I started working for phone watch in June of 2019. I really enjoyed my first year but that's about as good as it got. I left in April of 2022.
Basic salary is below industry standards and alot is dependent on your ability to sell not your ability to actually maintain and install alarms.
I was very adept at performing my roles as an engineer. I was trained on systems that most will not be however my basic wage never reflected my ability to do more than the average engineer could. I had a good ability to sell and met targets mostly but unfortunately your quality of work and ability to actually maintain and install alarms is overshadowed by the greed of the company trying to squeeze every last penny out of there clients pockets. Coupled with the fact that sales blatantly lie at point of sale about the capabilities of the alarm including but not limited to the coverage the basic system offers, warning customers not to pay attention to engineers who have a duty of care to advise on what sensors outside the basic package they need for coverage.
Work life balance is poor as an engineer you can expect to work past your paid times with little chance of overtime pay. Sudden and drastic changes to your oncall rota. I and a colleague were switched from the leinster region bearing in mind we live in laois to the connacht region overnight with no communication until weeks after the fact.
Stock is a continual problem and you can expect to go and meet fellow engineers outside your contrac
This is a great job for gaining sales experience but not much else. Lower management was good and fought hard to make sure that myself and other direct sales representatives were treated as fairly as possible but company rules and upper management made it extremely difficult. Commission only pay, no fuel allowance of any sort despite driving/traveling almost constantly for the job.
Regional management seems to do whatever it can to cancel your sales if you reach 7 sales in a month just to deny you your bonus. I had a savings account before I began this job but after just a few months I had almost completely depleted it as I needed to pay for diesel to get around for this job. The pay was dismal. They sell it to you in the interview so that you think that you're going to be paid fairly but I can guarantee that you won't be.
They have an incredibly high turnover rate when it comes to sales representatives. They justify it by saying that the job is tough and it takes a special type of salesperson to make it in the company but in reality, it's because it's a company that doesn't care about its employees and does what they can to both avoid paying their employees a fair wage and avoid paying taxes. Employees are made to register as self-employed so that the company doesn't have to sort your taxes for you. It also puts you in a very precarious position when it comes to job security. There is none.
There is a distinct lack of trust between Upper Management and the employe
I am currently an employee of Phonewatch in the position of field sales representative and it has been nothing but a brilliant experience! The interview itself was a very calming experience where the objective was to learn more about myself and what I can bring to the team.
Having very little sales experience myself, the training I felt would have to be spot on in order to bring me up to a level to sell comfortably door to door. It did not disappoint! The training process is extremely efficient through the use of teaching you sales techniques step by step, where no day felt like an information overload. That said, the training was still quick enough to give you the confidence to be brave enough to knock some doors on your own, within a short space of time, so that you were earning money straight off the bat!
The management system of having a team lead, local (Limerick) manager and regional manager, and even higher above that again, really enables any inexperienced staff to ask any question of any size and have the comfort that you’re going to get a correct, honest answer without the feeling you’ll be chastised for asking it.
You are always incentivised to work at an optimum level through a very generous commission system and also rewarded with even more generous gifts, like vouchers, if you’ve managed to hit certain targets.
The culture within the company is excellent. You’ll have successful days, and you’ll have less successful days but nonetheless, the team around y
Training is fantastic at PhoneWatch. It really is a recipe for success. You're trained from the bottom up and it really doesnt whether you've never worked a day or your life in sales or whether you've done it for 20 years - everyone is given the same opportunity and training. Everyone comes in to train in the office before we head out into the field. The training is done in manageable steps so youre not overloaded with information and then thrown out to the wolves and expected to be able to sell. Youre trained fully over the space of a couple of weeks and work very closely with your manager until youre capable of selling independently yourself. The culture in the workplace is my favourite thing about working for PhoneWatch. Everyone is so down to earth and approachable. You're not just a number to this company, even very high up people within the company know you by name from a very early stage which is very rare. The hardest part of the job can be to bounce back if you've had a hard day, but with the right attitude and determination that shouldnt be an issue. I believed from a very early stage in my career that I had what it took to make a lot of money by working as a sales rep for PhoneWatch and I was right. I recently just got promoted to a Field Sales Manager after just 7 months working for the company (having never worked in sales before), so I am living proof that progression is there and can happen very quickly if you want it to. The most enjoyable part of the job is g
ProsProgression can happen quickly if you want it to. Great incentives. Great culture. Great atmosphere.
I have been working at phonewatch for a couple of months now and it has been so much fun! From the minute I walked into the office everyone was so welcoming and It was like we already knew eachother before I even started that we got on so well. I have had nothing but a fantastic experience so far and there’s so many career opportunities that you can branch out into which I didn’t know before applying for the job. There’s such an amazing atmosphere and everyone is constantly showing a positive attitude and there’s always somebody to go to for help because everyone is constantly looking out for eachother which I think is really important in a workplace. Working with phonewatch definitely improved my social skills and thrived me to aim higher not only in the company itself but at anything I do in life in general. I go to work with a smile on my face every morning and come home after work feeling so happy which is so important because when you do something you love it doesn’t necessarily feel like work. They provide really good training sessions and even in lockdown they keep you entertained with so much fun activities like quizzes and games! Like any job once you put in the effort you’ll enjoy it and have so much fun!
