Encore Nationwide review: retaliation 57

Dear fed up with Encore...

Please let me know your name, so that I can respond with all of the correct information.

I am sure you are leaving our many details.

Thank you,

Larry Hess
Encore Nationwide, Inc.

I had a similar run in with Encore, their staff and their owner Larry Hess. After some investigation I found an enormous amount of other people having the same problems. I question the ethics of the owner Larry as he was rude to me over the phone as well. Larry may have just met his match. If I'm not paid in the next week, my Attorney has advised me to call the Brand that hired Encore. He said it is not unlike an electrician going after a homeowner for payment on a job even though the electrician was hired by a contractor. And since this is a rather large client for Encore I'm sure the brand's CEO will not like reading my letter, my links to all of the negative comments on numerous websites, a contact list of 17 IC's that are experiencing the same issues and a promise that I will not rest until I get paid. It's clear this is a reoccuring problem with Encore and their bully owner Larry Hess. He is a bully, period. I can't find another reputable event staffing agency with so many negative comments. To all staff that have been burned in one fashion or another, take note. You have a right to be paid in a timely manner. If you are not paid, write a letter to the brand's CEO for the promo you worked. Do not bother to let Encore know you are doing this. You have a legal right to do this. Especially since the designation of Independent Contractor is questionable at best. As the law reads you could make a strong case that you were actually an employee of Encore. But that's another story. Botttom line, don't let the bully Larry Hess or anyone at his company push you around. They are wrong. And when people are confromted about being wrong they lash out. So get your money, call the client if you have to and don't worry. If you don't work for Encore anymore their are hundreds of other companies out there to work for. And guess what? They all hate Encore and would love to hear the skinny on how bad they run their organization. Just more ammo for their salespeople to let agencies and brands know how bad Encore is and they will win more business.

Our agency refuses to use Encore anymore after we received numerous complaints from Brand Ambassadors over the course of a year. Our CEO sent an email to all of our Account Managers and told everyone we cannot use them anymore. I'm not sure why this company is so self destructive. I heard a story from another agency in Chicago that they lost a major client because of the lack of quality Encore provided and the calls they got from BA's that never got paid. Why risk working with a company that could cost you a client?

Encore is nothing more than a large database with people in it. They claim to have the "best" people. Not in the office, and not in the field. Clients beware

Ahh...I love these posts! I really do. Not that I love the negativity, because I don't. But I love that there is not ONE piece of evidence, nor ONE shred of vital information. What is your name? What promotion did you work? What were the dates? Where you paid at all? What is the discrepancy? Did we respond, but you just did not like our response? How long have you been waiting for payment?

And you question my ethics? Really? I have been in this industry for 20+ years. I have owned and operated Encore Nationwide for 12 years. We are the oldest nationwide event staffing agency in the industry (that I know of). We have hundreds of happy clients and thousands of happy people in our database. I would even be as bold as to say...that I AM the MOST ethical person in the event staffing industry. I do right by my clients and by my staff almost to the detriment of my company.

You know what I have learned in my 20+ years though? You just cannot make everyone happy. Lord knows we try…..but people love to be angry. They love to try and pin responsibility on others.

My guess here is that Mandy had some sort of issues (in her mind) and she came to us and we responded and she simply did not like our answer. It is not that we ignore anyone…..but all too often we are asked questions and the response that we give (while correct) simply do not sit well with the staff asking the question. So that leads to some sort of tirade. I see this happen once or twice a year.

So Mandy…..why don’t you post all of your details, so that I can respond publicly? My guess is you will not do that……because you know deep down inside that I am right. Plus, you would rather slander my company without having your information known. It is easy to keep typing my name over and over…..while you hide behind your screen.

Oh by the way…..do you think that it would be possible to build and run a company for over 12 years now…..if we were not reputable?

And to promo989…..I am sorry you feel that way. Again, why not send me or post all the details. I will be glad to respond. We pay every single person that works for us or through us. Period. Your statements are false. We are much more than a database. My guess is that you have no idea who we are and what we do. But I would be glad to give you a call to discuss it anytime.

OH and I will put my office staff against ANYONE in this business. They are single handedly the best staff that I have had the pleasure of working with during my entire career.

As always, I never hide behind a post……never. I always respond and look through the internet to find unhappy people to see if I can correct the issues. I think that alone stands to show you that I am invested in making the Encore experience the best it can be But in nearly 100% of these random internet cases, the people ### anonymously are usually people who are wrong and simply like to see their words on the world wide web.

Larry Hess
CEO/Owner
Encore Nationwide

lhess@encorenationwide.com

[protected] (direct line)

I'd have to say that I have also worked promotions for Encore and I never had a problem with them. I would always get paid, sometimes it would take longer than others but I was used to it, and the pay rate was great! The only complaint I do have is that I wish there were more jobs in my area, especially now that I am unemployed at the moment.

