George S. MAy International Company ripoff, sham, high pressure, deceptive business practices Park Ridge Illinois

I sincerely hope that you have Googled' your way to enlightenment concerning George S. May International, the world-wide consultant company based in Park Ridge, IL. Internet search engines have finally beaten a path to a truer picture of this company and how they really operate. Please consider carefully what you are about to read because it may be the best advice anyone has ever given you.

First, my intention in filing this report with Rip-Off Report.com is to basically warn EVERY prospective client interested in retaining George S. May's services, in any capacity, of their unscrupulous nature. I will outline their general methods of conducting business so you can make an informed and intelligent decision as to their true intentions and expertise. Second, I also want to provide those individuals out there responding to job advertisements placed by George S. May with information concerning their training program, existing personnel, and overall pressure tactics. I ask that you keep an open mind and consume this information with utmost earnestness; it is coming from someone who was an insider' to George S. May's overall operations.

Why did you seek the internet for answers concerning George S. May? Probably because you are a bright, intelligent, and diligent individual that researches everything before making a decision. Did you know that six months ago your Google/Yahoo search would not have yielded this website and the information contained herein? In fact, a search from January of 2004 would have probably yielded about a thousand hits on job ads placed by George S. May all over the country. They are constantly seeking fresh applicants because of the massive amounts of turnover they experience on a weekly basis. But more importantly, by design or not, they've been able to hide from knowledge seekers like you because of these numerous job ads. Apparently, Rip-Off Report.com has enough presence and/or prestige on the internet at this time to rise above the job ad camouflage' of George S. May and the truth about their organization is finally being disseminated to the public. That is why I am telling my story.

I was hired as an Executive Analyst in their Survey department no too long ago. I must say, the interviewer was slick. Without using specific names, I can say he was a company SENEX (Senior Executive); very professional and probing. He stated that most analysts make at least $80K/Yr plus on average while the good ones exceed six figures year after year. I've been through it and can tell you with 100% certainty that this was a lie. They hire 20 Executive Analysts per week and train them for 10 days. 18 quit within the first two weeks of being released into the field, 1 stays on six weeks longer, and the other leaves within 90 days. George S. May goes through over 1000 Executive Analyst positions in Chicago per year; and that's only ONE department.

They have 4 departments (using general terms): sales (the guy who initially walks in the door and offers to have your business analyzed for $250 - $700), survey (the analyst that shows up with a black manual and his/her laptop and conducts the survey), management consultants (usually 2-5 people charging $200+/hr for each man hour worked. These are the people that show up after the analyst sells you on their glorified services), and administrative (mostly SENEXES belonging to a Management Council at corporate headquarters; more about this group later).

The attrition experienced by these departments (excluding administrative staff) is even greater because they are inherently twice to three times as large as the survey department. They have two training facilities: one in Chicago and one in Las Vegas. That equates to approximately 10,000 employees that filter through the organization in ONE year. And this estimate is conservative compared to others you will see while researching information on this company. You see something wrong with this picture yet? What reputable company goes through this many people a year?

I attended their 10-day training class for their Executive Analysts in Park Ridge (Chicago), IL and was taught the art of acting and memorization. EVERYTHING IS SCRIPTED FOLKS! The black manual all analysts carry with them is full of talking points, notes, and scripts learned from training class. Ask to look through it and just see what kind of response you get.

If you are a prospective client, ask for a resume from the Analyst immediately upon him/her entering your business. It will not happen 99% of the time. But, after a dozen frantic calls to corporate by the frazzled Analyst, you may succeed in obtaining a resume only to find a lack of a college education. Or, you may find that the individual standing before you is an English major with a biology minor but had one hell of a sales career before George S. May. More than half of their Analysts have never seen a balance sheet or an income statement before training class. Most have absolutely no clue how to run a business either.

Nevertheless, scripting starts by the Analyst at the initial interview with the decision makers of your firm (usually first thing in morning). The most important and obvious question asked in this meeting will be your cash position from your balance sheet. From their, information from your financials will be obtained and transferred electronically via their laptop to the SENEX who is wringing his hands in Chicago. And that's when the calls to the Management Council start.

By the way, it's not a Council at all. It's one guy behind a desk in Chicago waiting to find out what your financial position looks like so he can calculate how many man hours you can afford to spend right away.

Again, everything is scripted too during the Survey. Demand that ALL calls by the Analyst to the Management Council be made via speaker phone and see what response you get once again. I'll give the Analyst 5 minutes before he is standing outside the back door of your business calling his SENEX with a cell phone and sweating profusely. It's through the privacy of a hand-held phone line that the SENEX instructs the Analyst on what to say, how to act, what inflections to use, and most importantly, how to demean you (the business owner) in the first call. Don't fall for this theatrical event!

As a business owner, you need to be VERY concerned about how an inexperienced Analyst conducts his interviews with your various managerial staff too. Questions can easily lead to mistrust and paranoia by your staff. Moreover, the Survey an Analyst will conduct is totally fraudulent and will do more harm to your operations than good.

The survey questionnaire is basically a psychological tool to warp the mind of the owner(s) of the business. It is used to highlight everything wrong with businesses across the board in most industries. It's generic and fill-in-the-blank. Most of all, it's an oral report. Ask to make copies of his Survey results and, again, see what kind of response you get.

One section of the Survey asks for written responses from each employee. Imagine what disgruntled employees will say about the boss on paper if they are told it's an anonymous questionnaire. The Analyst's job is to read the responses to the owner(s) and beat you down with them. It can be an eye opening and very embarrassing experience for you. The damage is done however. Your employees will now become empowered and structure can disintegrate within a day. Believe me; I've seen owner's loose control of their employees while the Analyst is still on the premises. Just remember, EVERYTHING the Analyst performs in your business is either a show or a grand script. Watch how many times they check and/or ask questions about inventory sitting in your warehouse. They've been instructed to constantly look busy while in your business and your warehouse is the best place for this busy activity.

