I wished I found this sooner. </URL removed/ > Most of the reporting is for [World Perfume] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Perfume> /[Scentura Creations] </URL removed/>. Here in St. Louis it goes by either [Ultimate Fragrance] </URL removed/ >or [Ultimate Wholesale] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scentura >, though the other office they will send you to lists on yellow book as Universal. 314-344-1998 or 314-434-0004
After researching this company I was thinking about working for, I now feel the need to share with those who need and want to know, what the real story is. I am not here to slander, mealy to show the full story and make people fully educated before they make I decision about this company; some of the experiences I have seen has been as far back as 2002.
I was looking for a job on Craigslist and came across this ad for an Assistant/Manager and sent my resume to the email posted in the advertisement.
THE ADD
Assistant/Manager (STL)
Date: 2008-11-23, 2:22PM CST
Exec. looking for a dynamic, goal oriented and dependable assistant/manager to help run regional office. I would prefer no experience(I find it easier to train my way) but if you have some you must be willing to learn. Daily duties would be assisting in managing an office. Opening and closing, making daily bank deposits, assisting in interviews, answering phones, motivating the sales crews, inventory as well other various office duties. I would prefer a sharp dresser, someone that is highly enthusiastic with a positive attitude towards people and life! Must be able start right away, be extremely dependable and motivated. The income is between $500 and $800 per week and the hours would be 9-5 Monday through Friday and an hour or so on Saturday mornings occasionally. Please only respond if you fit what I am looking for.
• Location: STL
• Compensation: tbd
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
Amazing, I got a response back from a Jenny – later that evening; Here is the whole email….
“Looks good! Give me a call tomorrow and I'll set up an interview with you! Please make sure when you set up an appointment that you are on time though and show up. The only times I am interviewing is tomorrow from 10:00 to 4:00 and on Tuesday from 9:30 to 3:30. We are also looking for someone who can start the next Monday on December 1st. Please also bring in a hard copy of your resume to make the application process faster if you can."
Jenny 314-344-1998
Well I called had my first interview – with Rachael not Jenny. Naturally it was only 15 minutes. I knew when I went in the office (which was sparsely decorated) there were 3 other applicants waiting for the speed interview and 2 in the hall. Rachael asked ME to call her back at 4:00 to see if I had been selected to come back for the 2nd Interview, which will be at 12:00 Wednesday of Friday.
So at 4:00 I called and was excited to learn that I was selected for the 2nd one, to bring a pen and paper to take notes as well as dress sharp!-as if a person going for a 2 hour interview wouldn't know to do so.
*Number: 314.344.1998
*Address: 3801 McKelvey (in the Maytag Building)
*Phone Book Says: Ultimate
*BBB Says: N/A
I tried to Google them but only found their address and phone number under MapQuest. There was a report from Rip-Off, but it really didn't say much, -until I looked at it the next week-but gave me some suspicions that I tucked away until I went on Wednesday (just 2 days ago) for the 2nd interview (or as we were told it is the “Personality Interview") – which come to find out is a joke because no one was allowed to talk or ask questions so how would he know what our personalities are?) and was shocked to see 30 other people. David (the Regional Manager) and Jenny (ah, I finally met Jenny, who come to find out was actually married to David) split the interviewing show up. As soon as we were seated in the “training room", there was a white board with some information on it we were told to write down. I actually took really good notes. This is what we had to write down:
Ultimate Fragrance
Corporate Training Center
Regional Headquarters, Midwest Division
Founded: 1974
Regional Manager: David (who claims he's been there 16 years, started out in LA and moved to STL)
Office Managers: Jenny (8 years David’s Wife)
Rachael ‘’’(jenny's replacement?)’’’
NO LAST NAMES!!! Strange huh?
David started the session and brought Jenny in for another part. It was suppose to be 1 ½ hour, but wound up being 2 ½ hours.
David said that there was going to be another group coming in on Friday (today) and that he knew some people were not meant for this position. Hell NO, Unemployment is so high here in St. Louis, people are begging for a job and nothing would scare anyone off to get paid. He said he wanted to open up approx. 17 “branches", which meant hiring 17 people. They promote within and have 0 turn around. The company grew 200% in 2007 and it is a $39 Million business.
They had over 250 applicants and I should be proud that I was one of the 50 finalists!