I worked for this company also and everything Mandy said says is true! Yea! Mandy for standing up for what you and others know is true! Your mind is truth! Mr Hess doesn't understand that these posts are so that we can express our experiences without repercussions! It is very bad that Mr. Hess thinks he knows Mandy and what is going on in her mind! His staff is not the best staff and has done alot of things that have been down right rude and nasty! Dear Mr. Fed up is telling the truth also! We can state our frustrations and freedoms of speech and we have our rights to keep ourselves confidental and if Mr. Hess can't handle it, which he can't he needs to stop bullying people and just let it ALL go! We all have things said about us it is a part of life! If you have good employees and venders that know you then why do you fight so hard against others opinions! It is just making things worse for you and your company! If it isn't true do what all the other companies on here do...suck it up like a man and move on! You can please some of the people some of the time, but not all PEOPLE ALL the time and you are always going to get complaints. It is up to others to decide if it is truth or not! WE DON'T HAVE TO TELL OUR NAMES THIS IS WHY THEY HAVE THESE SITES FOR! WAKE UP!

How are you? I see you woke up angry this morning.

The truth is, you are more than welcome to your opinion. I have no issue with that at all.

However, what you fail to see here is that what you and everyone else here is stating is your personal opinions. NOT actual facts. I have just as much a right to post as you do. That is called freedom.

And how am I retaliating or bullying people? All I am doing is stating the facts and trying to help people. This is the biggest issue I see out there. People cannot fathom that they have to take responsibility for their own actions or in-actions. It is never “their” fault…..there is always someone else to blame. It is quite sad.

Here is my position on folks with a complaint about me, my internal staff or my company in general. Are we right 100% of the time? No, not by a long shot. We are human…we make mistakes. We get frustrated, we get short with our database out there. It happens. But you also have to realize that we deal with thousands of people every day and the issues we deal with every day can be daunting. No shows, excuses, people being late, theft, showing up but not working, people wearing the wrong attire, pictures. So it works both ways.

My issue with boards like these are two-fold.

1. If you have an issue and you come to me or anyone of my staff privately and let us know about it, I can easily look into the situation for you and fix it or let you know how you could have done things better. That is a very mature way to handle a situation and one that actually produces results. Plus, it is done privately.
2. If you decide to come on here anonymously and post vague thoughts, rants, profanity and name calling...well that is very unproductive. It doesn’t allow me to look into the problem. But heck, if you just want to rant away…..and call me names…knock yourself out. But don’t get even more upset when I come on here to defend myself, my staff and my company. You stated your opinion as a warning to folks…..and I am stating the facts in response, so that people who read these boards can make an intelligent decision about Encore. My hope is when they read some guy who sinks to a level of having to call me names and then they read my response which is just someone trying to get to the bottom of an issue…..I would like to think they can see the truth.

And I am not discounting your feelings. But why? What did I do to you? Give me facts. Support your accusations. Send me an email or call me. Or post them here. Maybe I can change your opinion and maybe I cannot……but at least it is more productive than slinging insults.

Bottom line, is I like the theory behind these boards. It gives people an outlet to be heard. But do it with grace and intelligence. Don’t sling insults. It cheapens your stance. Use it to get results. If you have a legitimate gripe, I want to hear about it. So I can make sure it does not happen again to anyone else. We are always looking to improve our experience.

And let's be honest here...hiding behind a screen name when you are slinging rants is somewhat cowardly. If you feel that strong about us...stand proud of your convictions. If you have nothing to hide...than why hide?

Larry Hess
Owner

Encore Nationwide, Inc.
lhess@encorenationwide.com

Wow Fed up...

I think you need some anger management classes.

You have proven my point, once again. I asked you clearly to contact me or tell me about your situation. You did not. You could have emailed me, called me or posted your information here. Without specifics……there is nothing I can do for you. Without specifics….all we can do is go back and forth, which is not really productive for anyone.

If you are really on a mission to incite change in the way we treat staffers (in this case...you)...then tell me who you are and I will look into it for you. You can do it privately or right here on the board.

I can tell you this...calling me names and slinging profanity hardly goes to prove your point. It just cheapens your stance and weakens your overall creditability. There are ways to get things done and that is not it. While we may have conflicting thoughts on this subject, we can still be civil, right?

I am here. I am not running nor hiding behind a screen name. If you want to discuss this like adults and make a change, I am ready. If all you want to do is launch into tirades with vulgar language, then there is nothing I can do for you.

Email me your full name. Or post it here. I can't address your questions until I have some specific answers.

Your move Fed.

Larry Hess
Owner

Encore Nationwide, Inc.
lhess@encorenationwide.com

Ladies,

In Larry’s defense I have to disagree with you. I have worked as talent with Encore for four years and have never had any problems. I have been a promotional model for 13 years and feel this is one of the most organized promotional staffing companies around. I have never once heard talent or any client bad mouth the company.

