Complaint Review: G & S Wireless/ US Cellulat/ Joel Pagan/ John Raeder/ Michael Colasessano - Fairmont West Virginia

WRONGFUL TERMINATION AND UNFAIR DISCRIMINATORY ACTIONS G & S Wireless/ US Cellular/ Joel Pagan/ John Raeder/ Michael Colasessano

2-3 days into working at the Fairmont location I was given a 75 question test by Michael the assistant manager out of the blue on random things, most of which I was never trained on. I miss 20 out of 75 and told that that is not good. I take the test home and ask to take it again the next day and get all 75 fill in the blank questions right in less than 5 minutes, but yet no recognition on getting them right from Michael after he checked them. Before taking it he said that he didnt think I would get all 75 right and I said give me the test now so it was kind of a challenge.

I started to learn how to sell phones and was getting quite comfortable with the sales process. There was a lot to learn and sometimes I would miss redundant things and could sense aggravation in my Managers/Trainers. I did make one vital mistake by selling a phone to customer without informing her completely about the 20 dollar internet package. However she did initial by it and was told about it by Michael upon signing her contract. And honest easy to make mistake that was a lesson learned.

After that Michael and John never treat me the same and start not including me on the food runs (asking if I wanted anything when they are ordering right in front of me). They would basically ignore me making it hard to ask for help when I needed it. If I did ask anything it was one word responses and I could tell they no longer liked me anymore and I was treated like the outcast yet I could not figure out why.

When I did ask for help it turned into a big deal because they had to stop watching their movie or looking up car parts to come help me. Keep in mind this is 5-7 days in to my employment there. And I dont care if you are a genius, questions needed to be asked because I would have to handle every customer that walked in according to my managers. They knew they needed me to train but also reaped the benefit of gaining commission off my talking/handling the sale to the customer a little too much.

Michael would also assign me to customers he didnt want to deal with before they walk in. Mainly older people but any young good looking girls would all be handled by him. I started a battery swap while he was helping another customer and he took over pausing his customers current transaction just cause the girl was good looking making him handle two customers at once and not letting me train. It made no sense at all.

On Friday the 10th which I believe was my 9th day of training in the store I was surprised to hear that I am on the verge of being let go basically. The managers took me outside to say that the district manager is coming in to quiz me on stuff and I need to know everything before he comes in. In other words one of the managers or both did not approve of my early performance so far and talked to Joel the District Manager. Michael Lied to Joel Pagan and continues to by saying he made no reference of me being let go. His words were we would have to go down the other route if you dont do good with Joel today. Which you would have to be pretty dumb to realize that my job was in jeopardy and I may want to start exploring other options. He basically said in a subtle way that we would have to let you go.

 Joel the district manager comes in later and asks me a few things. I did alright but he was asking specific phone questions and how am I supposed to know everything about every plan and phone by head on my 9th day of training. He leaves without anything being said about my job except how I will be at the Morgantown store soon and making commission.

So I made a few call backs to other employers who had called back during my job search and before being hired with US Cellular and had a couple interviews set up for Monday with other jobs just in case that they did end up firing me because I moved back to Morgantown to take this job basically and have bills to pay. I called off work on Monday the 13th and was going to make it up on my day off so I could attend a job fair at holiday inn at 6 for a better job as well as attend another interview at 4:00. Because I felt like my job was in jeopardy and wanted to explore options.

I had no full intentions of quitting my job with US Cellular. I could have just been looking for a second job. I told Michael because John called off that day as well that the call off was for personal reasons / have a job interview. Meanwhile our main store manager John has gone to multiple interviews and taken the day off and we all knew not to say anything. I call Michael back again and said I am not attending any interviews and that if anyone asks to say I took a personal day off. Which we are allowed to call off 2 hours before shift if we make it up. He says ok thats fine. But I didnt realize his problem with me was so huge that he would eat the cheese and be a rat and tell everyone Im looking for another job. I realize it was too early to take a day off but he was just telling me on my last shift that my job was not looking good.

I go to work the 14th and hear no word about the call off or anything like that. Jill (the GM) came in a half hour before my shift ended and was talking to the store manager John. On my way to my car they are outside and Jill asks how everything is going and if I like the Company etc, I assured her I did and told her I am excited to work at the Morgantown mall (my permanent location and start making commission). The conversation in my eyes went well and all we did was talk about me going to Morgantown to work soon. My store manager John did say out of nowhere that he had an interview with Sprint to Jill which I found odd but now I understand why. But thats not the only interview he has gone to. So Jill when you read this you will know that he lied directly to your face that night and fired me the next day for the same thing.

I go to work the next day the 15th and there is a letter of termination agreement for me to sign because I took off Monday to seek employment elsewhere and my lack of performance. Which I was told I can call off 2 hours before my shift If I need to for any reason as long as I make up the hours. I tell them about how its unfair and John does the same thing (looking for another job) and we are not supposed to say anything and then John starts saying how I cant do the job and he doesnt want to send me to the Morgantown store cause its going to make him look bad. Basically putting me down morally and raising his voice.

I kept my cool and agreed to sign it and clocked out because there was no use fighting back and forth. They already had the agreement typed up with Johns, Joels (district manager), and Michael who is the assistant manager. On the 14th I just sold a phone with a charger and a Bluetooth headset all by myself. When John was entering it into his commission spreadsheet he made the comment that I made him some money. Yet he terminates me the next day.

I have been told I am doing fine and its a lot to learn but I just started feeling comfortable with everything and now this. Was starting to handle most transactions by myself and I had just about everything under control except a few minor things where I would have to ask a simple question leading them to aggravation. I dont know what to think, this is all pointing towards them just not liking me or just giving up on me.

 I did nothing to be terminated like this and dont know what to make of it. I only work 6 hour shifts and there is a lot of downtime when I am not learning anything but watching movies with the managers (I would watch in background mainly because I didnt feel welcomed with them at their desk). So these two weeks which technically isnt 2 weeks has not been training those whole 6 hours.

I'm sure they will rebuttal saying Im not smart enough and they can fire anyone during probation period for anything or something but stay away from this company or at least John and Michael. They are too cocky for their own selves and not good trainers. They expect you to know everything in days and are not nice about it if you dont. I told the absolute truth here and the only thing I can say now is that I am pursuing further actions and any rebuttals will only add fuel to the fire. After all its just business right?