Ok folks.....today it finally hit me how lucky I am to be working where I'm working. First of all, let me remind you, I am an insurance broker who works in downtown St. Louis, on the 7th floor of a HUGE building overlooking the Arch. It's a GREAT view let me tell ya.
Anyway, we are the #1 company in the country in the business of providing car warranties. We work for a company called Service Protection Direct. We provide the consumer with TWO different warranties.....one of them is Marathon, and the other is MBPI (Mechanical Breakdown Protection Incorporated). MBPI is actually one of the TOP insurance companies when it comes to paying auto claims, though Marathon isn't that bad either.
In any event, our boss(es) usually have contests going on each month that motivate us to sell more and more warranties than the previous months before. Sometimes it's big screen TVs, surround sounds, and TiVo boxes, whereas other times it's just plain ol' $4,000 bonuses to whoever sells the most warranties.
You'll NEVER believe what the prize is this time guys.....
Let me put it to you this way.....a meeting was called for 7:00am today, which really sucks b/c my shift today ususally runs 11:00am-8
Anyway, we're always told not to be late, so a group of us are walking into the call center (much like the movie Boiler Room) at 6:59 only to realize that NOBODY is in the office. One of our managers is on his way out passing us on our way in and informs us that the meeting will be held out in the parking garage on the TOP floor which is level 5. We all kind of look at each other like "what's going on," and proceeded back to the parking garage elevator.
Since we're on floor 7 we ride down 2 floors to level 5, which is the TOP level of the garage. So when we step off the elevator the sunshine blasts us right in the face. THERE are ALL the people that work in our company standing in a BIG row side by side as if ready to charge into battle, and it never occured to me how MANY people work in our company until I ACTUALLY saw them all together in a big group.
So the five of us join the group and the managers start throwing everybody sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches as if we're a pack of wild hungry dogs. As soon as the last sandwiches were eaten, all three (big wig) bosses step to the front of the group and proceed to explain what the meeting's about.
They went over some new rules regarding how to take payments and what we now can and can't say or do over the phone. Apparently some of the new guys were really getting away with some dumb stuff, and it was time to address the group as a whole. After all the new rules were gone over, this BIG smile crept across Gene's face. Gene is 2nd in command under Bob, so Gene is usually the one who deals with us directly, while Bob watches in the shadows.
Gene proceeds to thank us for the record month we had last month and how he's going to stop working us so hard (believe me, we are getting worked to death). But he seriously loves us to death (probably 'cause we're the reason he's a millionaire) and enjoys rewarding us heavily. I mean, when you're cashing in $8,400 checks every month and THEN receiving $4,000 worth of bonuses on top of that, you're being told "THANK YOU".
But THIS time was different......there was SOMETHING going on here. The way he was smiling at us had me on edge. As he's walking up and down the ranks like a general preparing his troops for battle he begins to pass out fliers to each of us. He's telling us that whoever sells 80 or more warranties per month is qualified for the contest (but what contest?). The contest will start TODAY and go all the way through November (what is he talking about?) I look down at my flier and my jaw drops.....there's no WAY this is about to happen.
Then.....I hear the music.....it starts off ever so faint....and then rapidly begins to increase in volume as if getting closer and CLOSER. I can hear that song that has T-Pain featured in it......."'cause ur my shaaaaawwwwtyyyyyyy".........
It's RIGHT below me now......one more floor to go.........Gene is just finishing up with his speech and he turns around and points to the ramp leading up to floor number 5 as a BRAND NEW 2007 MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE comes rolling up the ramp and parks right in front of us with the music blasting.
I'm telling you I can NEVER explain the feeling that rushed over me and everybody else I'm sure for that matter. It was just this PERFECT moment in time in which NOTHING matters anymore. You're just mesmerized and speechless and you don't even know what to do. The way it was timed SO perfectly, and the way the guy drove it up in a business suit wearing sunglasses with the top down and some R&B/hip hop playing was just ABSOLUTELY priceless.
I bet you everybody on that roof felt like a million dollars. We could just picture ourselves behind the wheel and how cool it would be to own a brand new Mustang convertible. All we have to do is KEEP doing what we've BEEN doing, that's it!
We all rushed the Mustang, all 60 or 70 of us......some of us circling it, some of us hopping in it.....others taking pictures on their camera phones. It was the MOST excitement I've felt in about 5 years, and by FAR, the best feeling you will EVER have during your career, whatever that career may be.
Just to know that we're appreciated, and that the more money we make for the company, the more money the company spends on US. I'm going to do everything in my power to sell the hell out of some **** and qualify myself for this drawing, folks, everything in my power.
Right about this time when all the buzz dies down, Bob finally steps forward and says......
"There will be a drawing for all those folks who average 80 warranties a month until November. The drawing will be held during the Christmas party."
(which I hear is the best Christmas party in the whole city every year).
"The winner of the drawing, will be tossed the keys in front of everybody."
I couldn't believe it......just picturing Bob saying....."here you go Chris"......and tossing me the keys to a brand new Mustang convertible. I almost passed out. The intensity was just too much to take in at 7:30 in the morning, but, waking up that early was definitely worth it.