The qualifications were very specific:
- Character
- Outstanding Attitude
- Fun, Friendly, Great sense of Humor
- Hard Worker, willing to work
- Takes pride
- Competitive
- Enthusiastic, High Energy
- Excited to Learn
- People follow People with Passion
- Non Traditional Management
And Most Important – EXCEPTIONALLY HONEST
Position is for a ‘’’Manager or to Run a Distribution Center’’
Responsible for all money, merchandise, hiring/firing, wants to be in charge, have fun
* David said they are NOT a:
- Multi Level Marketing Company
- A pyramid company
- Mary Kay, Avon type company
Will NOT be require to invest money
No Application, Training is FREE and there is no telemarketing.
Then Jenny came in to talk about the Training Program and that the average person earns the first year between $35 – 55K as well as the different “grades" of perfume.
She also told the story – just like I read on your page, again, almost verbatim, about the guy from Calvin Kline taking the formula process to the Supreme Court and that they found since it really only has 3 “natural" ingredients – Water, Alcohol and oil, no one can patient anything natural.
Most high dollar perfumes cost anywhere from $150 – 300, but they offer the same highest quality of perfume and that they figured out to save money, get rid of the fancy box the high dollar perfumes come in and the fancy bottles and the celebrity endorsements. They sell their bottles in 3.3 fl oz for 24.99 or 27.00 (with tax) all at the Parfume strengths. And only sell the top 20-30 (both men and women) perfume.
She said that they have over 900 offices in the US and Internationally.
Then she talked about their training program and mentioned that the training is considered “torture" and very fast pace. Training will be 60-90 days but some may complete it before then and even the most ambitious will have it completed in 30 days.
She covered the 3 areas of training:
- Marketing/Sales
- Business to Business (Most Common)
- Individual Sales (Ads, Walk-ins)
- Friends & Family
- Group Sales (Bulk)
- Parking Lots
- Power Teams (On Fridays all the “Branch Managers" get together for a competitive meeting)
- We will be selling approx. 50 bottles within 2-9 days just so we, as Branch managers, know how it is, like cross training
- Training/Management
-Start training 1-2 people to ease in
- Problem Solving
- People speaking
- Manage 5 people
- Administration
-Banking/bookkeeping/paperwork
After that then the INCOME while we were in training was discussed.
We were told that while we were training the average person makes anywhere from $200-500 a week to start. The money will not be in the form of a check but CASH. There are a variety of ways to earn the money. They have Bonus, profit and daily cash incentives – DURING TRAINING ONLY and will start on the first day of training. What they consist of is
1. Attitude Bonus – Conditioning
2. Sales and Performance Bonus
3. Management Bonus
At the end of training, we would start our annual salary. I must say that Jenny did keep us entertained! Then David came back in for the final part – Rules, Title, Benefits…..
Training Rules to Follow:
1. No Drugs or Alcohol (Duh)
2. Can't miss a Day (unless something was preplanned, religious, military or death)
3. It will be from 9-5, Monday through Friday, occasionally on Saturday mornings from 9-10
4. Light business dress – for an office environment.
Our Titles will be Branch Manager. Our office locations will be determined the first week of training. We will not be required to relocate. Salary will start at $35, 000 AFTER training and an average office sales approx 250 bottles a week.
There is profit sharing, insurance, vacations pay and they lots of get together such as Sports games, Six Flags, Bowling league, cook outs. Sounds like a great place to work.
Then David told all of us to call him (wouldn't you think if someone was going to hire you, they should call you???) Between 3:30 and 4:30 to find out if we were accepted and to come back for our first day of training. Then he had us fill out another form saying it was for insurance purposes, which now I wished I never filled it out. We had to give them all of our data, besides address, phone numbers, SSN, Driver's license number, if we have ever been convicted of a felony, went bankrupted, our car make/model and car license number.
On the back was two statements indicating that we acknowledge most of the information they discussed; not a pyramid, MLM etc.
*we had to sign a paper saying that we understood that if we were to slander the company-which had been done many times before-we would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
We'll like I said earlier, the “interview/comedy show" (they did use colorful words and were very entertaining) started at noon and we didn't get out of there until 2:40 and it's a long drive for me. So as soon as I got home, I called. And guess what????
I was chosen! Yep, out of the 250 applicants, he liked my personality! Even though he only shook my hand, but noticed that I was taking lots of notes.
I'm to bring a pen and paper back with me. I am a VERY MOTOVATED PERSON and I know that is what they were looking for. This job sounded too good to be true!
I started to get suspicious later that night while talking to my other half There were a lot of unanswered questions so I thought I'd dig a little deeper and I really hadn't found very much...not even in the BBB listings.
