Complaint Review: Grindstone Inc. - Ellicott City Maryland

I moved on. I made a complaint about an unprofessionall manager named Shira Callaway. Do you see the few people that made complaints about your managemt at your company at Grindstone on glassdoor and on Rip Off Report, apparently i am NOT the only one. Shira made slanderous statements about me and its not about the best agents its about favoritism... its about an agent telling me that Shira trashed my name, and this is an agent that said she has nothing to gain or lose by telling me she will make a complaint if she has too as well and I even suggested to her that it's not the best idea but I can't control what other people do. You have not shown me any emails stating that you no longer need my services and that I was a bad agent i would like to see thies emails that were sent to me? Yeah I didn't think so, I have messages from Shira stating that I am a good agent but then Shira turns on me and talks a bunch of immature nonsense to other people. Let this go I did, I am pursuing a much better pay job and the line of work that I am interested in. So instead of focusing on me and making me look like the "bad guy" which is laughable, focus on other people that made complaints about managment on glassdoor and rip off report about Grindstone. My advice to you is if you want to look as professional and a fair person that you CLAIM to be, choose management that are yes PROFESSIONAL with Integrity and honesty, not flunkies that make an agent sit there and twiddle my thumbs wondering when I will get work. Not only is that unprofessional but it's mentally abusive. Now please STOP the rubuttals. It gets no one nowhere

This person clearly needs to move one. We let her go because there rew other better agents that perform for our clients. She is very disgrunteld because we chose not to keep her on our clients programs. We only keep the BEST agents for our clients campaings in order to make them happy. She failed and is upset because we did not keep her working. Now she is grasping and doing whatever she can to make noise that she was let go. As ALL business owners know, you are only as good as your best people. If she was performing and getting our clients a return then she would still be working here. We have an air tight policy! Perform for our clients or move on! Simple as that. Grindstone is a leader in our industry and we do this by managing out the underperformers and propel the producers for our clients. Its that simple. 

When YOU trash talk me and an agent comes back to me telling me the slander that was said about me you call that WHAT?? Professionalism? A dog in heat is more professional than you are. So that all these agents can tesitfy to crap that they don't want to be involved in this circumstance and will keep peace to keep their job, one agent is at least kind enough and honest enough to let me know what's going on, she felt that I deserve what is being said about me because as she stated she wouldn't want anyone to do that to her or anyone else its not only wrong but yes UN keyword UN-PROFESSIONAL!!! Your people never told me that my contract was over NO because your people told me that I was to wait on a program that matches my skill set as if I am someone in special ED class or something?!! You and Shannon LIED to me saying other agents were out of work too then the one agent that is telling me about your slander you stated about me said to me call in on Monday morning and I should see for myself how other agents are currently working. This has nothing to do with 1099's this has something to do with stuff that was lacking like honesty, integrity, professionalism, not to mention SLANDER against ME!! I am sick of the excuses, if the owner wants to have flunkies for managers thats on him that's not my problem it is not my company, its his decision. You have the nerve to rebuttal me when you are indirectly causing me financial problems? No just go away I am going to be working outside my home for a reputable company that I got training in tech school for. One more word of slander and I will pursue this matter to my lawyer, now go away

This is in to response to the 1099 agent and her post in her work in regards to Grindstone. As Shannon Ashworth stated we at Grindstone conduct ourselves professionaly. Agents are placed on programs based on a client(s) needs. ALL agents are subject to going on hold. She was treated in a manor in which ALL agents are treated. We have agents that have worked at Grindstone for 10 plus years, and some that have been here for 2 years. They can testify to the fair treatment of calling agents. I wish Brenda the best of luck in her future endeavors. 

Integrity? REALLY? So when you hire a manager that sits there and slanders another employee at your company and tells other agents things that are untrue and an agent brings it to my attention thats a manager with what again? Integrity? ARE YOU KIDDING? If you feel the need to defend someone that destroyed my livelyhood because of a vendetta she has then that doesn't make you look good, not me and not that I am not making you look good point the finger at Shira she is making you not look good. Ok I am over it now shira did enough damage to my livelyhood and as I said for someone who wasn't a good agent I have Shira in writing well typing on Skype telling me what a good agent I was there. Also, I was NEVER told that the company is done with me I was told by Shannon and Shira that they are waiting for a program for me but I been waiting for a month while other agents are happily getting all fhe work they can get. Another thing, why are you making me an enemy I don't want to be your enemy. I addressed a situation to you about Shira yesterday hoping you will resolve it, is this resolving it? It doesn't seem it! You emailed me saying you're a fair person, defending UNPROFFESIONAL flunkies like Shira as manager that goes around slandering people and ruins their livelyhood doesn't seem fair to me! And after I emailed you yesterday you emailed me back and said everybodys accountable so I was under the impression that you were going to deal with the situation with the managers Shannon and Shira... I moved on, I want my last paycheck that I deserve especially for the mental anguish that I experienced through the manager. I am not making your company look bad SHIRA is ok... thank you... let this go already, enough now with the games we are not in jr. high school

At Grindstone we expect our agents and management staff to exhibit a high level of proffesionlism and integrity.  We match agents to programs based on performance, seniority and skill-set.  With that being said, there are times when agents will be placed on the sidelines until a need arises for his/her skill-set.  We have an exceptional reputation within our industry and have current and former clients that can testify to such.  

Brian as you defend your managers, remember that I still have your email that you sent back to me after I told you what Shira was doing to me, you stated in your email to me last night that "everybody's accountable" for this. So you gave me the impression that you will look into this stuff that Shira was pulling with me. Now you are defending her and her side kick Shannon, that right there makes me question you

Brian, I know that you are upset because I made a complaint about one of your managers which I have every right too. I agree that your company at Grindstone is a very good company BUT the flunkies that you hire are to be questioned. I never in my life had a manager who would talk to other coworkers and slander other workers but your employee Shira made a false statement about me to another agent that agent felt it was a cruel and undeserving statement to make about somebody. Also, for someone that was so bad in being an agent at your company, I have it in message in writing on Skype how Shira would tell me that I am a very good agent, yet she trashes my name to another agent. I am sorry you felt the need to side with someone like that. As for me being told that my work performance isn't working out well I was NEVER told that, show me an email that was sent to me from a manager that stated that to me. What I was told by Shannon and Shira is that they are looking for a program for me to match my LOL skill set. Another words I was left hanging in limbo thinking well I hope they find a program soon. Read other reports on glassdoor and other sites that are NOT from me but the complaints about managers... there is only one nice program manager out of those 3 and its not shannon and shira. Anyway, good luck with who you choose to hire as managers and agents. I will move on to a reputable company that works for and around professionalism.

Take Care

This is NOT a client, This is simply a person who was let go because she was not performing to our comnpany standards and what our clients expect when they invest in our services. Our Managers have a hard job and sometimes need to make hard choices in who stays and who goes. Brenda Holt is an agent we have tracked for some time and very detailed performance records. She did not live up to what we expected from her and as a result we had to let her know she was removed from our top client accounts. She is upset as anyone would be in the situation and venting. She felt the need to lash out via this website.

The good news is that she will NO longer be representing our clients and their campaigns. We take great measures to make sure we have the very best people representing our clients. We felt it was neccessary to remove this person and it was apparently a wise decision.

Please feel free to contact our managers or owner anytime if you would like to further discuss. 

Grindstone is a TOP notch firm in the industry and we will NOT tolerate negativity and drama that effects our client campaigns.

If you are considering hiring a marketing agent, you should make sure you do NOT hire people like this. 

Feel free to contact me Brian Parnell CEO and Founder anytime.