"Hello, My name is Jason! I want to thank you so much for your time today and I'm going to do a great job on your carpet. Also, the machine I'm showing you is for sale."
So after my first day of actual work for Kirby Vacuums I started to feel those reviews made against the company over at www.consumeraffairs.com are true. And why wouldn't they be? During my training RJ showed me the reviews and I couldn't believe all the stuff people said. But was it true? They didn't run a background check on me, and everything sounded so good. The numbers they put on the white board were crazy and the way they taught us to present the Kirby Vacuum was so easy.
My friend Charles found this job on Craig's list, told us the numbers and all that good stuff. Anthony and I were so happy to finally nail a job, and oh how easy it was to work there. Anyways, I was told by the company that there would be people out there setting up appointments for us to do the demo and show the product. This was only half of the truth, the other half is that all of us have to go out and get appointments. All of us have to go door to door and ask if they want a complimentary carpet shampoo. No mention of the Kirby Vacuum at all, and why would we tell them if we wanted to get inside their house and sell them one?
Normally a person would say "HELL NO" if you asked them if they could show you an expensive vacuum. It's almost like Time-Share. You go on a beautiful vacation only to be interrupted by a salesman. We go and do a free carpet shampoo for you as long as you sit through our persuasion skills. It's disgusting, and I'm working for this company.
Well I have good news, I'm quitting. Sure, $400.00 a week at the minimum sounds damn good but that's just numbers. I can show you the numbers that would make you call me crazy, and yeah without 1st hand experience out on the field it's a damn good way to make money. Let's talk about my first day.
Since Kirby isn't a corporate business you don't get that health, dental, etc insurance. But that's not important if you can pull in $1,000.00-$1,500.00 a week. No, it's the fact that you only work for 8 hours a day. A normal day working for Kirby would start at 10:00AM for a prep talk that lasts to 12:00PM then you're out there on your feet going door to door asking if people want free shampooing. My first day ended at 9:00PM which ment that I was working for 11 hours.
Also let me tell you in order to get your minimum paycheck of $400.00 you need to do a total of 15 demos in a week. I did 2 and they drained the life out of me. You don't have a lunch break at all so you need to pack your lunch with you and after a block of "canvasing" you need to quickly eat your lunch.
Here's a fun fact, if you type in "Kirby Vacuums" in Google the third link will be consumer affairs where people tell you how Kirby really sells and shit.
I'd rather flip burgers and have those awkward moments with friends seeing me work instead of cheating people out of their money. Everyone has morals, and if you don't then you're a cold motherfucker that deserves no respect. And what I can tell from the experienced employees over at Kirby they do resemble assholes.
So my advice is never work for Kirby, and if one day someone comes to your door and tells you "Hi! My name is _____, Don't worry you don't have to buy anything. We're doing some work with your neighbors and what we're doing is a complimentary carpet shampooing! Free of charge! The catch is we can only do 1 room. So where in your house would be the most foot traffic? Living room, Kid's room, Stairs..." slam that fuckin door in their face.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/in_home/kirby.htmHERE'S A QUOTE FROM A PERSON THAT WORKED FOR KIRBY:
"Jason of Hastings, NY August 26, 2009
I saw an add on craigslist saying Rug Shampooers needed! The pay was 1850 a month plus bonuses. Sounded like great money to me. I go to the interview and 15 mins later I am hired. They didnt even ask for id or do a background check. I was a bit put off, but I was working at a gas station and I was not making squat, so it sounded like a better offer.
How wrong I was. I found out (TA-DA!) that I would be selling kirby vacuums! Well after the 3 days of unpaid training ( I wont do there on how stupid it was), the whole sales pitch sounded easy. HAHAHA. I must have been the world's bigget fool. We would come in at 10 am, sit there and do nothing for an hour, sing stupid songs, Then drive an hour and a half to 2 hours to where ever we would be selling.
They said we could have people setting appointments for us. Not. We had to walk around neighborhoods knocking on doors all day trying to practically push our way into houses. You hvae to skip lunch half of the time, and you get to walk around in freezing weather knocking on doors.
The Management is a joke. They are allowed to talk to you however you want and sont have a problem with telling you that you are worthless. A manager and I almost got into a fistfight because he thought he could sit there and insult me just because I didnt get into a house. Everyone is the office is either a felon, druggie, or both. The majority of the people you work with are sleeping with each other.
I worked for these for a month and a half and I never even saw the 1850 I was promised. The owner will do whatever he can to make sure he does not have to pay you. I posted an ad on craigslist, and [the owner] was texting my cellphone saying he was going to put me in jail for slander. I told him to stop and he continued to harass me. I am still trying to catch up on all the bills I have because of these scam artists. If you see any add like that on craigslist, avoid it. IF you got to a job interview and they tell you it has ANYTHING to do with Kirby, run out the door like your pants are on fire. IF you are in liverpool, this is the Address for Lamaan Hill's scam of a company: 900 Old Liverpool Rd # 3 Liverpool, NY 13088-8538 (315) 451-6300 GO there and tell him what a scam artist he is. Get him out of our city!"
