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The reason that Zillow has 49 salary reviews and 41 company reviews on Glassdoor is because I decided to "eat my own dogfood" (as chairman of Glassdoor) and I emailed all Zillow employees and asked them to honestly fill out the Glassdoor survey. I challenge all you CEOs and HR directors out there to save money on company survey consultants, and simply ask your employees to review your companies in the bright sunshine of Glassdoor.
Mark Pigott is also from the NW.
It makes absolutely no sense to encourage folks to do their 360 reviews on Glassdoor -- reviews are forever, can be spiteful/slanted (esp anon ones like this comment), don't show corrective changes over time, and is potentially harmful to the good components of the company (think about fundraising).
In short, it's too invasive -- it's like encouraging spouses to rate one another. Wait, I think I just gave you another start-up idea (ballandchain.com).
And can someone PLEASE get Kelmann to shut up with his bromancing pablum!
Complete BS.
I love it.
it sure is funny though - I've consulted at many of these organizations and would not disagree with any of the ratings for them (on both the good and bad side)
I imagine this kind of survey attract people who either love or hate the company/CEO. So extremes might be expected. But I think it is indicative, no surprises for me.
b) 0 percent disapproval beats Kim Jong Il.
c) Kelman is soooooo tiring.
Didn't do it, but people will for sure. There goes the soundness and validity of this site!
While this data is presented anonymously on the site, our community members must use a valid email in creating an account and every submission is reviewed by a person before going live. If we suspect any submission to be false, we have the ability to go back to the submitter and challenge the data integrity. If it’s not resolved to our satisfaction, the data is never posted. We reject about 12% of all submissions. While we don’t claim this data is statistically significant, we know from conversations with company representatives and recruiters that our data is representative of reality and directionally relevant.
For those who haven’t yet completed a review or salary survey on Glassdoor, I invite you to do so and help us further expand this important level of transparency around pay and work.
Now for damage control and someone worried. Firoz is nice and does walk the floor from time to time but he does not have a clue when it comes to Zones. All the outsourcing to India and laying off the US employees is not helping but is hurting the sales. Firoz, stop getting greedy and start thinking of the company, you have to fix this mess. You are contributing to the economy/recession issue. Pay attention, your sales floor has spoken and told you what they want and you still do nothing. Now they are afraid to speak up as they might be next to be let go but they are getting tired. You make them feel they don't matter when they are bringing in the sales, when you have always made them feel quite the opposite. Somewhere about 2 or 3 years ago that changed, maybe when you started outsourcing to India and putting people in higher positions that don’t’ help make it better? Take a good look into that. You do have the wrong people in some high up positions giving them authority and making decisions when they should not have it and you are taking the sales out of the sales rep. You have and had some of the hardest working and dedicated people working for you and you are not treating them as you should be. WaMu did better than Zones, WOW that has a lot of say! Shame on you, Firoz and those in high up positions; you need to resolve this and make it right again, Firoz!
You can make up an e-mail address in 2 seconds and your "subjective nose" test doesn't amount to diddly in preventing fraud.
Nice try though . . .
And let's say for the sake of argument that glassdoor.com had the best subjective fraud nose in the land. Does reviewing EVERY submission scale?!!!
Have fun with that!
If you don’t know anything about Zones Inc. We supply solutions to an industry with over 300,000 changing products that can be configured an infinite amount of ways.
I have always been impressed by the training and education made available to employees. From products, procedures to conception of personal goals, our management team works hard to build a positive work environment. Regardless of gender, race, age, tattoos, piercing, suits, religion, politics, motorcycles, SUV's, or hybrids, you are heard, understood, and encouraged to reach for your highest goals.
I am supported by help desks, solution teams, managers, product specialist, credit, HR, Vendors, and co-workers. I have to thank the many departments who support the sales team. All focus on successful relationships, every where.
On a Global note, our India staff are hard working men & women who do amazing work & I would not take food out of their children’s mouths any more then I would want some one to do that to me.
And our CEO -This Company, his company, is standing strong, still competing against competitors who have laid off 100's of workers, but still maintain their big advertising budgets. He still stops at our desks, greets you by name, shakes your hand, and amazingly he listens.
Our VP – Send him an email, respond to anything he said. Tell him what you think. He responds to you quickly and as an equal.
The knowledge I have gained while working at Zones is a gift that will enhance my ability to make a living my entire life. The education I recieved is as important as the friends I have made.
Best regards and congratulations to the top ranking companies.
Sincerely, Shannon-Christi
Specifically - On a Global note, our India staff are hard working men & women who do amazing work & I would not take food out of their children’s mouths any more then I would want some one to do that to me.
Now, put the shoe on your other foot and say you were replaced. Would you feel the same? How long until sales makes a “global” move. Yes, they do perform amazing work in the box. What should be known is that it is us here (USA) that hold their hand and have to jump in when any issue gets outside of that realm to solve an issue. You may also not know that there are over 150+ “global” employees. And, unfortunately this is not just Zones which add to our unemployment rate that keeps rising amongst everything else that goes with it to taint our economy. I wonder if your VP will appreciate your post and how many sales were lost while you drafted it, unless you are on vacation of course….