I am having a hard time understanding how all of you can bad mouth or slander someone who as a business owner is taking time out of there day to resolve the issue you may have. We can clearly see that he is not ignoring anyone. I understand problems arise, however there is a more ethical approach to address these situations. I think it is only fair that Larry stand up for himself and the successful company he is running. Any business owner in their right mind would do this.

I am sure those above may not agree with me; however I feel as a career woman who is a current college student I have never felt taken advantage of by Encore. I do want people to know out there that every company makes mistakes. Though how many of them have a picture of the CEO who has there contact information visible on the company website? How many of them respond personally to each person who addresses an issue?

For those of you that are new to the industry or are thinking about working with Encore. Learn the business… Not just from the promotional side, but the ethical side as well. Companies like Encore get bad mouthed from talent that gets termed from the database because they did not show up to work on time, called in sick at the last moment, not turn in parking ticket in time to get reimbursed, rude to staff, etc….You don’t hear talent companies blasting talent when they drop the ball and make the company look bad.

In all fairness to Encore “THANK YOU” for building great relationships with companies to provide work for promotional models all over the US. I am proud to work for ENCORE!

Alicia
Arizona Encore Talent for life

Alicia...

You have restored my faith in humanity! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to respond on this board.

I am happy to hear that you are enjoying your experience with Encore!

Thank you,

Larry Hess
Owner/CEO
Encore Nationwide, Inc.

lhess@encorenationwide.com

Larry Hess- It is apparent that you have quite a bit of free time on your hands. Your rebuttals have been most entertaining. Please keep them coming.

Perhaps your time could be used more wisely by coming up with a way to address your employees more professionally instead of spouting off on complaint boards.

Sincerely,
Worked With Encore, Not Impressed

If I respond…..then I have too much time on my hands

If I don’t respond, we are a cold, heartless, faceless company.

It is a no win situation.

The truth is I make the time to respond to these ridiculous posts. My hope is that when someone with some intelligence comes on here to research my company, they will see an active owner taking pride in his company. An owner, who does not hide behind a screen name. An owner who will ask for facts (names, dates, times, locations or reasons for their unhappiness….or in your case the fact you were not impressed). I ask for the facts so that if there is a real problem, I can fix it. My hope is that person will see an owner who is actively pursuing the facts and posting our side in a professional manner. At that point, I hope that person can see that these negative posts or really just meaningless rants with no real facts.

But in nearly all the cases of these weak internet posts it is either someone who screwed up (and refuses to accept responsibility) or someone who loves to see their words in print on the web. No one ever responds with facts, no one ever emails me. It is the same ole general run at the mouth statements that do not hold any weight or constructive criticism. Over and over again.

Let’s take a look at you and your post. Instead of poking fun of me and my use of time and my rebuttals, why not state the facts of why you are not impressed. Was my internal staff lacking? If so, who? Did you not like our on-line staffing software? Did you not like the promotion you worked? Was payment late? What was the issue? How can we make our service better in your mind? What would have impressed you? What is your name? When did you work? And heck, if you want to do this privately….email me.

But sadly, I am sure you will be like all the others. Too scared to post your real name. Someone with no real issue other than the fact you thought it might be cool to write on an internet board and poke fun at someone who takes his company, his time and this industry seriously.

Your move pal….prove me wrong.

****************************************************************
Larry E. Hess | CEO-Owner
Encore Nationwide, Inc.

LHess@encorenationwide.com

Harry Less,

and yet still humorous.

Sincerely,

You Caught Me, I'm Too Scared to Put My Real Information on the Internet in Fear You Will Somehow Track Me Down

Wow! A Harry Less joke! I haven’t heard that since grade school! Congratulations, you officially have the humor and mentality of a 4th grader!

Oh and once again, I have been proven correct. Just another person with no real facts or constructive comments. A complete waste of time, both yours and mine.

When you are ready to be serious, by all means let me know.

I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Larry Hess

****************************************************************
Larry E. Hess | CEO-Owner
Encore Nationwide, Inc.

lhess@encorenationwide.com

Wow! only one thing to say... Everyone here seems to be acting like 12 year old children...including the CEO! I was considering becoming an independent contractor for Encore, but after seeing that even the CEO seems to be acting like a child. You ALL should be ashamed of yourselves. Have a good day and sleep well.

Well here is another two comments that can be filed under the "damned if you do and damned if you don't respond" file. I just don't think there is any way to win on these boards.

If you have a legitimate complaint about my company, then I would love to hear it. We are always open to hear how we can become a better agency in the eyes of our independent contractors and our clients. You can either email me, call me or post the gory details here. However, please remember to send me all of the facts. I will need names, dates, times and locations (not to mention the reason you are upset) to look up your history. With no real facts, there is nothing I can do for you.

And Ryan, sorry you feel that way. Hard to imagine you would give up on an opportunity for extra promotional work simply because you have read a discussion board. However, the decision and loss is yours to make.

