Job interview--Vector Marketing

Figgy

Alright I'm on the job hunt, being broke and unemployed after Christmas, and I need a job that I can work after 5 on weeknights and any time on weekends (I'm in school).

So, I got an interview for Vector Marketing. When I applied, I was under the impression that it was an office-type job with sales calls and what not. After some research I'm unsure, and now I have an interview.

I'm trying to decide whether or not I should call and cancel the interview. It seems to be a very sketchy position... the website is full of "employee testimonials" about how rewarding and fabulous it is to work for Vector. I mean, what company needs to convince people to work for them? Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?

I'm wondering if anyone could have a look at the site/ and tell me what they think. What kind of job does it sound like? I'm leaning toward thinking it's more of a door-to-door sales position.

Some extra tidbits:

-The lady that called me for the interview told me it paid $15.65/hr, and NOT based on sales. On the other hand, the website talks about employees needing to be "up for a challenge, and not worried about a guaranteed salary"

-I have to drive to Kitchener, Ontario for the interview, yet she said the actual job will be in Burlington, Ontario (where I live). So, I have to drive over an hour away. The website does not list an office in Burlington.

When I was told on the phone I had to drive to Kitchener, I said, "But the I will be working at the Burlington office?"

She said, "Uh yes, you will be working in Burlington."

-They were extremely pushy about booking the interview. I actually ignored the first call that went to my voice-mail (having doubts then) and received 2 separate emails urging me to call for an interview. Then, the second call I answered and the interview was booked. What company has to chase employees down to work for them?

Edit: I just found part of the site where I could input my name, email, and telephone number and it showed me a page with the details of my interview....wiiiierd.

More research revealed this:

Vector Marketing provides a base pay, varying by location, of $11-$23 per appointment. The base pay is not based on sales; and therefore, it enhances the confidence level of Vector reps and helps maintain a comfortable purchasing environment for our customers.

Vector also provides incentive pay, which is based on performance. Our representatives are guaranteed to average at least the base amount, and they can earn additional income through the incentive program.

Per appointment? So that's not per hour? I don't understand...

* Base pay with incentives
* Opportunity for advancement before graduation
* Flexible daily and weekly schedules determined by the representative who works as an independent contractor
* Opportunity to work in their hometown or away at school
* Can qualify for travel and other incentives
* Career opportunities after graduation

So it basically sounds like a sales from home gimic.. Fucking crap.

vonPoonBurGer

The CBC show Street Cents did a rundown on the company. It sounds like a pretty crappy setup for the students, unless you're an absolute whiz at selling people on stuff. Selling people sets of knives, to be precise. I don't know about you, but that sounds like the absolute last thing in the world I'd want to spend my time on.

Aoi Tsuki

A couple of friends of mine tried selling knives for these guys and found it extremely uncomfortable at best--and this was here in Texas. These assholes have their fingers up the whole nation's tookas. Well, that doesn't mean you're obliged to join the party: cancel your interview and politely tell them you changed your mind. "Because you're a bunch of goddamn scammers" probably won't go over well.

TL DR

It's a scam.

I actually had scheduled an interview, and ended up blowing it off. When they called, I went the "because you're fucking scammers" route. Satisfying.

Figgy

Thanks guys. You saved me about $30 in gas and an entire evening of sitting in an office with "Mr. Palmer."

Yes, the lady who booked the interview said I would be meeting with "Mr. Palmer."

I said, "Mr. Palmer?"

She said, "Yes. Palmer"

I was kind of hinting at getting the first name, but she just repeated herself...

Anyway, I'll call and cancel. I'll most likely just say I accepted a position elsewhere. If they ask where, I'll say, "A company that pays its employees." Aka: Anywhere else?

Becks

Thank god you're cancelling before that freakshow gets a chance to palm you

Shark_MegaByte

I poked around for info about Vector a few years ago when I was looking for work. I decided not to interview, either, because while I don't think they're a 'scam,' I do think they are "phone spammers." I don't have firsthand information, but canned website testimonials to the contrary, generally companies of this type put high pressure on their young ladder-bottom employees and are quick to drop you like a rotten fish if you don't meet their ambitious target stats. What's more, there is very little room for advancement within company, and the experience gained is only of basic, minimal value.

