The Heritage Company
Evaluation of Heritage
Heritage is a company that does telemarketing for charities such as: Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, Special Olympics, the Deaf and Blind and Children’s Wish Foundation International. They have to meet a monthly and daily quota. Heritage has written a contract with these organizations, promising them at least a percentage (ranging from 5% to 55%) X number of dollars, therefore they have to meet the quota. There is a hierarchy at this company. There are senior mangers that call all the shots in the office, first in command. The leads specialist is second in command. Leads are the people being called to receive donations from and the leads specialist controls which people a TSR calls. There are mangers that are over a set number of people in a 12 to 18 line office, not the entire building. Their job is to coach the TSR, handle credit cards, motivate, set goals, update totals, and and reprimand when needed. TSR is the individual that calls the leads and asks for donations to their specific charity.
It should be noted most managers run their own leads, so there aren't many 'lead specialists'.
Pay:
The pay at Heritage is a tricky subject. Very tricky. It is all about performance but the TSR does not control every aspect of their evaluation. TSR1, who has been working there 3 months, could be in an evaluation period and performing great (selling 10 percent of their aquisition, 25% past donors, and 75% of renewal/tap..people who gave 6 months ago) while TSR2, who has been working there 3 years has the exact same percentages, yet TSR2 will almost certainly have almost doubled TSR1's total thereby hurting TSR1's eval. Some of this can be credited to experience, most can be attributed to favortism by the lead manipulator. By giving the veteran who is turning stats equal to the 3 month rookie the $25, $35, and $50 renewals it keeps the vet happy (seeing as how turnover is a major issue as it would be with any other awful job, it is a priority to cater to vets)
However, if through all this a TSR still puts up the right amount of money, they are compensated accordingly beginning almost a month later. If they do not at least meet quota, is dropped. Just starting a TSR would make 6.75 dollars an hour. Each month an evaluation comes out which means a rise or drop in pay. After working there a month, the TSR receives commission off their sales; two to five percent (ironically 5% is what most Special Olympics receive from an aquisition donations).
Management:
There are good and bad managers, just like in any job. What must be kept in mind is that Heritage is a company about money. They use charity and helping others as a mask, but it is completely about the money, nothing more. If a TSR or an office is not producing then the manager in charge of that area loses money; their pay is dropped if their people do poorly. There is a lot of pressure to succeed. The pressure, however, isn't for reaching the goals that (name charity here) so many more people who need help and services, but instead the pressure is to committ more people so The Heritage Company will have a larger profit magin.
Hours:
Heritage is running nearly sixteen hours a day. The day shift is Monday through Friday, 7.45-3.45. This shift receives an hour lunch break and three ten minute breaks.
Night shift: Monday through Thursday is 4-11, with three ten minute breaks; every other Saturday is 8am-12pm, with two ten minute breaks; Sunday is 2-9, with three ten minute breaks. Meaning if you follow this schedule, two weeks out of a month you work Sunday-Thursday nights with Friday being your ONE day off for 2 weeks. If the two Saturday shifts are on consecutive weekends the TSRs and management will work 15 out of 17 days.
Environment:
The Heritage equipment workers have to work with are barely sufficient. Each TSR has their own little green cubical or sit behind a computer table (not desk) on a computer chair with an ancient computer. It looks clean and the air works very well, esspecially in the winter where the AC is continuously on which makes it quite uncomfortable through the entire shift. There all types of vending and coke machines. Outside is a nice smoking deck with benches. If you work at Heritage you will spend more time there than with your own family, which isn't their official motto but sure seems to be. Good friends are to be made there. Nearly everyone associates outside of work, the majority of which are illecit activities. There is a huge felon/non-felon ratio. Some have been quoted as saying they'd rather spend 7 hours under water or in flames than 7 hours on the phone bothering people at home asking them to find it in their heart to help those 'less fortunate'. Some employees find it hard to ask someone on a fixed income to donate to a cause where only 32% - 55% of the money that person is nice enough to send will actually help a veteran of foreign war, Special Olympic athletes, people suffering with Multiple Sclerosis, families of victims of drunk drivers and their families.