8/13/03- Wednesday
I had been working for Phoenix Management for the past 4 weeks up until today! Let me start off by telling you about their faulty ads. 4 weeks ago i was in desperate need for a job! I was (and still am) broke, and I hated not having a job! I was looking through the classified ads in the home news and tribune and say "Customer Service - Guys and Gals, 18-25, no exp. Necessary will train (732) 764-6868"
I was suprised since that was the first ad that i had seen that said no experience necessary", So I had immediately called, Holly Jacobetz answered the phone and i said "I am calling about the ad in the paper for customer service", she said "cool, where are you located?" i responded, "Kendall Park" she says "Great! We are located in middlesex not too far from you, would you like to come in for an interview tomorrow?"
"I said sure", she responded to me "ok what time would you like to come in either 12pm, 1:30pm, or 3pm?" So, I told her I would come in at 1:30, She followed by giving me directions and said "see you tomorrow ". At that time I was thinking wow that was easy, but she didnt even tell me to bring my resume or anything? I was so excited I was like wow I can actually get a professional job, with no experience necessary, maybe i can finally pay my past due car payments, and get insurance on my brand new car finally.
The next morning (wednesday), I woke up at 7am because I was so excited, I got dressed up in a nice black skirt and black shirt with a light lavendar sweater over it. I looked good! I looked professional but not too dressy. I printed out my resume and left to go to the interview. I got there and was shocked, the office looked like a sh*t hole, the parking lot was destroyed, potholes and asphalt debris everywhere. I start walking up to the door and I looked at the door, it said Phoenix Management in those cheap black and gold sticker letters that people use on their mailboxes. I walked in and there was atleast 20 people there for the interview and i was one of three that looked professional, mostly everyone was in tee-shirts and jeans and i was thinking, "how professional is this?"
So after 20 minutes of waiting me and another younger girl went in (i am only 19 yrs old) Holly talked to us for a bit and told us there was 3 different positions available, "Receptionist, customer service, and E.L.M.A.K. A Entry-Level Manager, and that position was guaranteed a $30,000 contract." she asked both me and the other 17 yr old girl which one we would like the other girl said "receptionist", and I said E.L.M. But if that position was not available I would take customer service" then she followed by asking us "what was one word to describe ourselves, "I said hard-working", then she followed by telling us "me and my partner (donny) are going to look over all the interviews, if we want you to come back for a 2nd interview they we will call you between 5 and 5:30 PM and tell us more and stated if we were chosen for a 2nd interview that would mean we would find out if we were definately hired by the end of the 2nd interview".
Around 5:15 that night a girl christine who works there who is incharge of phones calls me and says "Holly wants you to come back for the 2nd interview, she said you were amazing and had a lot of potential, be here tomorrow by 12pm and bring a notebook and pen and dress as i did that day". I was so excited nobody had ever told me that before, I started raving to everyone about making $30,000! I was excited i was like "wow I can pay off all my bills, yes!
The next day Thursday was not what i had expected, There was at least 30 people in the room sitting in cheap, uncomfortable plastic home depot chairs. We sat through 3 long hours of listening about how scentura was created, and the differences in prices and how they break down like trying to sell us cheap "rendition" perfume for 2 times as much for half the cost. At the end of the day I was chosen to be "hired", I was so excited, yet we still were not told what we would be doing, Donny kept telling us he wasnt going to answer questions today and write them down and we would see the 1st day of training everything would be answered.
Donny and Holly gave us a screening paper to do a "backround check" on all of us and told us to return it on friday just so we would have another night to think about it, so if people were not definate about joining the company, they wouldnt have to supposedly waste money on your "backround check".
On Friday, I came in at about 10:00 A.M. And dropped off my paperwork, and they told me to be there on monday at 10:30 for orientation, bring a notebook and pen and dress comfortably but neat.
