Complaint Review: SMGI Philadelphia

The truth from an insider:  These people steal money from you. The people at the "top" of this straight commission paying company WILL manipulate you. I am about to tell you everything about this company from the inside out:

Interviewing process: firstly, Megan or one of her trained "Administrators" will call you. "Hi, this is Megan with SMGI Philadelphia. How are you?" She is trained to "build a relationship" with you over the phone. The point being to stand out from other companies to get you to want to show up. She will tell you they are a "sales and marketing firm." I.e. door to door, commission sales. But, you won't find that out till you get there. She will say "we are looking for someone that can not only handle the sales and marketing aspect of what we do, but be able to move into a management position whithin about a year. That's something you can handle, right?" Challenging your ego, and exciting people that are too gullible to realize they are being played. Megan gets paid based on how suckers she can bring through the door to interview. SHe will say you will be meeting with one of her "hiring directors". These people will be one of the following:

Landon Atkinson: Fauxhawk, blue eyes. We got more complaints about this person lying and making the position sound "cool" than any other person. He won't even really tell you what we do. He will just ask you a multiple questions about yourself. He is trained to make you like him so you show up. He will introduce himself as the "director of marketing". He holds this position because Verizon fired him for fraud on several occasions, and Tim Koontz kept him on because he was a "friendeve disregarding the fact by that he told me on many occasions that he was terrible at his job. (Obviously. Just look at all the rip-off reports filed). Verizon is not aware of his presence on more than many occasions where he will still go to the "field" with a female trainer or rep to try to seduce them.  

Jason "Jay" Scott: Tall, African-American, hard a*s type. Not a strong interviewer, but comes across as "intimidating". Not much to say about this guy. He's useless. However, I was told by Tim and MJ that he was easily manipulated and therefore a strong asset. I wouldn't be surprised if his new title was "project manager".

MJ Fruman: will never do an interview and hardly ever shows up at the office for any reason other than to show off his jeep, suits, or show you that he "cares" by being there when you get back from a 9 hour day going door to door.

Tim Koontz - the biggest peice of s**t in the company. The only reason he will ever do anythintho their than run a morning meeting is if his guys aren't making him make money. He is extremely manipulative. So much so that he hcheat ones on his fiancé on multiple occasions, and she is still with him. (She's a sweetheart, by the way. I feel terrible for her). For more information on Tim, just check out the rip off reports on his old Cydcor company CXN, inc. He will not hesitate to stab a friend in the back to make a dime. All this lazy guy does is make his managers do everything while he talls to MJ on the phone to discuss "business". Usually he's talking to a girl because it is the only time he can talk to a female with out his fiancé knowing what he is up to. This is fact, not a hunch.

If you are young, decent looking, or talkative they will invite you back for a "2nd interview". You will get there, they will proceed to "set you up" with a leader (trainer) and they will take you out to a neighborhood for the day to see them go door to door. At lunch they will do a "lunch time break down" where they will sell you on the management training program, the time within each position, and finally pay. Then back to the field.

Leaders meeting: this is where the aforementioned employees will teach the trainers how to sell people on taking the position, or where they brainwash them to want to stay. I know because I did this. A lot of good information is actually taught here... However, you hide the bad with the good. This is the major selling point. (That and the fact that everyone is wearing suits and looking sharp... Until they change into red verizon polos and hit the streets)

the company goes door to door for Verizon and has a revolving door of other companies that require door to door work, but can't seem to make them work.  No benefits. I-99 pay. This means they do not take out taxes and you will owe at the tend of the year. 

the "management training program" will consist of 4 positions: entry level (field rep), leadership or corporate trainer (also field rep, but you have to train entry levels), assistant manager, then manager. Each position pays roughly $400-700 less than what they will tell you. But, by the time you find that out you have so much time and effort invested, you will decide to deal with it until they lay you off after reaching a management position because the $900 youre working 70+ hours a week to make is putting them in the red. Lets not even start with the amount of money you will lose on "cancelations".

on Thursday nights, after you worked until 10pm, they will convince you to go to "team night". The sole purpose of this is to make you hang out with them to make you think they are cool. You'll fall for it. 

Pay: Verizon pays SMGI roughly $450 for every application done. Of that, the rep will see never over $120 of it. if you want to go door to door, go through corporate. $50 goes to Tim. $150 of each app will go to paying overhead costs. The rest goes to MJ and his business partner, Justin S. (very very short guy. Blonde spikey hair)

the business model is meant to allure young, sharp people to set aside their degrees and go against their better judgement to work for them, so that cool, goodlooking, and young people will work for them. Why? To hired more. Birds of a feather. Look around. The only old guy at the company is the owner, MJ. they even go as far as labeling older people as an OG on the applications. (OG=Old Guy) or 110. Draw a line from the top of the first "1" to the bottom of the second "1". What does it say? It says "NO".

these people are not to be trusted with your future. Corporate America may not be the answer, but working for people that make money by walking on the backs of others (you) is only a worse idea.

Tim trained me personally for years. Everything I'm saying is true. He screwed me over just like the manager he fired before me, who was what I thought to be his only actual friend in the world.

Do yourself a favor. Don't be an idiot. Keep looking for another position.