TeleContact Resource Services TRS Rips Off Their B2B Telemarketing Clients By Charging For Hours Not Worked! Modesto California
Just to get everyone familiar with what TeleContact is all about, I thought I'd open with a brief history of this company.
TeleContact Resource Services (or TRS) is a B2B telemarketing firm located in Modesto, California that works nationwide with business clients, mostly from the insurance industry. They have a call center with about 25 part-time agents that all work in-house. The main objective of TRS is to sell blocks of telemarketing hours to their clients on a regular basis. These clients entrust that TRS is using these hours (usually priced at $39 per hour, but never less than $32) to set sales appointments for them.
Now, what I'm about to reveal is 100% true, as I was employed as a sales agent for this company and saw first-hand the level of corruption and deception within this company. This is meant to serve as a warning to all who seek B2B telemarketing with TRS.
Let's start with how TRS acquires the majority of their clients. There are two sources that pretty much do the same thing, BuyerZone.com and VendorSeek.com. These are sites that collect basic contact information from businesses seeking telemarketing information. Once they complete a brief form, their information is forwarded to 5-10 companies (including TRS) that contact them to pitch their programs. This is where TRS begins their deception.
You see, despite the fact that TRS is a small company, their level of corruption rivals the worst from those in Big Business. In fact, TeleContact Resource Services was once named, TeleMarketing Resource Services. Their name was changed a few years ago to avoid legal and ethical entanglements with clients they ripped off and overcharged.
As sales agents, we are told that we must advertise the following to any prospective client, looking to begin or continue their telemarketing programs with us:
- "We are the longest running telemarketing firm in the nation." This is simply not true, as a quick Google search will find a handful of companies that have been around longer than TRS by many years.
- "We have about 50 agents on the phones telemarketing." Also, untrue. Like I said above, it's really about 25 agents and they all work part-time at that! Even if you count the 10 members of management, you're still well below the count of 50 total employees. Should it really take 10 full-time managers to run a small call center of 25? It shouldn't, but it's clear where most of the $39 per hour is going.
- "We have a quality assurance program in place." This is a joke. Although TRS claims to record every single appointment set for their clients, many are far from the level of quality the clients expect. I know, as I've heard hundreds of these recordings. 90% of the time, the agents fail to follow even the most basic script. The agents limp through the call and do everything, including lying, to set an appointment. Here's a tip, always ask for the recordings. All of them. You're paying for them, after all.
- "Our agents are experienced and most have been here at TRS for years." Total fabrication. 80% of the employees, besides management, have less than a year with TRS. For many, it's also the first time they've worked in a call center at all. TRS has a huge revolving door when it comes to their employees. Agent pay is low (an average of $9.50 an hour) and TRS' expectations are high.
- "All of the hours you purchase will be used to set appointments and generate leads for your business." This is the biggest falsehood of all. Clients are made to believe that the hours they are paying for are used 100% to set appointments for them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here's an example, a client pays $39 per hour for 10 hours of telemarketing per week for three months: $4,680 for 120 hours. For the most part, TRS will have an agent work on the account until they reach three appointments. Once they hit that magic number of three, the account is deemed "closed" for the week, regardless if the agent only performed 3-5 hours of actual phone time to get those appointments. Even if they don't get the "magic three", TRS usually telemarkets on only half of the hours that were paid for by the client and, undisclosed to the client, accounts for the other 50% as "administration duties". From my experience, these "duties" are clearly 10 to 15 cigarette breaks during the day, two hour lunches and leaving the office early. All the while, TRS manipulates their own data to reflect all of the hours worked on the phones and sends these fabricated reports to the client.
From my experience, TRS has built their business on the foundation of lies. They grossly overcharge clients for their services while not even working all of the hours these clients have paid thousands of dollars for. I have listened to and spoken with clients that have pointed out the deception that TRS has presented to them and have seen TRS continue to lie in hopes to explain their concerns away.
Don't become the next victim of TeleContact Resource Services!
If you need any additional information, let me know.
TheManBehindTheCurtain
Turlock, California
U.S.A.
6 Updates & Rebuttals
TheManBehindTheCurtain
Turlock,California,
USA
A Conslusion and Matters Settled
#7
Mon, August 17, 2009
My name is Kevin Vincent and I am an ex-employee of TeleContact Resource Services. In February 2008, I was terminated from my sales position due to accusations from management that I was breaking one or more company policies regarding my use of the sales leads that TeleContact purchased copies of through their subscription with BuyerZone.com.
Soon after my termination, I used an alias and the anonymity of the Internet to post statements, like those at this website, to expose the business practices and internal sales processes of my former employer in an effort to steer business away from their company.
As of today and in accordance with a legally binding agreement made on August 14th, 2009, I, Kevin Daniel Vincent, wholeheartedly denounce and retract all of the negative statements found here at RipOffReport.com that have been made against TeleContact Resource Services/TRS/eContactLive, Inc. of Modesto, California.
