Intolerable work conditions & extremely long hours preceded by two flattering but deceptive interviews. - Retail Sales Advisor Capital One Promotions Employee Review

This is DOOR TO DOOR SALES. The term "Direct Marketing" will be used a lot instead, but what that boils down to is door to door sales. This is technically a pyramid scheme, if you don't know what one is, BE AWARE. They involve people making money off the backs of others and of course, you start right at the bottom of the pyramid. Your pay is commission only, so if you don't sell anything, you don't get paid anything. Also, whilst 60% of your commission is paid upfront 40% of your commission is held in a bond for 5 months and if any customer drops out within this period, the entire amount of that sale is deducted from your bond. You don't get commission for selling to anyone over 75 or anyone under 25. Customers are 90%+ not happy to see you at the door, even though you're fund-raising for the Royal British Legion or other such "well liked" charities. You're "self employed" within the company, so have to sort out all your own tax. If you don't know how to do this yourself, you will need to pay privately for an accountant out of your own money. You are expected to work in extreme weather conditions, spending 6 hours outside every day, whilst also being expected to be wearing a suit and tie. Despite the companies core values (Honesty being one of them), you will be instructed and expected to tell lies when pitching your sale. You will spend from 10:30-11:30 standing up in the office, which will consist of ridiculously LOUD music and training, concurrently. You will spend 11:30-12:15 standing up in a Morning Meeting, where the Managing Director runs into the main part of the office from a side office, like something out of the Wolf of Wall Street tells staff all the benefits of working for his company as if he's trying to convince them of something that isn't true for the vast majority of them. There's a lot of self congratulation during that meeting. The focus appears to be on the Managing Director making lots of money (making money whilst sleeping) with the odd mention of the work they do raising money for charity. Company parties: What happens at the party, stays at the party. Need I say more? You can work 5 or 6 days a week, clocking up a total of 72 hours, but if you make no sales, you won't be paid a penny. The environment is cliquey, there is an in crowd "the high rollers", few of whom acknowledge newcomers at all apart from perhaps their first day. They are too busy congratulating themselves on how great they are and promoting themselves using their full names to try and establish that all-important reputation. Despite having to travel distances of 60+ miles to reach your sales destination, the company does not provide its car drivers with anything above £5 per day, so everybody is expected to "chip in" with petrol money, for which the "chipper-in" gets no receipt and therefore cannot claim any tax back. Anyone who is considered to have a "negative attitude" - this includes challenging anything that one might rightly wish to challenge is hushed up. That is cause for suspicion. Being suspicious isn't negative, it's being wise, it'll save you from getting mugged off with not so much as a pen or clipboard on which to track the doors you've knocked on. There is an attitude of being shunned for not making any sales. At the start, these people are your best friends, but after that, it's dog-eat-dog - and they have the audacity of talking about 9-5 jobs as "the rat race"? My advice to anyone who has consistent things to pay each month, like gas and electric and rent and food is to stay well away, unless you think you have what it takes to be a deceptive salesman. SHEEP FACTOR SALES; go visit the office and you'll see the word "Sheep Factor" written on several of the wall posters. This is referring to pushy, dishonest sales methods. If you can justify the lies you will have to tell to many people in order to get sales, then maybe this is the job for you. No need for a true conscience at all. The progression scheme is a bit of a scam, you won't be getting paid anything significantly more until you've been there for several years - just more responsibility and an earlier starting time.