But user-generated content /Web 2.0 stuff is the future of the web! How dare you suggest it's not all it's cracked up to be.
Heretic - I drum you out of the Seattle startup community!
I am certain that all of this dialogue is making you smile. You are increasing the hit rate for TechFlash and you've got some well respected people weighing in with opinions on one more rate and rank news item. My guess is that this ranks as high in terms of dialogue as the "Top Women In Tech" blog a few weeks back.
My personal opinion is that these articles smell like newstand tabloid journalism. Lot's of heat --- but very little light. I think they detract from the brand of TechFlash as a place to get accurate, compelling journalism and end up having you --- I'm sorry to say --- acting more like arsonists than serious journalists.
#37- Trent and Sean Rock, they are the best who made the greatest of Zones. Losing Trent and other tenured employees is very tragic, I think Zones will fold unless Firoz opens his eyes.
I work very hardly to improve my job skill and all of my languages. I know right now you might be very bad employee but if you improve your job skill you can find job where you are useful too, but Zones is selective. How is your Hindi?
We don't give a RAT$ A$$ about speaking Hindi because we don't need to. Our customers are here in the US as are we and that's why you and everyone else better learn to speak, read and write it. So SUCK IT UP!! Get with the program!
Hopefully your efforts on this board will end up getting you fired.
Most of the management their was a cover your (my own) ass managment style and lots of favortism for the favorite sales reps. A few of the managers had multiple sexual affairs with subordinates that were well known by employees but overlooked by senior management. (Creates very good moral in the corporate world of cube farms)
on a positive note they do train their employees on product knowledge so if you are halfway smart you will learn all you need to know about products. Selling skills and support is where they are lacking. My training class of 35 had so many incompetents that it appeared they hired just to fill a seat and not for quality. i guess they figured that 70% would fail so the more seats they filled then they may have a couple more who actually survived. 1 yr after i "graduated from my training class of 35" 3 of us remained. as of today only one is still there.
I am not surprised at this rating at all.
We missed you in Cle Elum over the weekend... I hope you didn't get stuck waiting in line for your free pen and co-logo flash drive... If you did, more power to ya, get those bad boys out there on craigslist to supplement your income! However, you might not want me to get fired, considering my freight capture alone probably pays for half your monthly salary.
Please accept most apologizing my humble communication disability cake.
Oh, and this might be against some labor laws, but employees are asked to punch out for the day after 8 hours and continue working OFF THE clock until their work is done. I guess some of the incompetence from "up top" trickled into the middle management...
As far as pushing the blame on Portland, Auburn, Chicago, or India...I think we should all stand up for ourselves and demand better treatment!!
WE ARE ZONES...Firoz and the others are just the deep pockets taking all the profits. We want our company and dignity back!!
Firoz, and Corly!! How about share with your employees during this "time of need"???
Firoz we work very hard for you and I can say that once the company was taken private things changed immensely most of our jobs have been sent india and every day I go to work it feels a little bit more grim around the office. Our spiffs are taken we are forced to purchase from people who will only give the company a kick back even if that means we as employees cant make any money and are told that is all for the greater good.
We just want things the back the way they were when things were optimistic and we all cared about one another and seeing each other succeed and do well.
At this point there is no reason for name calling or saying bad things about people in India we the people who built the company just need to realize that it is Firoz's company and he can do whatever it is he wants with it and if he runs it into the ground by getting rid of core people and outsourcing everything to india then so be it, it is his company.
All we can do is just look for a better home and let them have what they created instead of sticking around and trying to save something that looks like it is on its way to failure if things dont change.
Just got back from depositing my big fat juicy Zones paycheck -- many many rupee. I use the biggest bank east of Tamil Nadu. I need all the rupee I can get my hands on to pay for my new 3 camel garage.
I have to question choosing "Nimish" as a pen name.
Seriously, your spifs are taken? Some buddies told me they'd been hearing a loud sucking sound around there at Zones, but I don't think they told me your spifs are taken now!!! You got it right, man. Find a better home. Zones is keeping you from making a living. Does that include contest trips? What about ball games or Rmerald Downs? Dude you've gotta do what's best for your family. There's plenty of other LAR's around Seattle, publicly traded, and non-spif-taking. Tell your customers why you're switching companies and they'll probably cheer you on.
Screw contest and trips I need to make money not some corporate copout such as a trip or a ballgame that is tax write off I need real money to pay my bills. Maybe they should move everything to india since you dont seem to give a damn about being treated fairly.
Fact of the matter is if you want to own and run a company in america then you need to treat your AMERICAN employees with some respect and make sure they are taken care of.
I am glad that you can afford your mud/elphant fecal hut but here we have a higher standard of living that is what makes this country great. I am sure you get paid great I am glad you can afford the lube that comes with it.
Your right about finding a better home then you can watch my client walk right off with me, soon your many rupees will turn into nothing.
* Some of your noses are so brown from being so far up your managers backside that you can't even smell your own breath anymore.
