Hired this week as a "Sales Specialist"

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
The better you know the product, the better salesman you are able to be. I really don't see the problem. You were being paid to learn your product.

Yeah but... nuts and bolts? that doesn't exactly make your head spin

I'm sure there isn't too much substance to nuts and bolts, but working on the floor creating them for 5 weeks will still give you a better appreciation, 100% complete understanding, and sell-stories to tell potential clients. I still don't see the problem. Now, the OP may be spending 5 weeks without pay trying to find that next job.

Edit: I voted yes, and I have a Bachelor's and am currently working on my MS.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: ballmode

BTW: Pay was ONLY 14.75 an hour, good money for factory work, but for sales ehhh

I always thought factory work was more like $20 an hour. Guess it depends on the factory.

Does sound like a strange way to "train" people. It's not like lifting boxes of bolts gives you some sort of intimate knowledge about their quality and specs.

 

[HydroSqueegee]

exactly. how long will it take to find a new job? a couple weeks searching, interviews, more interviews... it can take a long time.
But who knows, maybe something will come fast at an even better pay rate.

 

[HydroSqueegee]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: ballmode

BTW: Pay was ONLY 14.75 an hour, good money for factory work, but for sales ehhh

I always thought factory work was more like $20 an hour. Guess it depends on the factory.

Does sound like a strange way to "train" people. It's not like lifting boxes of bolts gives you some sort of intimate knowledge about their quality and specs.

the manufacturing process gives you a great deal of knowledge about the product. Only union shops make good cash. I pulled a crappy $9.50 an hour on a 45 minute commute. And this was only back in 2000.

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
The better you know the product, the better salesman you are able to be. I really don't see the problem. You were being paid to learn your product.

Yeah but... nuts and bolts? that doesn't exactly make your head spin

I'm sure there isn't too much substance to nuts and bolts, but working on the floor creating them for 5 weeks will still give you a better appreciation, 100% complete understanding, and sell-stories to tell potential clients. I still don't see the problem. Now, the OP may be spending 5 weeks without pay trying to find that next job.

From what I know of factory work, it is mostly repetitive movement with a small amount of inventory mixed in. Putting object A into machine B a thousand times a day for 5 weeks is not going to give him enough knowledge to warrant that work. A simple tour of the production process, with maybe a week on the line, would be enough for him to understand how it's made.

With that said I probably would have stuck it out, but from what I know about the OP's job it is a stupid policy.

 

[Randum]

doesnt sound like sales to me..

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: Farang
From what I know of factory work, it is mostly repetitive movement with a small amount of inventory mixed in. Putting object A into machine B a thousand times a day for 5 weeks is not going to give him enough knowledge to warrant that work. A simple tour of the production process, with maybe a week on the line, would be enough for him to understand how it's made.

With that said I probably would have stuck it out, but from what I know about the OP's job it is a stupid policy.

It will if he approaches the work with the mindset of learning the product. Though I'm not sure what exactly they do, so there might not be enough substance to warrant a period of 'training' that long.

However, the company felt it was necessary, and I don't see the problem. 5 weeks is not that long, and he's still making decent money while being prepared, in the company's mind, for his position.

 

[TXHokie]

It was a test of endurance and you have failed my grasshopper.

 

[bctbct]

Originally posted by: ballmode

Originally posted by: bctbct
Maybe when they sized you up they thought you liked nuts.

Seriously you come off as that job being beneath you and over the years I have met several people that were hands on and they become better employees and have a real understanding of their job from both views.

You should have stuck with it and worked toward your end goal.

Seeing as I was still on "restricted" status. That mean no insurance, no benefits, no 401k, no nothing until 60 days had passed.

If I took one day off I was wrote up, two days off I was canned. This even included doctors visits. It was a lost hope for me.


For all those people who voted yes, I'd like to see if you were a college grad or not.

No offense but welcome to the real world. These policies are sometimes made to weed out the people that eventually dont make good employees.

A college degree is a vehicle to a career not a ticket. Suck it up, pay your dues, eventually you will tell new employees all the shitty things you did when you started.

 

[NL5]

Sounds like a good way to weed out people that don't want to work.........As well as familiarize the sales reps with exactly what they are selling. The bigger question is why would you take a job for $14.75 am hour if you have a degree?

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Farang
From what I know of factory work, it is mostly repetitive movement with a small amount of inventory mixed in. Putting object A into machine B a thousand times a day for 5 weeks is not going to give him enough knowledge to warrant that work. A simple tour of the production process, with maybe a week on the line, would be enough for him to understand how it's made.

With that said I probably would have stuck it out, but from what I know about the OP's job it is a stupid policy.

It will if he approaches the work with the mindset of learning the product. Though I'm not sure what exactly they do, so there might not be enough substance to warrant a period of 'training' that long.

However, the company felt it was necessary, and I don't see the problem. 5 weeks is not that long, and he's still making decent money while being prepared, in the company's mind, for his position.

I guess it depends on the product and the actual nature of the work. If this is their version of training, 5 weeks is acceptable but again it all depends on what they are making him do on the factory floor. So I suppose we can't know unless we had more information.

