I graduated from college in December. For those who don't know, it is basically impossible for someone in my profession to get hired in December. Usually if there is a job available, it is not a good situation for a newbie to get into so I must wait until fall to get started.
After graduation, I had recently moved to Springfield and could not find a job anywhere. I was "overqualified" or it was part time, or something of that nature. After a couple of months of seeing the Fairfield commercials on tv and how everyone was "having fun and making money too!" I decided to give it a whirl. I mean come on, I am a smart person. If these people are making 37 bucks an hour, there is no reason I cant. And that was it.
I was very apprehensive about the whole thought of selling vacation packages over the phone. I mean, why not just list them on Orbitz or send out fliers or something. But I went through my weeks worth of training and came out believing that Fairfield was the best company ever. I mean come on, how could these people not WANT to take these cheap vacations. No pressure, just a casual tour, and a huge discount. I sold a ton of packages that week.
Our call center is located within 30 miles of Branson MO. While down there for dinner one night, I happened to pass one of the hotels I had been telling people about. This "first class hotel, three stars or better..." was not what I expected. We drove around and eventually found several of the hotels we talk up to our customers. I was disapointed. I went home and did some research. I came to find that these "luxurious" hotels were nothing more than run down roadside motels. Some with no pools, far away from the main attractions, etc. I also found that if you book a room yourself off the internet, you pay no more than 40 bucks a night for some of them. I sold a 3 day/2 night there for 149! I felt guilty. I researched some of the other hotels we use and was utterly disapointed. No wonder people wouldn't want to just jump at the opportunity. I had basically told them how awesome things were going to be there. Told them we put them in NICE hotels (as we are instructed to in training) that are always first class hotels. These people trusted my word, especially being a local in the Branson area. I felt horrible. I always want to have people's best interests in mind, no matter what job I do. So, based on my research I decided to compensate, i would begin to pitch my packages lower. Im honest, to a fault. If I don't feel like I am being honest, I wont sell. I need to believe myself that these people are getting a great deal. So at 99 bucks, it seems like a deal to me ;)
And then a couple weeks later, we had a meeting. The person who was running the meeting instructed us to insist in payment right away on the phone. Do not allow them to get online because if they happen to accidently google Fairfield Resorts instead of heading to our cozy www.fairfieldfun.com website, they would be directed to usacomplaints.com site. So naturally, I went home, googled it, and wound up here. I have spent a good deal of time reviewing this site.in all honesty, I strive to not be one of those people you read about here. Consequently, I am on the verge of being fired for not meeting my sales quota. I always nailed the quota before I realized I had been trained to be deceitful. Once I cleared that up and played the honest route, I don't get many sales. But you better believe that the ones who do buy from me know about the sales tour, and exactly what they are getting for their money.
The people I work with are all nice people. We are the bottom of this company's food chain so I don't hold it against my coworkers. They too came in to this company the same way I did, through that training class where you are taught to believe that this is the worlds best company with awesome vacation deals. However, most of them are not as curious as I am, and have never questioned the ways of the company. To be honest, I dont think many of them even realize that they are being deceitful. We are told to say in our pitch that "Fairfield processed over a half million credit card transactions without a single complaint last year" and " Over 500,000 families enjoy the Fairfield lifestyle". It is clear from this site, there are many who also do not enjoy the lifestyle, but coming out of the training here, you would NEVER think that. I don't think most of the people who work there have a clue.
If I could leave, I would. But I am stuck. No one else will hire me. Being a college graduate, you would think people would be lining up to hire me, even in typical retail or sales jobs. Nope. Overqualified, despite the fact I really know nothing about their product or services. I continue to struggle every week to even get a couple of sales. However, I never go to bed feeling guilty about screwing over someone.
In the fall I will begin my professional career and once again enjoy an honest employer with no "hidden secrets". Unfortunately, student loans, rent, insurance, etc must be payed until then. So for those of you who answer the phone and immediately start screaming at the Fairfield Rep, please be nice for the next few weeks. I am honest and trying to earn a living just like you, unfortunately I just work for someone that many of you dislike.
Melissa
Joplin, Missouri
U.S.A.
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