On Monday, I was there early, came in stayed until about 4pm and went over what traning "supposedly" was consisted of, be on time, dont listen to negative people, and have a good attitude, we also went over money acceptance, policies: on time, "no dipping" which meant no sexual relations with employees (which donny and holly should even have that rule if they cant follow it themselves and everyone in the office at this time knows what im talking about), dress code, sick days and to always have a notebook and pen and take notes. LET ME POINT OUT THIS WAS THE 4th TIME TO THE OFFICE AND I STILL WASNT TOLD THAT I WASNT GETTING THE JOB I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING!
Tuesday, I had gotten to the office early and everyone was nice to me there were like 40-50 other employees in training, We had a meeting about the "5 & 8 steps" for sales and marketing, and our office pitch, at that time I was confused as to why i was there, until they did something called pair-ups, which meant they sent you out with 3 other people and drove to locations and went business to business bothering people at thier jobs asking them if they wanted perfume, I felt horrible for doing it, we were basically bothering people who were busy at their jobs, harassing them, and yet the whole day I was being told "WE ARE ALLOWED TO GO BUSINESS TO BUSINESS, EVEN IF THERE IS A NO SOLICITING SIGN ON THE DOOR, DONNY HAS A "PAPER" FROM THE SUPREME COURT SAYING WHAT WE DO IS LEGAL.
I came home later on that night and told my mother about my day she thought it sounded like a scam, I kept telling her no, no, no Donny and Holly said you were going to say that and I was like convinced that it wasnt a scam and that in 6 weeks i would have an office (since that was what i was told, 6 weeks if you are here everyday on time, motivated and had a good attitude i would be done in 6 weeks). Over the period of the next 3 weeks did i realize by other people telling me you dont get a paycheck, you get commission (which you could make nothing).
I wasnt "dropping" or how normal people would say selling many bottles i realized being out "on the field" for many hours a day, nobody wanted it, noboby wanted to pay $30, $25, or even $20 for cheap knockoff perfume, when if they wanted knockoff they would go to one of the many $1.00 stores all over the country. So after me putting my all into this so-called "job", for me working last friday from about 12:30pm until 3:00am the next day the measley $5 i had made on comission barely paid for my lunch.
So, this past Monday and tuesday (11 &12) I called out early in the morning because i was not feeling well and i had to go to the DMV to re-instate my registration so i could drive around more people in my car and to haul around perfume. Now as most ex-employees are aware of, The first actuall real day of so-called training (tuesdays) they give you 6 bottles of perfume and cologne to start off with, and you have to sign a "CONSIGNMENT AGREEMENT" basically stating that you are responsible for the merchandise and if the merchandise is not returned, they will hold you responsible.
So after being there for 4 weeks I had 15 bottles. Ok, let me state one more time that i did indeed call and left a message on monday and a message on tuesday stating i would not be there, I had recieved 2 voicemails on my PERSONAL cell phone from an employee (no employees has my cell # but 1 person) one of my voice mails said" HI THIS IS%, I NEED TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE BECAUSE DONNY AND HOLLY SENT ME AND A COUPLE OTHER PEOPLE TO YOUR HOUSE AND CALLED YOUR HOUSE NUMEROUS TIMES, AND CANT GET A HOLD OF YOU THEN CONTINUED BY SAYING THEY WERE IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE AT 9 PM AND WERE GOING TO GET MY MERCHNADISE TONIGHT!
I said " Like hell you are my consignment says i have to return my merchandise, so i will tomorrow, and as far as donny and holly giving out my personal address, phone # and cell phone # (by the way are unlisted), you have NO RIGHT coming to my house and harassing my mother this later at night and i stated if they do not listen to me i will call the cops and my mother was informed by me to do it.
So basically to end my story because I could go on forever and ever about all the bull-ish there, I am for one filing a complaint against Donny, Holly, and the company for giving out personal info out of my personel file which is by the way, once again, ILLEGAL, there is plenty more i want to talk about so if anyone has been used and abused, get back to me!
Janel
kendall park, New Jersey
U.S.A.
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