* Kissing up by writing these posts (and using your real name, in hopes that a VP sees it) is a poor attempt at trying to get better transition accounts spoon fed to you. Too bad Hobday doesn't still work there, you could just sit on his lap for that, instead of writing a BS post about how great things are, when you ALL know how full of it everyone in management is over there.
* Stop kissing-up in hopes of a management job. You're just an AE, and that's all you'll ever be good for to anyone over there, unless you enjoy being on your knees for most of the day, you'll never the job.
* Zones doesn't pay it's employees what they have already accrued and earned in terms of salary and bonuses once they quit their jobs.
* Zones is not a company anyone should STRIVE to work for... Speaking from experience, I know NOBODY that works there that actually enjoys their job, nor do I think anyone is being treated like the valued employee they should be treated like.
* Zones likes to act like they're a "MBE" Minority Business Enterprise, when, in fact, they're a racist organization.
In fact, the only person to use their REAL name in these comments Shannon Christi is the most racist brown noser in the entire organization, which is why im sure her job is tightly secured at Zones.
To all those that still work there: Sorry!
To all those that are on the way out: Kudos!
To all those that are still lying to themselves about what kind of company they work for: You're stupid!
About Zones Inc. more than half of these postings are about this company and there are obviously some internal issues that really need to be resolved.
Firoz, you can disagree with the results all you want but the evidence is pretty clear by all the postings. No matter what, YOU need to pay attention of what is being said!!! Zones used to be a proud place to work; a lot of people who built Zones up, from when the bottom when Zones made no money at all from Redmond and Renton locations to making stock public and having a pretty good run in Auburn location….we cared, we were family & friends, and wanted it to be successful. It all seemed to go downhill when CPCS merged with Zones and your started outsourcing to India. FIROZ, pay attention, you take, take and take from your US employees, and the last thing you do when you choose not to take any more as they proved their loyalty to you (see the postings they all state it), then you lay them off. I think it was mentioned as fired for the lamest excuses see #48, or told they’re position are no longer needed by Zones. Then you post that position for hire later with the same duties, change the title and lower the pay (remember the Operations Manager, posting)??? I think WA State or Christine Gregoire would love to hear about that since you both made televised promises about Zones!! Then you attempt to send the laid off employees job to India, where you have to hire many more to do a simple 1 man job here in the US. Are you really saving money if you have to hire so many more in India to do a 1 US person job?? I think WA State or Christine Gregoire would love to hear about that since you both made televised promises about Zones!! Then you attempt to send the laid off employees job to India, where you have to hire many more to do a simple 1 man job here in the US. Are you really saving money if you have to hire so many more in India to do a 1 US person job??
I think WA State or Christine Gregoire would love to hear about that since you both made televised promises about Zones!! Then you attempt to send the laid off employees job to India, where you have to hire many more to do a simple 1 man job here in the US. Are you really saving money if you have to hire so many more in India to do a 1 US person job?? These exact employees you fire with lame excuses/laid off , they built Zones for you, believed in you and in their Zones family that we would all worked hard to make Zones successful things would get better in the end. Isn’t that what you promised??? You got money hungry and forgot about your promises. Enough is enough and if it continues, you won’t have many caring, dedicated, loyal and hard working employees left, or is that your intention?? It seems like you sabotaged Zones on purpose. Let us all not forget, Firoz has wanted to dump Zones more than once and if it were not for Sean Hobday, he saved Zones.
Sean, take note again!!! Trent and others who were laid off who helped create processes to make Zones better and created the profitable Zones blanket… Maybe you can see the writing on the wall and step in and take over, or better yet…Sean, maybe you should leave Zones and create another company where it will be profitable and take care of its employees. As Zones should and promised it would.
NIMISH, or whatever your name is…..you should be ashamed of yourself as the people who have trained, they worked hard to ensure you had all documentation and training for you to do your job so Zones would stay successful!! It sounds like you could give a damn about Zones and people like you don’t deserve to work at Zones. You are an arrogant A$$ who should really be careful, because without the sales floor…you have no job and you are so stupid not to recognize that! There are a few (very few) proud and hard working folks in India but you are definitely not work of them. Nimish, people like you have ruined the very fabric that Zones was created on. I honestly blame Firoz for allowing people like you to even be employed as the strings you unraveled are the very blanket that Zones was made from by your loyal, dedicated, hard working and loyal US employees. So Nimish, keep on with your not giving a damn attitude and how you are all that good and better than your US counterparts….(and I find that very hard to believe in your arrogance since it takes about 5 of you to do the simplest of tasks, not jobs but tasks.) The US employees all know this since their jobs are not even close to the little tasks you do. Watch what happens, as your check and employment is the Zones blanket you stand on, the very blanket you are unraveling and are standing on. Also, I would assume the reason you hate our president, Mr. Obama is because he will put an end to the “oversees” outsourced work from US companies. Just know the programs he is starting is just the beginning steps to put you out of work, thus why Firoz cowarded and went private to try and find a work around. Remember this is just a temporary fix. If you don’t understand the blanket example, try the one, it will make better sense. Imagine you are standing in the middle of a bridge; you light a fire on both ends, what happens??? This is exactly what you and people like you with your attitude are doing to Zones.
