Nicole
Sitka,#2Consumer Comment
Thu, September 21, 2006
Wait for it...They will come. All the shills will be here in no time belittling you. Saying you "don't have what it takes" ect ect. Saying that you "didn't stick it out" long enough. Blah blah blah. We all know it is just corporate brainwashing. *oh and little known fact: DS MAX (the head guys) PAY people to come to this board and rebut. I have proof* So...my story. I was 17 and just out of highschool. I wanted something new and exciting for the summer before college. A way to earn good money and get great exeperience. I saw an ad for a "marketing assistant" and I applied (I was going to major in marketing). I went in and filled out an app and interviewed the same day. On my app I stated my age (17) and stated I did not have a drivers license. During my interview the "manager" told me how my experience was just what they need (waitress) and how I would be great for this company. He told me how I would be "guaranteed" $600 a week. He told me it was INSIDE sales. He told me it was paid training. He told me I would be called back in a week for a second interview. I was called back 3 hours later. I "aced" my second interview and went on a Day of O(bservation). I was promised pay for this, and was NEVER told it would take me 150 miles from home to a strange place (can we say transporting a minor over state LINES!?!?) I went and watched these people sell dolls and board games and basic crap door to door to businesses and people on the streets. I watched them go into bars and grocery stores and Post offices, wherever they could. At the end of the day, my "leader" had made $130. She paid me $15 (even though I made half her sales). (lets break that down...$15 divided by 12 hours work equals $1.25 an hour...hardly minimum wage!) We went back to the office and I took a "test" and was hired. The next day I started work. I was forced to drive (without a license) even after I told them again I did not have one...they said if I got pulled over they would take care of it. So, being young and naive, I did. No problems there I never got pulled over, thankfully. Again, we had to go the next state over and sell this junk. My commission for that day was supposed to be over $200. I got paid $20 *leader took the rest for himself.* This went on and on for a week and a half. The meetings were horrible. The videos the worst. I remember the first time I saw that "training" video and all the people in the room staring blindly at it...scary. Repeating the same words over and over "loyalty" "teamwork"....creepy. I was told the leaders on up made at least $60,000 a year. Then I was told they all lived in the Merch(andise) house together. If you are making $60,000 a year, can't you afford your own place? Instead of putting 20 some people in a 4 bedroom house? Somthing was fishy. I decided that I was sick of not getting paid (over two weeks weilded me a measly $200...fyi it was over 170 hours). I went to the manager. I was accused of not being loyal and being "negative." I informed him I was 17 (as stated on my app) and that under Washington law he was required to pay me at least minimum wage, OT for anything over 40 hours a week, provide me with 30min lunch break every five hours, AND he was required to give me a 15 minute PAID break every 2 hours. He told me I was not an "employee" due to that contract I signed. I informed him that contract was null and void since a MINOR signed it without parental consent. I also informed him I was filing a complaint with the attorney general, with the department of wages, with my lawyer, and with the department of labor. I filed complaints with all these companies and ended up getting compensated over $2200 (this included some personal expenses that were not legal). I also filed a complaint with the police for their "kidnapping" me on my Day of O (taking me over state lines against my will and without my families permission). Here is what I learned, for everyone considering it: If you are preparing for your day of observation, pay attention. When I was working there I learned a lot from my leader and read the leader's handbook. It talks about using sales techniques on the new recruits. Like telling them they would be great for the job, but if they don't want it 20 other people do. Telling them all the perks and none of the downsides. Lying to them. Telling them that it was "the best thing they can do for their family" This list goes on. Don't buy into it. If you are actually working there, be prepared. I know a guy who used to work at the same office as me. I found out, after we both left, (he got a job offer that paid WAY better and WAY less hours) that he was hired, not to actually sell but to flirt with the girls. His actual job was to be flirty with new girls to try to get them to stick around. They hire girls to do the same thing. At least my office did. This should be shut down, but they are not illegal, just unethical. For all those wondering what happened to me? I am a college student, about to graduate. I will, starting off, be making more than my "manager" as this company made. And that is with only a four year degree. I am not involved in Marketing anymore, I moved to finance. I could not be happier about leaving that place. I will tell everyone I can the truth about that retched company. If they would just be honest, I would not care. Good luck, and A. do not let the shills get you down. They will resort to anything to try to make you look bad. Don't let them get you!
A
Jacksonville,#3Author of original report
Thu, September 21, 2006
Yes it is. Cydcor just mothers these companies and lets the companies use their own name. (also, be aware that these companies change names a lot) That way if the company goes under, or breaks a lot of rules. Cydcor doesn't get hurt. Same with the people working for the sister companies. If we rip people off (like they tell us too) then they can fire us at the drop of a hat without suffering the consequences of the actions we do. I went on all the webpage's that this one has posted their ad's on and picked the ad apart and showed the Dot Coms that they are hosting ads for fraudulent companies. If you read Fortune 5 Marketing's ad's they have some of them in there under "sports" and they say on all their ad's Base pay PLUS commission. Witch is a total lie. They also have an ad in there for every education level as well. So now they are trying to sucker people who have went to school to get a REAL job, wasting these poor people's times and running their financials in the ground. They also say that they are an independent company who caters to a variety of Fortune 500 companies. ( no Cydcor will give them the promotions for ONE company.) Also they state that when you go to work for them it's to consult and there will be no door to door sales or cold calling and that the customers come to us. WRONG! We stand in the Cingular store accosting customers that are there to get their phones fixed and try to sell them on Bellsouth phone lines and products. We have to face these customers cold. We become nothing but Glorified Solicitors. I hope you do the same for that company and I hope anyone else who got ripped off from these people do the same as well. Its time we took a stand
Russ
Brandon,#4Consumer Suggestion
Wed, September 20, 2006
Promoting BellSouth products at Cingular stores sounds like the same nonsense Encore Marketing did (does) here in MS. I wonder if Encore is somehow related to Cydcor. Anyone have any idea?
A
jacksonville,#5Author of original report
Wed, September 20, 2006
For some reason I managed to put in that the office was in Alabama. This office is located in Jacksonville, Florida. On another note, I just saw one of the girls that was working for this company at my new job. She had left for the same reasons as I. her exact words were " I was tired of being lied to"