They place ads in the newspaper and online saying that they are hiring for Customer Service Representatives. I call and they answer the phone Olympic Peninsula.
The man tells me that they are a home improvement company, so I go in for an interview the very next day. He tells me that they work with many companies including Geico Insurance, Home Depot, Gillete Razors, and many many more.
He tells me it's a customer service position and that we would answer phones and talk directly to customers about different products. He said that all we do is set up and talk about the products to the customers. I walk out of the interview thinking it's a good job.
Also, I did inform him during the interview that I just moved to Washington state last week. Keep that in mind as you read.
He calls me the same day and tells me that I am excepted for the position and training starts two days from then, unpaid. I go to training and there are eight of us. Me, being 21 am the oldest, and find that odd, but still have an open mind.
I begin talking with the other new hires and in amazment we discover that 5 of us have just moved here from california. Odd, right?
I hear the receptionist lady answer the phone 3 different times saying a different name every time. My gut had a bad feeling from the beginning.
The first day he tells us that we just talk to customers about Kirby vacuums and set up and display the unit.
He tells us that we get paid 1750 a month and pay days are on fridays. He said all that's required is that we go to 50 appts at customers' houses and we recieve 1750, BUT, if we do not make 50 appts, we get NOTHING.
We ask a lot of questions, such as, how are the appts made, we dont personally knock door to door, right? And he insures us that that is NOT what we do.
We go through 3 days of training. By the 4th day, 3 people have already dropped out, which I find very weird considering that the pay is suppose to be so great.
On our final day of training he has us sign a contract saying that we our independent dealers and that we need to obtain a business license. He tells us that we make our own schedule and the days start out at 10 am. We ask what time we will be finishing and he says, "I'll answer all questions later"
We come back on Monday for our first day out on the job. He tells us that we will be going to people's houses and showing the kirby vacuum and we have a packet of what information we need to give to the customer.
He assures us that we do not sale the vacuum to them. He says that is the managers job.
He says that we will get to watch other people do their demo so we will know what to do. I arrived at the first house and was thrown in by myself to do the demo, not at all what he promised.
The next day, we are given a packet on door to door canvasing and I am instructed on what to tell the customers when we knock on a door. Remember tho, he said that wasn't part of our job. Well, guess what, IT IS.
There is literally a list of 6 things that a person will say no to at the door when you knock and there are 6 things that I must say so that they can not say no to letting me in there house. First off, I should mention that I tell us that we do not need to say we are from Kirby, just say that we want to shampoo one carpet in their house. I watched my manager push people and luckily for them, most of them said no and he ended up walking away.
Funny how a free carpet shampoo turns into a 2000 purchase.
I ADVISE ANYONE WHO WANTS TO WORK OR IS APPROACHED BY THESE PEOPLE TO WALK AWAY, SAY NO.
Yes, I do believe that the Kirby is a good machine, but it is a rip off on money. I profited 300 dollars when I sold one. I quit the job after the 2nd day on the field and never recieved the money, which I didn't want any way because I felt guilty about how I got it.
Oh, I did forget to mention that the days start at 10 am and run until 9 pm. So I calculated the pay out and I pretty much got paid 7 dollars an hour. Way below minimum wage. I spent a week working for the company and got nothing but a new prospective on salesman.
PLEASE BEWARE OF KIRBY.
Tabitha
gig harbor, Washington
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