Firoz, Zones used to hire the very best…..now you can’t say the same because you have so many people like “Nimish” (whether they are in India, Portland, Chicago, Auburn and the little satelite offices in the US) you are blinded and can't see it. You allowed the lowering of the hiring standard and now you get to deal with the consequences. The people you (Firoz) put in higher management and the people who don’t care that are hired to work at Zones, are unraveling the blanket. I know you have something to catch you if the blanket unravels and you fall. Firoz, what about the employees who were dedicated, loyal and hard working for you?
Just to clear the air about some of the postings here...
CPCS was a thryving company at the time of the so called merger. We had and still have a lot of big corporate accounts. And the life of the CPCS employee was good. We were treated like family with real benfits, and the managers and executives were very close to us. Then came Zones and washed all that away.
It was and is a downwards spiral ever since. We had profit sharings...ever heard of that ZONES??? of course not you beloved Firoz takes it all in now. We had REAL healthcare coverage at a reasonable cost, now it's just like any other department in the company - we put money into ZONES and they take the profit, THEN they buy healthcare coverage for us...The list could go on and on...
So, all of you "upset" Zones employees who are ofended by these postings...YOU DESERVE what Zones does to you!!! Enjoy!
Anyways..I don't blame you ignorats out there... I blame the ONE who stuffs his pockets...say hello to shannon (#30) you two deserve each other.
When we the economy got slow we let people go, not becuase we needed to survive but becuase upper managment is to afraid that they are going to miss out on there cut.
How much do you need Firoz, give back to your employees who bust there butt for you and make Zones what it is.
Zones = corporate greed
corporate greed = faliure
We are all just scared that we are going to be fired if we say something but please try and remember this is our company too we work hard to see it succeed and we all just keep being taken advantage of.
Maybe start a new company we would all come with you and help you build a real billion dollar company were employees are taken care of!
Sean rocks!
Trent rocks!
The dissatisfaction isn't new, isn't something from the last 1-2 years, this has been the Zones status-quo for nearly 2 decades. Been there, seen that, I'm an ex-Zoner from way back.
Non-sensical layoffs (who's expensive today?), making business moves seemingly based on whatever random article senior management has read (outsourcing) or just flat copying a competitors business practice without bothering to know how to execute it...this isn't new, this is the Zones of Filroz since day one.
I miss reading the public quarterly reports where it's all "growth, growth, growth!" but the TOTAL company sales are always the same! Fricken' hilarious. The total sales numbers haven't really grown to any extent since Sadru was forced out...with the exception of getting the Microsoft account, (which may not have been profitable) and the acquisition of CPCS.
How deep in debt were the people at CPCS anyway? Selling a company for less than what would be 3 years profit?? That never made sense...CPCS ownership must have been mental or deep in personal debt.
The first time Zones actually made a noticable PROFIT was after acquiring CPCS...didn't anyone notice the profit figure was exactly what CPCS had been making? I'm incredibly surprised Zones hasn't totally undone that and returned to break-even.
Y’all have fun…but you have to realize that since “Phil” booted Sadru there has been only ONE employee who wasn’t expendable…Filroz himself. To Fil, you Todos are just an expense, your contributions in the past…are in the past, if you aren’t spending more of your day sucking up than working, then the clock on your Zones career is ticking. Keep an empty box near your desk…you’re probably next.
Take some satisfaction in this: I think Fil actually reads these blogs...and they piss him off to no end.
Have you sales guys looked at other resellers in the Seattle area? I left Zones about a year ago to work at a different reseller. They more than double your base, improve your commission schedule, and, yes, you keep your spifs. Some months you're paid base plus, and big months you're paid straight commission, whichever pays you more, just like at Zones. Most of the vendor reps are the same too. One area Zones is better, or at least different, is Zones' ZU sales training, more open forum, role-playing, etc. But then again Booker is awesome and irreplaceable as a training manager. Is he still the trainer there? Gigi was funny too. She even helped me years after I joined Zones whenever I needed to create complicated quotes using Excel instead of ZAC. Ever hit ship on a half million dollar order in ZAC and then wake up in the middle of the night not sure if you checked the "hold to complete" button? You know what I'm talking about. Anyway, another way my employer is different from Zones is my company fires poorly performing sales reps. Zones found a way to salvage lower performing reps and created S-division specifically for them. In this way, Zones seems pretty caring. I had two friends who got transferred to the newly created S-division while I was at Zones. They were ashamed of it, but at least they got to keep their jobs. Plus, they both eventually found different avenues to pursue.
#51 By and large, Indians bike or walk, they don't have camels, and they certainly don't have "camel garages." Nimish is obviously playing the devil's advocate, and he's getting under folks' skin. Don't get me wrong though, I feel for the support people still at Zones. What are there like three of them now? One of them goes by two different names though so maybe that makes four. That would be cool if she got two paychecks. And #51, I'm glad you have a client by the way, I really am.
