Arbordahl And Associates (A Subsidiary Of The Broaddus Agency: Cydcor) ripoff After being hired and asked to start I was not given any knowledge of compensation! trick the small business owners into signing up for SBC services ripoff Niles Illinois
Arbordahl and Associates is all over Careerbuilder and similar websites (along with Marketing Sessinos) and that is how they contacted me. The job sounded great, I being a recent college grad with a marketing major. Arbordahl listed a salary, and made the job seem like "I have been selected" as though I was someone special.
I went in for my first interview, met with Adam Dahl, and everything was seeming to go well, and the interview ended in only FIVE MINUTES. After the interview, the job was still vague and unclear, and Adam told me he would further explain things at the second interview.
Later that evening, I researched the company Arbordahl and Associates, and came up with only their website, which is arbordahl.com. I found it interesting that Adam is the president of the company and hasn't even been out of college for two years. All that I knew about the job was that it consisted of business-to-business sales and some sort of public relations.
At the second interview, I was first told by Adam that I had been "selected" to go on a first round slaes call. I immediately went on a sales call with another individual from Arbordahl, going "door to door" to different businesses trying to get the business to switch or upgrade their phone plan through SBC. The individual introduced himself to the small businesses as though he was "from SBC, making a courtesy call" and making sure they were up to date with SBC's current special offerings going on. Then the individual asked the business owner for the phone bill and ranted on how the business owner could be saving money. He actually got one business owner to sign up, and change plans. While filling out the paperwork, I then asked the individual from Arbordahl how we were paid, and he told me that compensation is based on performance, and then he changed the subject. Later again, I asked the same question, and he told me that the pay was great and that once you become assistant manager you make one-thousand dollars per week. I finally got it out of him that the job is commission based. After the sales call, I was given a small quiz about the company, which consisted of specific steps to follow while executing a sale.
I then met again with Adam Dahl, and he asked me what I could bring to the company. I told him that I was a team worker and that I strive for success. He had two other co-workers in the office with him, and then he asked me, "when is the soonest you can start?" I told him as soon as possible, and he "hired me on the spot." I THEN learned about work days consist of working from 8am until 6pm, Monday through Friday, but you "get weekends off..." so you can have some sort of life I suppose. The training would start Monday, I was told. I asked if it was paid training, and was given the response, it is "based on merit" so that I would have to be with someone that is making sales...which seemed strange to me.
I then proceeded to leave, and started talking to the receptionist. She told me that Arbordahl and Associates is sister companies with Marketing Sessions. These companies are actually part of a larger company, Cydcor, which I later found out is a pyramid company that "promotes from within" structuring a pyramid paying structure. The lower-in-the-pyramid workers get ripped off, and the management see the money. There is no mileage compensation, and you could easily go weeks without making a sale, because many small business owners that you visit know that you are ripping them off already, so they refuse the moment you walk in the door. However, you are trained to work around the rebuttals, and hope to try to make the sale. It is completely unethical, false representation, and I hope to make people aware of Cydcor and it's little brother and sister companies.
After all, the only pay you receive is when you trick the small business owners into signing up for SBC services that are through this organization you are working for. There is no salary, no compensation, but rather an unjust way of running a business. Basically, in a nutshell, by making the workers pay the management to work for them. It is sure nice in the management's view, I'll give them that...
Max
Chicago, Illinois
U.S.A.
7 Updates & Rebuttals
Anonymous
Minneapolis,Minnesota,
U.S.A.
I fell for it too...
#8Consumer Comment
Tue, August 02, 2005
I also fell for this job description at Arbordahl and Associates. I drove 5 hours from Iowa on two seperate occasions for my interviews. I actually left halfway through my second interview because I could tell it was crap.
My boyfriend now works for a similar company out of Minneapolis, and it is horrible...he is so overworked (13 hour days, plus most Saturdays) plus I practically have to shake him to get him to come of his fake "salesperson" persona.
For those people who want to walk around and con businesses and people for long days without knowing if they'll have money to eat with at the end of the day, go for it.
I for one am glad I got a real job...
Grace
Chicago,Illinois,
U.S.A.
Cate, keep looking
#8UPDATE EX-employee responds
Thu, September 23, 2004
You are one of many, many, many people who have been mislead by this organization. I urge you to look for the website that is dedicated to healing and discussion for the thousands of us who have been lied to by this corporation. I worked for Michael Sessions. I know who Adam Dahl is.
A google search will show you where to go from here.
Cate
Chicago,Illinois,
U.S.A.
I was taken in by the scam too...
#8Consumer Comment
Wed, September 22, 2004
I was so happy to read what Max wrote, it portrayed my experience with Arbordahl exactly. When I was searching Careerbuilder.com, I came across their ad because it boasted a Top Ten list of why Arbordahl was such a great place to work. Let's see, not working in a cubicle, helping people, going to Cubs games... going to Cubs games? I'm in! I was able to get an interview (they told me they could "fit me in") and I went prepared to wow a hopeful employer. Like what Max said, I sat across the desk from Adam Dahl as he spewed irrelevent and confusing jargon at me, leaving me alittle dizy after. But I got a call back and went in for the second, and as he put it, highly coveted, interview. I was wearing a new suite and heels, ready to go. Little did I know that I was to ride in a car with a creepy representative for over an hour an a half before realizing that I would be hoofing it all over Fox River Illinois going door to door and taking advantage of small business owners. I felt sick by the end of the day; I reeked of cheesey opening lines, preying smiles and on top of it, having put in a long days work, I made no compensation. If there is any action taken against this company, I want to be at the front of the line against them. It is a manipulative and awful means of running a business and I'd like for it to stop here and now!
