My employment with this company began some time ago. At first I was inspired by Rent a Centers declarations of "Respect for people" and "promotion from within" as well as "this is no job, this is a career". I signed up with great enthusiasm which I also carried into my work. As time went on, however, and changes took place in my market, what was once a market of 5 or more stores of close-knit teams became torn and disheveled. Never before have I seen people treated this way by their own employer.
From a company that states in its first line of its mission statement to maintain "respect for people", I have seen a great lack of loyalty and integrity for the collection of people who in turn make the wheels and gears of the machine turn. These individuals who give so much of their time to a company that, of late, has done nothing but demand and take even more from these young adults, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers and grandparents - all sacrificing so much of their time, taking away from their families and friends to give all they can to a company so heartless and two-faced.
Before I continue, I will remind you that I speak of one specific market; Ashland, Galion, Mansfield and Wooster. All cities which reside under the "reign" of Earl McDonald - District Manager. Experiences in other markets may differ. I am only here to tell you of my experience.
Since the reign of Earl McDonald began in August (ish) of he has run this market with a semi-fascist motive - declaring his own regulations and standards, that which differ from corporate standards. Account Managers who have maintained control of their routes and routinely hit a majority of company percentage standards are being crucified for minuscule details. Action plans are being set forth at a rapid pace for missing a single days worth of percentages. Employees are being moved around at ridiculous rates.
Most of them having families, must now drive out of town 30-45 minutes or more one way and face the rising fuel costs that had already effected their limited budgets, not to mention taking EVEN MORE time away from their families. Good, let me rephrase that, GREAT managers who maintained a wonderful work environment as well as respect and courtesy towards employees and customers alike are being demoted.
One case comes to mind where a store manager who has worked with the company for 7 years and has been a manager for over 2 years was just demoted when a store merger took place. Earl (DM) then brought in a guy from another market without even posting the job opening to take this managers place. His reasoning for demoting this long-term employee? He felt that this manager could not handle a store of this size since the merger took place.
On that note, I want to point out that the newly appointed manager has only been with the company for about 6 or 7 months as a manager in training. With NO prior rent to own experience. And what happened to promotion from within? I will repeat that the managers position was never posted for application. If it had been, it is required that every applicant be interviewed.
I wonder, with hope of ignorance on corporates behalf, if the company is aware of what goes on in this small market of many? I wonder, if they had knowledge of the treatment these hardworking employees face daily... Would this be except able or tolerated? What ever happened to morality and business ethics? We are employees, working hard for a living. Why must we be treated like slaves to this corporate machine? Where does the problem start, and how can it be fixed? As one unnamed employee stated, "There seems to be too many chiefs and not enough indians". I like that.
I think it is time that Rent A Center reviews the people they have in place to run these markets and districts to decide whether or not those markets and districts are being run to company standards - starting with the Mission Statement and Core Values which can be found here:
Http://media. Rentacenter.com/clients/74/filemanager/misc_images/mission. Pdf
I leave you with an excerpt from a previous report I found from another employee in this same market.
* " I work for RAC in ohio. Recently transferred to another store due to an opening that took place. I was placed on a route that had been doing horribly over the past 8 months. It had 4 different account reps on it.including one who was promoted to a 'credit manager'.in the 8 weeks i have been on that route i have managed to get it to close (company standard 5.9%, our dm standard 4.9%) 5 out of 8 times. My opens, although high in the eyes of my DM... Have varied from the low to mid 20's. The route was unmanageable before i took it over, and i have gotten it to hit almost all the numbers and grow. But. I was informed that due to my lack of hitting ALL numbers i was being placed on a 4 week action plan. 2 of those four weeks are holiday weeks."
" Our jobs are constantly being threatened. I've been cussed at, yelled at, called names... Treated like a royal sh* bag and this is just by my superiors. I have been with this company since august of 06. I know how to do my job. But i am being treated like i am a rookie that just got done with training."
Rent A Center describes themselves as "The best kept secret in the job market".
I ask you this: if you were to live in this area, does this sound like an employer you would be willing to give 48 or more hours a week to?
Infonet
Wooster, Ashland, Mansfield, Galion, Ohio
U.S.A.
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