Complaint Review: Florida Executive Search-R. Milgrom & J. Shine

I read your response today and checked the BBB rating. It's an F!!! Another posting on this web site claim you had an F rating in April too. I checked the former company you mention- Princeton Exec Group- and the BBB rating is also an F.Maybe you should rethink your strategy of directing people to the Better Business Bureau! Good Luck.

Florida Executive Search, Inc. recently declined the opportunity to become the latest corporate piata and be edited and skewered for the momentary satisfaction of a few individuals who refuse to take personal responsibility for their own career positioning and attempt to alter the record while holding others responsible for their own particular set of circumstances.

A handful of clients, representing less than 2% of our base, lodged a series of uncorroborated and distorted accusations regarding our business practices to a local television reporter. Rather than attempt to objectively research the complaints, by requesting an interview with the firm, the reporter went for the more sensational, but journalistically dishonest approach and ambushed me in the hallway unannounced, yelling distorted questions through the door. With no time to research or respond in a professional and honest fashion, I refused to participate and simply closed the door on the reporter. Our door has never been closed on our clients or their careers.
Here are the simple facts!

For seven years, we operated under the Princeton Executive Group brand and maintained excellent relations with the entire business and consumer communities. In 2008, the intellectual property and trade mark enforcement arm of Princeton University requested us to change our name, as to not to interfere with another Princeton University affiliated group. I chose to acquiesce to their request.

As a result, a new corporation and capital structure was formed and Florida Executive Search was founded. NOT to attempt to fool anyone, but rather to maintain our identity while attempting to prevent an occasionally overzealous client from breaching personal access to home phone numbers and addresses. Some people and a few, not so noble, consumer web sites, simply did not respect personal privacy boundaries. In retrospect, it created a false illusion that there was something to hide, when there was not. In fact, most Princeton client' s contracts were honored and fulfilled for up to a year after the Princeton brand left the market.

We never walked away from a client and refuse to be painted with the broad brush of disdain that many frightened and anxious consumers and an occasional reporter are using against almost every sector of our economy.

Working with the complex and emotional issues of our time, continues to be part of our responsibilities, despite the sometimes personalized nature of the client's reactions and the extremes some will go to in an attempt to mischaracterize the truth. A few of our clients hear only what they want to hear and remember only what they want to remember, regardless as to whether or not there is any basis of fact or truth.

.More than ever, we take our responsibilities of assisting clients in the presentation of their respective credentials to the marketplace very seriously. We strive to provide an excellent level of customer service and satisfaction.
We more than understand any client's frustration. We cannot however change the economy. Companies are being more selective in the hiring of executives. The economy has and continues to seriously impact the job market, particularly at the executive level. We have always and will continue to represent our client's credentials to the marketplace in a professional manner.

We cannot and do not however guarantee any client a job or a specific number of interviews. This is a best case effort without any guaranteed results.

No one should confuse a lack of results with a lack of effort. Please understand we are not an employment agency, never have claimed to be, never will be. Our primary role is to work for individuals looking to market themselves to the job market. We cannot however force any company or executive search firm to meet with a client.

Any real or perceived lack of results to date has nothing to do with methodology; it is, in fact, the recession and global economic meltdown. We have created a customized portfolio, provided our clients with comprehensive career coaching and goal setting, and have completed intense market and data research to find appropriate fits for the respective skill sets of every single client.

It should be noted that in after eight years in business, despite corporate rebranding initiatives and occasional negative and often unsubstantiated client assertions, we have successfully executed over 1200 client campaigns and had fewer than 35 complaints of poor service. As vociferous as some of those dissatisfied clients have become and empowered by the anonymity of the internet; in the name of fairness and objectivity; that is less than a 3% complaint rate!

On Sept. 21, 2008 our BBB grade was an A. The intensity of our economy since that date caused a slight increase in our complaint rate. We were recently lowered to a B, not an F. Go to www.bbb.org and look it up.

Our doors remain open to any and all clients who wish to address customer service issues in a positive and constructive manner.

Robert Milgroom,
President