So about 2 years ago or so, i use to work for a large company in their call center, while i was building the business i currently run. During my last few months there, i was placed into their retention department. You know, that place we go to, and they try to get you to stay around, or have you pay off what ever else is owed, that thing. It made me realize a few things about large companies, its what also made me quit working there, even though i loved working there. Though, it wasn’t just that, it was really what my boss’s boss told me during a meeting when i was having trouble dealing with some situations thrown at me.
But the sales person i talked to never told me about a 12 month contract.
I can’t tell you how many times while i was working there i would hear the line from a client along the lines of, “But the sales person i talked to never told me about a 12 month contract.”. So the program we sold, was sold on a 12-month commitment, however, instead of paying it all up front in one lump sum, you paid it on a month to month basis. In the Terms, it dictated that either clicking the “I agree” button, or paying your first renewal, tied you to the agreement, and if canceled outside of the first 30 days, full payment of the remaining term was due.
For the first few weeks of doing retention, hearing that, i genuinely thought that people where just saying it because they didn’t want to pay the couple hundred dollars it would cost at times. Which to be frank, the program was god awful to begin with, and they never wanted to improve, or even fix, anything. So after hearing it so often, then running across some “Odd” situations, i began to dig. During my little investigation, i found out that not only where the sales people not explaining the terms, but where at times flat out denying a term existed and that it was month to month. They even went through the setup process for many clients, clicking the “I agree” button on their behalf, not even explaining its contents.
Our required response to situations like that, no matter the reasoning was, quiet plainly “You should have read the terms before you agreed then.”. I can not tell you how many times i had to sit on a phone and listen to some little old lady, or some person whos just trying to make ends meat and use a program to help them in doing that, tell me how they cant pay that, and that they where never told. I felt for them, i really did, and i fought damned hard every time to fix the issue, because when it came down to it, it is the companies job to provide full and transparent information on these sorts of things, which they where not.
I brought the issue up to my boss i cant tell you how many times, Given that it was every time an issue like this came up, which was frequent, I’m sure it was in the hundreds. A lot of the times he agreed with me, because he felt the same way i did, and we fixed the issues but either waiving the “Cancellation fee” or providing a substantial discount, depending on circumstances. But no matter how many times i complained, or it was brought up in meetings, nothing ever changes, hell it got worse over time. Finally i really, truely, had enough. November of that year i brought it up to not only my boss, but his boss as well.
It doesn’t matter where you go, You are always going to deal with this.
We had 2 meetings in regards to this whole thing. The first meeting was for us to discuss the issue itself, the sales team, and how their sales tactics where. I was advised the management of the team had been made aware, and that they where going to receive further training. At that point, i had been told that same thing a few times, so i asked “if they get so much training, why don’t they just hire better people”, to the laughs of no one. I had never dealt with a company whos sales people, the ones who are suppose to help you get the best product for what you need at the best price, would knowingly fuck people over who may be return buyers. Then i remembered “Big daddy hosting” (Not the real name, but i’m betting you can figure it out) does similar stuff with their “Support” people.
Anyways, after a long talk, i was told something while walking out the door. My Boss’s Boss looked at me and said “Ya know Jake, I’ve worked in a lot of places, and it doesn’t matter where you go, you’re always going to deal with this sort of stuff. Its just how it works”. That was the moment i knew that job was no longer suited for me.
I went home that day, and pondered on those words, i did for a few days. It made me come to 2 conclusions.
- The simple fact that this person believes that no matter where you go, they will deal with this, is the exact reason it doesn’t, and hasn’t changed
- I can not morally work for a company who knowingly allows its sales people to do shady sales tactics.
So the second meeting came about a week or so later, i quit. I gave them my 2 weeks notice, picked up some sysadmin work, and began focusing on working for my self. So far its paid of fairly well, I don’t make as much as i use to, sure, but i’m happy, and i’m content in knowing that every client i have, has exactly what they need, for the best price i can offer.
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