I worked for Ethan Allen Home Interiors for 9 1/2 months in the La Mesa area... With the promise that I would be able to make a "good living" there... Doing Interior Design Consultations for clients who requested "Free" Home Interior Design Appointments.
The training was great&
I soon became one of the very top salespeople in the store...
Averaging a very high number of "be-backs"— and sales.
Gradually& over a period of time&
The store's policy of offering "Free" Design service& to every client that darted in the door and requested it— became a huge drain on my time, talent, and wallet... Because Ethan Allen would not reimburse us for gas& but required an average of at least 2 home design appointments per week.
It didn't take too long to figure this "gig" out.
This often required driving all over San Diego County& with the hopes that the client would purchase something from the designer& but often resulted in a client who was not interested in purchasing Ethan Allen products& so much as they wanted a FREE HGTV Styled "Make-over" for their home... And were planning on going to a cheaper furniture store to implement the designers ideas.
The Truth about "Free Design Service"& it totally serves Ethan Allen's Corporation to have designers scooting all over town& running up their gasoline bills. The company offers no reimbursement for gas& and expects 2 Home Calls a week. They have no way to quality clients& or to make it worth the designers time, talent, and gas.
I saw many of my Team Member Designer Friends suffer the same hardships. Each saying the same thing& that the company policy was "not fair".
However& Ethan Allen's advertising clearly indicates that their primary "sell"& is their "Free Design Service".
I resigned in May.
A month and a half after my resignation— 5 other talented designers all chose to leave the store... Many with the same general feelings that I had& about the store's policy of giving "Free" Design Service to clients& but having to foot the bill of gas and expenses on their own& because EA would not pay for it... (except to offer the fact that this could be deducted from your annual taxes).
EA gets around this by saying that as an employee of Ethan Allen "You are a Private Contractor". But yet & also requires that you work a solid shift in their stores... So — as a designer— your "hands are tied". If you leave the store to do Home appointments& there is NO GUARANTEE that you will make a Sale. If you stay at the store& you are penalized— and perhaps "put on probation" because you are not making your "in home design service" appointments.
This is an awful position to put designers in&
The base salary that they are paying— literally puts you on food stamps.
In order to break your quota& you must sell $28,000 a month& or you suffer a "draw-vs-commission" situation.
They bragged in the interview that this is a business that you can become very financially successful in... However— they fail to tell you that you need a supportive spouse or a "Trust Fund" in order to help you through the "lean years"— while you are developing your clientele.
Very Few people were breaking their base. The majority of people hired were able to qualify for Food Stamps& based on their miminal pay of $1800 a month& before taxes... And about $1200 after taxes.
The store continued to interview new designers& bringing in "too many mouths to feed"& and didn't have the business to support the designers that were already on staff.
Ethan Allen is a very nice store& but treats their employees Rotten.
If you are a designer& don't waste your time and talent with this company. Seek a company that will honor your skills and education... And is willing to charge their clients for the use of your services. If you've worked years for your education and have design skills & you should be PAID for the level of skill and commitment that you bring to the table.
Look at it like this&
If you were dealing with a Doctor or Lawyer& would you respect them or trust their advice& if they gave you "Free Service"???
No& Probably Not.
Then why on earth would you respect or trust the advice of a designer who is giving you FREE DESIGN SERVICE?
Hopefully Ethan Allen will one day start charging a professional fee to reimburse designers for their time away from the store... And the gasoline that they are burning by running around to appointments all over the town.
As of yet& they have not done so.
For this reason&
I recommend that You Look Elsewhere for a Job in the Interior Design or Furniture Business.
Corporations should not get away with this type of "Free Labor"& which demands personal and financial sacrifice of its employees.
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