I guess all I'm trying to say is.......I LOVE this company.......
Oh....and I guess I better stop typing and start selling.
Anyway, we are the #1 company in the country in the business of providing car warranties. We work for a company called Service Protection Direct. We provide the consumer with TWO different warranties.....one of them is Marathon, and the other is MBPI (Mechanical Breakdown Protection Incorporated). MBPI is actually one of the TOP insurance companies when it comes to paying auto claims, though Marathon isn't that bad either.
In any event, our boss(es) usually have contests going on each month that motivate us to sell more and more warranties than the previous months before. Sometimes it's big screen TVs, surround sounds, and TiVo boxes, whereas other times it's just plain ol' $4,000 bonuses to whoever sells the most warranties.
You'll NEVER believe what the prize is this time guys.....
Let me put it to you this way.....a meeting was called for 7:00am today, which really sucks b/c my shift today ususally runs 11:00am-8
Anyway, we're always told not to be late, so a group of us are walking into the call center (much like the movie Boiler Room) at 6:59 only to realize that NOBODY is in the office. One of our managers is on his way out passing us on our way in and informs us that the meeting will be held out in the parking garage on the TOP floor which is level 5. We all kind of look at each other like "what's going on," and proceeded back to the parking garage elevator.
Since we're on floor 7 we ride down 2 floors to level 5, which is the TOP level of the garage. So when we step off the elevator the sunshine blasts us right in the face. THERE are ALL the people that work in our company standing in a BIG row side by side as if ready to charge into battle, and it never occured to me how MANY people work in our company until I ACTUALLY saw them all together in a big group.
So the five of us join the group and the managers start throwing everybody sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches as if we're a pack of wild hungry dogs. As soon as the last sandwiches were eaten, all three (big wig) bosses step to the front of the group and proceed to explain what the meeting's about.
They went over some new rules regarding how to take payments and what we now can and can't say or do over the phone. Apparently some of the new guys were really getting away with some dumb stuff, and it was time to address the group as a whole. After all the new rules were gone over, this BIG smile crept across Gene's face. Gene is 2nd in command under Bob, so Gene is usually the one who deals with us directly, while Bob watches in the shadows.
Gene proceeds to thank us for the record month we had last month and how he's going to stop working us so hard (believe me, we are getting worked to death). But he seriously loves us to death (probably 'cause we're the reason he's a millionaire) and enjoys rewarding us heavily. I mean, when you're cashing in $8,400 checks every month and THEN receiving $4,000 worth of bonuses on top of that, you're being told "THANK YOU".
But THIS time was different......there was SOMETHING going on here. The way he was smiling at us had me on edge. As he's walking up and down the ranks like a general preparing his troops for battle he begins to pass out fliers to each of us. He's telling us that whoever sells 80 or more warranties per month is qualified for the contest (but what contest?). The contest will start TODAY and go all the way through November (what is he talking about?) I look down at my flier and my jaw drops.....there's no WAY this is about to happen.
Then.....I hear the music.....it starts off ever so faint....and then rapidly begins to increase in volume as if getting closer and CLOSER. I can hear that song that has T-Pain featured in it......."'cause ur my shaaaaawwwwtyyyyyyy".........
It's RIGHT below me now......one more floor to go.........Gene is just finishing up with his speech and he turns around and points to the ramp leading up to floor number 5 as a BRAND NEW 2007 MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE comes rolling up the ramp and parks right in front of us with the music blasting.
I'm telling you I can NEVER explain the feeling that rushed over me and everybody else I'm sure for that matter. It was just this PERFECT moment in time in which NOTHING matters anymore. You're just mesmerized and speechless and you don't even know what to do. The way it was timed SO perfectly, and the way the guy drove it up in a business suit wearing sunglasses with the top down and some R&B/hip hop playing was just ABSOLUTELY priceless.
I bet you everybody on that roof felt like a million dollars. We could just picture ourselves behind the wheel and how cool it would be to own a brand new Mustang convertible. All we have to do is KEEP doing what we've BEEN doing, that's it!
We all rushed the Mustang, all 60 or 70 of us......some of us circling it, some of us hopping in it.....others taking pictures on their camera phones. It was the MOST excitement I've felt in about 5 years, and by FAR, the best feeling you will EVER have during your career, whatever that career may be.
Just to know that we're appreciated, and that the more money we make for the company, the more money the company spends on US. I'm going to do everything in my power to sell the hell out of some **** and qualify myself for this drawing, folks, everything in my power.
Right about this time when all the buzz dies down, Bob finally steps forward and says......
"There will be a drawing for all those folks who average 80 warranties a month until November. The drawing will be held during the Christmas party."
(which I hear is the best Christmas party in the whole city every year).
"The winner of the drawing, will be tossed the keys in front of everybody."
I couldn't believe it......just picturing Bob saying....."here you go Chris"......and tossing me the keys to a brand new Mustang convertible. I almost passed out. The intensity was just too much to take in at 7:30 in the morning, but, waking up that early was definitely worth it.
I guess all I'm trying to say is.......I LOVE this company.......
Oh....and I guess I better stop typing and start selling.