Take it easy,

Larry E. Hess | CEO-Owner
Encore Nationwide, Inc.

lhess@encorenationwide.com

I dont consider it a loss to not work for a company that is not honorable. I want to thank all those who posted the truth about rogue companies that dont pay their employee's. I saw you add Larry Hess in Craigslist for a promotion in my area and I am so glad I saw the complaint before it was too late. I too have been a victim of a company that didnt want to pay me and It took them over 2 monts to get me my paycheck.

Hello LG!

So let me get this straight, you are putting down a comment about my company on a complaint board, yet you have never worked with us or had a bad experience with us? Is that right? Really?

Interesting concept. That is like complaining about a restaurant that you have never tried but saw some complaints. You do know the difference between opinion and fact, right? They are two very different things.

What you see on these boards posted by others are opinions. My posts are facts.

We have been in business for over 12 years. Do you think it is possible for us to stay in business that long by continuing to not pay staff that worked through us? If you can explain how that works, by all means let me know. Maybe if I were a new company around for a few months, I could understand the concern. But over 12 years? C'mon now.

In the end, if you choose to believe the few people who put up complaints on a board with NO real facts, dates or names to the complaint, that is up to you. Or you can believe me, a guy who never hides my name on these boards and answers each complaint and ask for the details to get to the bottom of the issue. Read above, do you see ANY details in any of the complaints? Or are they just rogue complaints with no real truth behind them?

The loss is both yours and ours. You lose out on potential work and we could be losing out on possibly a great independent contractor. All because you want to believe opinions and not make up your own mind based on your own personal experience.

We pay our independent contractors. Every time.

Larry Hess
CEO/Owner
Encore Nationwide, Inc.
lhess@encorenationwide.com

Well said Stealth...

I just want to point out something that is very refreshing about Encore.

I worked a promotion with them awhile ago and payment was taking a little longer than it has before in the past. They do pay, so I wasn't worried about getting the money. I had never contacted them before, so I fired Larry an email and he responded less than a day later, he explained to me why it was taking longer than usual and directed me to a woman who works at the office who closely handles the payment process.

I think this is awesome. Why?

The CEO of a company is taking the time to respond to me, someone who has only worked for Encore a handful of times, and he addressed the issue and everything was taken care of.

I actually like to see Larry's responses on here, because it's clear he doesn't take [censor] from anyone, probably why his company has been in business for so long, just saying. Just because you own/run a business doesn't mean you have to kiss everyone's [censor].

I have worked for Encore too over the past few years and although at one time I encountered an issue with a Team Leader on the Nintendo DSi tour, that was very disorganized and put together very poorly for such a huge event. After a hour of waiting to get up to the festival and another half a hour to park, because there was no list for Encore and the Manager on duty was a completely unorganized fool. I ended up being sent to an overnight parking lot, where after a hour of trying to get out of the lot I just had enough and at this point in time the event had been ongoing for awhile now. I called and left emails in regards to what had happened and left message after message to no avail. I was then deactivated from Encore for no reason other than a very disorganized event. (Keep in mind I had worked several events with Encore without incident). It took me almost a year to get back into the system and since then I have worked an event, but I have to agree one bad time or even being deactivated if you continue to call and talk to someone they do give second chances or in this case realized that it wasn't fair to let me go over something that was uncontrolled to being with.

I like Encore I like the people that work for them I have a great time with this company. Once you get past that it does take a while to get paid and you just accept it then its no big deal. I know from being there that if you really didn't do anything wrong then chances are they would reinstate you.
I love Encore and hope that more jobs come out this way. The East Coast! I also have to add people like Diana are wonderful...she is an excellent liasion between Field Agents and HQ. She goes out of her way to help, listen, and fix issues that may otherwise not been fixed. I have never spoken to Mr. Hess nor have I ever had too, I must say on their website it says under FAQ's how long does it take to get paid it clearly states 4-5 weeks in some cases longer. It is what it is! I love the events, people, and clients that work with them!

All the best,
Amanda
East Coast

Funny how Larry Hess seems to spend most of his time responding to negative online reviews of his agency. If you have to constantly defend your company's practices, something is OBVIOUSLY amiss.

I had a similar experience with him on another message board a few years ago. I was blacklisted from their agency because I could not make it to a promotion due to a friend being shot in front of my apartment as they were leaving. I called and emailed to apologize and offered to supply a copy of the police report and never received a response - I was simply blacklisted.

I'm now a professional in the industry, and I would NEVER, ever deal with Encore Nationwide. Let Larry Hess pen more nasty responses - it's just deterring future clients.

Good morning!

Amanda and Fizzy…..thanks for the positive notes. I really appreciate it. It makes my day to know people are enjoying working with Encore and that people appreciate me taking the time out of my day to respond to concerns posted on web-sites.