 

[BarneyFife]

I would have quit too. Lifting boxes is not training.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: ballmode

BTW: Pay was ONLY 14.75 an hour, good money for factory work, but for sales ehhh

I always thought factory work was more like $20 an hour. Guess it depends on the factory.

Does sound like a strange way to "train" people. It's not like lifting boxes of bolts gives you some sort of intimate knowledge about their quality and specs.

Union factory yes, non union not a fucking chance

theres a local factory where i live, they start people at 9$/h, people who have been there 20 years are lucky to be making 20$ an hour

 

[PaNsyBoy8]

the OP said they has specific spots for him on the line, meaning he wasn't doing the same thing for the whole 5 weeks. This training period would have been great for you to learn the process and really get an understanding of the company. Many of those who have never worked on the factory floor don't have a complete grasp of what's going on, this would have given you some insight and could have helped you in the long run.

and incase you are wondering, i do have a degree.

 

[XZeroII]

2nd and 3rd days, they tell me to go work on the factory floor as part of my training, they even planned out where on the line I would go from spot to spot for the next 5 weeks.

Back breaking work and the whole time I thought to myself, this is what I went to college for 4 years for? I thought my reason for going to college was that I didn't have to work on a factory floor for the rest of my life!

Are you only planning on living for 5 more weeks or something?

 

[Glitchny]

lol I have a degree and I'm working on my second and I worked in a factory for $8/hr. Suck it up

Actually it was the factory Anubis mentioned above. Hell as far as im concerned $14/hr is a decent amount of pay, and its only a marketing degree.... not rocket science here.

 

[ballmode]

Originally posted by: PaNsyBoy8
the OP said they has specific spots for him on the line, meaning he wasn't doing the same thing for the whole 5 weeks. This training period would have been great for you to learn the process and really get an understanding of the company. Many of those who have never worked on the factory floor don't have a complete grasp of what's going on, this would have given you some insight and could have helped you in the long run.

and incase you are wondering, i do have a degree.

Couldn't I have been better off taking notes and observing instead of trying to meet deadlines and hustling about?

 

[Auric]

Perhaps it was partly practical and partly to test fortitude. Five weeks seems excessive but then you will never know if that was true or subterfuge.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: XZeroII

2nd and 3rd days, they tell me to go work on the factory floor as part of my training, they even planned out where on the line I would go from spot to spot for the next 5 weeks.

Back breaking work and the whole time I thought to myself, this is what I went to college for 4 years for? I thought my reason for going to college was that I didn't have to work on a factory floor for the rest of my life!

Are you only planning on living for 5 more weeks or something?

He's apparently one of those 'immediate gratification' Gen Y'ers. I fear for our workforce if there are too many of them.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: ballmode

Originally posted by: PaNsyBoy8
the OP said they has specific spots for him on the line, meaning he wasn't doing the same thing for the whole 5 weeks. This training period would have been great for you to learn the process and really get an understanding of the company. Many of those who have never worked on the factory floor don't have a complete grasp of what's going on, this would have given you some insight and could have helped you in the long run.

and incase you are wondering, i do have a degree.

Couldn't I have been better off taking notes and observing instead of trying to meet deadlines and hustling about?

Learn-by-doing.

 

[PaNsyBoy8]

Originally posted by: ballmode

Originally posted by: PaNsyBoy8
the OP said they has specific spots for him on the line, meaning he wasn't doing the same thing for the whole 5 weeks. This training period would have been great for you to learn the process and really get an understanding of the company. Many of those who have never worked on the factory floor don't have a complete grasp of what's going on, this would have given you some insight and could have helped you in the long run.

and incase you are wondering, i do have a degree.

Couldn't I have been better off taking notes and observing instead of trying to meet deadlines and hustling about?

if this is true, then experience would count for nothing.

 

[Glitchny]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: ballmode

Originally posted by: PaNsyBoy8
the OP said they has specific spots for him on the line, meaning he wasn't doing the same thing for the whole 5 weeks. This training period would have been great for you to learn the process and really get an understanding of the company. Many of those who have never worked on the factory floor don't have a complete grasp of what's going on, this would have given you some insight and could have helped you in the long run.

and incase you are wondering, i do have a degree.

Couldn't I have been better off taking notes and observing instead of trying to meet deadlines and hustling about?

Learn-by-doing.

meeting deadlines and hustling seem to be good business ideals, not sure why they would be a bad thing. And never know maybe they expected you to quit and the 5 weeks were just a trial period.

 

[ballmode]

I couldn't surf ATOT at work either, that was the tipping point j/k

 

[bctbct]

OP you are missing the point of the training. When you are a salesman you need to know everything about the product.

If your customer calls you up and asks why one of the bolts you sent him failed, chances are sometime during your training the issue came up at the factory.

Some customer is gong to ask you how much a box of bolts weighs.

He is going to want an answer from you then, not for you to call someone with experience. Taking notes for a week would never prepare you.

 

[ponyo]

Originally posted by: NL5
Sounds like a good way to weed out people that don't want to work.........As well as familiarize the sales reps with exactly what they are selling. The bigger question is why would you take a job for $14.75 am hour if you have a degree?

Japanese way. I would've stuck it out. Job>no job.