Ok, can you please tell me the honest reality of this company, the good, bad and otherwise? I would greatly appreciate honest answers. As a rep - Do you call on just physicians or do you actually call on the consumer/ patients in their homes or facilities? Do you make actual deliveries of product? If so, are you 'on call' when something arrives, even if a weekend? Whats a normal routine like, understanding that most days are usually different? (I was in device so I realize theres no such thing as normal!) Anything you'd care to share would be appreciated. Thank you.
This is a good question. Whats an average day like for an Oxygen rep? They're advertising for reps everywhere.
Haven't you heard? Analysts following the HME business say that based on what they are seeing in healthcare reform that Lincare will be the "last man standing". Sounds extremely sexist to me. Of course if they are right Lincare won't need any reps.....get you shit from Lincare or you're screwed!!!
As a rep - you call on both, but primarily doctors, ect.. Yes you deliver product, but are not on call. Normal routine (Meeting Monday morning, 50 sales calls a week min., document calls in tracking system on Friday. Friday conf call with AM)
Working at Lincare depends completely on who your managers, area managers and regional managers are! I worked at Lincare for 3 years and for 2 years I loved my job but as is the case with Lincare there is a revolving door for management and the last year was hell. Be very carefly before you commit and negotiate your non-compete contract. Most people are pressured into signing it and then are binded by it. You can actually negotiate for it to not take affect until after your 90 days are up. Be very careful, if you read these boards you will find a lot of info that should be useful. Some people are a little crude but Lincare has left a bad taste in many many mouths! Good luck! There's more bad and ugly that good when it comes to Lincare, sad but true!
Is Lincare prepared to prosecute every violator of the non-compete? If they only do it selectively, their non-competes may be worthless. Judges frown on selective enforcement.
Does Lincare's non compete have a time limit or can you not ever work for another O2 company? What are the guidelines? Anyone know?
No ENFORCEABLE non-compete lasts forever. Judges won't uphold it. The most enforceable non-competes are the least restrictive. For example, years ago I worked for a "national" DME that made all managers , sales reps and clinicians sign a very restrictive non-compete that said we couldn't leave for a competitor within 100 miles. It didn't stand up because judges said it effectively kept people from earning a living in their chosen field. And, of course, you are automatically released from the non-compete if the company fires you.
Oh, and I should add that it's surprising how easy it is to get companies to drop the non-compete requirement. Let me tell you how an older, wiser me got out of signing a non-compete once. I pushed it back across the conference table and said "There's a page missing." The execs looked it over and said "No, it's all here." "No", I said, "it's missing the page that protects me. Give me a contract that says you have to continue to pay me for a year if you fire me and I'll sign it." I never had to sign the non-compete.
Very smart and wise of you.....I wish I would've thought of that.... Which company are your going to work for?
Oh, that was years ago before the DME business went all to hell. I'm a dinosaur. I remember when DME companies had nice offices and all the salaried people had company cars. Man, those were the days. But those days are gone.
Are you kidding me? I went to an interview with these people today and they offered me 30k salary. I mean that is poverty level almost. I could make more slinging burgers at Mcdonalds. I told them it was way off and walked out. Unbelievable.
It's not just Lincare. I happen to know that many DME companies don't pay squat now. In fact, many DME positions are at mid 80s pay levels right now. A few years ago Apria was looking for a sales rep in my market. They were offering starting salary of $40-45k. That was great pay compared to what others were offering but I'll bet even Apria isn't paying that now since the Blackstone buyout. Back to Lincare, one of their center managers told me they were the training ground for the DME industry. She said they couldn't keep people long enough to promote them.
I miss the company cars, too. Over the years I had a lot of Buicks. Had a Chevy Celebrity station wagon once. I had a Ford Taurus. I guess the sexiest company car I ever had was a black Monte Carlo with a 260 V8 engine. It looked great but it wasn't very practical. I have to say the most practical company car I ever had was a boxy Nissan mini-van. I can't remember what it was called. It was ugly but really practical. It wasn't pretty but, in a pinch, you could deliver a bed in it if you had to and you could fill it up with discharge planners and take them to dinner. One time I had a Dodge station wagon and somebody said it was ugly. I said, "Yeah, well, they could give me a used Yugo and I wouldn't care because it's free." You know what a pain in the butt it is if your personal car breaks down? Man, what a great feeling it is when your company car's fuel pump fails and you simply call a tow truck, rent another car and inform your company that THEIR car is in the shop and you'll be putting the tow charges and rental charges on your expense report.
