Check up on companies before you get sucked in like I almost did. Like Many people that have already reported about Quantum, I saw the ad on-line with Monster.com while looking for new opportunities in New England. It sounded too good to be true which should be a BIG Red Flag. It said the exact same thing as all these other reports say. Hiring now - no experience necessary - not a door-to-door sales or telemarketing position. Sounded great - a career opportunity in sales & marketing with no experience necessary in today's economy.
I sent them my resume and I got an e-mail back exactly like the one posted by another individual, however this companies name was KBN Promotions. The e-mail, from Yaira (Jida) Moreta, asked me to come in for a preliminary interview. Nothing out of the ordinary and bring a hard copy of my resume. I went in for an interview.
When I arrived, I was asked to fill out an application - which was very basic. I also showed up to find several others in the waiting room which had several inspirational sayings and empty boxes from Toys-for-tots. The waiting had a boom box playing very loud so you couldn't hear anything else going on. The furniture was not very nice and seemed old. This all seemed a little strange; they presented themselves as a new company that was needing to expand because they picked up new 'campaigns' - which they also lead you to believe there are charities they pretend to be representing/helping.
I waited to be called back for my interview with the hiring manager Kathryn Norton. It turned out that the hiring managers were also the owners/presidents of the company, I later found out. The interview lasted all of 5-10 minutes (they weren't looking to waste anyone's time as others have said, and it wasted everyone's time). They said that they were seeing other applicants, but that they would be in contact if they were interested in having me come in for a second interview - which would last about 8 hours because you learn the job to see if you are a right fit for the job and if the job is a right fit for you. I was told to stick by my phone from 5:30 to 6:00 pm if I was chosen.
I got a call back at 5:55 pm from them asking me to come in for a second interview either the next day or the following day, I was also told to dress in a business professional manner, like a suit. I showed up the next day at 9:30 AM. The secretary was on the phone setting up more preliminary interviews - which seemed odd. The waiting room soon filled up with 6 of us total. We had to sign a form saying that we were not getting paid for anything we did that day. Like idiot's we all signed it.
While we waited for over a half an hour for anything to happen, we got to hear the employees in the other room making a lot of noise, I guess to pump them up to lie to us. Finally we were told that we were going to be paired up with a team leader/trainer and going out into the field. We took separate cars which saved me from being stuck. DO NOT ride with the interviewer; or you will be stuck all day.
Before we left he asked questions about my resume about my marketing experience - setting it up like it may really be about a marketing position, BS! We get to our location - A GAS STATION and then she tells me that we have to be outside all day selling a waterless carwash product called FW1. Luckily it was a nice day however; I am in a very nice business suit and tie with dress shoes. Donald tells me very little about the company and what is going on. I was told that we would be demonstrating the product to people pumping gas, basically cleaning parts of their cars to get them to buy the product; again I am in a dress suit with a white shirt.
I was told to observe the first part of the day and sell the second part of the day. All I knew was pretty much what the public learns when they are pitched.
He also mentioned the pitch that was noted in an earlier posting about one of the other organizations that they work with Operation Smile -
He said that with Operation Smile (which is really a great non-profit organization that provides free surgery for children with facial deformities such as cleft palette in other countries); they selling Victoria Jackson cosmetics at 85% off; proceeds go to Operation Smile. Still doesn't seem like what we were going to do at the gas station.
I had been told that there would be a quiz on the '5 steps to a conversation' and their '8 keys to success'. Not rocket science, basic sales 101 - just how to sell items to people and basis sense stuff. The best one of the 8 was 'know why you're here' as in know for yourself why you are taking the job. Throughout the morning, there were small things that made me wonder about the company and how it all worked, but any question I asked got me a no-answer answer. The two people that I was working with just drove up from another office in Florida to Boston to work here and were living in a hotel. Seemed strange to do that to sell car cleaning products. I kept wondering where the non-profit organizations came in. They also could not tell me where they were looking to live in the Boston area.
We broke for lunch and went to McDonald's, I had to buy my own lunch even, Donald went over the strategies of the company and how the pay system works, a basic pyramid scheme that is almost all commission based. Not anything like the Marketing Manager position that I had originally been applying for. I don't even think that the employees realize that it is a pyramid - otherwise why would they stay? You may make money at the top - which isn't even proven - but no one else can be making the money you're told you're going to make.
I did not make it to the follow up at the end of the day and left right after lunch.
KBN Productions in Woburn, MA is just another part of Quantum under another name.
I wasted over $50 in gas and 6 hours of my time. Hopefully others won't do the same.
Almost Burned in Boston
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