Complaint Review: American Income Life - Warwick Rhode Island

LOL So true!!!

But you forgot to mention Jim Jones tells the story of how broke he was before joining AIL and now he has a Tax problem.

you received an email stating "we are interviewing in your area this week". you were told to "dress sharp and bring a fresh copy of your resume". you showed up and 10 guys in cheap suits were waiting in the lobby for this "exclusive" interview.
a used car salesman named Jay told you how impressed he was with your Resume yet he never looked at it.
you were ushered in to a meeting room when a jim jones type with bleached teeth and a fake rolex told everyone they would be millionaires within 5 years, especially with all the new leads that were flooding in.
you came home excited about this great opportunity, googled America Income and Ripoff Report came to the top of the list....

I'm setting the over/under at 5 months....

any takers?

You know that you worked at AIL if... you sold a life policy that was $1000 ALP,

you were at an SA at the time you only got 52% of that ($520),

but you sold them a Select Life cus it the only AIL policy worth a crap,

so now you only get paid 25% of the ALP, which is $250,

but you only get advance 75% of that, which is $187,

and now you find out that someone canceled because they found out that the mortgage protector you sold them 2 months ago were grossly overpriced.

Now that grand of ALP that would have paid you at least $800 anywhere else, has been reduced to a NEGATIVE 240. - But make sure you tell the NEW guys how great of a place the Zophin Agency is!!! You actually get a customed to being broke! It's sick. Still wondering why I don't work there anymore. SCAM!!!

Yes my meds are kicking in and I think I'll spend some time polishing up my rifles.

wait a minute - did I just read what I thought I read? or am I getting the nods from over medication, hhmmmm, I think I read HIRE THEM ALL AND SEE WHO SELLS!

Yup - those are the words.

I know all too well what is said to set the hook and then what is said to keep their interest.

Moby - can I call you d**k? - Yeah thats more appropriate, what will put you out of this business is not the realization that your commissions are not in line with the rest of the industry but the gnawing feeling that you are hurting the families of those that don't make it.

IF you have a consience you will be more particular in your hiring practices and slowly your first year agent numbers will dwindle as you are interviewing 100 to find one you can feel good about placing in the field. At that pace attrition will catch up to you.

From one that has/is BEEN doing it WAY longer than you - this is my perspective. I know these blogs are not about to change your mind but I hope it is food for thought. Tough to digest when the company line is geared for turnover.

Think of the families and ask yourself before having them sign a contract - do I really see this person here in 6 months? - 1 year? - 2 years? - my Lord - 10 years? Do you like them? Would you hang with them away from work?
Do you meet their families In short, do you care?

hey mobydik,

keep up the shillin for your POS "union friendly" insurance outfit. i needed a good laugh today and you provided it. Thanks again, Jay

You might still work at AIL if...you write a rebuttal like MOBY just did. Moby, you'll leave too, just like everyone else. Wait. If for nothing else you will realize that your getting 50% contracts when most other companies will give you 80-125%. Let's do the math. The average ALP per week at AIL is $1300 per agent. That means your agents are walking out with around $300 per week after getting advanced and charged back. In the real world, you would take home $1300, at least a G-note.

Let me break a few things down for you. This isn't meant to be insulting. Just an eye opener.

Your primary product is whole life that you sell with a Freedom of Choice, which is a piece of paper with the Company's phone number on it.

Your terms are awful. Your best term is a 4 yr. That's pathetic. And you only get 20% on it. That's even more pathetic. You're missing out on at least 60%. The companies a complete ripoff from start to finish. Call around, find out for yourself.

Your primary objective is to recruit, not sell. Recruit first, then train, then sell. The company makes the most money off 40 percenters who work had for 2 months and quit. Why do you think that the only ALP that counts is for 1st year agents.

Putting a title with a contract is a recruiting tool. All AIL is doing is justifing giving an independent contractor employee additional duties.

Why say that an SA makes 52.5 percent when they only make that on the whole life band. They make less on the preferred and executive bands. They are the only company who does that. They make far less on everything else. So a 52.5% "manager" makes on average 20%-52.5%, not 52.5%. Again, another misleading ploy.

Take a close look at your health benefits, you pay for them. They give your a small portion. You don't realize it, cus they don't tell you how to read your advance report correctly.