Sales: You will never get there. Look at SeaTab and do the math. You can see it. You know it’s never going to happen for you. Quit ignoring the fact that you can see plain as day in SeaTab. It’s only going to get worse. You can see it already. Your support staff continues to head on a downward spiral to India. ZAC is a joke. It’s the Winchester house at this point, one ad on after another, doors to nowhere. If you get word that the big boys in the Sales game are pulling out---go with them. There is a plan in place I assure you. Look at the top 5 Reps in ZCS ---watch what they do---they have a plan for when this thing comes crashing down. GO---The customers will follow you.
Portland Office is doomed. Thanks for the hard work down there but your accounts are coming to Auburn, that’s what happens when you start new reps a 45k base—and blow all your capital on a Sexual Harassment Settlement. The Portland experiment was a disaster. Didn’t Portland have a support and training staff once? Look around at that place it’s a ghost town now. Firoz has threatened to shut Portland down countless times…it’s only a matter of time. Ask yourself? Why does that call center exist? It was to get new blood on the phones. See a lot of new blood coming in there now? Don’t lie to yourself!
You do not see real cost. 1% uplift is a lie. Uplift is whatever we think we can get away with without the reps asking to many questions. You already know this---you have sourced something before only to have is skued up with 6-8% uplift over the quote you got directly. Not a mistake---we just got caught. They are given money to pay as SPIFS from the manufacturer---but they keep it instead. Why do you think Zones is OK with selling at Cost---they make the $$$ elsewhere. Kick back after Kick Back after Kick Back.
.
OVR: How much are you making? Find out how much the manufacturer actually pays to have you staffed. It’s usually around 60k. If you aren’t getting 60--Zones is keeping the rest. Why do you think Zones is OK with selling at Cost---they make the $$$ elsewhere. Kick back after Kick Back after Kick Back.
Management: Stop acting like you all have business degrees and own up to the fact that you were successful as an AE because you brown nosed you way into transition accounts from your manager. Then when you had a nice fat book and realized you still weren’t making the money they promised you would---you went down the management path to be “safe” and try and make some money there. Just another lie you talked yourself into---even though the proof is looking you back in the face on Seatab.
Managers--we can see your top heavy book. We know why your book is top heavy. You know why the book is Top Heavy.
Firoz—the SMT make fun of you, they roll your eyes at you, they are embarrassed by the decisions you make and the things you ask them to do. The SMT has loose lips in regards to challenging your thinking. However—you do pay well at the executive level and so they press on. The staff will continue to cheer you at events and gatherings---but now it is because we fear you not because we embrace you.
Support Staff: Where all your friends? They are disappearing and you continue to buy into the lie. The fact is you work for a morally corrupt company; it wasn’t your colleagues fault they got let go---even though you still try and justify it in your mind. Zones has gone bad. ZONES HAS GONE BAD.
It’s not the economy people. Don’t buy it. Times are tough but look at the Bentley your CEO’s rolls. Times aren’t that tough. Firoz has other investments he fears will hit him hard and Zones is taking the brunt of it. This company is built on handwork but that foundation has been replaced by lies –it will slowly crumble. ZCS reps will walk and it will all end.
Firos…Seattles worst CEO.
ZONES….Seattles worst company to work for.
APOCALYPSE
• Firoz Lalji, Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer
• Robert McGowen, Senior Vice President SMB Sales
• Christina Corley, President and Chief Operating Officer
• Tom Ducatelli, EVP of Sales and Business Development.
Firoz quit stealing from us we want our spiffs just like this BS that reps have to hit a certain percentage before the spiffs are paid but yet the manufacture still pays zones the spiff....illegal maybe??
Zones is going to fail if there sales reps dont stop getting stolen from I am thinking of walking as I know my clients will follow.
Oh and guess what did some checking non compete only applies to manufacturing companies in washington.
You had better start making things right, class action law suit....never a good thing
I am tired of seeing reps ship a quater of what I do but yet there base is way higher then mine; why am I forced to pay for them for.
I am tired of making excuses to my clients on why there shipping is is an outrage but I barely get nothing from that.
I am tired of how the floor mangers just dance around and try and quite you down when you catch lies.
I am tired of the next button get over it already how long will it take to realize that the only reason ZAC is in place is to help hide margin from reps like that BS we add the uplift for you but it is always 5 times higher then bid costs.
I am tired of brown nosers and people willing to give sexual favors getting all the good accounts, then watching those people burn the accounts and never get any kind of repercussion for it. Then those accounts go to other people and those people are harrased about why they no longer buy from zones.
I am just tired all together but we all need to work so we just put up with it for now at least until the company goes under.
Were are you at I would love to check it out I know we are public so it may be hard you could always just leave a link or something.
BTW from your earlier post, Rick Booker long gone he was another victim of greed they let him go some time ago.
Along with Gigi but I believe she left on her own terms.
Check out the link above and comment---
Help other not get burned by the Zones Greed Express
another place to post if this place disappears
We work with our customers because our training team sucks and you the customer have teach us what we need to know to do the job.
We are committed to securing and maintaining our competitive advantage at any cost.
Our Vision
Stimulate a backstabbing, petty and stressfull environment in the workplace.
Create exucuses on why ZAC wont let us deliver high-speed, high-quality service to our customers.
