Omfg I was a salesperson for a cookware company that pandered to engaged couples at wedding expos. We basically signed people up for a chance to win a honeymoon in the Caribbean if they sat through an hour long presentation on how great our pots and pans were. During training, we were shown how to prove our cookware was so amazing by stacking pots one of top of another to show how the heat could travel from piece to piece. They literally stacked eight pots on top of each other and cooked items in all eight. Before you think this is something incredible and the way of the future, the stack of pots was about five feet in the air from the top of the stove (in other words, inches from the ceiling - it looked flat out stupid, not to mention dangerous as it teetered). They told us to sell this cookware as a way to save energy by only using one burner….
Then they also told us to show how our cookware wasn’t made with Teflon, the fumes of which can harm the lungs of birds. And what else has small lungs? Babies.
I didn’t make it through training. I didn’t even quit, they fired me because I wasn’t enthusiastic enough. Go figure
The image of a five-foot stack of pots is hilarious! And a lack of sufficient enthusiasm was why so many people didn't make it to the end of the training for that perfume thing. A big part of it was basically a personality makeover. So gross.
This one was hilarious, Chris. I unfortunately don't have anything great to add, but I *did* attend a Cutco knife meeting with a friend and fully understand the culty pyramid scheme vibe!
Great stories and I feel your pain. Question though. Do you have any PTS when watching Monty Capuletti in Easy Money "Blanche, John, Grandma talk to him will ya? Stay quiet! Be quiet will ya... somebody will ya shut the fat little B****** up!"
I kid of course. ;)
Worst job I had was selling canned car wax out of gas stations for a summer after being let go from an actual career. I was so young and naïve to take this job, but I was also desperate. My boss, "Vito", looked like Tony Soprano through a funhouse mirror and wore won of those suits that were like twice his size. Out of all the supervisors I've ever had in my life, this guy was a complete POS. I wish I gauged that at the time and just went with my gut to walk out on the conversation. When he pitched me, (and he did pitch me), I asked him if I could take a day or two to think about it. His response, "Hey look, either ya want the job or not, I got 10 other guys who are just as hungry and won't waste my time," so of course, I said yes. Little did I know, he was using the same sales techniques for me to take the job, that he would later teach & bestow on his "team" to sell this wax. It was direct sales, no benefits, solely commission pay, and everyday I could be sent anywhere throughout the tri-state area. Despite the summer weather and the job itself, we had to dress up in a long sleeve shirt and tie everyday, and because it was commission only, we pretty much followed the mailman oath, ("Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night"). When summer was winding down, I knew I didn't want to be doing this through the NY winter (pretty much like Chicago) and quickly made a departure. Luckily enough I was able to find something a little more my speed and just broke ties with my "boss", who made me feel like I was making the biggest mistake of my life, because ironically enough I was great at my job and made him a lot of money. Several months later after leaving, I drove by the corporate park where those offices were, and surprise, the whole area was just desolate and abandoned like that scene in Boiler Room.
On a completely other side note, hope we (I, hehe) can catch your opinion/review on The Flash coming out this week, though I'm sure as a creator, you're super busy. Just introduced m'lady to The Flashpoint Paradox, and rewatching CW series, I gotta say Eobard Thawne is one of my favorite rogues!
Omfg I was a salesperson for a cookware company that pandered to engaged couples at wedding expos. We basically signed people up for a chance to win a honeymoon in the Caribbean if they sat through an hour long presentation on how great our pots and pans were. During training, we were shown how to prove our cookware was so amazing by stacking pots one of top of another to show how the heat could travel from piece to piece. They literally stacked eight pots on top of each other and cooked items in all eight. Before you think this is something incredible and the way of the future, the stack of pots was about five feet in the air from the top of the stove (in other words, inches from the ceiling - it looked flat out stupid, not to mention dangerous as it teetered). They told us to sell this cookware as a way to save energy by only using one burner….
Then they also told us to show how our cookware wasn’t made with Teflon, the fumes of which can harm the lungs of birds. And what else has small lungs? Babies.
I didn’t make it through training. I didn’t even quit, they fired me because I wasn’t enthusiastic enough. Go figure
The image of a five-foot stack of pots is hilarious! And a lack of sufficient enthusiasm was why so many people didn't make it to the end of the training for that perfume thing. A big part of it was basically a personality makeover. So gross.
This one was hilarious, Chris. I unfortunately don't have anything great to add, but I *did* attend a Cutco knife meeting with a friend and fully understand the culty pyramid scheme vibe!
Great stories and I feel your pain. Question though. Do you have any PTS when watching Monty Capuletti in Easy Money "Blanche, John, Grandma talk to him will ya? Stay quiet! Be quiet will ya... somebody will ya shut the fat little B****** up!"
I kid of course. ;)
Worst job I had was selling canned car wax out of gas stations for a summer after being let go from an actual career. I was so young and naïve to take this job, but I was also desperate. My boss, "Vito", looked like Tony Soprano through a funhouse mirror and wore won of those suits that were like twice his size. Out of all the supervisors I've ever had in my life, this guy was a complete POS. I wish I gauged that at the time and just went with my gut to walk out on the conversation. When he pitched me, (and he did pitch me), I asked him if I could take a day or two to think about it. His response, "Hey look, either ya want the job or not, I got 10 other guys who are just as hungry and won't waste my time," so of course, I said yes. Little did I know, he was using the same sales techniques for me to take the job, that he would later teach & bestow on his "team" to sell this wax. It was direct sales, no benefits, solely commission pay, and everyday I could be sent anywhere throughout the tri-state area. Despite the summer weather and the job itself, we had to dress up in a long sleeve shirt and tie everyday, and because it was commission only, we pretty much followed the mailman oath, ("Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night"). When summer was winding down, I knew I didn't want to be doing this through the NY winter (pretty much like Chicago) and quickly made a departure. Luckily enough I was able to find something a little more my speed and just broke ties with my "boss", who made me feel like I was making the biggest mistake of my life, because ironically enough I was great at my job and made him a lot of money. Several months later after leaving, I drove by the corporate park where those offices were, and surprise, the whole area was just desolate and abandoned like that scene in Boiler Room.
On a completely other side note, hope we (I, hehe) can catch your opinion/review on The Flash coming out this week, though I'm sure as a creator, you're super busy. Just introduced m'lady to The Flashpoint Paradox, and rewatching CW series, I gotta say Eobard Thawne is one of my favorite rogues!
Have a great week Chris, and fellow subscribers!
"My boss, "Vito", looked like Tony Soprano through a funhouse mirror"
I laughed out loud at this. Perfect.