So I went on to Day 1:
To Start bring with you DAILY
1. (David says to repeat the numbers after him-SHOUTING)
Notebook (they tell you then to bring a 3 ring binder and folders for handouts)
2. a SMILE
3. PARTISAPATION-be aggressive and impress someone
4. Enthusiasm
Then there's talk of "Loyalty" and his being old fashioned.
Building rules ect...
then to the talk of "Tack Tracking" and the group within the group" of highly motivated people he's looking to move up really fast and get them into their office by the first few weeks of 2009.
1. Great Attitude-not just how well you take the good, but the bad as well.
2. Confidence in A) The Product B) The Business C) Yourself
3. Give 150% every day
Then you get the Product info and go over cash $27 Checks make payable to ENTERPRISE (not them) for a fee of $1 a bottle Credit Cards are $1.25 Fee/bottle They you are told in Friends and Family you will get 1 "Parfume for Life" vouture for every bottle you sell that night up to 10.--When you get these you will find that you have to work for them 90 days or the ticket is void.
ATTITUDE CHECK-you are told that this is screamed out in the morning and end, and anywhere randomly to wake everyone up and boost morale.
David goes on to tell you :open and honest" why he NEEDS to fast track and the different levels in away differently and Jenny had the day before.
Then a side note "Jenny had a baby a few months ago and is trying to not only hire managers for their own offices, but to take Jenny's place too so she can be at home with the baby." everyone thinks to them self-SHIT he said that his office does +1000 a week, I could get rich!
Sales:
1. FNP "Friendly" new Person
2. Asst. Manager
Training/Evaluating and Management
3. Trainer
4' Sr. Trainer
5. Manager
Admin.
6. Sr. Manager
7. Exec
OWN OFFICE
Promotions are on Sat.--Work towards a "Promotion A Week"
David goes on to say "remember when Jenny told you that you needed to sell 50 to get your 1st promotion, well because I really want to get this 'group out of the group' I'm going to bend the rules and make it only 30"
Then he outlines the Bonus for the night
Friend and Family
only rule: don't talk to Strangers
1. Get Organized-make a call list 2. Get excited 3. Set a goal
$$$$$$$$$$
David's Own Add on 5+ bottles sole is a $25 participation cash bonus
10+~$50 15+~$75-----25+$200---40+~$400
then a profit sharing raffle--the group must sell an average of 15 then there's a raffle for everyone selling 3+ to get $500 CASH!!!
Then he says that real reason it to motivate you and that to add to it he will count every bottle you see as 2 towards the new lower goal of 30 for your promotion-which he will move up to the next day-and you can still work to the one Sat. (that moves you up 2 weeks in the possible 7 week program) So you only have to sell 15 and you'll get $75 and a promotion at noon the next day.
"Through the training you will be an independent contractor, the cash is accounted for, but you have to claim it on your taxes if you wish, but they only report what they give out, not to whom."
Then you are told to call at a specific time from 5:00-6:00 to confirm any info you didn't put on the form from the second interview, which is supposed to be an insurance form for your office.
As you leave you will be told some sort of encouraging words to make you work to the promotion
Day 2:
You are given "Early" the sale's pitch and the "Color Codes" list
the boxes don't have names, you have to know the color to know the product.
Personal info on David's life and he says he's an "Asshole about 3 things- Negativity, Drugs, and Lazy people"
Class- "10 Steps to {running a successful} Office"
1. Be On Time
2.PaW (see above)
3. DWIT-Do Whatever It Takes
4. Set and Meet Goals every day
5. Never get DISCURAGED-it's the kiss of death
6. Plan for your Success-do something every day for your office but a pen, look at locations
7. Take the opportunity Seriously
8. DON'T QUIT
9. Master Presentation-everything is wrote out from the sales pitch to answering the phone to training classes and interviews
10. Always be proud of yourself
Law of Averages: 10 people of every 100 people who try it buy it, but as you get better more will buy it
Homework:
1. Memorize sales pitch
2. Friends and Family part 2- the first round didn't go as well as hoped, so the 2 counting for every 1 sold still applies.
the Bonus will be a money box where every 3 bottles sold gets you a grab into the box for a bill of anything from a 5 to a 100, but if you have a good attitude you will get a 20 if you pull a 5 or 10.
