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Five Star Institute

Is this your company?

All of the positive reviews are fake...hilarious how many positive reviews have been posted in the last few days! LOL!!! - Sales Five Star Institute Employee Review

1.0
Apr 28, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The location is the only pro.

Cons

If you are applying for any position even remotely related to business development or sales then you are applying for a job as a telemarketer and will be expected to reach goals that are nearly impossible to reach. There is no such thing as a sales team here, everything is individual and coworkers are encouraged to call on the same potential clients as other coworkers and whoever gets the business "wins". Also, I have never worked anywhere with more unfriendly people. No one wants to get to know you because as soon as they start to know you you will either quit or be let go...no reason to get too attached. You will continuously receive negative feedback and will never be able to sell enough no matter how good you are. Also, get used to continuous passive aggressive behavior from anyone who has been with five star for more than a month (there aren't very many). I have also never worked somewhere with higher turnover...it is much higher than the turnover for waiters at a restaurant.

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Five Star Institute Response
12y
Sorry that you had a bad experience being part of our Sales Development Team. Since we are a national media company, the majority of our sales do take place over the phone rather than in person. Each salesperson is also assigned sales goals that we feel are reachable based upon our industry and the salesperson's past sales experience. This would have been explained when you were hired. If those goals were not achievable for you, I would suggest discussing with your manager and seeing if you two could come to some common ground. We wish you well on your next endeavor.

Explore other reviews about Five Star Institute

5.0
Jul 22, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I genuinely appreciate this team so much. The people here are smart, supportive, and just fun to work with. Leadership is strong and encouraging and the flexibility has been such a gift. I was truly sad when circumstances made me need to leave but I will always be grateful for the time I spent here and the relationships I built. If you are looking for a place where the people are kind, the work is meaningful, and you are supported to grow, this is it.

Cons

Honestly not many. Like any fast paced environment things can move quickly and priorities shift but that is also what makes it exciting.

1.0
Apr 29, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

None. You may be chosen as a "favorite" by the CEO for a short period of time but that will end and it will be worse than it was before you were his favorite

Cons

A highly stressful environment with people being fired or quitting all around you...we have several people leave recently and clearly "management" (I use this loosely) thinks the bad reviews will deter good talent. Well I hope it does, I'm almost done putting in my time here and I will be gone (hopefully) soon. I would never suggest someone to come into this confused and muddled environment. Not one single employee is set up to succeed, even those that have been here far longer than me are at the whim of the CEO and CCO and the other C guy, who is he? who cares. No one cares about or befriends each other, it is a lonely place struggling to sell a crappy product. I must admit the ideas behind the projects are solid but with stress and confused workers they will all just continue to circle the drain. This was a step backward in my job progress.

21
avatar
Five Star Institute Response
12y
I'm sorry to hear that your time at the Five Star Institute has been so stressful. We realize that our fast paced work environment may not be a good fit for everyone. If you have any suggestions to reduce stress or for improvements, please feel free to let me know.
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