Complaint Review: Kirby Company - Painesville Ohio

I worked for a Kirby branch for about a month. I worked in the office part, taking the loan applications and sending them off to be processed, also doing the paychecks for the "distributors" (the guys/gals who were trying to make a living selling these $1800 vacuum cleaners). Their distributors are only paid a commission based on whether the customer's loan was an "A" (edcellent), "B" (Good) or "X" (Barely got it) loan "A" loans are the only loans the distributor makes that 10 percent commission. Problem is not many customers who buy a Kirby get an "A" (perfect) loan! In the month I worked there I only saw one "A" loan and that person cancelled their order anyhow which leads me to my next point: Kirby also screws customers. I was routinely left alone in the office, receiving calls of distributors who arrived at a customer's house. If the customer didn't want to buy, then I had to transfer the call to our "top" guy. (He's the one who tries to convince you that you will make all sorts of money selling these Kirbys!) Then he would try and try to talk reluctant customers into getting the vacuums. I heard him tell one lady who said she couldn't afford it: "If you can afford $100 a month in groceries, why can't you spend $80 a month to keep your house clean, just think of your kids!" He was trying to guilt trip her! If customers came back wanting to return their Kirbys and get their old vacuums back, well, they never seemed to be able to "find" the customer's old vac, or else they told the customers it was too late, you're stuck with the Kirby and the outrageous loan! Too bad for you, the loan can't be rescinded after 72 hours! What a way to treat people! Another part of my job was: When the "top" guy would call all the "new hires" in for the "interview", they had me order pizzas and sodas while they tried to convince them they would make all sorts of money selling Kirbys. The turnover rate was extreme, 20 plus per week, I kid you not. 20 new faces PER WEEK. And when people would call in asking about our ad in the paper: $1800 per week in our setup/display department! No experience necessary! They would naturally ask what they would be putting together or whatnot, I was told to tell them it was "maintenance equipment" or "home electronics," never tell them the truth over the phone, just get them to come in for the "interview"! How dishonest can you get? I also witnessed the fat cat who was the owner of this particular branch of Kirby giving "loans" to one of his distributors, who was earning about $500 per week because he was a really good salesman (and always had the "new" people with him helping him sell and supposedly split the commission), but when you figure all the loans he owed the boss man he really made less than $100 per week! Who can live on that? (I had to figure his paychecks with this so-called "running total"; I thought it was immoral and no legitimate company would do this to an employee!) I quit when the "top" guy and the owner both had their windows on their vehicles broken out and keyed up one side and down the other. It scared me, I know it was probably a disgruntled customer or former employee who got screwed. As for Kirby vacuums I cannot say one way or the other about the product (other than it being EXPENSIVE) but I can say that Kirby as a COMPANY is the most unethical place I have ever worked. They want you to chant "WE'RE POSITIVE" and yet they are anything but "positive"! Stay away from these guys, they are bad news.