FIELD RIDES

What is with all the field rides? We already navigate 10 partners and an ASM. They each have managers riding with them...we will be lucky if we don't see a few offices close to reps altogether. The psych community isn't used to so many interruptions during their day let alone two or more people on a call. Not respecting our doctors will bite us all in the rear.

 

I have never seen such micromanagement, never even from the big pharma company I came from. What is going on? Is it because they have so few reps compared to other companies? Where I came from, the average number of reps per DM was 12 or more. They have nothing to do but camp out in our cars, slowing us down dramatically. It's gone too far.

 

If you have only 10 overlaps you are doing much better than some of the other beta reps who have 20 +

 

Look stop complaining and accept the reality that you work for a big Pharma company. It really should not surprise you considering the top brass here all comes from big Pharma. Take a step back, dust of the resume and get a new 24 month big Pharma job. It's all basically treated like 24 month contract jobs in Pharma now. It's only gonna get worse when Hillary gets elected come Nov 2016.

 

I could not agree more. Two day field rides every 4 weeks is cringe worthy to say the least. I feel like I am out there busting my ass and having my manager with me just slows me down. We are also being told 7.5-8 calls/day. Now, I understand we are paid the big bucks to work but when doctors are spread out all over and access is tight or you wait an hour to see a doc...how is 8 calls realistic? I HATE to lie or pad calls but I almost feel like what else can I do to stay off a PIP or some stupid list???

 

8 calls a day in unheard in a specialty role, and they know it. But they don't care. Look what they do to our data, and bonus calculations. Either you accept the way things are, or you prepare to leave for another company. The micromanagement is planned, but useless. It's far worse than at my old company. We are spiraling downward as a company. Plan accordingly.

 

All true. Now, field rides are about every 12 to 15 days. I have many friends in pharma, and they are all surprised at what has happened at Lundbeck in re field rides. Offices are asking what's going on with all the manager "visits". This is all traced back to Big Pharma GJ. Lundbeck was never like this until he came on the seen. They are driving the wedge between "us and them" even wider. Add this on to our make believe sales data, and what motivation I had, is long gone. I am just going through the motions. All we need now is another meeting to go to. Oh wait, we have a WEEK long one to go to in February. But no worries, I plan on not being here next February, God willing.

 

Where are you heading? What are your expectations and salary demands? Maybe we can be an anonymous recruiter for you.

 

Everyone is our district is complaining about frequency of field rides. My manager complained that he was "just in that office last week" with another one of our reps! Sorry, but that's what YOU are doing not me! You ride with me, you go where I go. It's starting to cause my docs to ask me if there is anything wrong since we seem to have someone tagging along with us all the time. Do we really have the money to fly trainers, FT's, RBD's and ASM's all over the country for a field day?? If we have that much extra cash lying around, then sales must be a helluva better than they let on! Could it be that our sales data might be a tad inaccurate? Noooo! That's not even a possibility!

 

Our ASM rode with our gamma rep a week ago. They rode with me today. We saw about 3/4 of the same docs the ASM saw last week. Does Lundbeck really think that constant field rides are the answer? This micromanagement, I am sure, comes from GJ . Today, I realized that Lundbeck is not where I am supposed to be. No need to go over all the complaints again here. That's been done countless times here on CP. Nothing changes at Lundbeck, except things get worse. I had hoped for better things, bit it was not meant to be. My job hunt begins tomorrow.

 

Agree to many field rides and we are both (beta and gamma) taking him into the same offices and it does look bad--too many people in the offices and looks like there is a problem needing a manager along with me. Also trying to dodge my alliance partners (12+) with their ride alongs is going to affect access, and where will we be?? GJ should listen to ASMs and Ams that we will kill our relationships and access for everyone.

 

Why do you continue to bang your head against the wall by continuing to work here? You complain but do nothing about it. That insane.

 

Rbds need to step up and push back on GJ and JA with all the field rides.
The RBDs do nothing and need to let us sell without the constant field ride distractions.

 

I think many people have actually decided that you are right, and are actively looking to leave. Despite having answered on the survey that I was not looking to leave, (who would actually say they were!), myself and others I know lied, and are trying to find something else. I really enjoyed the first year here, but we are no different now than the majors are. Spreadsheet hell, always someone wanting a field ride, a poor pipeline, poor manage care coverage for products, no stock options or a retirement plan, low salary compared to other specialty salesforce, on and on and on. We may even see a layoff in the next 12 months. Wouldn't surprise many if we did.

 

Yes all very obvious stuff. Continuing to be gullible will only make things worse for you. This place sold a bag of shit to many in the beginning. All one had to do to figure out this this was not going to be any different once the honeymoon period ended was to look at the bios of the leaderships team. They are all big Pharma drones. Also the lower than industry standard base salaries were a red flag too. 1-2 years is all anybody can expect to get out of any big Pharma company in this day and age. Either work 10-15 hours a week and milk the Lundy cow for all its worth or get out ASAP but stop being so gulliable by stating the obvious over and over.

 

Last week, on one of my incredibly excessive field rides, on 2 separate occasions while bringing samples back into the office, both docs said they had had enough with managers and reps coming in 3 to 4 times a week for Rex and Trin. I am assuming he was including Otsuka and Takeda as well. Both docs said that's it, 1 rep (for Trin/Rex), and NO managers from that day forward. I shook both of their hands, and thanked them for taking their stand. One of them told me that the ASM that was with me, was in with the Trin rep (obviously Gamma) the week before!!! This backlash is perfectly normal and expected, and I am glad as hell to see it!

Every manager should have no fewer than 12 reps. This level of micromanagement is unlike anything I have ever experienced at my old company, nor, after talking to many other reps with different companies, does anyone else even approach anything like this. It's all Lundbeck reps are talking about.

We all know where it comes from. Lundbeck has become the epitome and surpassed the definition of Big Pharma. There are much better to companies out there to work for, including the classic Big Pharma companies. The change in Lundbeck's philosophy has been quick. This will ultimately destroy sales.

 

Simple fix! Find another job. Writing an essay crying over this is stupid.

 

And you enjoy this? or are you just a hanger on, going thru the motions?

 

Maybe you should quit taking your mgr on a milk run

 

What an asshole! The same damn thing happened to me months ago, dickwad! Think about dumbass. Managers ride with gamma and beta reps, WHO HAVE A TON OF OVERLAP! it's no wonder why docs are sick of seeing managers every few weeks, then add on Takeda, and the misfits from Otsuka, and you see why docs are pushing back! This will backfire and hurt sales.

We need new upper management, and fast.