Complaint Review: Party City - Phoenix Arizona

After having submitted my resume for a General Manager position for Party City, I recieved a call from Michael Hoeffel, "District Manager" of Party City from "Yuma to Phoenix Metro" for an interview. I went to the interbiew and was quite impressed with Mikes friendly, positive attitude and approach to the "25" new stores that were going to be opening.

During the interview I specifically asked how soon he was looking to hire and he told me "immediately", and that he was just going to either set up an interview with his boss, Michael Graham, or "most likely just get the OK because they trust his judgement."

During the interview Mike asked me what my salary requirements were and when I told him minimum 45k/year he told me how that was standard and that it ranged from 40k to 65k and when I had my own store an incentive that "was his favorite" was the unexpected 25% bonus that GM's reaching their "very modest" goals set by the company. We had a very nice and interesting conversation and I felt very comfortable with him and his leadership.

I called him later that day to thank him for the time that he had set aside for me and to tell him what a great impression I had of Party City. He told me that he was just calling Michael Graham (his boss) to talk to him about me and that he would let me know tommorow.

Believe it or not..I heard from him the next day and he said everything was set but that he could only offer me 40k/yr for thr first three weeks that I would be training ("accelerated training") and that thereafter the three weeks there was going to be an opening and it was mine and I would be making the regular GM salary with incentives.

He asked me to meet him at the Mesa store two days after to get copies of all my documents and sign papers. I met him there and I loved that it was a beautiful clean and organized store with VERY nice people working there. We filled out all the paperwork, he printed out a couple of handbooks for me to read and he told me that I would be training at the Party City at Metro Center The following day. He told me to be there at nine a.m. and that he would hav ethe manager over there ,"Chauncey" call me that evening.

I never reieved a call. I read all the material he provided me with that night , since he had stated that he needed for me to learn everything at an accelerated rate I wanted to step up and at least have an understanding of the GM and everybody elses role in the store so that I would not be such a burden on whoever was going to be training me.

The next day I showed up at MetroCenter Party City, early as I always am. I knocked at the front of the store that still haden't opened and no answer.

When someone did come to the front of the store she was somewhat scolding me and telling me that she had been up there and she didn't see anybody out there.

I'm not one to argue, especially over petty things like this and it has been my experience that the truth somehow always shines through anyhow so I just listened and continued being the friendly professional that I am. She and everybody that was there had the worst attitude and it seemed that it was especially towards me.

The store was DIRTY and disgusting with black gunk all over the cashier counter and registers. When the unfriendly (to both myself and the customers) girl at the register couldn't decide weather she was going to just give me attitude or give me the gossip of EVERYONE that worked there I told her that maybe this time would be more useful cleaning the dirty work area. She threw a fit.

It turns out that during the course of this week I was going to be paid to do freight and stock which I didn't have a problem with, I just was there to learn so I did it. When I asked the Manager if I should be shadowing her as to get a better understanding of the position, I got a response of loathing, nerve and disgust.

It turns out that Chauncey, whose son works at that store and whose husband is contracted to do maintenace at that store on a daily basis and paid by her with the companies "petty cash", tells me that she is also a "district Manager" and I was hired by Mike to be put in her district and she wasn't going to have it (especiallly because that store is top heavy and everybody working there seems to have an "understood" manager position including the unpleasant big girl at the register) because there are many people she has before me in line for even a Assistant Manager position.

Mike Graham (the big boss) went in that day and told me that Chauncey was in charge of when I would recieve the Manager position and when I asked her what was happening she said that she couldn't afford 40k anymore and that Mike lied about promoting me.

Turns out that her and Mike seem to be at odds. I had off the following day but asked If I could go in early to see the opening of the store procedures just to get a better understanding (in case I wasn't just being conned into quiting). I went in the next morning, reviewed all the opening procedures, left and the next day I got a call that I ws let go since I left, on the day I had off.

There are more exciting things that happened and that this three ring circus put me through, but the best part is that Mike Hoeffel will not return any of my phone calls and I have not recieved a check for the 8 days that I was employed by this company. I don't know who I'm supposed to call about any of this and was just left hanging and unpaid!

"General Manager in training"

Phoenix, Arizona
U.S.A.