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Where to begin with these people? First let me say that I read multiple stories online about this company that are very similar to mine, all negative, but I took the gig anyway. Let me also say that I don't think Borghese is responsible for the extremely poor treatment by Encore of its promo models or beauty advisors. I enjoyed representing Borghese, and it is a good product. I used to model for them decades ago, so when this gig came up, I was happy to take it.
Encore is running some type of labor scam, in my opinion. They are slow, slow to pay. My first check I got in 35 days, the second and third checks, more than 7 weeks. I worked 2 gigs for them in January, and 2 in February. Easy gig. Dress up, look pretty, go in and sell. Great gig for a model, an actor, a counter manager, or BA.
Month of March comes, not a word from them. Then, out of the blue, I get an email from the coordinator would I be available for Leesburg or Chantilly; I say I think so. I make very clear in my email, I would like to do 2 gigs a week, maybe 3, if they are local.
So they agree, and the first gig for April goes into my planner. I then get an email from a VP of client services; would I be interested in a selling specialist job. I said I would look at it. Consider it. She sends me a contract, offer letter, direct deposit payroll info, an overwhelming amount of info to make a snap decision. I answer, I would like this position if it is in the radius I want to travel. I also say that I need to be paid for work previously done, before I can do more work for them.
I go into my eplanner, and it is flooded with bookings. 15 bookings. This was not what I asked for, and I never signed any employment contract. When I express my concern; they locked me out of the system.
I feel like I was set up by these human traffickers. Why would they choose me, out of all of the people in this region, they pick me? Also, they say the specialists are paid every two weeks by direct deposit, but the promo models have to wait 6 to 8 weeks. Something is not right here. They need to be investigated by the labor department.
My instinct tells me that they want one person taking on the expense of doing all this work for them, in effect having one person cover the whole region, rather than 10 promo models. So they squeeze the talent while billing the client for maximum pay and then sit on the receivables as long as possible.
This is a shoddy operation. White trash human traffickers. I am embarrased that Borghese or Costco would have anything to do with them, They are employing people, never paying many of them, and retaliating against employees who question them.
Rather sounds like a criminal mindset, doesn't it. Beware Europe. I hear they are coming there next. The people they hire will never get paid.
I am Cynthia Rouse. Former actress, model, entrepreneur, successful writer. Former counter manager. Top cosmetic talent. How dare these people treat me, or anyone else, like this.
You are running a labor scam, in my opinion. I have forwarded my concerns to the appropriate agencies, and I do hope they follow up. You have hundreds of people that have had the same experience that I did. In my opinion, you are running a shoddy and exploitive operation, which is your right. If you enjoy being a white trash human trafficker, have at it.
I stand by my statement, I read dozens stories from former Borgehese reps who tell the exact same story.
There are thousands of complaints about Encore Nationwide online. They couldn't all possibly be lies. Eventually they will do something so outrageous, they will be shut down.
Event workers should avoid this company. I have forwarded my comments to the owners of Borghese and Costco.
Larry,
The only thing I wanted was to work in my area, which I did, and which I also did a good job for Borghese. I think the people at Costco liked me too. Instead I was offered more work than I wanted, and when I raised concerns; I was locked out of your system. I did not slander you. My statement is true, and I stand by it. If my statement were half true or false; there would not be so many similar stories published all over the internet. Maybe you should look into your system of dumping workers if they reject your offers. As an employer, you should want good, highly trained workers that have cosmetics expertise. They sell for the client; and that is the end goal; for your company, for the workers, and for the client.
Larry,
I said I thought I could do it, but I had to discuss it with my family. My understanding was that they wanted me to pick up extra shifts in my area, which I was interested in. I have all of the emails and materials sent to me by your company. I had been dealing with Ms. Flores, as my booker. Ms. Gowrie is the person who sent me the offer letter, contract, DD information, et al. I never signed anything. One second I was working in the area, the next minute they wanted me to pledge to Gaithersburg, to Arlington; places 100 miles from where I live. I voiced concerns, offered to work Leesburg, Chantilly, Sterling, Winchester; and she deleted me from your system. That is a terrible way to serve your client. The goal of a successful sales business is to have good sales people representing your brand.
As far as the human trafficking remark. I will say this. I do not mean to imply that you force people to do anything. That would be ridiculous. I do not think you or Encore, force people to do anything. But what would you call it Larry; when you have workers who worked the month of December, and still have not been paid? That is labor exploitation. In this economy, that is brutal, to do that to people. We are expected to be there, looking good, and hit the ground running. That costs money. If you want good people, fairness is an essential part of the equation.
You are correct, I have been paid in full. Thank you. But you lost a great employee, with the crazy and arbitrary policy of dumping good workers who reject your offers. I know the problems you have had with some of these brand ambassadors, I heard all of the stories from the people @ Costco. I got the memo. You never had problems like that with me.
Why would you get rid of a great worker like me? On time, worked the whole shift, good sales, nice looking, customers and costco management liked me... What is your company thinking?