ProsGreat atmosphere, fun, career opportunities, meeting new people
Self praise is very often classed as no praise and indeed it is the case with this company. All the adverts and posters of the “right people” and the “right company” and pictures of the same smiley faces should not fool you.
This company made its own competitors when they offloaded people who gave them years of their time and effort when Sector took over the company. Ever since then, even the customers are caught up in a bitter argument with their rival companies. The whole ethos of the company is profit... What incentives does our employees have that we can cut and how many times can we increase the yearly costs of our customers and get away with it by making the maximum amount of profit.
There are lovely people in there who have worked for years and are being messed about by management and a union that are not worth your monthly subscription.
I never came across stress leave in any company I have worked for until I worked here and I have seen people being wheeled out into ambulances due to the stress the company puts their staff through.
Avoid.
ProsThere’s nice people working in there
ConsThey don’t care about your wellbeing, They will work you into quitting the job, They will reduce incentives and salaries, A Norwegian company aren’t going to be bothered about a union in Ireland and what they have to say
Had no sales experience before hand and joined phonewatch and followed the steps to success training program and future leader program which was actually voted the best sales training program in Ireland last year and now I have realised why because it has turned me into a sales person in a short period of time, the training program lasts 3 weeks and happens in the office for an hour everyday so your constantly learning, the first week I got alot of help from everybody and somebody was always with me on the field and even helped me with my first few sales, the second week I was fulling independent and making my own sales, but once I finished the steps to success I then applied to the future leader program which is more advanced sales training program which basically turns you into a professional sales person, that lasts around 6-8 months with training taking place twice a month, after that there a lot of progression in the company with a lot of opportunities in short period of time. Overall it’s a great company to work for and the Commission Structure is very good and you could basically make a weeks salary in one day, it’s hard the first week but once you get on your feet you can be making a lot of money in one month if you have the right attitude and mentally for the job.
The company focus on your training and development and give you all the tools necessary to achieve your targets, Sales or personal targets, Along with an award winning training plan you also build other skills and form lasting bonds with your team mates as there is extremely fun team incentives. You are not put under pressure to hit massive un-achievable sales numbers but instead shown how to make sales, Up skill and develop your technique and helped every step of the way.
I started here over 3 years ago at an Entry level sales position with no experience in this field.
I was coached and developed into the "Future leader" position after only 2 months here as progression is one of my goals and 8 months later I was promoted to sales manager.
This was really exciting because it is the first place I have ever worked where the company recognises your efforts and reward you for it.
ProsGreat Company incentives such as Top performer trips, Staff relay races, Office day outings to do Go-Carting, Paint balling, Foot-golf and more.
Experience really depends on what department and what management you have in the company. Far too many ‘managers’ who don’t actually want to work but are always so busy. Zero career progression unless you came from Eir or one of the many agency’s they used. Some fantastic talented people working here who are boxed in for being negative if they give any constructive criticism or try to create a positive future here. Seriously need to look at your management from The top down. Some is a skill issue but most is a want issue, there is no backing or support and creates a really toxic environment where there is no collaboration and a fear to speak openly. Really upsetting to see how broken the overal atmosphere and work relationships have become in the last 2 years given the hard work by both Hr and the GPTW and other groups to and prevent this.
ProsFree car parking
ConsExpectations to work outside contracted hours, unpaid overtime, no incentives nights, no educational programs, toxic managers
PhoneWatch is the most positive, fun and supportive atmosphere I've ever worked in. Great opportunities and Management that has your back. 10/10
Working at the PhoneWatch Cavan office is a fantastic experience with plenty of training provided to all with various opportunities to progress your career within the company.
The office environment is very positive and management strives to provide the backup the team needs to succeed both in sales goals and with personal motivation and wellbeing.
While working at the Cavan office it really doesn't even like its a job because of the constant enjoyment and good craic you have with the team.
I highly recommend this job for anyone looking for an excellent kick-start to their sales career, best thing about it is you can come from any walk of life and receive the support you need to excel.
ProsExcellent commission pay, Support available for further training and advancement, Fantastic office environment
ConsCommission only pay means pay varies bi-weekly.
Questions and answers about PhoneWatch
If you were to leave PhoneWatch, what would be the reason?
Asked 24 May 2019
Management won't pay reps what they deserve
Answered 9 Jun 2022
The management
Answered 30 May 2021
How is feedback from management delivered at PhoneWatch?
Asked 27 Jan 2021
Management manipulate staff
Answered 17 May 2023
Honest
Answered 26 Feb 2023
What tips or advice would you give to someone interviewing at PhoneWatch?
Asked 30 Sept 2020
Just smile
Answered 12 Apr 2023
Be confident and have a good attitude
Answered 9 Mar 2023
What benefits does PhoneWatch offer?
Asked 30 Sept 2020
Commission pay
Answered 27 Feb 2023
Travel benefits and progression benefits
Answered 30 Jun 2022
What was the most challenging part of your role at PhoneWatch?
Asked 24 May 2019
A lot of information to take in at the start
Answered 10 Mar 2020
Having to constantly follow up on your hard earned money.
