Field Service Group Randy Tustin, Long hours, scam, BEWARE cleveland, Ohio

I would like to take this opportunity to warn any prospective employee about Field Service Group in Cleveland, OH.  This company does door to door collections for Time Warner Cable.  When I first emailed about a job Randy callled me and told me I would make $800-$2000 per week.  He told me that his average tech made $1000 per week.  I couldnt wait to get to the interview.  Once I got there it was a dingy, run-down office with plastic folding tables used as office furniture.  I was skeptical, but I went ahead anyway.  After meeting with Randy and his brother (???) John, (both by the way stunk of cigarettes and were very unkept to be "regional managers") I was told that I needed to use my own vehicle, get workers comp liability, pay for my own gas, I would be a 1099 employee (independent contractor), and would have to work a minimum of 6 days.  They showed me a commission scale which seemed to make a little sense.  I asked a few questions regarding the hours, because as I was told by the State of Ohio Wage and Hour Board, if you are an Independent Contractor you do not have to work scheduled hours.  If you are required to work scheduled hours then you are considered an employee, not an Independent Contractor.  I was still mostly fine with the hours, the job market is pretty poor at this point.  I was offered the job and told that I would have to train with an existing tech for 3 days and then I would be out on my own.  I asked what territory that I would be in and they said that it would depend on what areas that were open, but they would try to keep me close to home.  (In reality, these areas range from far west (lorain county) all the way far east (Madison))  I was scheduled to start the very next morning at 8 am and needed to get my Workers Comp Cert. before I would be out on my own.

Day 1:  I show up to the office at 8:30am as scheduled, nobody is there.  John finally rolls up in his mini van at that point. ( On a side note, this guy is a pig!  If you interview take a look at the inside of that van, even the mice will run!!!!)  I fill out some paperwork and I am supposed to train with Jeremy.  2 hours go by and this big burly guy shows up.  During the previous 2 hours, there was a lot of mocking and agruments going on between Randy (once he finally got there 9:30) and different techs.  He was insulting them based on their prior days production.  I was thinking to myself Runnnnnnnnnnnnn, but again, I needed money.  The first part of my training was to unload cable boxes from Jeremys vehicle.  Once we did that, my training involved loading cable boxes from the office into Johns van while he chain smoked and bragged about how much money was made out of that office!  (another side note, if you make that much money-Clean the Van!  Or pay someone to do it!)  Finally at 11:30 we (Jeremy and I) were on the road.  I wasnt sure how far we would make it because Jeremys vehicle (jeep cherokee) was very unsafe.  Our job consisted of going house to house to collect on cable bills or disconnect the cable.  Climbing the ladder was easy, so was knocking on the door.  I figured that I would have this job licked in a week!  Jeremy showed me how to use the safety equip but told me that he only uses it if he knows that the Bosses will be watching.  He also told me "just make sure that you know how to use it"  there will be a test before I was allowed to tech on my own.  The day went by quickly.  We finished at 7pm.

Day 2:  I was scheduled to ride with Joe, he no showed.  Some problem with his mother in law.  After some quick debating between Randy and some techs I was put with some "big ole boy", everyone called him "Big D".  This guy was a fool.  We stopped by his baby momma house, his "partners" house, at the McDonalds, gas station, and back at his baby momma house to drop off food.......then we get to work.  He said that it was cut off day and asked if I knew how to use the ladder.  I showed him that I could, (his safety belt wouldnt fit me, I have a size 34 waist he has a size 46 waist) he told me that he would fill out the paperwork while I disconnected and we would be done in 3 hours.  We disconnected 12 people and didnt even knock on one door.  I was told that you got a bigger commission if you collected, "Big D" said that they had enough chances.  One lady came out of the house screaming mad, Big D tells her the job was already called in and to call Time Warner.  She had a checkbook in hand.  When we got back to the office, Randy and John were still there and Big D got scared.  He said that he couldnt bring me back that fast and we had to go "chill for a minute".  Back to babys momma house.  An hour went by and he finally dropped me off.  Thank god!!!

At this point I am might not go back!  I call Randy and he tells me to stick it out because he has heard great things about me.  He told me that they were way behind and I would be on my own tomorrow if I could prove to him I could climb the ladder safely.  Show up at 10:30 and he would have his check in done. 

Day 3:  I show up at 10, just wanted to be a little early!  There was a crew meeting, actually a crew bitching out.  It was horrible the way Randy and John talked to these poor guys.  Although in the tech defense, I did talk to a couple of guys who did make 1k a week! (that is what kept me going).  After they were berated and told that everyone would be fired if they had enough people, the techs were sent on their way.  I climbed for Randy, he gave me a stack of 17 work orders and told me to knock and disco if they were not there.  I did just that 3 payments, 13 disco and 1 cancel.  Done by 5 pm.  Not so hard!!!!

Day 4:  New work day and I am excited.  Until I was put in East Cleveland!  (By the way, I live in Strongsville so not really close to my home as promised), I was given 50 work orders to complete in the next week.  I did the math, that would be about $300 if nobody paid, that is before I pay for gas or set aside anything for taxes.  And I was expected to make multiple trips to the house to find these people.  I figured I would give it a shot, remember Bad Economy.  I worked 10 hours on Friday and 10 on Saturday.  I got 4 payments had 15 disconnects all with the customer equipment.  I didnt like the $$ about $180 before gas and taxes, but it was something.  I called John on Saturday night and left him a message on my progress.

Monday morning:  I am at the office bright and early, 8:30am, again nobody there.  There are 3 techs waiting at this time.  All of us had mixed results.  One guy got 20 payments over the weekend, he told me that to get a good area you have to kiss Randys a*s and act like his friend.  If you do all of his bs work he will reward you by giving you a good area.  John and Randy show up, I drop my paperwork on Randys desk ( I am pretty proud at this point), he then asks me if I knew what I was supposed to be doing all weekend????  He then proceeds to tell me getting payments and saving the customers, I tell him that each disco signed and told me they couldnt afford it anymore.  He tells me that is bull and he has been doing this job for over 5 years and people can pay, you just have to convince them. (he must have never seen these houses, although they were better than the inside of Johns van but looked like Bagdad).  I tell him that I dont think I am cut out for the job, but I will finish the assigned jobs because I dont like to leave without notice.  He gives me the cold shoulder and tells me whatever and to get out of his office.  Here comes good cop John.  Gives me a pep talk and offers me some of his area, I agree and head out.  Come to find out, he gives me a bunch of people that told him over the weekend that they wanted disconnected and he already picked up their equipment.  Now I am pissed, all he wants me to do is the hard work and he can make all the money (you get lots of $$ for payments and equipment)  I drive back to the office, turn my equipment in and thank them for the opportunity.

Check day:  Boy is this a run around.  I was to recieve $10/hr training pay and then my commission while I was on my own.  Randy tells me that he fogot to put it in and it will be next week.  I am not happy, but what am I going to do.  They ask me if I want to come back because 3 people quit that week, I decline and then they are very mean and rude again.  Next pay... Training pay is there, well some of it.  It does not start from when they told me to get to the office, it is while I am with a tech.  But time at Baby momma house, partners house, and McD's dont count.

Oh well.

If you need to make some money and dont mind being ridiculed and working like a dog, you can expect about min wage after expenses.  It seems like a fly by night operation and there is alot of attrition among the techs.  Just wanted to get this out there so future prospects can be aware.