You have self destructive policies. I know you need people you can depend on. You need to give them more than 2 minutes to make a decision or an employment committment.
You won't find a better person for that job. I did a great job for Borghese. My last corporate job as a counter manager for a luxury brand at a luxury store my counter had the largest ytd increase in the whole region; for Macys and for Clarins cosmetics.
Why on earth would your people treat me in this manner? Makes no sense.
I know how hard it is to launch a small business and make it work. It is an insane amount of work and risk. I just think you may want to think about the people you throw overboard, if you throw your best people out, it is not good for business.
Good luck.
Larry,
It would be inappropriate for an IC, promo model, or specialist to call you, in my opinion. I can't call you. You are the owner of the company. If you want to serve your client, Borghese, you can give me my job back in Winchester. I don't need full time work any more. I do not need or want full time work. Four to six gigs a month is all I want and need. I am not posting on here any more. I have said everything I have to say in this forum, and I stand by my last explanatory statement.
Good Luck.
It is funny that when someone feels "slighted" in any regard they immediately take to the internet to voice their opinion. While that is not an issue in my opinion, it is the outright lies people will put out on the internet that causes me to raise an eyebrow.
Human traffickers? Really? So we are in the same boat as people who kidnap women and enslave them as sex slaves? Or are we just a staffing company that gave you an opportunity?
You signed an IC agreement that stated payment could take up to 12 weeks depending on when we receive payment from the client. You were paid within that time frame each and every time.
It is amazing that you did nothing wrong. Right? It was all our fault? So you took a job and then bailed. You don't see why we would be frustrated?
Next time you want to voice a complaint, stick to the facts. Gross exaggeration has no place in constructive criticism.
I am Larry Hess, CEO/Owner of Encore Nationwide. Former camp counselor, ski instructor, swim instructor, ski shop manager and tent jockey. How dare you lie and exaggerate.
You are certainly entitled to your opinion, no matter how wrong you actually are in this scenario. However, slandering us is a criminal act. We will also look into our legal remedies against you for your patently false accusations.
However, if you would like to talk about it further, other than just spreading lies, feel free to call me anytime.
Larry Hess
CEO/Owner
Encore Nationwide, Inc.
lhess@encorenationwide.com
[protected]
Molly,
Why is that? Doesn't every business owner want to see feedback on their company, good and bad? It is what allows us to grow and become a better company. I find it way more disturbing if a company does not follow what is written about them. At least I am here and responding and offering other outlets to find solutions.
The only downside to these on-line comments is people like Cynthia who go to extremes with their lies which are veiled as their opinions. While I am sure she had a bad experience in her opinion, there is no reason to exaggerate the experience to such an extent. To compare us to human traffickers is ludicrous. We have been in business for 14 years. I would think if we were doing what was claimed, we wouldn't have been around this long.
Thanks for chiming in with your thoughts though.
Enjoy the weekend.
Larry Hess
Cynthia,
I do not think you ever understand. You were offered more work and you accepted the position. You then canceled under a very tight time frame which puts us in a very bad spot with our client. Plus it increases our workload in that we now have to find a replacement.
It is easy to judge from your seat when you just look at how the situation affects you. However, if you were to look at both sides and realize the position you put us in as a result of your actions, then maybe you would realize that there is validation in our actions.
Again, if you would like to discuss, you can call me anytime. I do not suspect you will call me, because it is far easier to sling venom than to try and understand the entire scope of the situation.
And comparing us to human traffickers is slander.
Larry Hess
[protected]
Cynthia,
As i stated, I am more than happy to discuss this issue with you further and in as much detail as you wish. All you have to do is call or email me directly. I am not going to have a back and forth here. If you want to discuss this further, my direct line is [protected]. Up to you at this point.
Paul, thanks for chiming in with your thoughts. I guess "professionalism" is kind of like beauty. The definition is in the eye of the beholder. I felt like my responses were very professional.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Larry Hess
lhess@encorenationwide.com
It is far easier to spew venom on-line than to address your situation. This is what is wrong with the world today. It is far easier to go on-line and post lies than it is to try and understand another point of view.
Good luck to you Cynthia.
Wow always having the last word Hess. You stated to call (via email) & it was extremely difficult to talk w/ you in my case. I called...left a voicemail message & you replied via an email. You kept stating to call you...call you...call you & you reply w/ emails. Very unprofessional & I have no respect for you or Encore. Cynthia you are correcto! It took me many months to get paid for work...some of those programs I had to repeatedly call to inquire...once a guy in payroll told me to be HUSH about payment & that he'd cut me a check special situation for me! This was after 3 months of no payment & my coworkers weren't paid either. Good for you to stand up to Mr. Hess. Don't let him threaten or belittle you in any way. Do the online research...you are NOT alone!
check out all the complaints on the BBB's (Better Business Bureau) site. You are not alone!
Sorry you feel that way Promog...
I wish you the best in your future endeavors.