Adapt to external changes with flexibility, innovation and leading-edge technology or by fireing the the most loyal and tennured folks.
Our Values
We are a learning community (becuase we pocket $5000 everytime a vendor comes), empowered to serve our customers with integrity, commitment and passion. Reguardless if you our CEO has any.
Lies-Lies-Lies
Leave a message for me at(206) 291-6751.
Indicate your average quarterly revenue and margin from accounts that will move with you.
Leave a good contact number because we need to coordinate so I get my half of the employee referral bonus.
"Iceberg, right ahead!"
I personally know of 2 people who work at zones that are homeless becuase they cant even afford an appartment.
Shamefull to say the very least, it would be nice if we could start getting some of those kick-backs.
He cruises in his Bentley and makes his money off other investments/real estate - Zones is more of a side activity that never really seemed to be a business he was good for but he still keeps them going, somehow. The company has historically and consistently run with about 20% (or greater) turnover - good training ground for other companies. Few years ago they made the move to Auburn from Renton to try and save a few bucks and they've paid much, much more in the lack of quality/educated/talented employees looking to work across from the SuperMall. Lot of bad decisions trying to make/save a buck.
It seems good people are getting canned while other good people (ok, the guy who's business helped this company survive) was only taken off the mgmt team after a serious sexual harassment settlement? Despite the wrongdoing and payout ... he's a keeper? Indicates the business ethics over bottomline.
Now, here and there a few great people came out of the team - but when you are hiring people who worked at McDonalds, retail, college dropouts, etc to try and take on a professional corporate/enterprise IT sales role it's no wonder why the turnover. At times they've gone through hiring spurts training 10-20 people a month only to find themselves at the same level the next year due to all the turnover. Hire better, keep em! Don't hire as low as possible and see what sticks. Really, that's where the managers have been coming from and they are bad for business!
... just glad there was a forum for these people to vent their frustrations, certainly some pent up unhappiness!
We all know what he did was wrong but SMT shook when he was around and he kept everything running smooth, very motivational.
We need someone actually running Zones at our corporate location. Tom might be ok as VP but he is doing nothing for us.
We need someone in power that is around that can call the shots but also knows what sales is about Hobday was perfect I am sure Tom has a contract but maybe you can put hobday at a C level or something.
we just want to see our company start going in the right direction, it needs to be carefully monitored now that the economy is coming back.
Your right, Hobday is the missing Link he knows how to make a sales organization grow.
But what is happening at the Portland branch? A lawsuit etc., rumors have been Zones plans on shutting down 1 or 2 locations. Since this has become an open forum, those that know please make public what is happening. Is Zones ready to shut its doors?
Cox was not and still is not ready for an asighnment of this size. Portland is over. Sex, Drugs, lies, and lack of sales. That will be Portlands legagcy.
Q4 PDX closes it's doors.
You need to call a meeting and address your people i.e. all of us. With all that is going on it makes me feel as if I shouldnt even be working hard to bring on new clients as whats the point if we are going to be gone in a year
Yes
Interesting Name
interesting word
Been watching and waiting for this inane blog to end, but there are five or six disgruntled ex-Zones employees who have nothing better to do than post contrived and self-serving diatribes that somehow make their own selves feel better about personal failure or just being victims of established corporate protocol.
Each time I read new junk, I get a knee-jerk response to reply, but I just don’t have the time to waste… until tonight.
“Take off the rose colored glasses” said, “There may be a BIG meeting about this blog…”
This statement perfectly illustrates the confused self-perception of small-minded people posting on the internet.
Why have a “big meeting” about a small pack of ex-employees?
You all think that since this is on the web that there are 5 million readers watching you vomit.
Truth is… probably fewer than 15 people who have jobs are watching this… only in dismay.
“In the Know”: You lost any credibility with your first sentence; you went downhill from there.
“Bad for Biz”: See above comment for “In the Know.”
“Poisoned Portland”: You are the Maraschino Cherry on this ugly blog sundae. Apparently “testicular” and “fortitude” are the only words you ran spell check on.
You also should have looked them up in the dictionary because you have no idea what either word means. If you sent ANY communications to prospects or customers in the eloquent “calibre” of your posting here, please stop hallucinating that your failure can be blamed on any manager… middle, senior, or executive.
You just need to get your GED.
Unlike the majority of the contributors to this inane, inciting, ill-informed and wasteful blog, I have important things to do tonight, and then I need to get up in the morning to go to work… at Zones.
Also… I did not want to submit to this blog for fear of promoting inane replies. NO one has time for this; you, me… no one.
Just let it go. Use your talent to hone your resume; you need that.
We ARE Zones, and zONEs is… one.
Go to work tomorrow-have a great day. You too will not be working soon. dont be a kiss a$$ and realize that this post is not all about "EX" employees...Lets meet, and discuss the inviabilty that YOU and ME will be out of a job SOON. You are so full of self deception that it makes my KNEE jerk.
The whole company is reading this Blog. Everynight. Just like you.
So is Firoz-
We just celebrated the 2nd Annual Zones Jubilee here in Chennai.
