What can we do about the bad CTL's

As a rep what are we to do about the bad CTL's there is no satification survey for them. The ombudsmen is a joke. I have called numerous times on my CTL. She cant show up to a field visit on time, and therfore makes me late to schedule appoitments. Out of 10 field visits in 2013 she was late for 8 of them by more than 30 minutes. If I was late to meet up with her that much I would be fired. BUT she still has a job. At least I have her email confirming time and place to meet for field visit and I have the text stating she is going to be late.
What makes me and the rest of my team so mad about it, is the lies why she is late. We know she has a daughter in school that she drops off so if she would just say I cant meet with you till XX time we would be fine with it. Rather than agreeing to meet us, then morning of field visit sending a text (15 minutes before we are scheduled to meet) saying I'm going to be late can you catch up on emails while waiting for me.

 

I just had this same issue. My CTL showed up 2 hours late for his requested business review, after I made special arrangements for family care. It is such a lack of respect!

 

Had one of the under the microscope field days. Came 199% prepared with excel, analysis and illustrations of all I had done to manage and grow the business. Manager showed late! Said skip on the review of everything prepared. Went to a few calls, thought we did well. Manager took off early. Pow! A bad review. Another head spinning, lick your wounds experience.

 

Oh you big babies wah wah my boss is late. Call them and tell them where to meet you as you wait for a signature. I pretty sure they would rather you go makes some calls of you know how to make them.

 

You have obviously mistaken your CTL for someone who actually gives a shit…She, like the rest of Merck Management has been anointed for a lifetime job with high pay, and little responsibility. If she is late, it is your problem, not hers…Merck exists to keep people like her enriched, secure and happy…

Merck tolerates you just so she has a job year after year…

Sick place…FU MERCK!

 

"You have obviously mistaken your CTL for someone who actually gives a shit…"

Sir, you are right. Spot on with this comment. Exactly the sentiment conveyed from ours. Hope he is the rare odd ball in the lot. Seems tone deaf, over and out....without much care for those who were cut or facing our new careers of long distance driver. Is this from that ctl anointing? Or is it a breathe easy result of those ctl packages? He sure does seem "enriched, secure and happy"....layoff or not. Don't know if he gets a laugh or a thumbs down....but a softer attitude is in order.

 

Who cares if she shows later, but don't give out crappy field day reviews because you chose to skip out and not look over all the rep had planned and prepared. Skip the field trip reports if its as deficient as the day. I remember when my managers completed the reports as part of the field day. Managers actually worked with reps discussing, role playing and practicing. Reviewing what the rep prepared. Providing value. The field report became part of coaching and learning for the rep. It was completed as the day went along. Today it has evolved into nothing but a lopsided think back and a way to give dings to the rep. It provides zero help if no time is provided for real review and discussion, role playing or practice. The day is wasted and becomes nothing more than a way for the manager to check his or her boxes. Its no wonder so many reps have difficulties trying to please managers. It was not like this in the past.

 

What makes the CTL ride alongs so idiotic is not the fact that their job is to coach, review and role play different scenarios with their reps, its that they continue to do this with reps who have been in the field for 10 plus years! As far as I can tell there are very few newbies in this industry today, which makes the all the CTL ride along nonsense that much more ridiculous. I mean really, if you still need a bi-monthly interaction with your manager to "role play" and practice detailing after a decade on this job (or even a few years) you should be fired. Also, any new reps ( are there any?) who need to be shown the ropes would be infinitely better served to have an experience rep work with them as opposed to some box-checking flunky who is just trying to justify their existence

 

If managers criticize something, they need to show the rep exactly what they want. Pure and simple, be the manager. Model the behavior or skill. Without providing examples they need to take the heat as much as any rep. Managers are not meant to be silent observers, they are meant to be active participants in managing . Being a manager and providing the management direction for change or skill improvement. Whether someone is 2 years, 10 or 20 it does not matter. Some managers want things their way. Reps can have years of good reviews then drop because a manager sees things differently. Some managers miss the boat completely or are so jaded they could care less. For some, its all about putting in the hours and checking the box, all so they can say they did their job.

 

Can't do anything now! Layoffs are over! Just suffer.

 

Hold on, Einstein. When the NCM and the detailing by profile started a methodology of madness began. Reps formerly had done just fine. Had their methods and personal styles of selling. Received awards and results for maybe 10 years or more. Then wham, you're on the verge of getting canned! Suddenly, you drop on the "competency" scales. Now, after years of knowing your products, passing PI exams they tell you things like you have no product knowledge! WTF is this all about?

So here we are needing that all knowing expert called the manager. Back to learning some basics at ten years or more. Point is....any new way requires managers to be involved and knowledgeable enough to teach their students how to be the best...

 

The CTL is there to make your existence at Merck as short as possible without risking a lawsuit that the company direly wants to avoid. It's her job to make you pissed, afraid and nervous.

They know you don't actually do anything every day and that it's tough for you to fake a textbook sales day, so these ass clowns are in place to make you as uncomfortable as possible about being found out for the fraud that you---and every other Merck rep---are. In other words, the push to get you to quit has never taken a breather and it never will until avery Merck rep is history.

Welcome to the New Merck.

 

I hear very few reps were cut. Some that you would have expected to get the boot did not, while some who should have been kept were cut. No distinction in teams; workers cut along with slackers. Some privileged hit the rocks last year were mysteriously, never touched. The remaining got placed with hiking boots and weather gear...seems the road will be tough until they find a new gig.

Questions about the whole process.......big, big questions!

 

Thank you for saying this and saying it so well…(so I didn't have to.) the ONLY function of the Merck CTL these days is to push people out…these folks sign their deal with the devil and are paid extremely well to get rid of reps…that is what makes them cost effective employees to the real Ponzi scheme winners above…(Senior Management)

 

No one gets a bi-monthly calls, but managers need to do more to help reps. God help you if you have a problem with a manager.

 

So true! Seems like someone is deluded enough to think that FV is time to show your competence and value. Those things are predetermined by the CTLs & DCOs. The evidence is those who spend hours on the phone, "put down calls", contribute nothing but a regurgitation of someone else's words get the VP club and promotion.

 

Well said!

 

Very true, sounds like the CP rep posters should be the CTLs !

 

The CTL is the weakest link. They whatever training they get does little to prepare them to do much besides "check the box". I remember when we had one that refused to allow us to use the marketing plan-he thought it was complete BS. Year after year we were ranked bottom in our region.

 

Our marketing plan for the last two years was disregarded by many top producing people....Some of us who stuck to the program got the boot by staying the course. Bottom line is you must have a flexible approach or you will not address the customers needs. By months in many of our customer switched category, but we got stuck keeping him on the outdated! Yep, was displaced for keeping on the straight and narrow! Obviously our manger had no check the box plan for those of us who always do as we're told!