Complaint Review: Kirby Vaccum - Appleton Wisconsin

This is a company that I do not reccommend anyone to work for.  It only took me 1 week to realize what was going on but it was an entire week that I lost and truly needed to look for a real job.  Right now we are in tough times.  I do have a sales background and when I sent in my resume I really didn't know what it was that I would be selling but the add seemed to be professional.  It even mentioned that there was management opportunity available which was perfect for me based on my experience. 

I was immediately contacted for an interview and hired on the spot.  Litterally I went from the interview straight into orientation.  That was a red flag but I had been unemployed for over a month and was very eager to work.  I was told in the orientation process that the training period would be 2 weeks and would be paid $400.00/week.  After that it was $2000.00/month or more depending on if your sales commission exceeded the base pay.  If it exceeded you then would be paid any addditonal over and above your base.  The weird thing was, we did not go through any paperwork but I could see that this office needed help.  It appeared to be very disorganized and busy.  A husband and wife own this company and the training was being done by the wife.  Throughout the week she kept apologizing for not having the time to go over the paperwork but that we would get to it.  I wasn't too concerned because as I said they were busy.  I was not only in classroom training but also involved in demos.  After a few days I started to feel a little uncomfortable.  A couple of red flags that I found out in a short time were...By my third day there they had gone through 2 receptionists and they had no sales people left. 

By now I already had time invested so I just decided to not worry about that and keep moving forward.  In conversation with the owner I wanted to confirm that I would be getting my first paycheck on the following Monday because in orientation she said we are paid once a week.  Well "No she said.  Actually orientation checks are paid after 2 weeks.  A total of $800.00.  Thats just through orientation and after that its every week."  OK no big deal.  By that Friday I was getting nervous because I kept hearing about this paperwork that we were supposed to go through yet I hadn't seen it so I asked about it when I walked in that morning.  The excuse was that they were just too busy but she promised we would get to it.  Saturday morning I get a call that basically says I don't need to come in that day.  Both her and her husband started to get down on me about how I wasn't showing any effort, I wasn't working 24/7 and blah blah blah. 

Bottom line was at the end of the conversation it came out that there is no paid training and there is no $2000.00 base pay.  These figures only hold true if you sell and then your pay is based on how many you sell and how much you can get out of these buyers!!!  They totally manipulated me and knew that I was on to them therefore were trying to put the blame back on me by making me feel like I was not cutting the mustard.  OK now I'm feeling like crap thinking that I was no good because I couldn't even sell a vacuum cleaner!  The really funny part is they wanted me to stick it out because they could see the potential in me I just needed to work around the clock over the next week to prove to them I would be a good sales person for them.  You know at they are soooo good at manipulating that I almost fell for it.  A good sales person plays on your emotions. 

I then started thinking about the entire week.  Really looking at everything and I realized I was being manipulated but so were the buyers.  The tactics that are used and what they charge for these vacuums is scary.  I then looked them up on the BBB and was not surprised at what I found. 

Then I found this website and read everything written on Kirby.  Once again, I was not surprised.  There was not one story that I couldn't relate to.  These people need to be shut down!!  Seriously, I don't know how they sleep at night!  I will tell anyone and everyone about my experience. 

I hope this helps someone out there before it's too late!