Purplebricks has confirmed that it has dismissed a number of field agents for failing to meet their sales targets.
Property Industry Eye revealed on Friday that dozens of staff had been dismissed last week – some receiving less than an hour’s notice.
EYE was informed that Purplebricks was able to dismiss staff without a notice period because none have been employed for more than two years so full employment rights have not yet kicked in.
A Purplebricks spokesperson confirmed that EYE’s report is accurate.
The spokesperson told EYE: “As part of our drive to deliver industry leading standards of service, we continually manage staff performance. This means that some of our field agents have recently left the business.
“Purplebricks strives to deliver the best customer moving experience and having a performance culture is critical to achieving that. We will be offering support to all those affected individuals.”
Purplebricks has confirmed that it is facing a major downturn in its annual accounts when they are published on 14th July – mostly because of the reduction in volumes of instructions.
Comments (11)
Doomed if you do, doomed if you don’t. Since undertaking an employed model, Purplebricks enforced LPP’s to go to every valuation that booked in to their diaries, even if there was zero chance of instruction (e.g tenants booking valuations with intent to purchase). If you tried to cancel the appointment, area directors would have stern words and remind you of the 90% attended rate you needed to achieve. Consequently, your conversion rate plummets and this is the tactic they used to offload dozens of ‘underperforming’ agents. Since employing a load of staff on high basic salaries, they’ve realised it’s no longer sustainable. Disgrace of a company, no clue on how to treat staff and customers. Beginning of the end for the sinking ship that is Purplebricks.
PB didn’t care about performance standards when they didn’t have to pay their LPEs a living wage, only commission per instruction. Does PB offer their employees any training, or schedule a review when LPEs are considered underperforming.
Underperforming … is this an admission that PB model doesn’t work and profitable? I doubt many will disagree with this observation and shareholders must be trembling in their boots.
If PB version is down to poor employees abilities/under performing ….. where are they going to get replacements and how can their business continue to work without the necessary staff?
A change in CEO and shedding staff is a classic, ‘pruning’ ready for sale or closure of a business.
An even bigger change is required of senior management for under performing/supervision/training/resources, allowing it to get to this stage!
This is tactic admission the executive do not understand estate agency -that should be a real worry for all stakeholders in the company.
In normal times agency works on a 10 month year of peaks and troughs, right now we are in the least normal times I can remember since 1992. No targets, with all the motivation and encouragement in the world, will be met if the public aren’t moving because of market uncertainty.
Without knowing it here is the final admission that operating in accordance with working time, national insurance and taxation regulations passive intermediary, internet listing is unviable for the company, the investors and those who have to meet impossible volume targets they have no control over.
“Disgusting people” excellent terminology for people recently running said business.
Operating with no clue about business, people, ethics, estate agency or karma it seems.
come on C4J let’s get them gone…
Supporting them after they have been dismissed? Whats that then?
If that’s not ‘lip-service’ I don’t know what is. What about training your ‘underperforming’ staff, do you not have a responsibility to do this.
what a s**t show this company is from the day it started and its still going on. its unbelievable new staff saying, “what a great company one guy only been there a week says “I’m so proud of MY team”
I’m sure he will be saying something else when its his turn to be “let go”
Unless you get the top job and are given heap loads of shares, its a dog with fleas!
I’m sure that when this guy is eventually let go we’ll see him at Remax or Yopa or Strike or somewhere championing their new team… it’s a sad downhill slide from where he is unfortunately
I wonder whether these poor people all had less than 2 years service? If the class action succeeds, it may be that some who were ’employed’ may be deemed to have been employed before they were absorbed into PBs payroll when they ended the self employed model. Irrespective, it’s a very shabby way to treat people who may have mortgages / rent to pay and families to feed.
“As part of our drive to deliver industry leading standards of service, we continually manage staff performance.” is interesting considering the All Agents article.
I totally agree with Mike on this, PB need to look at the disgusting Regional team especially in south west London.
No wonder it’s a shambles.
Deeply flawed business model run by disgusting people not forgetting that the biggest under performers are the management themselves – past and present. Hopefully we will see the end of them soon – with the even more disgraceful Strike (and others) not far behind.