Everything is done in their favor. Normal companies don't run like that. It's a shame, because a lot of good agents go through AIL, and people like David Zophin put such a bad taste in thier mouth that they will never sell insurance again.

I have more, but I'll wait.

Is it even worth rebutting this guy?

Moby, it seems you booked your appointments for the week since you have time to come and play with us.

Why don't you go back to your phone and try to hire more people? there are many people with vehicles out there

Go fetch boy!

Is it even worth rebutting this guy?

Moby, it seems you booked your appointments for the week since you have time to come and play with us.

Why don't you go back to your phone and try to hire more people? there are many people with vehicles out there

Go fetch boy!

Is it even worth rebutting this guy?

Moby, it seems you booked your appointments for the week since you have time to come and play with us.

Why don't you go back to your phone and try to hire more people? there are many people with vehicles out there

Go fetch boy!

Is it even worth rebutting this guy?

Moby, it seems you booked your appointments for the week since you have time to come and play with us.

Why don't you go back to your phone and try to hire more people? there are many people with vehicles out there

Go fetch boy!

Illiterate Frank, Psycho Been, Bitchin' Phil, and Coward Jay. Holy freakin' cow, I figured you Jacks would be over this already.

Anthony Robbins, David Lieberman, Zig Ziegler and the grand-daddy Napoleon Kaufman would categorize you all as "ascendancy challenged".

Fact: 82% of all people who attempt direct sales of any kind fail. So that means (and this is for you Frank) only 18% of ALL people actually have the ability, the talent, and the motivation to effectively communicate a positive message about a particular product to a fellow human being resulting in a purchase. That's a pretty low success rate.

It doesn't matter whether you work for Xerox, Hoover, Multi-pure, ADT, Terminix, Honda, Prudential, Met Life or American Income Life, most likely you're not gonna make it.

Let's discuss leads:
My agency provides new agents with a starter pack consisting of 150 Union, Association, and Globe leads. Yeah, a few are ABS; yeah, a few are unresolved; yeah a few have bad phone numbers, SO WHAT! let's say out of the 150, 50 are junk. That leaves a new agent with over 100 callable new leads. Now, let's say out of those 100 only half agreed to meet with you (stay with me Frank, I know this is difficult), you have now sat in front of 50 people.
Forgetting close ratios, out of those 50, even a half-witted, stuttering, bumbling moron would have the ability to extract at least 3 sponsors, catch-ups and contigents TOTAL per home. That means you now have 150 brand new, strong, callable, referred leads, and from those referrals...must I really go on, I think you get the picture.

Close ratios:
Company-wide, AIL closes 40% of hard card appointments and 75% of referral appts. Combine those numbers with the amount of leads generated, a talented salesperson can't lose. For those without sales ability, I don't care if the agency gives you 1 lead or 1,000 leads, you will fail, move on, 9 to 5 is calling.
I defy you to find me another company of ANY kind that can boast numbers like these. Don't even bother, you won't.

Now let's talk about the shady recruiting practices at AIL:
There is no particular proven demographic that one can say will be successful at direct sales. What that means Frank, is that absolutely no one can predict who will or will not have the ability to sell. Ethnicity, age, color, religion, IQ, health or any other category, quite simply cannot determine one's talent or ability. It astounds me how people of all backgrounds come to AIL and make it. College grads, diabetics, grandmothers, grandfathers, thin people, fat people, whites, blacks, hispanics, attractive, ugly, Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Chinese, Russian, smart, dumb. I have personally seen people from all walks of life create a successful career for themselves at AIL. Bottom-line, hire everybody and see who can sell.

Imagine the company hired new agents like a traditional corporate structure would.
First, personnel would read through hundreds of resumes once every couple of months.
Second, they would choose ten people who they deem viable candidates based on the information provided on the resume.

Third, they would invite those ten people to undergo the grueling interview process. Out of those ten, two are hired, licensed, trained and sent out into the field to sell this product. Understanding the low success rate of direct home salespeople, also understanding that there is no science to determining exactly WHO will succeed, percentages indicate both of your new hires will crap out.

The agency has now wasted time, resources and money on these two people. The company itself did not grow or increase revenues, and now the board of directors has to explain to the shareholders why their investment is not earning dividends, and the value of their stock is stagnant. This is pretty simple stuff.

