Vitamin World

Joey Fly...the former CEO..is a ###ING sociopath who is one of the biggest ###ing fat ###, chain smoking ### that I have ever had the displeasure of knowing. I know this ###...and this company should burn in hell!

I went to Vitamin World for one supplement . Immediately after being greeted by an associate, she began to hard sell me on other items. Even though I had told her my budget allowed for only this one purchase, she continued to tell me I need other supplements.

I eat a very healthy diet and I realize supplements are to SUPPLEMENT anything lacking in a diet. I pretty much have it covered with a few staples (vit D, calcium, fish oil).

After constant needling, I finally had to tell her I'm not working and too broke to buy other things.
She got the message and backed down. THEN I went to pay for the bottle I came in for. There were samples of sublingual B-12, I was offered a sample and then THAT associate began to persuade me to buy that. I told her I use injectable B12 on my own. (I'm a former medic, so IMs are not big thing)

She looked at me like I was crazy.

I actually found myself walking quickly out of the store just to get away from everything-
I later found the same brand and double the amount of product for the same price on Amazon.
Looks like I'll do online ordering; no pressure, embarrassment and a better deal!

I managed the Tallahassee, FL store location for 2 and a half years, and the only thing I can say was that it was one of the worst experiences of my life! The district manager, Kevin Hart and regional manger, Linda Barber were completely biased and complete idiots when it came to products. The only thing that they were trying to push was the sale of products. Truthfully, half of the supplements they were selling was virtually saw dust. Absolute bottom-of-the-line worthless crap. They would always try to push the VW products and say that that it was as good as a more reputable brand and completely LIE to the customers. Upper management always treated the employees like crap, and always had unrealistic expectations of rivaling other well-known and better stores such as The Vitamin Shoppe and GNC. Another line they would tell employees to say to customers is, "our products are the same as this better known product, but we can make it cheaper". The truth is that you get what you pay for! I thought it interesting when in 2001, they were almost sued by Muscletech because VW completely copied the Hydroxycut formula. These geniuses didn't do their research to see that there was a patent on the formula, and as a consequence had to pull the product from the shelf. If you work there, good luck on getting a proper lunch break, because it won't happen. The bottom line is that NBTY is a generic place to work for that has the interest of of putting out a good product the last thing to do on their list, but only to make a dollar at the expense of unsuspecting customers. RUN FAR AWAY!

I agree with most of the comments here. The sales scripts, the add ons, etc. I had many years experience before working for them, and although I followed the basics of what they call the VW Commitment, I would not sell something to someone if they didn't have a need for it. Or if the quality wasn't up to par. Like their resveratrol that someone mentioned, or their turmeric, and other products. All their own brand protein powders use artificial sweeteners, which I would never take. If someone asked if I used (or would use) a specific product, I would never lie. Luckily, no one asked me about the protein powder - it was a big selling item. And I would only tell a customer that someone loved the product if someone had really told me that.

One other tactic they had was to tell us they wanted several specific products sold each day, such as liquid L-Carnitine - I sold very few, LOL, as it has a preservative, which I wouldn't personally take. I'd steer them toward the capsules, and the acetyl l carntine, which has more benefits anyway.

The bottom line is this - you can get better quality products at lower prices online, and usually avoid shipping if you order over a certain amount. And save on gas as you don't have to drive to the store.

and as far as the refund thing. It deducts from your daily sales, you may make your goal, But when you refund it takes away, even an exchange for 0 Dollar tendered or returned is a transaction that has no $ amount and lowers the average sale. Yes it is wrong to not do them and they should be held accountable. I missed my daily goal many times by doing refunds and exchanges. By following policy your jobs on the line. But you still the commission. The last thing I would want was a complaint for not following policy, just another reason to fire you. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Retail nightmare.

I worked for many years for Vitamin World. was very happy with the company and assumed they were happy with me, till 2008, I had always gotten exceptional yearly reviews and wage increases. What ever was asked I did. I fully believed in the company and its products. During the sales drop of 08, they started the scripts, thinking that would help improve the sales. It did NOT. All the scripts did was make it harder to gain trust of potential customers since we had lost up to at least 300 customers a month during these trying times. Eventually the employee's began to get written up and threatened with termination if they did not have an average sale of 35.00 dollars each day/week/month. So you see why all the "push and shove routine" People were scared of losing their jobs in more ways than you can imagine. I became one of them. I am older than most my X coworkers, not bilinqaul, was paid more than most my co-workers (except for the Manager) and was with the company the longest of the whole store. In a coporate world, if you were forced to fire someone to cut cost. Where do you think that axe would fall. Dont blame the employee's for that routine. they were not the designer's of it. And even with a perfect shop report based on the scripts (and not many got a good score) I was still terminated for average sale the very next month.

Vitamin World is a reputable company, outstanding...

Blow Me!

Illegal Immigrants should have to pay extra, they pay no [censor]ing taxes, you [censor]-holes! So, to hell with all of you!

[censor] all of you