Very Important! I Need Your Feedback!

[JSD8675]

I just finished my third week with an agency in SE PA.

I signed what was a standard contract for leads and appointments to be made by a telemarketer at the agency. I get the appointments daily (between 3-5,) and go out to seniors' houses to sell Medicare Supp/MA/HHC/LTC/HIP plans.

The card says that there are new Medicare changes for 2009, and that certain deductibles have changed and that they may affect their current benefits.

There are many people who have been there 10+ years, and make a lot of money at the agency.

HOWEVER, in the past 2 weeks, I've had the cops looking for me on 3 occasions, and people are consistently telling me that the telemarketer makes the insinuation that I am from either social security or Medicare. They check with SS, and find out they know nothing about me, and usually the minute I get there, I am greeted as a scammer, or criminal.

Some people I have been able to help, and I have averaged about $3-$400 weekly in commissions, which is borderline what I need to get by in gas, etc..

I'm on unemployment, and have been forgoing/withholding my commissions until I am sure I want to give up $550 in unemployment weekly for this.

My issue is, I don't know how, despite the cops, and lead problems, how I will be able to get by the first year after the OEP ends (April-November,) with these totally unqualified/partially pissed-off leads.

Should I request a release, stay on unemp, and try to find another agency? Is this just part of the business, getting cops called, and hardly scraping by on MAs? I haven't sold a HHC or Medsup yet.

Help me please!

 

[joeblow]

Re: VERY IMPORTANT, I Need Your Feedback!

I don't know about PA, but I believe that in many States, working, earning commissions but forgoing them, in order to continue receiving unemployment is... what's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah, illegal. You might want to rethink that "strategy".

 

[patch36]

Re: VERY IMPORTANT, I Need Your Feedback!

Who you with? Senior Solutions or Bankers Life?

 

[Guest]

Re: VERY IMPORTANT, I Need Your Feedback!

First of all, why do you even have to ask this question?
Cops? BS? Headaches?

As Extreme would say, get the FUNK out!!!


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Great avatar!!

I don't know about PA, but I believe that in many States, working, earning commissions but forgoing them, in order to continue receiving unemployment is... what's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah, illegal. You might want to rethink that "strategy".

 

[JSD8675]

Re: VERY IMPORTANT, I Need Your Feedback!

Joeblow: Thanks for that little burst of genius. You must really impress yourself.

Robliano:

I'm afraid I might have to. I'll give it another week to see if anything smoothes out, but it all seems kinda unethical to me. I hate going to peoples' houses on false pretenses, but I will if it's what I have to do to get ahead in the world.

 

[Todd King]

Re: VERY IMPORTANT, I Need Your Feedback!

Joeblow: Thanks for that little burst of genius. You must really impress yourself.

Robliano:

I'm afraid I might have to. I'll give it another week to see if anything smoothes out, but it all seems kinda unethical to me. I hate going to peoples' houses on false pretenses, but I will if it's what I have to do to get ahead in the world.

So you're willing to do what is unethical with seniors in order to get ahead? Am I actually reading that right? I don't want to get mixed up between what you said and what you meant, but if that's the way you really are, then I say, get out of the business because you would be the type that give an honest agent a bad name!
There is no room for the unethical in this business, especially the senior market. These people need help and you don't have to be unethical to help them or to make a very good living.
I hope you can come back and either explain this statement or retract it with honesty!!

 

[joeblow]

Re: VERY IMPORTANT, I Need Your Feedback!

Joeblow: Thanks for that little burst of genius. You must really impress yourself.

So which is it? You were unaware that you're probably engaging in illegal activity, or you don't care that you are?

In either case, as my mother-in-law used to say, "that tells me all I need to know about you". Save the bandwidth when you come up w/ a witty retort. We're through.

Good day to you.

 

[Charpress]

Re: VERY IMPORTANT, I Need Your Feedback!

The mail solicitation cards I see that are designed to look like government correspondence but always at least have a disclaimer at the bottom "Not associated with Social Security or any government agency." Disclaimer or not, I always have a huge problem with the ethics of disguising something to look like what it is not.

It sounds like the telemarketers when they get the card mailed in then get carried away when appointments are set. I assume their income is based on success and that they probably have scripts that are misleading.

First, I would run away from this organization.

If you stay, do they give you the card? At least you could show people what they sent in and the disclaimer (assuming there is one). If the company doesn't provide you at least a copy of the card, then:

Second, I would run away from this organization.

 

[JSD8675]

Re: VERY IMPORTANT, I Need Your Feedback!

So which is it? You were unaware that you're probably engaging in illegal activity, or you don't care that you are?

In either case, as my mother-in-law used to say, "that tells me all I need to know about you". Save the bandwidth when you come up w/ a witty retort. We're through.

Good day to you.

Unfortunately, my life is not as clean and easy as yours. If my income fails, I'm on the street within a couple weeks. I do what I have to to survive in this world.

The mail solicitation cards I see that are designed to look like government correspondence but always at least have a disclaimer at the bottom "Not associated with Social Security or any government agency." Disclaimer or not, I always have a huge problem with the ethics of disguising something to look like what it is not.

It sounds like the telemarketers when they get the card mailed in then get carried away when appointments are set. I assume their income is based on success and that they probably have scripts that are misleading.

First, I would run away from this organization.

If you stay, do they give you the card? At least you could show people what they sent in and the disclaimer (assuming there is one). If the company doesn't provide you at least a copy of the card, then:

Second, I would run away from this organization.

They do give me the card to show the people. I am going to seriously consider asking for a release from the agency. I really am not very much into tricking old people. Once I get there, I'm as ethical as I can be, but starting out on the wrong foot does put a strain on any possible relationship between myself and a new client.

 

[Frank Stastny]

Re: VERY IMPORTANT, I Need Your Feedback!

...relationship between myself and a new client.

"...between my new client and me."

I really can't believe you are still there. Why haven't you left a long time ago when you found out what crooks they are?

Oh, I remember, you are collecting unemployment and commission checks. Sounds to me like you are in good company.

There is a lot of money to be made in the senior market and it is quite easy to do. And, a good agent does not have to lie and cheat to do it.

The most difficult part about my job is that I have to follow the agent who preceded me.