Pros
1) The best reason to take a sales position with Aramark Uniform Services is for the resume building. Uniform sales is known to recruiters as a tough sales position, and AUS is well-known to invest in their new sales people with great training programs. Putting in a year or two with AUS will get you more opportunity with more lucrative sales positions with Medical Device companies, Software companies, etc., where the real money is made. 2) Local plant management was tenured, intelligent, and practical. While they helped when they could, it was clear DMs and the GM were under enormous pressure to perform and hit their numbers.
Cons
Now For The Drawbacks: 1) Borderline Unethical Commission Plan: Back in '12, AUS changed the comp structure for Account Executives -- across-the-board base cut of 15% to 20%, and comp on accounts installed got changed for what the inherent value was worth to the company, to what you did (or didn't do) in the past. I have sold all my life and am paid on the value of what I sell THAT DAY. At AUS, today's sale is based on yesterday's sales. And all sorts of problems fall-out from this. For example -- if an account installs a week late due to circumstances out of your control (let's say the existing uniform vendor took an extra week to leave), this can dramatically affect future pay by the tune of THOUSANDS in lost commission. All because of a late install! I witness a local Account Executive fuming because of a late install, and how that would negatively affect his payout for the following quarter. Not because he was lazy. But because of factors out of his control. Witnessing the Quarter Sales Meeting reinforced this fact -- There were decent sales people who hit quota one quarter and hit 60% the following. Corporate knows that sales people have swings in production due to seasonality, etc., and planned their comp payout to take advantage of it. Coming from a straight-commission sales background, even with a base salary, planning on how you were paid was outright impossible, and seeing how my value was completely based on past events, I argue the pay plan is practical unethical. 2) A Me-Too Company: AUS has no sales advantages over the competitors; prospects look at us as a "me-too" company. There is literally nothing unique about what we do versus the competition. Sales management attempts to convince us otherwise, but the truth is the laundry industry lacks differentiation and makes this particular service extremely commoditized. There is very little effort on behalf of corporate leadership to turn AUS from a me-too company into a leader. Be prepared when you come on to go-along to get-along, and to be bored to death with a product nobody cares about. 3) Price-Increases, Sales Cannibalization: AUS utilizes a contract that stipulates unlimited price increases on its customers at the drop of a hat, whenever it pleases. As a sales person, you shouldn't have to dodge what a contract stipulates, and should share it proudly. However, all sales people know that if they were to read the contract word-for-word to the customer, they would most likely lose the deal. Additionally, the Service Department has managerial authority to cannibalize sales opportunities if they desire. You are literally competing against your own people to sell product.