By the way, they are also instructed to expose and then exploit the problems associated with your business. EVERYTHING that you offer as problems within your business will be used against you later in the nth degree. Denigration is the name of the game. They want to make you feel inadequate as hell as an owner and operator. It's a farce so beware.

As a side note to prospective employees: you will be placed in the filed by yourself the very next day after training is over. Think you'd be ready? Try again! It's mental torture. Their concept is to keep you moving constantly. They say 5 days a week but it eventually becomes 6; mark my word. They will promise that an X contract (top of the pay scale) is within your grasp but it's a carrot. 95% of all Analysts hired will never see it happen.

Also, the other benefits they sell to prospective employees, i.e. insurance, profit sharing, etc., are worthless. Again, most people leave within the 90 day probationary period so don't be pulled in by the benefits! Additionally, you will be forced to use your personal credit cards for non-reimbursable charges for room, board, and rental cars. After three weeks of service, if you make it that long, they soon start gradually holding back commissions and a token per diem to string your service along. The hotels are sub par; especially in the rural areas of the US. And since it's you paying for them, eventually, you will succumb to being frugal and will rationalize sleeping in places that would have made you vomit a month before you knew anything about George S. May. Worst of all, you are forced to do things that are dishonest, reprehensible, embarrassing, deceitful, devious, and defrauding. People without a conscious do very well with this company!

You will become a puppet on a string to the SENEX on the other end of the line and will loose faith in yourself and your dignity will be demolished. Those that care about themselves, their reputations, and mental health will leave within a couple of weeks. Still feel like pursuing that George S. May interview?

Back to prospective clients: If you are sold by the Analyst and consider letting their Management Consultants in your business to turn things around, God help you. Before you do however, be smart. Ask for every consultant's resume, especially the Project Director's. Again, you may succeed only to find out that more than one is inexperienced and lacking true credentials.

They will offer a guarantee to increase your fill-in-the-blank by 15% while they are there preparing marketing strategies for 5 days. By then, and with 3 to 5 consultants in your office, the total bill will be $30,000 to $50,000. You may eventually run out of money or become wise to the generic nature of the strategy plan they are developing and ask them to stop. They'll say we are not done; the 15% we previously discussed will not be realized because you are stopping us short.

True, but how unethical. Think about it, $50,000 spent on a marketing strategy that is half completed. You'd be better off stuffing SALE fliers in mail boxes or putting them on windshields. The goal is to make you sign an agreement that allows you to stop the consulting at the end of any day. George S. May will send as many people as they possibly can to charge as many man hours possible at a rate of hundreds/hour. Beware; EVERYTHING they produce is canned, preformatted, fill-in-the-blank, and general in nature.

This stuff is worthless and they will charge you about $5,000 to $10,000 a day to produce and print it from their laptops. They'll ask a ton of questions and then fill in the answers from the prefabricated files in their computers. They have literally hundreds of business plans, policy manuals, job procedures, and accounting schemes that are in a generic menu to choose from. This list contains solutions to business problems on every known issue for all industries. All they do is input data and print the completed template. Most of these consultants have been bookkeepers in another career that failed for whatever reason too.

Lastly, if you are reading this and George S. May's consultants are currently in your business charging you a fortune per man hour, and you feel you have been taken, DO NOT GIVE THEM A 100% SATISFACTION LETTER! They will tell you that without the letter, they will remain in your business and will continue to work (and bill you by the way) regardless. Ask them nicely to leave once again and they will probably decline. From that point, consider it trespassing and call law enforcement to escort them off the premises. Do not succumb to any promises given by these consultants and do not pay them again. Without a Satisfaction letter, they have not a leg to stand on in court. Even better, immediately file a report with the BBB and the Attorney General of your state. They will be quick to satisfy any complaints from these two entities as they are the first sources business owners will go to when researching George S. May. You may recoup funds already paid to them for services rendered but it may be slow to come.

I recently had a close friend of mine allow George S. May into his business. He was sold on their services by a slick Analyst and paid for Management Consultants over a six day period. He spent over $50,000 and has gotten nothing operationally tangible as a result. Unfortunately, I didn't hear of this until it was too late and the consultants are now gone.

He is holding worthless pre-formatted manuals and has been taken for a very expensive ride. Not to mention, I was also defrauded by the company as an employee too. I've recently left, on good terms I might add, and finally gained my self confidence and self esteem back though it has taken many months. That is why I've taken the time to write this report. If I can make just one prospective client or employee stop to reconsider George S. May and what they really represent, then my words have succeeded and my conscious is clearer because of it. Good look to all of you and heed the advice given to you in this report.

Dale,thank you for your letter exposing this company. There are many more of us out there that GSMIC has done this to. I have some interesting information for you that might help. Please find my letter on ripoffreport for my contact information. I look forward to talking with you.

Hold on ONE MINUTE! YOU are NOT at fault not one bit! "I have no one to blame but myself I have been in business for over 30 years and let myself be dooped by these criminals." That is like saying the people that were taken down at Global Crossing were at fault because they let the company invest their money. YOU are only at fault for NOT going after them sooner or harder. GO get them!

They ADVERTISE they are an ETHICAL award winning company. As such they should deliver an award wining product for your company or do the ETHICAL thing and make the product work or fully refund your money TOADY! With the same Speed they demand you pay them I might add!