As for my "anonymous" friend named "couldn't agree more, " I will never understand why me coming on here to defend the actions of my company or address concerns seems to be a negative. Why wouldn't you want me to take some time out of my day to keep a finger on the pulse of what people say out there? To me, the companies that do not take the time to respond are people that do not care. Well, I do care. And if that makes me a "jerk" in your eyes…..well, so be it.

And let's just talk about your word, "constantly" for a minute. We have been in business for close to 13 years now. We have just about 35K ACTIVE people in our database and close to 100K people that are not active, but work sporadically. We supply hundreds and on some days thousands of people out there…..every single day. I think even you might agree that what you are seeing on these "type" of boards is a VERY small percentage of unhappy people. And the reasons you do not see "positive" notes is that not a whole lot of people take the time to write a glowing remark on a "gripe" board if they are having no issues. You do not see the hundreds of emails and cards we get thanking us for the work we supply. So I am not constantly responding to negative remarks. However, I do go through the web-sites once or twice a week to keep tabs on any remarks (both good and bad) that are made about my company. For me, I look at it as a way to get insight on how to become better. Listen, we make mistakes….we are human. If we do, I want to know about it.

My one gripe on these boards though is that it is anonymous. The people who complain never state any facts. Tell me your name, dates you worked, the promotion name. If you give me some valid information, I can look up your scenario and tell you what happened. We keep very detailed records on everyone and there is usually more to the story that what people claim on these boards.

I highly doubt that we deactivated you simply because you didn't show to an event because your friend was shot. I will bet just about anything, there is more to the story.

Now I am sure you will respond with no real facts and no real information about who you are so I can look into the situation. However, if you use these boards the right way, then the company that you [censor] about might actually be able to use the comments to make themselves better. But with no real information and just "your side" then there is nothing that can be done. It is just a waste of both your time and mine. I challenge you and anyone else that has a negative feeling about Encore to be productive when using these boards.

In the last few weeks I have received a few very interesting calls. Three new clients that decided to work with me because of my hands on approach to these boards. The other calls are from companies that call themselves "internet reputation" firms. For a fee they will suppress these negative boards from appearing in searches. So for some dollars I can actually "bury" these posts to some degree. Well, I am not interested in that notion. You see, I have no issue with people having an issue with Encore. Again, we are human and we are prone to mistakes like everyone else. Plus, you simply cannot make everyone happy. With thousands of people working through us each day, someone walking away from the experience with a bad taste is bound to happen. However, I want to know about it. But give me facts along with your story.

Now you can respond again with some real facts and we can use these boards productively. Or you can email me privately so you are not posting your information publicly. Either way, I would be glad to look into the scenario. But unfortunately, my guess is you will not do either of those things. I guess it is just easier to come on here to complain that to work towards a solution. Especially if that solution require YOU to be better.

If you do not respond, then I wish you all the success in your new found professional career.

Look forward to your response.

Larry Hess
lhess@encorenationwide.com

I was trying to look for a temporary position for the winter and somehow ended up on this site and another forum where I got the impression I should stay away from Encore. I know Encore helps land jobs, but it seems like what people are having the most trouble with is the payments and the customer service. And as a general suggestion to any employer, let your actions speak for your company. In all honesty, the sarcastic rebuttals in a public forum are not creating a positive image and are just helping keep the issues on the table without any substantive resolution.

Having said that, are their any other companies that people would recommend?

Hey JJ…..

Thanks for your note. Sorry you feel that way. We both lose when someone like you decides to not work solely based on opinions you read on an internet site. We lose by potentially losing out on working with you and you lose out on potential extra opportunities to make some extra cash.

We have been in business now for close to 13 years, providing promotional work to thousands! What you don't see on sites like this are the THOUSANDS of happy people that have received work through us over the years. The internet seems to be just a place to [censor].

And in every single one of these post, you see me asking right away for the details, so I can look into the situation. Do you know how many people actually send me the details once they post on a board like this? Next to none. Why? Because more than likely there is more to their story and they don't want it posted live.

So yeah, there is some sarcasm in my posts. There are only so many times I can come on here and tell people that if they have an issue, email me the details. Or post them on-line. It tends to get old when all people would rather do is "[censor]" as opposed to finding out how to better the scenario. And if it is Encore that is in the wrong, I REALLY want to know so that I can correct the situation.

My advice….draw your own conclusions. Do not let the opinions of the very few hold you back. You will miss out on a ton of things in this lifetime if you adhere to that rule.

Good luck out there.

