provident agents [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]

TheLoanMan

Jeez, hearing these stories on the loan app make me even more relieved I got out last year. I used to have loan agreements all filled in before I got to the customers house it was just a matter of sign here, here and here, hand over the cash and off, 5 minutes max!

From a wider point of view I think these working tax credits cuts coming in tomorrow may make more agents re - think their position.

hadenuf1

Been an agent for many many years, and have gone through all the changes regarding commissions and charges but the recent changes are in my opinion are by far the worst. Always held a good quality book but after the initial sweetener of earning 11% I'm lucky if some weeks I can earn 8%. My quality is still the same so it just doesn't make any sense, it seems the better you do the higher the threshold so don't fall for it. I work far more hours and waste more petrol trying to get the last couple needed to get to next level, getting stressed out and sometimes feeling I'm badgering customers just so I can pay my rent for that week. And as for the new lending app it's an absolute nightmare 😫 if you can get it done and not declined within 1-1 1/2 hrs then you done bloody well. : no one in my office can and we DO NOT get paid for the time spent doing it. Everyone miserable and downbeat and dread interview days. myself like many others in my office are looking for new jobs. And can you realy blame us.

Poor_Agents

Th new lending app sounds a right pain !
You don't have time to mess around , I used to have loan agreements all filled in before I got to the customers house and money counted ready and it was just a matter of sign here, here,here, hand over the cash .done in 5 minutes
If everyone is that unhappy then it sounds like the ship is slowly sinking and agents should jump before its too late !
Best thing I ever did !!

no_issue

Aye changed days - loan app is terrible, we have agents leaving the local office but now instead of just walking away they are going to competitors and taking real good quality books with them. Hoping to do same myself over next few weeks/month. One of the top agents left this week and the DMs and AM were absolutely gobsmacked. This is really starting to hurt them.
This was once an enjoyable job and if you wanted a holiday you got another agent or friend to cover. Thats almost impossible now, no-one in their right mind is going to be a designate agent,Insuring their car for business use, having an interview and police checks, doing a days training in the company, accompanying agents on their round to witness collections and sales and then doing the online modules and training just to cover a couple of days per year.
An awful lot of demoralised and disillusioned agents have decided they have had enough, we even lived with the fines when they imposed that on us but recently the bullying, intimidation and threats have been increasing and the app is now the straw which broke the camels back.
Our local office is in a total meltdown and the company has totally brought this on themselves, I've worked here for over 18 years and we were a Footsie 100 company when I started - how far have we fallen since those days?

Poor_Agents

Its amazing how bad they treat us when its the agents that are on the front line ,

Mr Crook I must say Congratulations :beer:

TheLoanMan

Half year results announced yesterday pretty much in line with expectations, they managed to hold on to a million customers, just.

Saying re organisation and redundancys finished, though I'm sure that will change unless the customer losses are halted, all agents using collection and loan apps, no mention of problems with lending app, and no mention of current agent numbers.

Seems to me they want migration of customers from home collected to satsuma, easy to see why, Greater profit margin with no agents to pay no branches required or layers of managers, and can be integrated into the vanquis call centre.

I think they will try really hard to hang on to as many home collected customers for as long as possible while growing satsuma, I'm sure agents will see increasing pressure to grow their customer base and prevent paid ups and write off.

demoralised

Well you are half right loan man, there is increased pressure to put on customers, but they don't give a dam about what comes off the other end. The reason why is because the managers bonus is based on how many new customers go on, this means increased pressure to put any old rubbish on, even when you tell them they have been write offs on more than one occasion they say it doesn't matter if they never pay a penny as long as they go on. The new stars are the agents who sign up all this rubbish, 10 on 15 off, how can you continue to run a business like that? We have all been here before and it ended in disaster then and it will this time as well. Why can't they see that offering manager bonus's means that all their energy goes into that at the expense of everything else. What this space impairment will soon be at silly figures once again.

TheLoanMan

Provident have long been blaming the economy for the slow down in customers when every body knows the lack of customers is down to increased competition, more customer awareness of the choices out there and a general lack of interest in door step loans.

Also the customers that are recruited are poor quality and do not have the longevity of customers in the past. The good old reliable customers are gradually being lost/paid up for various reasons and being replaced by lesser quality ones.

It's all well and good throwing crap customers on but it will bite you back in lost commission and bad debt. Provident rarely has an good ideas it just regurgitates old ones, I'm old enough to remember shopping events, pots and pans, jewellery, life insurance, mobile phones, stalls in shopping centres , canvassing with shopping vouchers, I wonder which one of these there bring back in desperation.

As for giving potential customer's a loan so they can pay back some old historical unpaid debt! Well you couldn't make it up, could you!

Thebestboss2015

There are a lot of unhappy agents within Provident/Greenwoods and NSF (Taylors) as stated by 1 of you, some agents have left and gone to a competitor I am the competitor they have came to and I can say they are very well looked after and are very happy in their new roles, They have the full support of their managers and earn exactly what we have agreed no fines, no penalties and no stress. I am always looking out for more of these very professional and hard working individuals. Take a risk and make the move I promise you the grass is greener

jacko12

I am not suprised by any of the negative comments about provident ,they have not learned the lesson that if you rip-off your agents then you will not get the best of them.
I was in the Liverpool North Office for 13 years and left 2 and a half years ago due to being crapped on and losing approx 1200.00 quid in fines over 18 months. Impossible targets ,constant job threats and lots more.
I now work for morses and I have never looked back ,no fines good managers ,support when you need it and a much happier working enviroment. You dont have to pay for your software its all provided by the company and you feel like people actually care whats going on . you get achievable targets and no hassle .
If Any of you are thinking of leaving provident dont hesitate !!
get in touch with my office manager on E-mail address
[EMAIL="Trish.O'Neill@morsesclub.com"]Trish.O'Neill@morsesclub.com[/EMAIL]
You wont regret it. Kev