I am just following up on yesterdays letter to clarify some issues and add a few more that I have remembered. O.K.
First of all let me say that there are some great people that work for Combined Insurance, like there is at all companies, but there are enough bad apples in My State (Missouri) to spoil the soup for everybody. I had some good friends with combined and I am sure that I still do! The bad apples are always bad and everybody knows who they are. Soo, now that I have said that, lets continue, shall we?
I was hired in August in Joplin, Missouri by my District Manager Ken Davenport. He is a great guy and I like Ken alot. He is just so stressed out at times that it clouds his judgement. He also is going through a nasty divorce and that is clouding his judgement as well. I am sure that Ken was told to do all of the things that he did. He would not do anything wrong of his own volition. I am sure that his boss, Jesus Vega, sub-regional manager told him to. Or, it could have been the regional manager, Bonnie Jenson. I always concidered Ken a friend and somebody that I could trust. Although there were a few times that he did outright lie to me and it was because he was pressured too by Jesus Vega. When I was interviewed I had my wife with me and Ken and Jesus Vega were present. As I have said before, when I was reading and signing the contract, I asked, "I have to do ALL of this or I don't get the guaranteed pay, right? They both said, and I quote, "Oh no, you just do your part!" "If you do your part and we do our part, you will be paid what is in the contract." I then said, "So, even If I don't fullfill what is here, even if I don't sell all of these policies then I will still get this money?" "All I have to do is give you and honest effort and I will be paid, is that right?" They both said, "YES, that is right!" Well let me tell you something to all of you that is listening, "THAT IS WRONG"! I never recieved a penny of the money that was listed in my contract! I did more than MY PART! I went out of town and spent tons of money on gas and food and did this no less than 6 weeks of the 13 training weeks. With all sincerity, I was paying combined to let me work for them during my 13 week training period!
Secondly, Training period, HAH! I was told that during my first week in training that I would have somebody with me everyday of the week to train me. Then after that week they would send somebody with me 3 days a week, then 2 days a week, then 1 day a week. Here is a small review of my training for anybody that wants to go to work for my STATE. I say My State because this cant be going on everywhere or the company would fail. I bet it isn't going on in every district of my state, I would probably say just the south part or even just my district. My first week in the field was supposed to be my pal week. Well Ken sent me out with Bob Skinner to collect premium to cover for Bobs manweek for the week before. Bob was gone the week before and Ken put him on the payroll, so bob and I had to go out on Monday and collect over 700.00 to pay for the manweek the week before. That was the first day. Ken just kept saying that he would be with me the rest of the week and everyday something would come up. He never did. The next week I went to Mountain Grove, Missouri for an Ardmore. Ken did do my Pal week and we sold over 100 units but I never recieved my gold pal or the recognition for it. I don't know why, I guess Ken didn't put me in for it. Who knows! The rest of my training was pretty much the same. Me going out of town to learn becuase Ken would always promise to go out with me and then when I would show up in the morning something would come up and he couldn't go. So he sent me with the "DRUNK", Bob Skinner. Bob just takes you out to collect premium and then has you take him home about 2 or 3 oclock and tells you to go back out and work. Alot of good training there. He has to get home to get his OJ and vodka in him. So, what I learned I learned from good people that were from other districts. That is how my 13 week training went and I did not get my bonus for the first 13 weeks.
I am due 2 String bonuses that were never paid as well. One for 750.00 and one for 400.00. I am sure that these will never be paid either. I also have an account in my name in chicago that I will probably never see again either.
My advise to you if you are going to go to combined to work in Missouri. Go to Northern Missouri or by St. Louis, in Tim Archers District, or Buzz Sanfords District. There you will get training and make some money. They are good people. Ken Davenport is a good man too. He just is constantly bombarded by Jesus Vega telling him how to run his district. Vega actually runs it for Ken and that is why it is no fun to work there and why it is going downhill fast. Vega treats Ken like a puppet and tells him every move to make and Ken does it. Another good District Manager is Fernando Rodriguz and Jim Masters. These are some good men also and they will teach you and they will give you all that they have and you will make money. Kevin Kerr is a good company man that is also a good teacher and person. Gregg Manns is a sub - regional manager from the north Missouri group. He runs a great region and is also a good honest man. He will get you pumped up and ready to go to work. Nothing bad could be said about Greg.
Lastly, I hope that this sheds some light on how things are here in my neck of Missouri, if you ever decide to work for Combined.in closing I want to say, I LOVED my Job at combined and loved selling their insurance. I just couldn't put up with the lying and the dishonest dealings of the missouri management. I sometimes wish that I still was working for them, but for a different state. I was a good, dedicated employee till I was lied too again and again. This will make a disgruntled employee out of anyone. We work to make money to support our lifestyle and our children and family. When my bosses start screwing with my pay then they are messing with my family and I cant have that. I honestly earned those bonuses and then they don't pay them to you. You work so hard to get them and they tell you, sorry, your not good enough for us to honor our word to you. Everything for Them. All for Them. Please just send to me what you owe me and I will move on and be satisfied. Just learn a lesson Bonnie and don't do it again and lose good employees who could do the company well.
Good luck and my the lord bless all of you,
Jeff
Jeff
COMMERCE, Oklahoma
U.S.A.
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