Work Issue - How would you deal with it.....

[Mr.Spireite]

Started a job at the beginning of November and since then I have been the top salesman, no one beating me in sales, sold 110 accounts. Now the wages are bad, £12k but job was sold to me on the fact that you could double that "easily" with the bonus structure. This is not the case and since I started I have earned about £350 in commision (NOT GOOD).

This month I got £90 bonus, one of my other co workers got £20 and this is from record sales......

So the department is not happy and neither am I. In fact one of them handed their notice in because we work hard but are getting no rewards back......

I want to say something in the morning to my manager but not sure what tact to take as we are all a bit fed up with putting the effort in for no/little rewards.

What I sell is courier service that is vastly discounted through one of the worlds largest couriers and it's a peice of piss to be honest because it's that discounted that anyone we can show it to wil sign up because it saves them money and there is no management fees and no contract......

Advice please and questions welcome......

[Dan bach]

Have never been involved in cut-throat sales - so I can't give you any advice.

Could you talk honestly, confidenitally with your manager?

He/she and the company will see that is something is up - if one of your colleagues has left?

Sorry, Dan bach.

[sweetpain]

Voice your concerns in a diplomatic way.
But in my experience, BEWARE. If you constantly hit your targets , management has a tendency to keep increasing them until they are unreachable. Gits

[Mr.Spireite]

Voice your concerns in a diplomatic way.
But in my experience, BEWARE. If you constantly hit your targets , management has a tendency to keep increasing them until they are unreachable. Gits

It's practically impossible NOT to hit them....

That's the point but the remuneration doesn't happen and the problem is that the bonuses "promised" that people were allready hitting where in fact a lie. I also found out that someone was told that "I" was earning £500 bonus per week as the Top salesman......

That has pissed me off somewhat.........

[sweetpain]

Anything in your contract about bonus payments

[Mr.Spireite]

Have never been involved in cut-throat sales - so I can't give you any advice.

Could you talk honestly, confidenitally with your manager?

He/she and the company will see that is something is up - if one of your colleagues has left?

Sorry, Dan bach.

That's my plan.....

But not 100% sure how to go about it because the attack from me is based on being "lied" to at Interview stage of "hit" bonuses by current staff, which is not the case.....

So telling your boss he's lieing is not going to be easy...

Problem is I can see what's going to happen, someone is going to quit tomorrow, another will not because they are pregnant.... I can't quit but can start looking for another job asap which will leave the business with a constant influx of new sales people which means they will be spending £££ on training and probably spending this money on what they could have spent in staff retention through a decrent bonus system.........

[Mr.Spireite]

Anything in your contract about bonus payments

WHat contract ????

[Dan bach]

Have never been involved in cut-throat sales - so I can't give you any advice.

Could you talk honestly, confidenitally with your manager?

He/she and the company will see that is something is up - if one of your colleagues has left?

Sorry, Dan bach.

That's my plan.....

But not 100% sure how to go about it because the attack from me is based on being "lied" to at Interview stage of "hit" bonuses by current staff, which is not the case.....

So telling your boss he's lieing is not going to be easy...

Problem is I can see what's going to happen, someone is going to quit tomorrow, another will not because they are pregnant.... I can't quit but can start looking for another job asap which will leave the business with a constant influx of new sales people which means they will be spending £££ on training and probably spending this money on what they could have spent in staff retention through a decrent bonus system.........

This is not your problem - this is a weakness in their long term planning - if they are attracting the right people - they have to know how to keep those people.
As I say - I don't have any experience in sales or commissions - sorry.

Send the feelers out "under cover" see what else is about.

[Mr.Spireite]

I am planning on being straight with them and say that the wages are crap, which I understood from the point of taking the job and that I have done my part in bringing in the business but because of inabilities in there structure this is impacting on the "bonus" system..............

Problem is how do you tell them they lied to you on the interview stage,,,,,,

[skinnymartin]

Difficult one this. That's one of the reasons I like serving people rather than businesses.

My view would be to ask questions rather than making statements - put the ball in their court and make them provide an answer - so instead of saying "The bonuses I am getting do not reflect what I was told at interview" - which they can ignore, ask:

"Do you think the bonuses I am receiving reflect what was said to me at interview?"

"Don't you think the poor bonus system is resulting in high staff turnover and adding cost to the business?" (it would be great if you could quantify this - but I suspect the information is not available).

TOP TIP - If you are going to ask a difficult or really challenging question, ask their permission first. So immediately before asking the question say "Do you mind if I ask you a really difficult question?" The only answer they can give is "Yes" but psychologically they have given you permission to be awkward.

Don't envy you this. Best of luck matey.

[Father Jack]

Hmmm, difficult one this.
Im having a similar problem with my dickhead of a boss.
I was 'asked' to return to work with a company I left 15 years ago. I work as a cad draughtsman. The salary offer was good, rising to bloody good & then onto woo hoo.
However, my boss has since dug his heels in now my 6 month valuation is upon him & has stated that he's not even going to put me on a parity with the other draughtsman, even though I produce 3 times the amount of work.
I have since researched what my 'rate' should be for the job I do & Im being underpaid by £10k a year by this two faced wanker.
My advice would be to start looking for alternative employment, ( I know its easier said than done). If you do find something else, make an appointment to see your boss to discuss your issues & let the bugger have it. Both barrels at once !!!
But before you leave, sabotage as much as you possibly can without getting found out

[Gary5150]

[quote="Father Jack"]Hmmm, difficult one this.
Im having a similar problem with my dickhead of a boss.
I was 'asked' to return to work with a company I left 15 years ago. I work as a cad draughtsman. The salary offer was good, rising to bloody good & then onto woo hoo.
However, my boss has since dug his heels in now my 6 month valuation is upon him & has stated that he's not even going to put me on a parity with the other draughtsman, even though I produce 3 times the amount of work.
I have since researched what my 'rate' should be for the job I do & Im being underpaid by £10k a year by this two faced wanker.
My advice would be to start looking for alternative employment, ( I know its easier said than done). If you do find something else, make an appointment to see your boss to discuss your issues & let the bugger have it. Both barrels at once !!!
But before you leave, sabotage as much as you possibly can without getting found out
I like it!...............my kind of plan

[Mr.Spireite]

Just thought I would give you guys an update.

Went to see the HR woman and explained the situation etc.

I think they have agreed that it is piss poor and also all the sales staff have revolted about it, so I have full backing of them and we are all in agreement that things have to change regarding it.

However we had a meeting this afternoon and I put a solution forward that I know would work.... Then came the managers solution which would if taken mean it would take longer to get the actual bonus, what that would solve I don't know but I just laughed at him and made the point that it would solve nothing and in fact make the situation work. He tried to make out through spin that it would work better, you know, yada yada yada....

So it's take all the solutions (Mine and his to the MD and see what they will do) If it comes out as his idea I will personally tell them to "bite my shiny metal ass"...

It's just so funny....especially as he tried to say he's on our side....

[skinnymartin]

This is where you have the opportunity to influence things - who else do you know and get on with at the same sort of grade as your boss in the company - mention it to them, mention the dissatisfaction and suggest to them that the MD needs to understand the issues and the possibility of people leaving.

If you pick the right person they will chat to the MD.

Something to think about is organisational politics. There are two sets of power in any organisation and structure. There is the power through status - i.e. the bosses, then there are the people in an organisation who wield power and influence from within the ranks - by talking, gossiping and speaking out. It is the latter group you need to think about influencing at this point.

Just a few thoughts.