Larry Hess
lhess@encorenationwide.com
Why sorry? You are the one who made the situation I had with you WRONG. I called you and you replied only via email with your standard 4-6 weeks or when you get paid by client blah blah blah. Very pathetic for me to leave you a voicemail message asking you to call me back (as you requested in a previous email for me to call you with any concerns) and then instead of a phone call from you...I get an email. I waited months to get paid for several programs. That is the truth & that is Encore's well known reputation!
Again, sorry you feel the way you do Promog. We do everything in our power to get everyone paid as quick as possible. Sometimes, our clients (and their clients) do not pay us on time and we have to wait, just like you. We are in the same boat as you are when it comes to payments.
While I am certainly sorry you were not paid quick enough in your opinion. You need to realize that there are all sorts of programs that we do here and each program has their own payment terms. Some of our clients truly get it and understand the need to get us paid quickly so that we can pay the staff. Others, it is just another invoice for them to process. However, once we are paid for a program we release the payment to the field the same week.
To be clear, we have some projects that pay on a regular basis, every two weeks. We have some that pay out within a week of the last day worked. So there are many opportunities where payment comes very quick. However, there are always going to be the projects where we must wait to be paid in order to cut checks to the field. Keep in mind, this is not just you. A project could be hundreds or thousands of checks. So while we try to cover the expense out our pockets (if payment is dragging out), sometimes we simply do not have the funds to cover all of our clients. So again, we wait and plead/beg for payment from our client.
As far as me not calling you. I am sorry. I do not know who you are, but if you would like to have a conversation, send me your name and I will call you. Sometimes we get so busy here, it is hard to connect with everyone. However, it is important to note that we did in fact communicate with you. It may not have been what you wanted to hear, but we kept in touch with you.
And lastly, our contract (that you signed) states that payment could take up to 12 weeks, depending on the payment from our client.
What program did you work? What are the details?
Hmmm then what does article 5 of your contract mean? Under Fees & Taxes it says 6-8 weeks not 12?
Looks like you say one thing and do another Larry?
You have an older IC agreement. We amended that a year ago. But either way, it states "depending on payment from client." Clearly stated that payment depends on us getting paid from our client.
EXCUSES EXCUSES. Uncalled for Larry. My business with you is OVER & DONE WITH! You had the chance to call me back...you didn't. You respond via email only. DONT INSIST ON HAVING PEOPLE CALL YOU IF YOU'RE TOO BUSY TO ANSWER OR RETURN THE CALL! It states a lot about you. I haven't since & will never work for ENCORE NATIONWIDE again. No need to. There are too many other agencies to work with to keep me busy. You've been getting lousy jobs from what I can see on the eplanner anyways.
Again, sorry you feel that way promog...
I wish you all the best in your future endeavors in this industry.
Get a real job looser and stop complaining. if you have time to talk and write love essays, im sure you can get a job at walmart
Dude stop writing love essays, get a real job. If you have time to write long complains about other companies, get your white ### a job, stop complaining and talking smack like a little school girl. man up and get your skinny ### a job at walmart mofo.
hey wussup blackdude... it's LOSER not LOOSER...Get an edumacation! I have a FT job. These promo jobs are just on the side and when i work any for Encore it takes months to get paid
who handles the FL Blue promos in FL? Encore had them, but rumor has it they lost the account due to not paying BAs on time. Please post the new agency information. Thanks
Promog,
I think you need a hobby. We had one period where we had to stretch payment outs, due to non payment from clients. We are currently averaging 2-4 weeks right now, depending on client payment.
The Florida Blue program is now being staffed internally. Shouldn't believe rumors or everything you read.
Good luck out there.
Larry Hess
CEO/Owner
Encore Nationwide, Inc.
lhess@encorenationwide.com
oh hello Larry Hess...someone private messaged me from my post & told me it's B&C out of Jacksonville. Bob & Carol Kernan. I got registered & ready to work for an agency that is RUMORED to pay on time & better than Encore's rate. I have hobbies...be a better BS-R, CEO or whatever the heck you are!
Do your hobbies include trolling web-sites and posting incorrect information? If so, that shouldn't be a hobby. That should be your profession, because you are damn good at it!
No Larry...it involves posting accurate information. Get back to running your shady operation & stop trying to have the last word on here
Well, everything you have posted thus far has been way off base and incorrect. Enjoy your day.
whatever Happy Chanukah Larry
Thanks Promog. I hope you enjoyed the holidays. I wish you and yours a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
DO NOT WORK FOR THEM, THEY DON'T PAY!
I worked for them once and it's been almost 17 weeks and still NO payment... When I call they say I have to email, when I email they give me excuse after excuse, they keep say there is a check in the mail and I never receive it.
I think everyone complaining should realize that delayed payments come with the territory of being a BA. If you want a steady weekly paycheck then maybe get an actual 9-5 job. It isn't really Encore's fault that it takes weeks to pay their BAs. It's the fault of their clients who take FOREVER to pay Encore for their services. As soon as that happens Encore follows up with payment for their BAs.