This rebuttal posting also serves to completely settle any and all current and/or future legal disputes, both criminal and civil, as agreed upon between my former employer (TeleContact Resource Services/TRS/eContactLive, Inc.) and myself on August 14th, 2009.
If you have any questions regarding this statement, please contact attorney Marlon Simon at The Office of the Public Defender, Stanislaus County.
Joe
Modesto,California,
U.S.A.
It is a "sweat shop"
#7UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, July 23, 2008
I am a ex employee of this company. They recently changed names and instructed their employees after the fact. Their check stubs did not reflect the money paid in taxes prior to the name change. This company allows management to be treated above their callers, and fires employees when they dislike them. They do withhold leads, and dont work the hours they charge the client for.
I know this by working the leads myself. This company is based for recovering addicts since most management are ones themselves. I dont have a problem with recovery until it is put in your face on a promotion or in the work place. I have never been a addict, and dont appreciate the fraud that the life brings even after recovery. I would not recommend this company as a job to any recovery person or anyone really needing a good work inviroment.
The agents are always on egg shells wondering if they will have a job the next day. The data base that is purchased by a client is also shared when another client they want cant get leads by this company. I am sorry I dont have the best wording knowledge, I guess that is why I was a telemarketer anyways. Please, you should be ware of this company both clients and employees.
Lady Luck
Turlock,California,
U.S.A.
Arrested?? The TRUTH SHALL SET HER FREE!!!
#7UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, June 23, 2008
I was viewing this report and decided to put a word out on this matter. This company is truly unethical and just because they are trying to pursue a CRIMINAL case against something/someone where there is no proof of breaking a LAW just to show the city of Modesto how they can "stamp their feet" and through a fit like a 3 year old does when they do not get his or her way, does not mean that this case is won. TeleContact has done nothing but been on a personal quest to take down their compeititors down with LIES, EXTORTION and THREATS, including, but not limited to, falsifications of company records, discrimination and the ability to RIP THEIR EXISTING AND NEW clients off, by taking their money and not fully and ethically completing their agreement to the fullest extent. JUSTICE SHALL SET US AND ALL THOSE AROUND US THAT HAVE BEEN TREATED UNFAIRLY BY TELECONTACT FREE!!!
"If God is with US, then who can be against US"
Econtactlive, Inc.
Modesto,California,
U.S.A.
Justice! This author - ARRESTED!
#7REBUTTAL Owner of company
Fri, June 06, 2008
The author of this report, a disgruntled former employee who is angry about being fired for his illegal activities, has been allowed by Ripoff Report to file this ridiculous report without any substantiation or validity whatsoever. Finally, justice has been served and the impeccable reputation of TeleContact Resource Services has been restored.
"TheManBehindTheCurtain" and his co-conspirator sister have been arrested on felony charges for the crimes they committed against the very company that Ripoff Report enabled him to attempt to discredit for his own personal gain. Read the full Police Report at
http://www.modestopolice.com/releases/prdetail.asp?LinkID=1165
At TeleContact Resource Services, we promote an atmosphere of integrity and stability, by employing a loyal and dedicated staff of highly trained professionals. We will continue to provide our customers with the unparalled service they have come to expect for the past 15 years.
Themanbehindthecurtain
Turlock,California,
U.S.A.
The Truth About The Better Business Bureau
#7Author of original report
Wed, March 19, 2008
How Does the Ripoff Report compare to the Better Business Bureau?
The "Better Business Bureau" is another avenue to make your voice heard and to seek possible satisfaction of your grievance. With the Better Business Bureau, a business that is the focus of a complaint merely has to respond to the complaint in order to "satisfy" it most of the time. You won't be told of past satisfied or unsatisfied complaints about a company. So if you check on a company that has "satisfied" all their complaints, they will tell you that, "they have a satisfactory rating". You will never know their track record!
The Ripoff Report is a more consumer oriented forum for keeping track of "bad business". Unlike the Better Business Bureau, all of your unedited, uncensored, complaints can be made public to millions world wide. You can see the track record of a company's past. The "bad Business Bureau's" Ripoff Report is an important resource to keep you informed of those you deal with. Soon this site will be THE source of information that "bad business" will want to avoid world wide.
Econtactlive, Inc.
Modesto,California,
U.S.A.
This was authored by a disgruntled ex-employee who was caught stealing!
#7REBUTTAL Owner of company
Fri, March 14, 2008
The person who wrote this report was caught embezzling/stealing from our company and is facing criminal and civil liability as a result. Nothing more than a common thief. Need I say more?
Please check us out with the Better Business Bureau at http://stockton.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=87&bbb=1266&firm=29000243. You will see that we have been in good standing for 14 years.