Not for everyone - Trainee Sales Surge Direct Employee Review

When I first joined Surge Direct, I was genuinely excited. The job posting offered $30 per hour plus uncapped commission, and I was told I’d be working in vibrant locations like shopping centres and outside major supermarkets — helping raise funds for great causes. On my first day, I felt welcomed by the team. My trainer and the others were some of the kindest, funniest, and most supportive people I’ve met. The vibe felt like a family, and for a moment, I thought I had landed somewhere I could truly grow. But that illusion didn’t last long. Beneath the energy and positivity was a system that ran on pressure, unrealistic expectations, and very little support. Each day began with a mandatory, unpaid meeting from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., where we were hyped up, assigned a location, and drilled with performance goals. These meetings were not optional and not compensated. After that, I was expected to travel — on my own time and money — to the day’s stand location, often at a shopping centre or outside a major retail chain. Once I arrived, I would start the actual shift, standing at the kiosk from around 8:45 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and often later, trying to catch one or two more sign-ups before closing up. The days were long, physically draining, and emotionally exhausting. I put everything I had into making it work. I stayed late, asked for advice, tried different approaches, and pushed through rejection — all in hopes of improving and proving myself. But I never got the chance. No formal training was provided. I had one or two short chats on technique, but was mostly left to figure things out on the job. There was no shadowing, no script breakdown, and no coaching that addressed real on-the-stand challenges. Despite being brand new, I was expected to hit KPI by my first week, and when I didn’t, I was let go — without any warning, meeting, or opportunity to improve. I was pulled aside and told I wasn’t performing well enough, and that was it. The fact that other, more experienced staff were also struggling due to location and external factors was ignored. There was no attempt to assess my potential — only my numbers. The culture wasn't built on learning or development. It was “sell fast or be replaced.” This exact experience has been echoed by many former Surge Direct employees. Multiple reviews describe being promised stable hourly pay, only for it to be quietly removed after a few days, transitioning into commission-only earnings that often resulted in less than minimum wage for 10+ hour days. Others reported the same lack of training and being “dropped in the deep end” with only five minutes of prep. One worker noted: “Managers are always pushing you irrationally to achieve unrealistic goals. You’re constantly reminded you’re on trial. If you’re not profitable, you’ll be let go.” That’s exactly how I felt — like I was disposable. The job itself isn’t easy: you’re on your feet for 8–10 hours trying to convince strangers to commit to regular donations. And while some thrive in this kind of high-pressure sales role, it’s completely unreasonable to expect immediate high performance from someone given no real foundation. I gave this job my all, and was met with silence when I needed guidance. The problem wasn’t the people I worked with — it was the structure. A system that promises high pay and growth but fails to support or train its staff, pressures them into unpaid hours, and lets them go the moment they fall short. If you’re considering working at Surge Direct, ask the hard questions first: How long do I get the base pay? Is the training formal or verbal? What happens if I don’t hit targets right away? Don’t be fooled by the surface energy — the truth is in the churn. And if you’re a newcomer just trying to get a start, know that the people may be kind, but the system itself won’t give you the time to succeed.