I will try to use this forum for the real purpose it is intended for. Reporting bad business practices and to let the truth be known as they quote under usacomplaints.com Logo. I have been with Elocal Listing for a period of time.
On the surface, it is a good company trying to be profitable just like any other company out there. Yes it has its share of wrong doings like many other companies too. I have read all the "stuff" being written over the last few weeks and it is "Amazing!"
Most of what is being written is TRUE to most degrees. I work under a fear condition, but choose to make the best of it until I find another opportunity with a different company. Fear is all around. People have lost their jobs, most by cut backs (which is normal in todays economy), but some by doing the right thing and reporting information to proper people inside the company only to be "terminated" shortly after.
There is an "inner circle" or "click" group of people. If you do not play or sub do to their level your out!
Business practices first:
Yes Elocal has a product that was good at one time before the market got saturated by businesses doing it themselves, other competition, or our own resellers when we had them. Thinking that more orders were better, and automation was the key to success, that is where we have failed mostly. Not giving our customers the true value for what they were paying for. Part on Production but also our sales force. Todd and Mike have a script that talks about providing "customers" to our clients. You can read all the other complaints to verify this, not just inside usacomplaints.com. Do a search on Yahoo or Google like "elocal listing scam" and you can find them. Training wrong at sales also leads to training wrong in the back office. I hear the laughs and joke about customers, being on hold for long periods of time or hang-ups. Yes we try to improve, and we will. Not to many want to step up, again we have fear based management. Lots of rah rah stuff, but a facade at best. Many people do work hard, very hard. We hired a "Call Center Man" with lots of experience, but not much value has come out of it in my opinion. Another overpaid expense. New products like BuzzSpot.net was suppose to be a big hit, and Organic SEO, but not much there either.
I know a lot of the managers and Directors are trying to do their jobs, but again, a lot of that depends if you are in the "circle" of power. If investors of Search Initiatives really had an accurate idea of what their invested money was being spent on, I think some would be amazed and some would say "just show me a profit" but after a year has gone past, there is NO PROFIT.
Goes back to the original "merger" or purchase of Zone Communications. This is hearsay, but very reliable from people who have "left" the company. When our current CFO Ralph Williams worked with Greg Royse to 'prepare" the accounting numbers for Search Initiatives to purchase, well, just like many transactions, numbers were manipulated. I'm sure if a true CPA firm came in, they could dig up the truth. Doesn't matter, Search Initiatives still bought it to try to save face since their newspaper project was not working at the level needed for investors.
Manipulation of numbers is talked about and rumored throughout the company. It is also rumored that Tim Judd, even though he puts up a good game face, has not taken a company to real profitability in the past. That hurts us little people on the few stock options we have if that is true. What true information is being delivered to our investors? If it keeps my job, I guess I fall into the same trap of looking the other way.
The "Big House" as it is called is a place where some High Ups live and the CEO (Tim Judd) and CFO (Ralph Williams) stay when in town. Even though it is not "work" many parties go on their and alcohol flows and funny smoke too. This is also a common place for "hook-ups" to start, continue, and present themselves. Sometimes the way people talk it is like a frat house. Been there, and now avoid it.
Another poster responded that this is not the place for bringing up peoples sexual practices. That is correct! BUT if the sexual practices are part of the "inner circle" then this is the correct forum since good people are being let go because they are not comfortable with being in the "circle" and do not feel they can go to anyone else. When some have, they are gone shortly thereafter. Yes it is rumored again that a class action lawsuit is in the works. I hope that there is enough in the investor reserves or insurance to pay so my job is still here.
As for underage children working for Elocal. I saw good hard working people that never had a write-up released, only to be replaced by The CEO and President Tim Judd's son. Is Elocal safe since he was a Search Initiative hire? Probably! Was the proper paperwork filed since he was 15 years old until just last week? Doubtful! How old is the Corporate Attorney's son? Not sure, but he replaced a production worker too.
This is a company that gives the inner circle many chances. The HR Director was released from her last position in San Diego for certain reasons that she has to pay back monthly restitution for. We do not buy that it was her daughter. Don't really have to say more on Todd Johnson or Mike Ruter's past. I know people have verified that more than once. Jeff Einstoss tries to stay clean I like him, but he can turn on you fast.
One Sales Rep that should have been fired for calling a potential customer back, acting as a client to that customer, set up a job, just to say "FU" and hung up. Todd protected her since she is one of the many past alcoholics he brings in and protects. Documentation was written, sales reps wrote in their own words what they heard her say, and brag about, but where is it now? Destoryed as usual. People can come back and verify if needed. Maybe also since she is a stripper on her own time he enjoys that too.
Again, things like that bring many fear for speaking up.
We also have a "Corporate Attorney" that is not licensed in the state of California, but may be trying to pass the bar. Another bully, but in the "circle" too. His past shows he lost his license in the State of Indiana for 30-days. (check out: http://www.in. Gov/judiciary/opinions/archive/11060001. Per.html). They have to also hire another attorney since the in-house one can not represent in court. Sounds like a DOUBLE EXPENSE! Lay him off! He must be in the "circle" too!
The whole purpose of this company was to grow, sell 100,000 customers and sell off for all to profit well. If Todd Johnson wouldn't have sold Tim Judd a bunch of his past failing companies practices (Thanks to all that have brought that up around the water cooler and smoke area), we would have been in better financials. I am talking about the bogus $1 deal to sign up. Again, if we were serious as a company, the sales script writers (Todd Johnson and Mike Ruter) would not have wrote it and had the Floor Managers and Sales Reps sell it as a "trial" that could be canceled in 30-days. We got over worked on bogus orders that were never going to stick. Sales People made a lot of money on bogus orders, but the back office made our regular wage plus a little overtime here and there. Todd Johnson even manipulated to have his brother Jeremy Johnson (A Reseller) sell the product and all he did was slam clients. When Jeremy owed Elocal money for the losses, Todd made a deal to buy the residual, and still pay his brother. Sorry investors! Why didn't the powerful CEO and CFO remove Todd Johnson and Mike Ruter for that bad set-up. Their past has again become a reality.
At least now we are trying to sell again at realistic price points. Maybe we can save a few customers. I don't know how we are going to sell SEO organic if we have no qualified staff and if we couldn't even do anything as simple as the local Listings. Of course this is only after much expense was used to remodel old office building space only to vacate it shortly after. Oh, and then there is Ray A. (who is Jeff Einstoss semi brother-in-law) who wanted to play as a reseller again. Just like Todd's brother Jeremy take care of who you want.
Again more fear of the sales force better sell and us back office people better keep them or the whole company goes down. More pressure please! Most fear Todd's words "If you ever leave us, you will amount to nothing!" My translation let's burn through good people, whatever it takes.
I could go on and on, but must end this now. Life at Elocal is like a reality TV show. Or better yet a Carnival!
I'm here as long as they keep me or until my next employment opportunity comes along.
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