like, “whaaaa we can't drink”, “whaaaa we can't short nerf darts”, “whaaaa we can't putt golf balls!!!”
ReplyDeleteWe need to look inside and determine if we think our management team is grooming us to be hard working, professional, accountable, well-versed employees. I think once we do this it will be obvious why people are complaining on this blog.
4:05
ReplyDeleteWait...you mean we can't Drink at work? WE CANT DRINK AT WORK?!?!?!?! We cant shoot golf balls at work? We cant fire Nerf darts at one another?
Sounds like hell.
This place is a joke. Glad I have interviews this week and next. Hopefully I cant walk out soon.
Don't drink in the office just take an extended lunch break, I recommend anything with vodka difficult to detect. Another suggestion would be take a client out for golf and entertain with a few cocktails.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like standard protocol for Gatto and Ripmaster Flash. These two go weeks at a time without being present in the business, this bebavior is known, allowed and worse accepted.
I am interviewing as well, but just an FYI Pointroll name is dirt right now. You are going to answer to this interviews.
One person asked me to say hi to Gatto and Ripmaster and laughed.
FACT I know from personal experience. Maybe Sandy will wake up if he gets the CEO gig. He needs to clean house.
DeleteJim,looks like the executive brass are traveling to McLean tomorrow. Team is a bit on edge and concerned, Can you please update the headline on our Pointroll site to reflect this latest update.
ReplyDelete