I will start by saying that I was never an employee of Kluger Marketing Group, but I'm glad I found the various websites showing the company for what it is (or belongs to). I did, however, go through the whole "interviewing" process to the point of being hired, and was fortunate to spend time learning more information from the internet.
First, if you are reading this and considering employment with KMG (Kluger Marketing Group) in Texas, I suggest you search more on the internet for "Paul Kluger" (owner) and R3 Enterprises (his partiner sharing office space). Paul and Rob Reger (the owner of R3) both have been involved in some suspicious run-ins with the law, both from Florida, and both doing the same pyramid-like scheme to make money. Consumer complaints shows much of this, as well as several other web sites. Just do your homework. If you want to try the job, be my guest.
So, the first question to ask is, would you want to work for either one of these individuals? Based on all the reports? While some reports indicate that these companies and Cydcor / DS-Max are great places, the majority indicate otherwise. Why play russian roulette with your future? I now feel like a dodged a bullet by not taking the position I was offered... And if I had taken it, I'd be in financial hell in month or two.
Like many people, my interview last about 15 minutes. I hardly even spoke. It was mostly the owner/manager talking. I was asked back for a second interview (an all day interview, supposedly) where I would be in the field with a trainer on the job. I was told I was 1 of 400 applicants, and "wow" what an opportunity this is. They do over 70 interviews a day, and I was one of the lucky ones chosen. (What company in the world does 70 interviews a day? Everyday? Every week? Could it be a company that can't keep employees? Could it be a company that wants to grow outrageously fast so the residuals of sales peak and then the company closes its doors?)
On full-day-interview day, I arrived along with several other people. One fellow was chatty in the lobby, and asked "You know, I'm still not sure what this job is even about. Do you know?" I responded with some canned-stuff from the website saying it starts out as sales and then you move up into management. But, it goes to show that during your first interview, you learn nothing about the company.interestingly, I could hear the other employees of the company all chanting and clapping in the next room. Lost of screaming and applause. This seemed a little odd to me. After further research I learned this is their "pump up" before going out and selling office products to unsuspecting businesses.
I was assigned a trainer to "shadow" for the day. Several times I caught this trainer lying to potential customers, but I didn't want to have a confrontation over it. Some examples: giving the wrong low prices in the beginning, filling out the paperwork differently, and then hurrying through the process to complete the sale so the customer won't know. Also telling customers he doesn't work on commission and he's a salaried employee, when later he tells me everything is commission based. Quite often giving out his "ID number" to people who already buy Quill products, because they will get special discounts. When I asked what discounts, he said there were none, actually. Its just a way to get his ID attached to a customer.
We stopped for lunch, and this "Campaign Manager" could not afford a restaurant that changed $8 for lunch. We ended up eating fast food for a dime. This is the first time, ever, that I've been on an "interview" in which the interviewer didn't treat me to a reasonable meal at their expense. So, this is my future in the company? Being so poor I can't eat anywhere but taco bell or subway? My interview also drove a well-worn-down vehicle that literal was on its last legs. A true junker.
So, all day long we walked from business to business trying to sell paper. Paper paper paper. All total I think my trainer made 1 sale for less than 100 dollars. Commission take-home = $20 or less. Thats about 2 dollars per hour!
Plus, I was told that all expenses (milage, fuel, food) you have to pay for yourself, but you can write-them-off on taxes at the end of the year. I'm poor already. What good will a tax write off be to me a year from now? Is that going to help pay my rent this month? If I'm making $2 per hour (like this trainer was), how could I possibly pay the bills? No wonder he couldn't afford to eat at a decent restaurant.
Finally, at the end we returned to the "main office", and had a short discussion with the owner. I said all the right stuff, because I still half-believed it, and even offered that I could start the next day. I was hired. I was told to be there at 7:30am, and plan to work until 7pm. Whats with the 12 hours days?
Fortunately, I talked this over with my girl friend and she pointed out the oddities. The miserably low $200 "training pay", the out-of-pocket expenses for travel and food with no reimbursement, and the suspicious behavior of the trainer as I described my day. When I explained the various levels of promotion from "Account Executive" through "Owner", I realized this sounds familiar... That an old friend of mine doing AmWay told me the same stuff. How I could sell this stuff, get a few people under me, and move up to make 6 figures within a year! Hmmm... Pyramid?
Anyway, after doing research on Cydcor and KMG and R3 Enterprises, I decided it wasn't worth the risk for me. That in the end, the "Entry level management" was really doing door-to-door sales with practically no pay and definitely NOT SALARY as I was told... Its just commission sales.
For the right person, you might do well in this kind of company. For me, I chose otherwise. My only advice is do your research.
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