The one thing that kind of position has going is that many people find sitting and talking on the phone preferable to standing at a cash register or flipping burgers.

blanknogo

I did an interview with them once. It was a group interview and everyone in the room got hired. So yeah, absolute scam. I'm glad you didn't waste your time and money.

BlochWave

A friend of mine did that whole Vector thing, going to sell knives

After about 2 weeks he realized they were full of shit and he stopped showing up and stole his sample set of knives

nice knives

Baz

if you still need some information or anyone else wondering about it, my ex-girlfriend/current 'friend with benefits' started working there last summer and has recently moved up into the management side.

My position on them has always been that of a very shady company, and they are without a doubt that. The effort they spend on recruiting students is insane... random letters in your mailbox, stickers on your car, advertisements all over campus. And of course, they never tell you exactly what you'll be doing...

And they won't.

Well, not until your done with the interview process that is, and they've decided to hire you. You'll be selling knives... focusing moreso on full sets of knives than individual, but also smaller things such as pizza cutters and pie slicers. These puppies are expensive, but maybe they are worth it...not sure, as i'm not a knife expert.

As for how they pay you.. that's something that even confused me at first, and I'm finishing my BS in Business. I've had to explain this to my ex a hundred times when she was hired...

They advertise a 'guarenteed base pay,' which is usually between $15 and $18. Here's how it works:

For every appointment you make during EACH week, they will guarentee you, say, $15. So if you have 3 appointments, and you sell nothing, you get $45. However, they say "$15 or Commission, whatever is more". Now at first my ex thought that was amazing - but it's tricky. If you setup a handful of appointments, and sell nothing at any of them, but at the last one you sell a $1000 knife set, you might be thinking "great! if I get $15 for those first 5 appointments, and then the $100 (10% commission - i forget what you start at, but it goes up when you hit benchmarks). So now you are thinking "I get $75 for the appts and $100 for the sales, so i get $175! Wow, thats awesome!"

No, it isn't. Because you'll only get $100.

Sucker.

They don't even try to explain their pay system during much of the training, they let you figure that out on your own. See, they will 'guarentee' you $15 per appointment every week, or commission, whatever is more. Well, thats not per appointment. That's on a weekly basis. So if your commission for the week is less than your number of appointments multiplied by that fixed amount, you do get that $15 per appt. However, if your commission for the week is $.01 more than 'the number of appts. X fixed pay' you only get commission.

Oh yeah, it's pretty sweet. Now like i've said, this stuff is confusing. She still gets paychecks with what sometimes seem like random amounts paid to her. It's pretty hard to figure it out. Infact, it's a bitch to even try.

To further explain some stuff, you first setup appointsments to showcase and sell your knives (of course you have to buy a set to showcase, which will run you $150-200 or so) with family, friends, and relatives, all above a certain age and usually married (better chance to sell). Now, how you get your next appointments is you ask every person you meet with for about 10 people that they can refer you to, and who might be interested in buying knives (Or, as they like to say, people who will 'just take the time to help out a student by listening to their sales pitch"). This way, you call up these unknown people, and you say "oh, your friend soandso told me you might be interested'.

It's pretty much a strategic tactic to have the consumer believe that they somehow know you. It helps establish some kind of trust, so they dont think of you as a door to door salesman, even though it's pretty arguable that you are.

Now, you can make good money. My girl sold $10,000 over the summer, made a great amount of money and went on a small trip with some managers (which means I got her to buy my poor ass some new games). All you have to do is read basically a script during every appointment, never really go off the script (Vector doesn't want you trying to pitch the sale yourself - you stick with their pitch, word for word), and you might be set. It all depends on your personality, people skills, and how easily you can get appointments.

If you can't tell, my personal views on them arn't exactly positive. I believe they are a shady company with some shady (yet pretty smart - for them, atleast) tactics. They have all the sales people always say they need only a few more sales / appointsments to hit some kind of 'goal' when they are cold calling people, or tell them that their employer might give them some kind of cash for school if they get so many sales/appointments (thats a lie). So yeah... I know alot of people that get in and get out of that company, but as shady as they are they have people their who make an insane amount of money (salespeople, i'm not even talking about their managers who make alot).

Anyways, if anyone has any question's just let me know and I kind find out the answers.

- baz, out