Larry Hess
CEO/Owner
Encore Nationwide, Inc.
lhess@encorenationwide.com

I have less of complaint and more a concern, and that is the fairness in how talent is booked. I have inquired about the process with the company and received 0 response. I have worked some events but I've been skipped over for waaaay more work and a few of the events I landed seemed only by default. I discussed this at one of the last events I worked and another B.A. told me that account managers hand pick who they know or their favorites and book them or those are the ones who get submitted to client for bookings. I found that very disheartening, especially considering that I am such a hard working professional, with great personality, wit, attractiveness and warm and inviting which are the things that have allowed me to do well at the events I have worked; no matter how crappy the weather was or how disgruntled the people were. And if clients are giving feedback, I would like to know what they are saying. And not to pass judgement on anyone, I've wondered how certain people have gotten booked for jobs after working with them. The B.A. also pointed out that race plays a factor, because clients prefer certain types over others, as I'm sure it does, but that shouldn't be tolerated by any staffing company especially in such a diverse country. Anyhow if anyone can provide some insight on their process of picking or picking over people that would be great. Thank You

Hello Picked over...

Please email me directly... lhess@encorenationwide.com

Thanks,

Larry Hess
CEO/Owner
Encore Nationwide, Inc.

I believe that it is important for employee's opinions to be out in the open. This way clear headed people may make a rational decision on whether or not they will work with this company. However, I completely agree with Ryandun101.. There is a civalized way to bring things out into the open. Larry Hess, I understand your need to defend yourself and your company, but you are not really taking your own advise. You are acting like this is all so personal, when really people just want a voice to be heard. Remember that slamming people back (even if they slammed you first) just buildws on top of the anger. If you really believe in your company you will respond in the kindest and truest way you know how, and leave the personal attacks out of it. You are obviously a hard working, ambitious man. Be proud of this!

Good morning Sunshine!

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate you taking the time to come on here and respond.

First, do you or have you ever worked through my company? What has been your experience? Good/bad?

Second, I understand you concerns and can appreciate your position. However, I do not feel like I personally attack anyone. Yes, it gets frustrating to see the same ole' thing over and over. And yes, I tend to get sarcastic every once in a while (Hey, I am from NJ). I also agree with your assessment that people can see both sides on an unbiased site like this to make a rational decision.

However, my issue with these boards is no one uses them correctly (rational rarely enters the equation with these complaints). First, there is no way to substantiate any of these claims, this site is just another discussion board. If they really wanted to act as site to help people, they would do some due diligence and look into the issues and erase bogus claims….but they do not. Second, you will notice that in these complaints there are no details given….ever (names, dates, event worked, etc.). I always follow up and ask them for more details. I never get any response…..ever. So I can never lend any credibility to these complaints or look into them to see if we were in fact in the wrong.

Most of the complaints here are people who cannot take responsibility for their own actions and feel the need to lash out to make them feel better about their situation. For example, there was one person on here that was selected for a promotion and elected to not show up to the job. They gave us an excuse and we gave them another shot. Well, they didn't show up again. In this case, we deactivated them. Their response? They started to write angry and defamatory posts on discussion boards and even complained to the BBB. So we gave them an opportunity for some extra promotional work, they blew it off TWICE and they are upset with us? I find that disturbing and sad. It is a true representation of our times. No one takes responsibility for their own actions or inactions anymore. It is always someone else's fault and not their own.

I always post my contact information on these boards. If anyone has a real issue with my company or any of our actions…..by all means, I want to know. Post the gory details here or contact me directly. However, remember, I need the details.

Thanks again for your post. Sorry you do not agree with my tone. I try to keep this light hearted and have some fun with it. But sometimes (like in your case) it rubs some people the wrong way. I also get quite a few people who email me that like my approach. So this falls under, I can't make all the people happy all the time.

Good luck out there!

Larry E. Hess | CEO-Owner
Encore Nationwide, Inc.
2980 Columbia Street | Torrance, CA 90503
Main: [protected] ext. 1010
lhess@encorenationwide.com

Larry Hess,

I was actually looking to come on board.. that's why I looked up the company. I work as an Event Coordinator so I understand that client and employee complaints can be unfair and overwhelming sometimes. That's why we have to take everything with a grain of salt, but be as fair as we can at the same time. Also, sometimes we need to take a look at ourselves and learn from every situation. Often times we could have done something a bit differently. Every time we learn from a situation we grow stronger- and so does our company!

Good luck to you, too!

To anyone looking at this, wondering if Encore is a good company to work for, please consider all points of views. I have done several events with them, and I have always been paid. Sometimes it takes longer than others, but you have to understand that usually the company waits for the Client to pay them, then they write the checks to the Brand Ambassadors. That's just standard procedure. Most companies do it that way, so good luck storming off to another one and hoping to be paid in a more timely fashion every time. Also, I have always received timely responses with inquiries. Am I questioning that some of you may have had a bad experience? Of course not! Sometimes things fall through the cracks and sometimes not every person that works in a company is perfect. That's how it is with anything though. Are you entitled to voice your complaints and concerns? Absolutely! I accidentally stumbled upon this page, and I realize that the posts are old, but I just wanted to represent another side of the story. I am sorry to those of you that have had a bad experience. But just to let any people that may be considering working for Encore Nationwide in the future know, so that they can make an informed decision, I've never had any problems with them. Have you ever eaten at a restaurant, and had a bad experience, but other people rave about it? It doesn't mean that the company itself is bad, it just means that something went wrong that time.

