Where to start… TripAdvisor fully bought us out at the end of 2013, and I can’t stress enough how awful this place has become.
1. Management: The complete management change from the TripAdvisor buy out is really what has driven this place into the ground. To start, nearly all of the original FlipKey management has either been forced out, or quit on their own, which has resulted in TripAdvisor robots filling all of the open management roles (as there is zero opportunity for growth and advancement from within). Rather than being judged on the quality of our work and the happiness/satisfaction of our clients, we are only graded on metrics. The only thing that matters is how many emails we send per day, how many cases we close, how many calls we make, etc. My hours are 9 am – 6 pm, but we are looked down upon if we don’t come in early and stay late (although we don’t get paid overtime). My manager requires me to be at my desk at all hours of the day, aside from lunch. If I step out to make a phone call or run to CVS across the street, I have to let her know. She reads through my emails to clients and will proceed to make corrections, and send me her updated versions to point out what I need to improve on, or how I could have phrased something better. Weekly check-ins have recently been implemented to go over every hour of my day, and to figure out how I can improve/how I can accomplish more. It doesn’t matter how hard I work or how well I do, I’ve never received praise or compliments, only told (in a rude, condescending, negative tone or email) I need to work harder and longer. Additionally, the clients are frustrated and unhappy with the TripAdvisor management change, so any client facing roles here at FlipKey are brutal as the clients are frustrated, upset, and downright mad.
2. Culture: Yes, there are snacks, kegs, and a ping pong table, but these “startup environment perks” do not make up for the terrible morale and high turnover rate. The far and few existing FlipKey employees are really the only good people left.
3. Pay: the pay is HORRIBLE – equally as horrible as management. Pay is significantly lower than similar roles at other companies, and annual raises barely exist, resulting in lack of future earning ability as well.
4. Room for growth and advancement: none whatsoever, in any department. FlipKey has zero interest in helping their current employees grow and develop (especially since the TripAdvisor takeover) and instead, hires externally for nearly all open positions. I’ve tried multiple times over the past 3 years to take on new projects and learn more about various fields of the business, but I have been denied with every attempt. The worst part about this is that management is well aware that this is a major issue, but chooses to do nothing about it. The only way to survive here is to keep your head down and do exactly as you’re told.
