I started at Team One Promotions about a month into last summer. I was getting desperate for a job, and at my "interview" with Brandon I was told I could start immediately and have a paycheck by the end of the following week.
The advertisement, and Brandon, mentioned the 2100/month starting salary—and all through training we were told we would get that money even if we did not sell ONE single Kirby vaccuum cleaner, as long as we attended work.
At the start of my training class, there were about 15-20 individuals.By the second day we were missing at least 5... And by the end of the week only about 5 remained. After working for the company for 2 weeks, there were only two employees left from our class.
I started training as a "dealer" one who gets dropped off at a house and left for an hour to two hours to do a "demonstration" of the Kirby Vaccuum cleaner and it's attachments. We promise at the door that we will shampoo a full room of carpet, but I never shampooed more than a 4x4 foot square (and was trained that way).
Towards the end of my second full week of work, I was asked to "knock doors" because our canvasser couldn't get us into houses... So there I was throwing a pitch to unsuspecting strangers, telling them that it would just take me a moment to get my stuff, making them think we would be there for 10-15 minutes... A few moments later I appeared at their doorstep with a dealer, a kirby, a box for the shampooer attachment, and their demo bag.
Many times the homeowner would change their mind, realizing that this was going to take a lot more than "a few moments of their time."
After knocking in 3 demos that day, 2 of them sold Kirby's and I became a canvasser when needed. Monday morning rolls around and we are short on canvassers in our morning meeting, so I am put on the list. I am assigned to Bryson Helm's crew and told good luck, even though I wasn't dressed appropriately to be running up to doors and back.
Bryson was one of the most pushy crew leaders, but seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Our first round of demos though, he always chose lower class houses where sales were not as likely so we had a warm up round and didn't "waste" houses.
One of the first doors I knocked on in Overland Park was by far the WORST house in its neighborhood. The driveway was cracked, the yard was overgrown, and it needed new paint, but I couldn't say anything because I knew he would yell at me. So out I went and ran up to the door and knocked. No answer.
I turned around to run back to the van waiting at the end of the driveway and twisted my right ankle on the broken pavement of the driveway and fell. When I fell I broke the 5th metatarsal bone in my right foot, torw my brand new dress jeans, and scraped up my left knee and both hands.
I got up and limped back to the van and the guys in the van, after kinda laughing it off, checked to see if I was ok. I thought I was, but after getting out and knocking another door, I realized I couldn't put any weight on my foot. It immediately began to swell and Bryson headed to meet another crew leader to get a diff. Canvasser so I could go back to the office.
When I got back to the office, thank god our secretary was still there, she drove me to Olathe Medical Center (since I couldn't have taken myself) and waited with me for a couple of hours to see a doctor. She left shortly after the doctor told me it was broken—and a good friend of mine showed up with crutches to help me get home.
The next day I showed up to work on time, like always, and hobbled into the office. Brandon (the trainer) made sure I was doing okay and told me we would work something out. Until now I had recieved the pay I earned and hadn't been able to complain that they were lying, however I knew I was working way too many hours for the money I had gotten so far.
The owner of the Olathe, Lawrence, and Topeka offices Chad Christianson was our "boss." Brandon assured me that we would work something out and that I would still get my 2100/mo. Chad showed up later in the morning and told me to stick around the office until they could work something else out. I was happy to hear I would be working 9am-5pm for awhile, and not required to be on my foot, which still bothers me every day (months later).
While working in the office I was answering phones, making copies, and calling people back (later I began processing paperwork when Lillie was fired). I began to see just how much of a scam my job had been. No one made money unless they were selling Kirbys. A lot of dealers made sales they were never paid for. Canvassers lost valuable money when they were put on a crew that had no success (often done on purpose).
Chad assured me he would pay me the 2100/month (I would get 300/week for working in the office and then the diff would be made up the last week). WHen I got my last paycheck it was only for 300, so I went to Chad and told him it was wrong. He asked why, and I explained. Honestly, he FINALLY wrote out a check to me for the difference (although it brought my total for the month to 1900, not 2100) but I didn't want to argue anymore.
A couple of days later, after I had deposited the check, my bank contacted me and told me his check had been returned stamped by his bank "no account" and my checking account had a balance of negative 600 dollars. Now I couldn't get to any of my money, or cover any of the checks I had written. Over draft fees of 25 dollars were assessed on my account twice in those few days. And when I told Chad he basically told me I was lying.
Almost a week later, when I got the check back in the mail and I gave it to him, he argued with me, but finally rewrote the check after I fought him about it. This time the check went through, but I was 50 dollars down because of it, and he had no intention of helping me out with that.
From then on, I was very careful about what I did/did not say to anyone, so that Chad wouldn't conveniently fire me. I worked in the office and tried to keep a positive attitude. I was paid 300/week from then on, but towards the end of my employment (they knew I was quitting August 13th to go back to school) I missed ONE day (because I was sick) in a 5 day week and was paid 200. Not 240. And the following week I missed 2 days (to move into my apartment) and was paid 100 dollars. My last week I never got a check for, and was told I didn't earn any money because I wasn't at work every day that week.
Now I am almost done with my 1st semester back to school at the University of Kansas and I have still not seen a dime of the money Chad owes me. I knocked in sales that I was never paid for. I sold Kirby's on my countdown that I got ripped off on (and now feel bad for selling to MY friends and family). My foot still bothers me every day, and the hospital bills and problems related to them do not make it any better.
I wish I had known what the summer had in store for me before I began believing the crap Chad told me, because I would certainly like to have my summer, and my dignity, back.
If there's anyone who would like to help me, I am more than willing to entertain your ideas. I have a lot of the documentation, and can get more, about the injury, the overdrafts on my account, and the checks Chad wrote me. I would like to see him in court for all the money I've lost and paid because of my injury, and the pain it has caused me, I'm just afraid that they have covered their tracks so well that it's really no use to try.
Mackenzie
Lawrence, Kansas
U.S.A.
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