Vast Marketing - ECS & More Aliases New York New York
I worked for this company for about two weeks, too long. Sadly to say I have a very similar story just like the rest of the people who use to work at this shithole of an office. They start selling to you as soon as you apply for this job, to the office waiting area, the interview, "day of observation", to the follow up interview. This company goes by many aliases ECS Inc, Granton Mtkg, Vast Marketing, Emerald Marketing, Focus Marketing, and Etc. on their several images.
Right when you walk-in, They impress you or by their standards "impulse the buyer", by having NY team logos- Knicks, Yankees, NJ Nets, Mets Logos and Big posters of A-Rod, Vince Carter. Having you feel like Wow, this is a sports marketing company!! WRONG.. They do not advertise/market any sports. While waiting the room next door was blasting heavy hip-hop. I assumed people in the office loved hip-hop, fine and dandy but in an office? So anyways, I was called in for my interview, with 3-4 others also waiting.
The assistant-director, a very young-looking guy trying to look sharp, interviews me, asks me if I like sports, of course to keep me focused on the idea of sports marketing. Asks me what are my strongest skills, setting me up for more questions to ask. And gets to the point if I am willing to work hard and make good money... Who doesn't want to make good money?He breaks down how fast the company is moving even through our recession, keeping my ears alert and my mind on the dollar. Explains that they need corporate directors in less than 10 months. Already that sounds sketchy. But thrilled like a school girl at a Backstreet boys concert, that passes my mind and to give this job a shot.
I don't know why I did not turn my back after the first day of "observation". A day where u enjoy running door to door possibly ruining the suit u wore to the interview. Shaking down good hard working people for some money to buy these ridiculous lookin coupons. Soliciting people at offices, it was actually kinda funny how unprofessional these guys are out of the office den of hiphop. Sports Marketing? If consider cruises around Manhattan... as a sport..are you kidding me? So after 10-11hrs of work and 15minute lunch break which was the best part since my "leader" treated to some cheap sandwich spot. We were on the run again, asking everyone if they wanted this silly looking coupons. I felt so pathetic. Half the people we asked probably didn't even speak English.
Management is excellent on how well their employees are trained. They all talk the same, same pitch, voice flux, hand gestures, and close. All brainwashed to this to sell their lame-duck coupons to the general public to take advantage of these "save big" deals. Management is also all washed in the head with endless 6figured promises, probably by the top dogs of the corporate ladder.Everyone has the same lingo of a language here, wishes of becoming that director in 10months. So curiously I asked how long everyone worked there. Everywhere from 1month-1year, but yet none of them has advanced to the "assistant director transition phase". They have different titles granted, but they are all on the street hustling like a bunch of crack dealers. Its really sad cause there are bunch of young guys and lads, fresh out of college. They all got presented this lucrative deal, to lower their standards. There is no salary, health benefits,401k hell of u got hit by a truck running around so much. I think they would just change the name of the company before any parents found out. Becareful they never even wanted do a screening ... do not leave any SSN on unoffical paperwork.
Great Pyramid Scheme from the guys over there... I got caught. I hope this helps some people because I would hate for you to put the time and energy for a pat on the back and some chump change. College grads and people looking for new careers beware of this place do not make the same mistake I did and as well as the others who have posted.
Modest
Maspeth, New York
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Perlickr
New York,New York,
U.S.A.
Same experience, do not accept this job
#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Tue, May 05, 2009
I, like the writer above me, had the same exact experience in the workplace. It was almost humorous, because after a 14 hour work day (including commute), I got home and talked with my roommates about it. They were like, "Oh my gosh, that's horrible!"
Then, I got suspicious, and searched on the internet for "ECS, scam, vast marketing," and this posting came up. Sure enough, it explained in exact detail the same horror story that was my day at ECS. I was even wearing the same suit I wore to my interview, AND it got ruined because it was raining all day! After reading this, I decided then and there to quit the job--
Here's a sample of my day: I go out with 2 guys selling posters door to door for "compliance4less.com," some kind of company that makes labor law posters for small businesses to keep in compliance with state and federal law regulations. The guys only get money on the job if they successfully sell posters to small business owners. There is no customer service. The small-business's worker asks "can I call you later when my boss is here?" "is there a website I can buy the posters at?" and of course, since the salesmen doesn't make any money off of those sales, he is reluctant to give a business card, which has the 1-800 number for compliance4less, and hassles the person working behind the counter to buy these posters right here, right now.
A pretty bad business model I think-- and it's not fair to the employees who walk around all day (12 hour work days) and sell these stupid posters, and are basically spreading the "compliance4less.com" brand name everywhere for chump change. While I was out with the two employees, they sold a total of 8 posters. On each poster the salesman makes $9. So, that means total, they made $72 on the day, and both of them had been working about 6 months.. when they're supposed to be making $1000 a week in the assistant director transitional phase (according to the interviewer). 12 hour day, $36 per salesman, that's about $3 an hour-- and that doesn't include the fact that one of the employees' personal cars was used to drive to the location. I would be surprised if that guy can even pay for his gas.
Don't be fooled. This is a scam-- they are taking advantage of unsuspecting young people. I was there for one work day, and even that was too long.