Centre Management Listed ad in Plain Dealer for Administrative/Office Manager position - this company is a scam!!! Independence/Seven Hills, Ohio

I'm going to tell you my story so that you don't get caught up in the same mess. I saw an ad in the Plain Dealer for an Administrative/Office Manager position with immediate hire. There was a phone number listed to call and apply. When I called, I was set up with an interview. I was interviewed by someone named Venus, a lady I never saw again by the way. The office was pretty much empty with alot of blank walls. Well, except for a few plaques that actually had another companies' name listed on them. My interview with Venus was short and sweet, actually too short and sweet. In fact, I left there with no knowledge of what I would be doing or what the position actually entailed. At the end of the short interview, Venus says "I usually don't do this, but I like you and I have one spot open for a second interview tomorrow." I was slightly excited I must admit so I jumped on it.

The next day, I thought I was having a second interview with Venus and the top guy at the office, Blair. However, it was me and about 10 other people in a room. Blair talked to us for like two hours about how we could make so much money working there, but we had to go through a training process that could last about 10-13 weeks. Alot of the training would involve doing things that we would eventually train our own people to do once we had our own offices.

For some reason, I kept going back for about two weeks, and this training was nothing like I thought it would be. To spell it out simply - we sold perfumes. WHOLESALE perfumes! We went business to business everyday and some days ALL DAY when we had goals to meet. I ended up spending more money driving around trying to sell perfume for $26 a bottle and I only got about $7 out of each one I sold.

Everyday, I questioned why I was still going there, but Blair had great motivating skills that would make you want to do just about anything. Blair also expected us to do road trips in which three of you would go out of state to a college and try to sell perfumes. They didn't pay for your hotel room - notice I said ROOM for three people. You had to sell perfume in order to even pay for the room.

Also, during this time, I did some research on my own. Not even trying to find dirt on this company, I was researching information about improving my sales pitch. What I stumbled upon was no mere coincidence. I found other companies in IL and MO that had done people like you and me the same way, in exactly the same manner. I was amazed that these peoples' stories matched mine verbatim, and that they had the same experience in an entirely different state.

I'm not the only one that stayed for awhile and quit. In fact, there is a great individual that I met while I was there who is still going through the program. However, alot of people who were finishing their training and supposedly getting their own office, never did. In fact, some of them bet the bank on it and were making plans with Blair to open locations in other states.

All in all, I just want you guys to be aware. With the economy being the way it is, it is hard enough trying to find decent employment without there being misleading companies making you waste time selling their products and you barely making a dime for all that you're putting into it.  I wasn't looking for a sales position, and I'm not into doing sales at all - and I'm sure that alot of you are not. Just don't waste your time!

Recently, someone told me that they had an interview with this company and was asked back for a second interview. They were really excited of the prospects that were mentioned in the short interview that they had as well. That made me realize that I really needed to speak out about this matter so that people are not wasting their energy on something that is essentially going to have you with less money than you started with before you started your job search, and wasting your time as well.

This company changes their ad often in the Plain Dealer and they have also added other numbers. However, if you see an ad about an administrative/office manager position with immediate hire and to call (216) 524-2200 or they answer saying Centre Management, run like hell! Don't waste your time unless you really like going from business to business selling wholesale perfumes and not getting much money out of it.

I hope this helps at least one person in their job search endeavors, and keeps some of you from making the same mistake that I made. Good luck finding a job with a really company that is, hopefully, with the Better Business Bureau. I wish you all the best!