AIL is not the McDonald's of the horizontally challenged, AIL is not responsible for your personal failures, AIL did not suck you into a false opportunity designed to fail.
AIL put you behind the wheel of a 600 BHP shiny yellow Lambourghini Countash and you chose to drive it off a cliff instead of flooring it on the straightaway at 300 MPH.

Nuff' said.

Barb(ie) ,you are in your glory when the office is talking about you. It's amazing to me that the office pays any attention to this blog especially my threads. I'm sure management cannot be happy as so much is negative (but true). I can hear it now:

(loud hissing flames!!!) "PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!" "THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ HAS SPOKEN!"

Now click your heels together while reciting "I do believe in the Freedom of Choice - I do believe in the Freedom of Choice"

Someday you will awake from your dream and realize that the Wizard Oz was a snake oil peddler all along.

Ta Ta my pretty! I'm melting!!!!!!

I have never "worked" at AIL, though they have called me numerous times. Phil--LOVE your posts! The wit and satire are sharp, and from what I've read in other posts, dead on. I hope that other posters place comments like yours, and leave the personal and inside comments to themselves..

Please Been. Who is on who's a**? I haven't been on here for months and was told you were at it again so I decided to check it. I don't fiend for the attention though I do find it quite humorous! Maybe you should try those websites you mentioned.

You might have worked at AIL if...after hearing about the thousands letters and leads ZOPHIN supposedly sends out, you became concerned when you realized he didn't have a bulk mail account? And why were his agents labeling, stamping, and lickin' envelopes? Maybe he doesn't send that many out after all. Maybe that why he keeps getting me dup-s every week. Maybe that's why every week turned into every other week. Then, once a month. Then none at all. But he said it was "my fault that I wasn't doing well because I didn't have enough child safe boxes out." But I had 5. Then I needed 15. Now he says that 25 should do it. Maybe a new SGA would do it? What do you think ROGER? Can we get a petition going? I think I'll start one. Who's with me???

A stalker with a rifle - you better hope not Garrett. If you are to dense to catch on to the satire here then maybe you should be visiting other rooms.

Here are some suggestions -

Crocheting chat

Friends of Curling - a Canadian specialty - Frank can direct you

Bi/Gay/Transgender Chat - maybe your cup of tea?

Don LaPre easy money tips - at least you can work from home or from under the bridge that you currently occupy.

Beliefs in Islam - hey we may be getting warm

Pagan Tea Room - warmer yet

In other words you can stay off my a*s and keep yourself busy somewhere else.

Can't you feel the love Barb(ie) has for me? I understand she did just get married and her comments fending off my comments is all to freudian. She obviously loves the attention she gets from me and others in here as she keeps checking this blog. Gotta love her!

These blogs are great humor and a form of therapy. It sounds as if YOU can use some. Oh yeah - there are rooms that will give advice for nothing, just ask away.

Yes frank I'm still around but have been too busy to look at the site. I was out with some friends from the office last night and heard good ol'Been was talking about me again! I think I have a stalker folks!

I just don't care enough about this site anymore to check it. It's the same thing over and over and I'm sick of sounding like a broken record.
Poor Been. I'm married now and he'll never have me! LOL! He's the only one that STILL brings up name. Too funny! He should post a picture on here and get some dates so he isn't soooooo lonely. Get over me Been. I'm spoken for dear.
Of course I haven't clue who he is so maybe that isn't such a good idea!

Hi Been:

As you pointed out, I believe reading this website can be very interesting.

I also want to say that Been's comments are very smart (unlike Garret's), that fit in perfectly with the sweet and sour flavour of our little forum.

Barb are you still around?

Not too long now before we see "Been" perched in the window of the book depository building or firing into a crowd of unarmed innocent people from the roof of univerity.
Dude, it is time to cool down and move on with your life, you're beginning to sound like a sociopath. NO MORE COMPUTER FOR YOU!

You nailed several things on the head - but for protection I will state now that I am not mentioning any companies name for fear of retribution. I may have knowledge of the mentioned company - may have worked for them or I may currently still be doing so. Only a fool would say - Here goes:

You get 1099 tax forms that don't even match up to what real green you saw in your hand.

You continue to get calls from long gone agents that worked in your agency wondering the same thing - and they're not happy. Gee - go figure

You get solicited to contribute to the Democratic party even though you would rather flush your money down the crapper than do so. Probably have the same effect.