I've worked with a BA companies in Michigan for a number of years. Working for Verizon and Nextel at big events like Nascar and NBA playoffs. I had never heard of this company untill I moved to Florida (they post on Craigslist which is already murky but most modeling gigs around here are for porn so I thought I had gotten lucky). I had just received a invite from them but when I went to join their site I found they wanted a SSN... Well that was a red flag to me so I checked them out (Like I always do before I give anyone personal information over the Internet) That and I have not once had a BA company ask for my SSN unless it was in person.

But judgeing by this "Larry Hess" and his apparent anger issues and non professional approach to these kind of websites or the fact that he feels the personal need to interact on them himself (this is what a secretary is for or PR/HR) tells me I am making the right choice in avoiding them. I have done BA jobs for years and 1: have not heard this level of grievances and 2: Have never had to wait more than 2 weeks for a check to arrive and it seems most people have trouble with this working for encore.

There are apparently a few people that have a "good relationship" with this company but who is to say they are not Larry Hess? Far more likely that a grimy company would make a fake account then a bunch of people would band together to attack this companies image.

Hello Woah!

How are you today? Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts. I appreciate your feedback.

It is really a shame that people come on to these boards and make the decisions that they do based on what they read. You do realize that anyone with an internet connection can write on these boards, right? There is no verification process. So these are just opinions and while I will never condemn anyone for their opinion, most of them on these boards are 100% incorrect.

I just love how you read into my posts that I have anger issues! That is great. You don’t even know me! Or my company for that matter! You have come on here and posted about a person and a company with absolutely NO basis for your thoughts other than what you have read on a board.

For starters, I do not have anger issues. I will however defend my company and our policies all day. If you owned a company, wouldn't you? Are my responses a little sarcastic at times? Yeah, sure. I am from New Jersey originally, I can't help it. But when the same thing is posted all the time and I ask for specifics and get no response, it does get a little frustrating. Some people LOVE my responses and others are put off by them. Have you ever heard the statement, "you cannot make everyone happy?" I am sorry you do not like my responses. Plus I put all of my contact information on every single post, so people can reach me directly.

Second, the SS# is used for tax information. How are we supposed to pay you without it? I have no idea what other companies you work through that do not require you to give your SS#, but that is shady! We run our business by the book and report all earnings and withhold taxes (where applicable) and we need a SS# in order to do that. That is the law.

Third, our IC agreement does in fact state that we will pay people within 8 weeks of working a promotion. We usually average about 3-4 weeks. If that does not work for you, simply do not sign up with us. No need to complain, it is our policy. We make it known up front. You can then decide if that is right for you.

Fourth, I love the notion that we would "plant" people on a board like this to post positive remarks. We have been in business for 13 years, sending literally thousands of people out to promotions each week. Is it that hard to envision that the majority of people have great experiences working with us? We have some people that have been working through us for all 13 years and only work through us. How could we be in business that long if we constantly pissed people off?

And finally, I will never understand why anyone without direct knowledge would complain on a board like this. You have never met me, never signed up for our service, never worked through us……you do not have any experience to base your opinion. If you had worked through us and had a bad experience, I could understand taking the time to write. But in your case, you read some random opinions, made up your mind incorrectly and then you take time out of your day to post as a complaint? Really? Seems odd. Do you go and review restaurants that you have never eaten in as well?

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to email or call me directly (but you won't).

Larry Hess
CEO/Owner

Encore Nationwide
[protected] ext. 1010
lhess@encorenationwide.com

Wow, Larry. You are giving your company a very bad name right now. Without any hesitation, and without skipping a beat, you immediately belittle and sarcastically reproach anyone who says something even somewhat negative about your company.
If you and your company truly aim solve the problems of your BA's in a professional manner each and every time, you wouldn't need to be on this website acting like a sarcastic jerk. Plain and simple. Your actions speak louder than any of the complaints coming from your former BA's.
And, FYI, I have worked for your company before, and I have NO complaints from doing that work! That being said, now I won't ever be working for your company again, and do you know why Larry? Because of the way YOU responded to people who helped out YOUR business. Way to shoot yourself in the foot!

Good luck out there, [censored]!

Well hello Rag!

Welcome to the party and thanks for your input. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to post to this thread.

I am sorry to hear of your position. It saddens me to think that there are people out there who will shoot themselves in the foot and decide not to work through Encore, just because you do not like my tongue in cheek responses. We both lose in that situation. You lose out on work and extra cash and we lose out on maybe a good promotional person. Personally, I do not have any understanding why anyone would do that to themselves, but you are certainly entitled to your position.

What is funny is I get tons of emails from both staff and clients, and they love my responses to these posts. Even some of our competitors like my responses!

