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Car_is_mi

Am I crazy or justified here?

Compensation

I took an outside sales job about a year ago. Ive never worked in this industry directly but have worked in related industries. I was also new to the area where the job was (moved from out of state). This was all upfront in the interview process.

During the interview / offer process it was explained that I was an addition to the team due to increasing sales in the market, but mid-term, there is a 70+ year old salesman who "would be retiring within the next year or so" that I would be slotted to replace.

It was also explained to me that my commission rate would be 25% of gross, and that, in the event that I screwed something up (i.e. I ordered the wrong part or the wrong color) I would be charged back equally, 25% of the cost it took to fix that error (I think this is more than fair, if I screw up).

I also asked, what could I reasonably expect for a 1st year income and what types of averages were they looking at for profit. I was told, in no fewer words, "I've never had a first year salesman make less than six figures", and that the average profit per sale was 18 to 20k (which would mean my cut would be $4500 to $5k per).

Fast forward to a few months in role. I am getting comfortable with the position and making a few small sales. I had become more acquainted with the 70 year old person I was to ultimately replace, enough to learn that 1) he never told them he planned to retire, and 2) he has no plan to retire, and 3) as long as he maintains his existing book of business within reason, they will not force him out.

So thats lie #1 from company to me but okay, Im a big boy, I can handle not getting handed his client list. (P.S. for reference, every sales person in that organization for the last 30 years has been a direct replacement for another. This includes my boss (now sales manager), and his boss (sales > GM)

Few months later I am not happy about my sales #s or the $ I am making off the deals. I had made 5 sales and since they were my first few sales I had to get my SM involved, and he basically underwrote every deal so I made very little under the guise of 'better to make sure we have the deal' and 'youll make it up on the next one'. On 5 deals I made $2,200.00 total. The 5th deal of which, I had worked for months on, and agreed to a price with the customer which had $11,000 worth of profit in, only to find out my service team made an error. An error that cost $10,000 to fix. Not my error by any means. But I still got hit with the charge back on it meaning I made $250, compared to the $2,500 I was expecting. When I had this out with my boss it was "look, these things happen, its not the norm, but they do happen. Its nobodys fault (yes but it was...), sometimes things get missed (and so I have to take the loss)".

Made my peace with it, moved on with my life, went out and sold a few more. Come December I get a call from my boss. They are handing me a client from a guy in our other office. Basically, customer called that location despite being in my territory, guy answered the phone, ran with it, knowing the guy was in my territory, and tried to slip one under the radar. Now the other salesman had done nothing other than answer the phone and confirm a product. I did all the hard work. And this customer is a PITA. But, they are a conquest customer who has the potential to spend $$$$$. So I bend over, forwards, backwards, and one time sideways.

Close the deal and make a significant profit on it (what I was originally told). Commission time comes, and my check isnt what I expect. Talk to my boss, well, you have to split it with (other salesguy). Why? He answered the phone and then did the wrong thing and tried to hide it? Argued, lost the argument but not entirely, agreed to a 75 / 25 split rather than a 50/50.

Well then the customer starts having "problems". Little things that have no real bearing on anything but they want to be coddled, and I want them to spend more money with me so I coddle. commissions come out and I have small charge backs from them I was expecting, I dont do the math to the penny I just say okay we did about $400 worth of work for them so I know I should be at about $100 on chargeback, and I see #103.65 I just move on.

FF to yesterday. I get hit with a $700 chargeback from a sale I made in October that I know has not been anywhere near us for any reason since October (this is because my bosses boss pissed the guy off enough that he will never do business with us again. when I followed up post sale he kicked me off the property and told me to lose his number, hes never coming to us for anything again). Turns out someone in service changed a labor line value on a ticket from October. Why??? How????

So I start looking at my chargebacks a little closer and the math is not mathing. I found 2 other chargebacks with much smaller adjusted labor lines. I also found small chargebacks from service on my sales for things I was not aware of (I.e customer shows up and they just do the work and charge me, months later). Then I do some more math and realize the chargebacks on that deal I had to split are 100% on me, meaning the guy who was in the wrong keeps 100% of his split but I get to lose mine.

I tried calling my boss (works out of a different location). He ignores my calls (this isnt out of the ordinary, he prefers texting). So I made a bunch of notes and showed how things are getting changed after the fact. I scan it all over to him and get an almost immediate response of "ill look into this and call you later". Its been over a day and no other responses, no calls, text, email.

At this point Im over $14,000 in lost profit due to things the service department did and I am pissed. I am fine with chargebacks when I screw something up, or if I agree to it as a customer service issue. But I am not okay with losing money because someone else screwed up, or because service wants to change labor rates months down the line on closed tickets.

My 1 year is coming up next month, and I am on track to close out at $45k far off from the six figures I was told, and while the $3,500 wouldnt put me even half way there....

Everything else about this company has been great. No micromangement. Flexible on time. 2 weeks vacation from day 1. gave everyone supermarket gift cards at thanksgiving. gave the whole co paid holidays on day after thanksgiving and day after xmas. the list goes on. But I keep getting screwed over on my commissions. and I see that there is potential for mid 6 figures in this role if you have the right client list. and when old dude dies or retires and I get his client list theres no questions asked if that is possible, but the industry takes a while to build trust and relationships, and if I keep getting screwed over on my commissions I dont want to work for them.

Am I crazy to look for another job knowing that I am unlikely to find something with the same earning potential in this area, with similar benefits? I just feel like I am being strung along. and it makes it difficult for me to want to go out and sell for them.

Posted Mar 5, 2026, 4:58 PM UTC

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