Jaded
Westmont,Illinois,
U.S.A.
Aaron, are you sure you're name isn't ADAM? ..The lies are too extensive to cover.
#8UPDATE EX-employee responds
Thu, August 26, 2004
Sounds like Adam Dahl wrote that email himself!
Either that, or Adam has done such a good brainwashing job on Aaron's "family member," that family member has managed to brainwash Aaron! Ah, the evils of Cydcor.
Max, I am a former employee of Marketing Sessions, and I hear you! My experience was a lot like yours, except I worked there for over a month.
I hope that more employees or former employees have the courage to write about what they dealt with while employed at Arbordahl, Sessions and the many other Cydcor companies.
The way they tricked me was overwhelming. They made it seem as though I was "chosen" out of a large group of people. I didn't realize until later that they are constantly recruiting and inviting candidates for second interviews.
Virtually anyone will be offered a position, but they made me feel like I was one of a very few.
I was also told that I would have benefits, but those benefits were nonexistent.
The lies are too extensive to cover. I tried in the complaint I filed, but I know I missed things.
I'm glad you took the time to write. I will continue to do as you have done. It is only right.
Jaded
Westmont,Illinois,
U.S.A.
Aaron, are you sure you're name isn't ADAM? ..The lies are too extensive to cover.
#8UPDATE EX-employee responds
Thu, August 26, 2004
Sounds like Adam Dahl wrote that email himself!
Either that, or Adam has done such a good brainwashing job on Aaron's "family member," that family member has managed to brainwash Aaron! Ah, the evils of Cydcor.
Max, I am a former employee of Marketing Sessions, and I hear you! My experience was a lot like yours, except I worked there for over a month.
I hope that more employees or former employees have the courage to write about what they dealt with while employed at Arbordahl, Sessions and the many other Cydcor companies.
The way they tricked me was overwhelming. They made it seem as though I was "chosen" out of a large group of people. I didn't realize until later that they are constantly recruiting and inviting candidates for second interviews.
Virtually anyone will be offered a position, but they made me feel like I was one of a very few.
I was also told that I would have benefits, but those benefits were nonexistent.
The lies are too extensive to cover. I tried in the complaint I filed, but I know I missed things.
I'm glad you took the time to write. I will continue to do as you have done. It is only right.
Todd
Pomona,California,
U.S.A.
Really?
#8UPDATE EX-employee responds
Thu, July 29, 2004
Someone in the field with a dsmax affiliate is very lucky to make even $20,000. Subtract from that all the expenses you pay out in the field. Transport, lunches and all else. The rep could make more, but leaders have to pay out some of their daily earnings to new recruits. Yet I am not including that in the 20,000.
It is a very sorry rep indeed that is let go from any dsmax affiliate. They are doing everything possible to trust try and keep people selling AT ALL in this sweat shop sales job. They are in no position what so ever to be picky about who works their. Motivational meetings twice a day, opportunity meetings at least 2 times a month, getting people to always promote their dsmax related goals and always having them try and be hanging out with the owner and each other? And now all of a sudden at the same time you want us to believe you are in a position to fear of loss us? Only if we let you.
The scams of the dsmax affiliates can be found easily enough. Just search around. They get involved in fraudulent campaigns, misleed recruits into staying, have no back ground checks and the list goes on.
Steer clear.
Managers don't make that much money. They often are in the red with head offices. Managers are often shut down and have to build crews all over again. Yet often enough they still owe money from the former location becauses of leases or reps or ads.
From the beginning it is all a lie. The reps are lied to, the leaders are mislead about the opportunity, the managers and top leaders buy into the lie and then believe it and get caught in a downward whirlpool. So no, you managers are their are not bad people. Just caught up in a bad system and trying to make it work. I pity you.
Aaron
Lisle,Illinois,
U.S.A.
arbordahl is a great company
#8UPDATE Employee
Wed, July 28, 2004
a family member has worked for arbodahl and assoc for a little over a year now. What a great company. Upon being hired by Adam Dahl my family member has been treated with nothing but professionalism and honesty. I personally have known Adam Dahl for over a year and found him to be one of the nicest/honest people i have ever known.. and i have been fortunate to meet alot of great people!!
This company has been anything but a pyramid scheme. Yes it is based on comission for the first year where you make around 25-30+ k working in the field. After about a year if the salesperson shows a high amount of leadership they become an assistant manager making around 55k per year. At this point the assistant manager prepares to open their own office after learning all the facets of the business. The next promotion is management where you basically run your own office. Managers make over 100k easy.
this is a great opportunity company for people that work hard and have leadership qualities. Arbodahl pays there employees very well from the first day on the job all the way up to the top. Trust me.. they always brag about how much they are making:) The product that they offer through SBC and other fortune 500 companies is great because they really do help people save thousands on their bills every year. If they cant save you money they tell you and leave. If they dont they loose their job for it.
lemme ask you max. have you ever worked for this company? or did u just get your opinion from your 5 minute interview? The best things about compensation with this company are not told to you because it can be really overwhealming to new interviewers what some of these high level managers make. There is a difference between working on comission and being involved in a pyramid scheme company.. and this company is very far from that.