Listen, am I sarcastic at times? Yeah, of course. I even admitted that somewhere in this thread already. However, if you look through this thread it can get pretty frustrating answering the same questions over and over again. Especially when people can easily shoot me a private email and I would be glad to handle their request.

My favorites are the people who come on here and complain and have no first-hand experience with us at all! How do you come on here and post on a complaint board for the public to see, when you have absolutely no basis for that opinion?

Even you have no complaints about Encore and our policies, but you chose to post on a complaint board. Your complain is not about our services but about my responses!?!? C'mon! Really? Maybe you should relax a little and take these for what they are worth, which is not much.

I have said this before and I will again. I love the idea behind these boards. If used correctly, we can learn and become a better agency. However, very few use these things the right way. Mostly people like to see their words on the World Wide Web.

Again, sorry you feel this way. I would be more than glad to deactivate your account. Send me a private email with your information and I will take care of that for you right away!

Good luck with your future endeavors! (notice I do not resort to calling people names as you did)

Larry "[censored]" Hess
lhess@encorenationwide.com

Larry--congrats on not "resorting to name calling", like I did. Really, it does show your maturity. (See, I like sarcasm, too!)
Let me tell ya something, I didn't "take time out of my day" to post on this board, I merely happened upon it & felt the need to respond when I saw everything you had written. I had told my friend about your company because she wanted/needed some part-time work, and I said she should check you guys out. Well, she searched for you guys online, and told me about many, many complaints about your company that popped up when she did. She asked me what I thought. I told her, "Well, I've never had any trouble...", but I decided to also google the complaints to see what could possibly be said. I was totally shocked to see the CEO of what seemed like a reputable company slinging around patronizing, sarcastic, and very rude remarks to people that were merely expressing their opinion and experiences. It just seems like poor business practice, Lar.
Bottom line, people who have bad experiences are going to want to talk about it. If you can't solve the problems they're having, or if they're just being rude/in the wrong, it doesn't give you license to treat them like the [censor] of the earth. But you did, Mr. Hess. You belittled and taunted ("...call me directly [but you won't...]") people simply because you didn't like what they had to say. Now, sure, maybe these people did the same to you or someone at your company by calling you out on the internet after you/your employee gave them an answer they didn't want to hear. The difference is, though, they are not in charge of a large company nor are they at risk to lose face, except to maybe whoever knows what really happened. All I was saying with my first post was that because of how you responded to others' posts, no matter if they were in the wrong or not, you are really giving your company a poor image to someone who had nothing negative to say before reading those responses. Is that really how you want your company to be perceived? Do you see other successful business owners doing what you're doing? Does it honestly benefit anyone for you to come on these websites and prove others' points about you being unprofessional?
Think about it, a little humility goes a long way.

Oh, and just so you don't have to repeat yourself over and over--I KNOW I'm entitled to my own opinion, that is why I'm posting it here. You don't need to know my personal information in order for us to have a discussion online, either. And don't worry about deactivating my account, as I said before that I won't be working with your company again.

Good luck...

Rag….

I will always defend my company and our policies. Always. I will never hide and not respond. That is just not in my nature. I have worked hard for 13 years to build a reputable company and I am very proud of not only the company but my wonderful staff in the office.

When I do not respond….I am hiding and not taking an active approach to feedback on Encore. When I do respond, it is how can a CEO waste his time. Some people like my responses. Some do not. I cannot win. I cannot make everyone happy.

Listen, most of these complaints are in fact not complaints. They are just rants. And on top of that, it provides us with NO useful information at all to fix the issues, since no one posts or emails me the details of their issue. Most of the time, they do not want to send me details, because they know I will find out that they canceled out on an event last minute or pulled a no-show. So I take ALL of these posts with a grain of salt.

I will never understand the concept of [censor]ing for the sake of [censor]ing. If you have a legitimate complaint, I want to know about it. That way I can see what we did wrong and fix it. But that never happens on these boards…..not ever. And no one reads all the posts or takes me up on emailing me privately.

Again, sorry you do not like my tongue and cheek responses. What you find insulting, others find funny or intriguing or enlightening. So my humor is not your cup of tea. It isn't like we are dating. This is business. You had no issue with the work we supplied you, the pay…..but yet because I get sarcastic on a board that holds NO merit, you want to never work through Encore again? Odd. But hey, ok. It is your opinion and you are entitled to it. While it is a loss for both of us, we have plenty of people who love working through us and I am sure we will find someone else easy enough.

When you open your own company, feel free to respond to your negative posts anyway you feel fit. I will continue to do the same.

I wish you the very best in your future endeavors. And if you would like for me to deactivate your account, please send me a private email with your information.

Larry Hess
lhess@encorenationwide.com

Larry, do you know what the acronym "STFU" stands for?...

P.S. http://www.la.bbb.org/Business-Report/Encore-Nationwide-Inc-13175590