Customer Service Associates (CSA) Expansion

[Anonymous]

The real question is, did you move any market share? By the way, your english is terrible and you need to go back to 4th grade.

Wow, do you comment on spelling and grammar when you get text messages too? Sorry, but Im not going to proof read, and spell check on a bulletin board. When you get laid off from your brainless job as a lowly rep, you might have a future as a writing instructor.

 

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately most posters do not seem to know what is coming. Doctors do not have the power to see representatives when the financial incentives change. Practices owned by corporations will dictate the terms of interactions, I have yet to hear of one that said it is a gain for them to allow it. The cost of handling samples, the legal risks and the moral argument will drive the decision to eliminate reps.
From the vendor perspective, most are happy to reduce their sales force and especially to limit the cost of samples.
Stacking the south with reps has already occurred. Marginal sales gains from this strategy will be lower than the costs. As soon as the hospital systems figure out they can use joint commission regulations to limit sampling in the clinics they own the game is over in the south too.

 

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately most posters do not seem to know what is coming. Doctors do not have the power to see representatives when the financial incentives change. Practices owned by corporations will dictate the terms of interactions, I have yet to hear of one that said it is a gain for them to allow it. The cost of handling samples, the legal risks and the moral argument will drive the decision to eliminate reps.
From the vendor perspective, most are happy to reduce their sales force and especially to limit the cost of samples.
Stacking the south with reps has already occurred. Marginal sales gains from this strategy will be lower than the costs. As soon as the hospital systems figure out they can use joint commission regulations to limit sampling in the clinics they own the game is over in the south too.

The Joint Commission thing on samples has been in the South for years now. Having said that though, and having been a rep in another part of the country, access in the South to docs is 10x better than the Northeast or places like CA etc. It is actually amazing how good access is. Also, every damn doc i know would much rather talk with a rep they have a relationship with than some faceless moron on the phone. Also, they have actually made fun of the CSA's when they handed out that stupid Vimivo envelope, and told them they had to call a rep for real info on the drug!!

 

[Anonymous]

I do not understand the reason for the PSS's to want to make fun of the CSA's with their doctors. Do you guys think we got together and came up with this plan to eliminate all sales reps in some plot to get you? Get real. We are just people trying to make a living. Do I think this is my last job and I will be doing this forever? Absolutely not. But I am doing it now and I might as well make the best of it. It is just so discouraging to get on here and see people so insecure with their jobs and life that they need to take it out on others who have nothing to do with them. If you want to direct your anger maybe you should direct it at yourself. You chose to get in this industry.

 

[Anonymous]

I do not understand the reason for the PSS's to want to make fun of the CSA's with their doctors. Do you guys think we got together and came up with this plan to eliminate all sales reps in some plot to get you? Get real. We are just people trying to make a living. Do I think this is my last job and I will be doing this forever? Absolutely not. But I am doing it now and I might as well make the best of it. It is just so discouraging to get on here and see people so insecure with their jobs and life that they need to take it out on others who have nothing to do with them. If you want to direct your anger maybe you should direct it at yourself. You chose to get in this industry.

Dont worry, those that belittle you now, will be joining you later.

 

[Anonymous]

It's not personal, really. It's more about the fact that AZ says they want PSSs to be clinical specialists, and then prevent from talking about anything clinical. Your position made sense as it was first presented to the field. The CSS would call on lower ranked customers, and would have a limited number of products. When the field thought you would be carrying Zomig type products talking to decile 10 providers, no one cared. It turns out that the company was less than truthful, no shock there. So now the company spins it to look like the role of PSS is valued, when in truth they have devalued it themselves. That's the issue, not you or even your job per se.

 

[Anonymous]

It's not personal, really. It's more about the fact that AZ says they want PSSs to be clinical specialists, and then prevent from talking about anything clinical. Your position made sense as it was first presented to the field. The CSS would call on lower ranked customers, and would have a limited number of products. When the field thought you would be carrying Zomig type products talking to decile 10 providers, no one cared. It turns out that the company was less than truthful, no shock there. So now the company spins it to look like the role of PSS is valued, when in truth they have devalued it themselves. That's the issue, not you or even your job per se.

Well said.

 

[Anonymous]

My MC overlay said the CSAs are only here to help the PSSs. This way we can reach more Drs with our selling messages. And she said this with a straight face! Can people be that dense that they believe they aren't cheaper labor to replace us?

No offense to CSA's, they just want a job and seem like nice people. No reason at all to think they are to blame.

 

[Anonymous]

I am a CSA. From the horses mouth, the salary info on here is mostly correct, but we also have 15 percent bonus as well. Most of us a well educated and have made more money in the past. However, the economy sucks and I think most of us hoped this job would lead to something better.

What we are hearing is that AZ wants their PSSs to be clinical sales specialists, not pretty girls that can flirt their way to a few scripts, but true clinical experts on their drugs. Then, they of course want a heavy (and cheap) CSA presence in the territories. I can see MCR and MCL merging into a smaller force and a greater number of CSAs in the field. I think it sucks. Yes, AZ largely has more reps in the field than they need, but I don't think the CSA can replace them and I think the phone support team has got to go. No doc or office appreciates people calling them when we already interrupt their day in person.

Just my opinion.

How does the 15 percent bonus plan work

 

[Anonymous]

The next time your lazy, potbelly manager tells you not to worry about the CSA situation, ask him if he would be worried if, the next time he called you for a field ride, you explained that you already had a field ride scheduled that day with a new
"shadow manager" who is only here to help current AZ managers, performing field rides, writing coaching reports and approving expense reports...no worries, not here to take your job, just here to help you out!!! What a joke.