And guess who won the "Jewel of Zones" award??? Yes it is I, and I thank each and every one of you. I wish you were there to hear my speech. Can we not learn to share the Northern Hemisphere?
Do not worry, for we in Tamil are blazing a path for you to follow. So your national debt is 80% of your GDP, do not fret! It could be worse. My Turkish friend has a saying -- Biz bize hizmet icin beyaz hos geldiniz. That was the Golden Motto of our Jubilee today.
So some of you write that you just want to have an income, which is admirable by the way, and you are unsure you're working for the right company. Ask yourselves the following 2 yes or no questions:
Was Hobday a male cheerleader in college?
At night, when Firoz falls to sleep, do you think he dreams in English?
So in your opinion does Firoz hate America as much as you? Are you saying he shares your feelings of laughing at America as it fails? Maybe you are making a better case as to why he is on this list, should zones also be on the most anti-American company in the northwest?
We believe he doesnt like Americans. I just think it is funny that none of you would have any money without us. Just shut up at this point you sound more and more like and Idiot and you are not gaining any support for your mundain cuase.
Nimish, what does it say in the Baghavad Gita about hating on your neighbor when he is down? While you're poking fun at me, why don't you turn the screw a little more and ask me what happens if China dumps their half a trillion dollars worth of US Treasuries?
Then again, if you know how to use Google over there in India, you can Google up my name and see that I am somewhat biased.
Market Wire, November, 2005
Zones, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZONS), a leading information technology (IT) reseller with headquarters in Auburn, Wash., today announced it will open a new Portland sales office. Zones has signed a letter of intent to lease office space near the trendy Pearl District on NW 23rd Avenue. The Company is actively recruiting local professionals to join Zones team of dedicated sales people. Zones will begin training new sales account executives in the Portland office in January 2006, and the office is scheduled to officially open on February 1, 2006.
Zones plans to hire up to 50 account executive professionals in Portland during the first quarter of 2006, with as many as 50 additional hires planned for 2006. Qualified applicants are encouraged to send their resumes to Oregon.resumes@zones.com, or apply online at www.zones.com/careers. The Company will also continue to recruit account executives for its Auburn, Wash. headquarters.
Hope that helps.
While I'm sure your experience earning your GED was life changing, I'll be quite content with my edumucation.
And yes, calibre is a variant of caliber. It's from a little known language called English.
While you're patting yourself on the back for typing your "BLOG" in Word so you could spell check it, maybe get a little "hip" and understand that poking fun of spelling on a blog is akin to complaining that kids today play their music to gosh darn loud.
Now run along and do whatever work you find to be important and self gratifying. You certainly aren't gratifying any of the employees you should be leading and who are directly responsible for your paycheck.
I'll be waking up and making better money than could ever be made at Zones and without having to cma or kiss anyone elses. It's only a matter of time before other Portlanders of high calibre do the same. Although, if not much has changed, that would be about five of them.
You may not like what is happening at Zones, but you do have a choice (because we do live in America)- You can leave your job at Zones and look for another fit somewhere else.
I do agree that Sean Hobday, Trent Tucker and Rick Booker received a raw deal. If the three of them decide to start a new company I'd like to be hired.
Hang in there!
Jen GM
I think you kind of burned your bridge with the whole time clock thing.
Im just saying...
I noticed that other people complained about their time clocks too. Sometimes they didn't work with the old monitors, but they did work with the LCD monitors. It was a computer bug.
As far as what I said-I kept it about Zones and didn't go off on anything else.
How did this go from being about the Worst CEO's to me? I only said "You may not like what is happening at Zones, but you do have a choice (because we do live in America)- You can leave your job at Zones and look for another fit somewhere else."
Anyone out there got the "kiwis" to respond with your real name...can't wait to see!!!
Anyway, we don't have a support people location local to the Seattle area. They're not in Kathmandu or Mexico or anything, but they're not here in Seattle. To my knowledge they're not getting fired full tilt but they're constantly making titular changes and rearranging them. Actually, I think one group did get the ax about a year ago. They were sort of like the bid/mod group. Yeah, go figure.
So is Zones still taking your spifs? That's just wrong man. When sales has pockets full of those starbucks giftcards and junk to give support folks for doing a good job, you don't have to worry about receptionists trying to sell sexual favors on company property or whatever your HR people were writing about. It's called the "trickle down theory."
Spifs are still being taken all of the time. Someone has to stay wealthy at Zones, But who can blame them they are just "giving themselves a raise" like they insist we should do
Usually guys on my row would just manually report large dollar spifs because the 20% would justify using the manual process. It can be time consuming plus it's a pain when they 1099 ya at the end of the year. Either give your vendor rep the sale details or claim the spif on the vendor's website. You know the drill, for instance, hp junk go to hp portal, click on promo's, pick the part numbers you sold fill in the details and submit. Just make sure you claim them frequently because whoever reports the sale first gets the spif. EDI stuff gets reported every couple days, Chicago stuff is easier because they take forever to report. A few of us trained our girlfriends to claim our spifs manually. We gave them our sale details and they'd do the rest. Anyway, there's just a couple of suggestions so that you can keep your spifs. No reason to give up your raise ya know, especially since everybody is saying that things are not that great there now. Also FYI keep an eye on your software renewals and stay ahead of them. Some of the SW publishers are actually telling us who to call about Zones renewals now because they think Zones isn't pushing their brand anymore.
