The centers opened in my location were all franchised centers as I understand a number of them currently are. These particular centers were franchised by a group who previously franchised another weight loss group (LA Weightloss) prior in my area, and they used similar dated marketing tactics to try to bring in customers. This resulted in poor coverage of the area and few calls from potential clients.
In addition, there was a quick sense of competition developed in the counselors by the regional manager, who made it clear our jobs were to bring in customers at all costs. The campaigns we were sent out to help bring in awareness of our business were absurd. The regional manager had no actual empathy for customers but had a fake, pithy ability to suck in people who had no business coming to Medifast. The people who owned the franchise made a point of stating they expected a large number of return customers from the LA Weightloss days, which dropped any and all confidence I had in either product's maintenance of weight loss.
Finally, I lost a job there for no other reason than not conforming to everyone else. The regional manager "let me go" because I didn't dote on her every idea like every other girl in the place. As a business major who has worked in several start-ups, this model is ridiculous. Hiring women with virtually no background in nutrition to "mold" them into nutrition counselors and have them tell overweight clients how to eat and how to handle any issue that arises from foods they aren't fully aware of is absurd.
It's no surprise this franchise shut its doors less than a year after they opened in my area.
