I would like to take this opportunity to clear up any confusion about Blackstone Consulting and what being a part of the staff entails. In most cases I would not dignify innuendo with a response, however I have been receiving concerned calls about these postings so felt it necessary to clarify what is fact and what is not. This is to address anything on this website about Blackstone, as they do not fact check any postings created. I will not address any personal attacks as people are entitled to their opinions. Although I could make my own speculations on what type of person anonymously gripes and disparages other people and companies they know little about on the internet. Not revealing their name is a way to protect themselves from getting sued for defamation, so I understand anonymity being preferred. However, there are several conflicting complaints so I will do my best to be as informative as possible to clarify the truth.
History and Locations: The first and most basic issue to clear up is our company history. Blackstone Consulting has never done business under another name at any point of its existence, nor has it been owned by any other person. I personally worked with the company mentioned (Cumberland) but quickly discovered it was not a company I wanted to pursue a long term career with so started my own company with the same client: Qwest. The results I provided for them as an employee (as well as my experience of running a development and real estate company prior) gave them confidence in my abilities to begin a new endeavor for them. A few of the staff that I trusted and knew to be people of integrity came with me and we open Blackstone's doors in February of 2010. I also opened Blackstone with the mindset that we would be taking on other clients as well pending the right circumstances and timing. As we performed above expectations for Qwest they asked us to expand both within our Minnetonka office and in other states they would like representation in. Since then we have gone from a staff of less than 10 to over 50 and have opened a new location in Denver. These are undisputable facts. There were questions about whether or not we’d be opening new locations, if we were relevant to our clients, and if it was really possible to advance in our company. It is a fact that the person running the new Denver office started off as an account manager and progressed through the training program and is now managing the new location. This should sufficiently answer those questions.
Once the advancement opportunities were proven true there was another posting concerned with the speed of the process and history of the current assistant manager. Apparently the fact that he came from a construction background and has only been in the company for less than a year seemed strange. This is what is meant when the job postings and employee materials note: “no technical experience is necessary…there is no seniority…it is a performance and merit based position…the training program is expected to run between 10-18 months.” That complaint essentially solidifies that we do follow through with what we say we’re going to do. On top of that, (the only personal note I will mention) Kendall is a college graduate, extremely hard working, and is one of the most integrity driven people I’ve ever met. He earned every inch of his promotion. Also, promoting people from within is not that novel of a concept. To progress at Nordstrom a person must start as a floor sales person. To become a store manager at Subway a person begins as a sandwich artist on the line first for a short period of time before being able to move forward. If that type of upward mobility makes a company a scam or pyramid scheme then logic would follow that a very large percentage of Fortune 500 businesses in the U.S. are shams.
Compensation: In the last post from a “friend” that worked here he seems to have the most to say and incidentally has the most false slanderous comments to clarify. No one on the staff ever makes money off of other employees. No one has to pay for their “uniform,” as there is no uniform. No one calls Mexico from their cell phone to place orders. No one gets paid less than what they are supposed to on their sales. The HR person is not the secretary, we have an administrative assistant and an office manager; they are two completely different people. We did not cease to furnish paychecks in order to “put a down payment” on our new space. This website does not regulate anything posted because it is meant to be a forum for opinions, not a credible source for facts as there are too many false statements to count in these postings. If we actually did any one of those things I doubt we would be in business at all, let alone staff over 50 people and work with the largest telecommunications company in the Northwest.
All aspects of compensation are covered during the second round interview, again in the third, and are detailed in writing and discussed when someone fills out their paperwork to be an employee. This paperwork is signed by both myself and the new account manager and then copies are provided in their employee manual. It would be impossible for someone to go through the whole process without knowing what the compensation and position are until their first day as claimed, and even more unlikely for us to employ such a large staff if they were only incoming $500: half of what is expected. The average account manager earns in between $750 and $1500 weekly. There is a 10% cancellation rate for the reps in our office. If someone has a larger than average rejection percentage it typically indicates the rep may be conducting themselves unethically with customers. It is something we take seriously and do our best to limit. Every representative is paid every single week and is provided a sales report detailing each individual customer included with every check.
We did initially, for a short period of time, work with T-Mobile. It was a test pilot campaign and every person assigned to T-Mobile was fully aware that it was going to be a salaried position for a few months so we could figure it out and move to commission eventually. That was made clear from the start. The compensation package is set as performance based as a benefit for our clients. Most businesses see the value in only having to invest capital in results and not merely the prospect of them. The commissions are set up so an average person with average results is able to earn at minimum $750. Stronger representatives gross $2k a week, which is well above the national average income for an entry level position. It does not benefit anyone to have reps in my office making less than that. To address the suggestion that because it is commission based I have nothing to lose in hiring people: I have much to lose. It’s my name, my company, and my reputation. Besides the fact that there actually is monetary expense to hire someone (background checks, drug screens, training materials, training and administrative staff, etc) having someone in my office that does poorly is a great risk to the success of Blackstone. So in regards to the comments about people here not making money and me not caring either way: that just simply is not true.
The training pay was also detailed in writing and stated that $500 would be the amount given and if certain goals were hit it would be $750 for the week. So I apologize if that was confusing, but I would not risk my company’s reputation for $250. If the person that wrote that (or anyone at all) felt they weren’t paid properly I implore you to call the office so we can correct any errors made. As the goals from Qwest increased I decided to conclude the T-mobile test pilot campaign so we could focus on growing for our flagship client.
Day to Day: In order to be hired a candidate goes through three different interviews, must be able to pass a drug screen, have a cleared background check, and have great references. I am not certain why someone would claim that we have no screening process. I don’t know what kind of gauntlet they had to maneuver in the past to become employed, but our process has been sufficient enough to produce the results our clients expect and to have a positive environment with a staff that enjoys coming to work every day. Every individual working with Blackstone has the opportunity to advance, works in a learning environment, and has no income limit. So if it seems odd or “cultish” that people like coming to work here then I find it unfortunate that more people can’t experience careers like that. Plus I purposefully hire people with extraverted and positive dispositions. It is a sales and marketing firm so we employ people that are likely to succeed interacting with other people on a daily basis.
Qwest provides all the leads for our account managers based off their high priority customers. We track and record every representative’s territory so we know where they are every day. They make sure there are neither felons nor sex offenders on the lead sheets. We do not send people to dangerous areas. Account managers are also heavily encouraged to use their discretion and instincts if an account does seem unsafe. We have never once had any incident to indicate hazard.
Our website is designed for prospective clients, not solely for prospective employees. So if it seems too broad for one to understand what a position here would entail that is understandable. We have had several companies approach us through our website to discuss a potential partnership. However we are choosing for now to focus on meeting the needs of Qwest as they are a great partner to us and have the resources to support the financial goals and future growth.
It is my hope that I have clarified fact from fiction here, but if you do have any questions whatsoever please feel free to call my office and I will speak with you directly to answer any questions or concerns: 952-473-4000.
If you are in need of a reference the Regional Field Sales Manager of Qwest is willing to speak with anyone that needs further clarification. He is our direct controller from Qwest that handles the Minnesota division. His name is Jeff Johnson and his email address is jeffrey.johnson3@qwest.com.
Jeremy Reboulet
President of Blackstone Consulting
601 Carlson Parkway, suite 1525
Minnetonka, MN 55305
952-473-4000
