Kansan Summer WeeklyWednesday, June 17, 1987
9
Job's perks keep KU students on line
By KRISTEN HAYS
Staff writer
Don't hang up on the idea of telephone sales.
This career may sound boring, but Entertul, Inc., a Lawrence telemarketing firm, contradicts that image by offering employee incentives that make the job more attractive.
Kris Krause, a personnel assistant for Entertel, said that she liked the company so much that even though she graduated from KU in May, she still wants to stay with Entertel.
"I love it, honest to God. Everyone's my age. They're enthusiastic, just like a family," she said. "If you want to help them they help you out. It's very personal."
Even so, the turnover rate for salesmen at Entertel has been traditionally high.
Entertel salesmen, also called TSRs, for telephone sales representatives, call people at night and try to sell them various products and services. They start on the East Coast and work through the country to the West Coast because of time zones.
Krause said the tedious nature of the job made it difficult for telephone salesmen.
"It's not easy work," she said.
"It's not manual labor, where you're out there sweating. But, it's stressful. You have to overcome rejection, but once you overcome it, it's great."
Mike Boyer, vice president of operations at Entertel, said that when he arrived in Lawrence in September to work for Entertel, he learned that the company's had a poor reputation, among students in particular.
"Everyone, especially people on the Hill, were saying, 'Oh, don't work at Entertal.' We decided to change that, and contrary to what people think, we don't yell at TSRs, and this isn't the typical boiler room," Boyer said.
Janet Asmus, Fort Collins, Colo., senior, lived in McColum Hall a year ago and heard that Entertiel wasn't an ideal place to work.
"I heard it was pushy, really forceful to make sales, and that the supervisors there were slave drivers. I've been looking for a job, and I remembered that when I thought of Entertel."
Krause said that since Boyer instituted incentive programs and cash bonuses for salesmen, the turnover rate has decreased. Entertel now employs about 200 people and is at full capacity, which is rare.
Boyer said there were four ways salesmen made money at Entertal: the hourly wage, bonuses for added hours, incentives based on performance and cash prizes.
"Before Mike was here, we didn't have these contests and monthly meetings with awards for people," she said.
"All this means some people can make $10 an hour here," Boyer said.
Most Entertain employees, including management, are students, or recent graduates. Boyer said most of his clients were students and were promoted from there.
Monthly staff meetings are social occasions at which employees have free pizza and soda. Awards for salesman, staff member and supervisor of the month are presented at the meetings.
Krause said, "Last May, we had an auction. Several weeks before that, supervisors had been giving away enterbus, like Monopoly money, for any reason they saw fit. TSRs might get money for a good sale, a smile or any reason whatsoever.
"At the auction, they could buy summer-type things, like a ten speed, color TVs, dinner on the Plaza or five free 15-minute breaks."
Entertel, a subsidiary of Entertainment Publications, Inc., performs telemarketing across the country for several different companies, such as Hyatt Legal Services, Players Club International and Special Olympics International
Saturday marked Entertel's third year as a company. Boy invited all his employees, their families and guests to a birthday party. He said 300 people attended.
Paula Goulden, Arkansas City sophomore and salesman, was the great friend of her.
"They had a whole pig and tons of other food. There was a Coors beer truck, a deejay, frisbee and volleyball, and everyone from TSRs to management hung out together."
Goulden said, "The managers don't act like they're above you. When they criticize your work, they don't criticize you. They play around like everyone else and get the work done too."
Boyer said that because his work force consisted mostly of students, his staff worked around school schedules.
"We let the TSRs make out their own schedules, essentially, and readily give leaves of absence for holidays, summer or final," he said.
Goulden said that during finals, the managers accepted lessened enthusiasm from the salesmen. "but after finals, they said, 'OK, finals are over, now get back to work!' They understand student problems, and when you just can't handle it, if you're having an off day, they help you out."
Boyer said employees who received permission could use the company's videocassette recorders, adding machines and typewriters for classwork.
Krause said she stressed good attendance as much as positive attitudes. According to Entertier's absence policy, one absence without calling results in a reduced salary, to $3.35 an hour. A second unexplained absence is grounds for firing, and a third is considered an abandonment.
"We try to promote their school work, not interfere with it," he said.
"One time at $3.35 usually cures the attendance problem," she said.
Goulden said, "At first, when I started, it was hard. People hang up. Especially now, people won't give their credit card numbers because of all the credit scams, even if they want what we sell.
"I plan to go to school in Poland next fall, but if I don't go, I will stick with it. It's not easy, but all the other stuff they do for us makes it fun."
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