You take pleasure when when your OPEIU magazine comes and you toss it in the trash. Only after reading more Bush bashing articles.

In the past election you were instructed to stump for Kerry. Is that legal?

You know that stumping for Billary is right around the corner - heaven help us!

As a manager you are instructed to contribute to your State Agents war chest for state wide and local crap through deductions and made to feel guilty if you don't. Is that legal? Especially since your state agent could buy and sell you 10 times over. Is that legal?

You know in your heart and you know that your managers know - that unions are a thing of the past and a blight on our economy. But it's a great way to get in front of people. One Union helping another - yeah right.

You keep coming back to Rip Off Reports in the hope that you will see an entry from Frank or Barb(ie). We miss her brainwashed dribble. Come back to the table Barb(ie).We love all the brainwashed blogs that happen in here - it is great entertainment.

You keep coming back to read the blogs of pain,empathizing and sympathizing. Punching the air with glee when someone escapes and relays their close call with, for most but not all, financial disaster.

I see some wimpy MGA's from somewhere in the Carolina's has not bothered to respond to me in past threads. They have no comeback since they know I speak truth and the truth hurts. Every morning must be painful for you as you look in the mirror - Good luck

you were handed a piece of excrement sales script which is longer than War and Peace.

you could actually pretend you really cared when you presented the poor union guy your family info guide or whatever they call that p.o.s.

you really believe driving your car into the ground is ok because its a "tax writeoff"

- dumpy coworkers start looking HOT to you after being cooped up with them for 15 hours a day.
- you've actually slept with some of them.
- your friends dont remember who you are.
- you have been blinded by the glare off of Zophins bleached white teeth.
- you find any of this amusing, and cant seem to let go of the hatred you feel for this boner

Wow, you know I am feeling a little stupid right now. I signed on with the company a week ago and was just about to spend more money (after the $400 so far) to take the test. I have been sceptical all along, but they are such freakin charmers. I should have gone with my gut feeling from the get go, not quite sure what to do. Just glad I can keep my current job (even though i gave them my 2 weeks like AIL told me to) I feel so taken advantage of.

HOW CAN THESE PEOPLE GET AWAY WITH THIS! I never thought by using a resource like monster jobs or careerbuilder, that I would have been contacted by a scam company like this. I am just feeling so stupid right now.

The problem with my experience is the fact I have been flat out lied to, I have asked the right questions and have been lied to, they are much more subtle at the office I was "recruited" through (Reno, NV), I was wondering why a position offering $60k to start and my "boss" was driving a 10 year old beater car.

I asked about stability of a paycheck and was gauranteed that it was not solely comission based. Well I can go on ranting and raving on here but the simple fact is I was screwed and just realized that today, I am glad I found out before it was way too late though. Like next week after I finished my last day at my current STABLE GOOD PAYING job.

you have these jokers pegged perfectly. keep it up, i need the laughs...

You come to work at 730, hit the phones hard, book 8 poor saps to come in for an interview, sit through complete nonsense manager's meetings about how bad everyone is, you then review your scripts, listen to other people's scripts, watch other people listen to other people's scripts, do your paperwork, fix your paper work, sit down for an hour agency meeting of complete BS, finish your paperwork, get yelled at by ZOPHIN because you are "not doing what it takes, and that nobody is on presentation" then you talk about Zophin, then you say "maybe he's right," then you wife calls but you don't pick up cus you're to busy, then you get 3 mods - 1 cancelation - and 1 person called you cus they thought the policy was fake, then you answer your wife's phone call and she yells at you cus you been there for 7 hours already and haven't made a dime because it's the only "commission only" job in the world where you are told where to be every miniute of your life, now it's 3 o'clock and you realize you didn't eat lunch yet - so you decide to sneak out the back door - but your manager catches you and says "david said we can't go to lunch today." "You can order in, but only managers can eat." ***It's only 3 o'clock, I could go on until 9:30 but I'm tired just thinking about it.

I was interviewed by these jokers and your Posts really hit home. laugh out loud funny! keepem coming...

- you just watched David Zophin for 55 minutes tell you that you could make a quarter of a million dollars a year from just doing your job...and then he says "have a great week," and drives off in a stripped down $17,000 honda accord. Hmmmmm?