3. Write down on paper your name, where you would like your office to be located and 3 goals you would like David's help achieving this week"
4. Re-read to 10 steps
You leave with 5 samples that you can sell but MUST have back, even if you quit-or they call the cops next day by 5 pm
Day 3:
Rachael goes over codes and the pitch with you
Contact: Hi quick question for you, what type of fragrance do you wear (give examples)
Presentation: [HAND LIST AND TALK]The reason I ask is that I work for a Wholesale Fragrance Company and we HAVE (not SELL) the top designers for 50-80% off
Merch In Hand: [Hand them the Bottle]
Hi-Low: Down at Department Stores like___That would normally run from $90-$120, But I can GIVE (not SELL) it to you form only 24.95
Key Phrase: FAIR ENOUGH? (nothing else, not would you like it)
Shut Up: (let them answer)
Close: How would you like to pay for that? Cash, Check, or Charge?
you do "pitch class" what the HoT SEAT and WHOO-WHO's
David then comes in and tells you about his Boss, Richard-a "divisional manager, one of 5" and the business structure of 5 Div. 80 Regional (David) and their Managers (what you're there for)
You are then paired up and sent out to sell-wherever you want to go-with a Call Back time of 2:00
You are now told that you will receive an Instant gratification Bonus of $7-meaning that for every bottle you sell you only have to turn in $20, and keep the rest, which also leave room to barter.
When returning at the required time (3:00-5:00) you and your teammate sit and talk to David and receive directions to another office "where great leaders will help you sell more and teach you more."
You Leave with 10 bottles-if not checked into office by 5-cops are called
• New Office: 314-434-0004
• Phone book Says: Universal
• BBB Says: general Sales-no Complaints (well if you file with BBB they know you and try to sue you-so I'm here)
• Div Man: Richard (20+ Years)
• Off Man: Jez (3 Years)
• Desk: Kat
• Address: 2303 Weldon Parkway, STL, MO’’’
Day 4:
Pitch Class Again-odd how they do it the same exact way Whoo-Who's and all.
In the pitch the ones that have been there give, they say 1 for 20 or 2 for 35
WOW--at the other office it was 27 w/tax-and I got 7, now if I sell one I make nothing and if I sell 2 I loss money?
NO-you turn in $17 per bottle here- and cash only, no check or Card-who has cash on them anymore?
You go over the stuff from the day before but this time "Law of Averages: 10 people of every 100 people who try it buy it, but as you get better more will buy it" is said to be-not for every person you talk to but for every 100 people that you get to actually spay it on you will get 10 to buy.
The game of the day is announced-Teams are selected-Off you go with 10 samples
You are told to go into anything other than a mall, church, School, of somewhere where they sell fragrances-EVEN if there's a "NO Solicitation" sign
After a day of selling (10:30ish to 4:30 ish) back to chat with a manager
Take notes off the board
IF the next day is Friday (probably will be)
in the meeting you promise to have a great attitude, to DO WHATEVER IT TAKES; and to clear you schedule and commit to being there until at LEAST 9 pm for a POWER TEAM {I signed up for a 9-5, I've got a life!}
After the individual meeting, you hear about off the great things that Friday’s bring-Challenges-a guy in a dress that lost...
You are told that your goals are: 1st Friday-7 bottles 2nd 10 and leaders 15-you hear that others have done 46, 57, ect...
you are told that you can sell that night to get an "early start" and that if you meet your goal that you only turn in 15 for every bottle you sell.
You again leave with 10 to have to return or sell-bringing back the $$
I am a smart Person, locked in a jobless economy, trying to find something to do to pay the bills hopefully more- While out selling, I gently asked questions-and the Scheme formed before me:
*The leader I had was almost done with training there 8 weeks or so (I was told that by this step I would be learning paperwork not selling)
*I learned about "Satellites" where 3 or so people are sent to a town, put up in a motel and "scout" that are selling for 2.5-3.5 days (I didn't sign up for travel)
*I heard about fun trips, but haven’t learned what they are yet.
Then you Uricka moment-I learn that you have the option when looking for your office,
You choose to open a regular office or a training center like David's
*Regular Offices hire distributors-sales people (who will only make $5-$10 a bottle, who can live on that?)
* Training centers like David's---Where you hire “managers” and they make you money as they DO Whatever It Takes to get their office
Ah-HA!!! Though you signed a paper during the second day of interviews that said that you understood that this was not a "Multi-Level Management Company" I know now that it CAN be and that the only real way to make money at this is to perpetuate the system.
They only question to remain, do I feel comfortable perpetuating the system?
Do You?