Ha Ha Ha, AJ filling the void? Might you think to put Linda Marbena in that mix? Do you not know of the “Procurement Nazi”? Firoz has given so much trust in her that it’s ridiculous. Stop with the Sean Hobday crap, he is real and Chicago isn’t. Someone should ask the forbidden “nepotism” question to understand the force of powers that should not BE. Can someone look and where her SON is in the company and how he got there???? And, quit the camel bull its lame.
Hobday might be real as you would say, but wouldn't you say he'll only be half real after Jacola's departure on Friday? And take it easy on the camel jockeys s'il vous plait.
I am bored of playing with myself.
Someone come play with me, please?
Please, my arm is sore with waiting for your replies.
Hell-OHHHHHHHhhhh.
Is anyone there?
I can't wait for days for your reply.
My unemployment might expire and I need to find a new job... not this same hand one.
Hell-OHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhh.
POST 66
POST 66
POST 66
Sales: You will never get there. Look at SeaTab and do the math. You can see it. You know it’s never going to happen for you. Quit ignoring the fact that you can see plain as day in SeaTab. It’s only going to get worse. You can see it already. Your support staff continues to head on a downward spiral to India. ZAC is a joke. It’s the Winchester house at this point, one ad on after another, doors to nowhere.
If you get word that the big boys in the Sales game are pulling out---go with them. There is a plan in place I assure you. Look at the top 5 Reps in ZCS ---watch what they do---they have a plan for when this thing comes crashing down. GO---The customers will follow you.
WELL THE FIRST PART IS COMING TRUE. THE TOP ZONES REP HAS LEFT, BUT I DON'T THINK OTHERS WILL FOLLOW.
THE 2ND PART OF POST 66 IS AS FOLLOWS
Portland Office is doomed. Thanks for the hard work down there but your accounts are coming to Auburn, that’s what happens when you start new reps a 45k base—and blow all your capital on a Sexual Harassment Settlement. The Portland experiment was a disaster. Didn’t Portland have a support and training staff once? Look around at that place it’s a ghost town now. Firoz has threatened to shut Portland down countless times…it’s only a matter of time. Ask yourself? Why does that call center exist? It was to get new blood on the phones. See a lot of new blood coming in there now? Don’t lie to yourself!
THIS IS GETTING UGLY. BUT I THINK PORTLAND WILL BE OK
THINGS ARE GETTING UGLY!!!
I am in a support/merch role, and the loss of Jeremy is frightening. I'm continually thinking of Al's offer, and seriouly considering ditching what i once thought would be my CAREER.
Zones used to be a great place to work, and I think it has a chance of getting back there. But not much. I used to love my boss, love that i could move anywhere in the company, and everyday was different. Now it's just holding on to my seat as tight as i can because i have a family to feed.
Nobody should fool themselves by drinking the corporate water, and thinking that life at Zones is that fantastic. ITS A JOB. Everyone hates some aspect of thier job. But this is ALOT of people and ALOT of hate. Is it all Firoz's fault? No, just that he's the only one that could have sincerely stopped the downward spiral - by putting those in place who make/keep an impact on the sales floor.
But it's nerve wracking when i see the term notices, and people IM'ing me of who has left - and those are jobs that can't just be filled with 5 members of the india team. (India, you do great at following instruction - it'd be great if you learned to troubleshoot too.)
We're all freaked from the chain of events. Whether we come out of it as "We are still Zones" or if we come out of it all on the bread lines talking about our experiences together, things WILL change. It's ignorance to think that things won't.
I've made some great friends at Zones over the years, and will treasure those people and my experiences. This is not how i wanted to end this career.
I was fought fcr on the sales floor, and now praised in my merch role. I am a proud Zoner. But this makes me shudder. Upper management - please put your latte's down a second and help what used to be a great place to go in the morning.
COMPENSATION
p.s. what was Jaccolas average talk time? Oh that's right, it doesn't matter!
Friken Idiot
You are a dumbass, and you too will see the light someday.
you seem like a small town gangster trying to impress, pretty sure you are little time trying to talk big. If you are so awesome, why not use your name? Greatness inspires, and you sure think you are great.
To be fully honest (and I know I will be chastized, but oh well, right) - I love my job, I love working at Zones. I think my boss is a great guy. Yes it's true that he makes way more than I make, yes it's true that there are procedures I do not fully agree with. Nevertheless, I love my job and I got an opportunity that I would never have gotten elsewhere.
Please just put it to rest and relax. The world isn't ending because you got let go. Take the time you are putting into this nonsense blog and do some personal improvement. It's rather clear that a majority of you have some issue or another and that's why you were removed from the company. Just move on... Let go and move on with your life. Why thrive on anger that will get you no where?
Sound full of shit to me
you dont show up in webster, you obviously are a top dog with this attention to detail
I still call bs on you
then again you are a Zones employee, maybe this difficult new layout was too technical for you to figure out?