| Premier Medical |
| Premier Medical Spa Premier Zerona Centre Misleading employees and INVESTORS Mississauga, Ontario |
| 6th of Jul, 2011 by User910130 |
As a former clinet and then employee of Premier Medical Spa, I feel the need to agree with these customers on here about the shady dealings of Giselle Cardillo or Giselle Briden. I left the company after I was approached to be a partner of a new flagship program called ZERONA. I had orginally gone in to discuss my raise (as I had been running a clinic by myself with no staff and putting in massive over time hours which i was not being paid for). Her business proposition seemed a little risky to myself at that point in time. She said it was a license to print money, but out of the goodness of her heart she wanted me to get involed. I said I wanted to talk it over with my bank manager and husband because it's a very expensive venture, and she kept trying to tell me to be an independant woman and think for myself, do this without the husband! She has a great "silent banker" who can give me the money up from but with an 11% interest rate on return payments. When I started to do my research, I discovered this new amazing technology that was founded by this outstanding PHD who she can't speak well enough about IS NOT EVEN A REAL PDH!! HE FORGED HIS DOCUMENTS!!!! How can she continue to push and promote this. When I brough it up to her she never denied the fact, but kept dodging the question and saying he was a low level laser expert, within 24 horus everything was changed ont eh website from PhD to laser expert without any explanation. Her "amazing team" is a group of 3 extremely abused marketing individuals and a VP who is beyond 2 faced and horrible to the clicic girls. 2 of the markerting staff work with videos (but thats on a rarety, they fetch her lunch, purchase her airlines tickets, pick up and drop off all things personal for her, deal with broken machines and doing more personal projects for her then the company)Her Lovely Art director is by far the most patient person out there. She does not deserve to be treated the way she is. Because Giselle is such a marketing genius, she acts as though Art Director is lucky to be employed by her. She flips out and puts on the blame on the Art Director (who makes about 5000 changes to marketing pieces and has to call the printer on a regular basis to stop the print because of anther brilliant idea that Giselle has discovered) because of late print deadlines. These 3 team memebrs are so over worked, and under paid. I hope they get the courage to leave because this is not what work is supposed to be like. When they do leave they will probably have to beg and wait for hours to get their final cheque signed because she is too busy to sign a piece of paper. She is so dilusional and believes she is a role model of success and female empowerment, when in fact she is a shady heartless woman who has one of the ugliest and evil souls I have ever encounterd. As for her happy clients who raved wonerful things about the company on here. 2 are her best friends (Michele and Marie) and the other is her sister. So of course they are great references. Please note that if you go into a clinic 98% of the staff have all been employed under 6 months. What does that tell you. OH and lastly she is now charging all employees $2000 for training if they do not give a full months notice when they quit!!
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Your statements are slanderous, false and are a clear case of defamation of character. Your comments are made anonymously here because you know they are lies, but you have made it very clear who you are to those of us who know you. You are the one MISLEADING and I will address each point you have made. I cared for you both as an associate and as a person. I gave you a promotion when you requested it, hired your sister when you requested it and paid for your registration to run a half marathon with me because you showed interest, personally writing you out a marathon training schedule. It was wonderful when you successfully crossed the finish line last October. But let’s talk about the facts related to the derogatory comments you have made here:
1. Regarding your opening comment: “shady dealings” and the title of your post “misleading employees and investors”: This is as an obvious attempt to damage our company and my personal reputation and none of your subsequent statements support any such behavior for the simple reason that this behavior does not exist!
2. Regarding your comment: “I had been running a clinic by myself with no staff and putting in massive over time hours which I was not being paid for”….You NEVER ran a clinic by yourself! First it’s impossible and second this is verified by the payroll records of the company and patient charts showing the staff you had at your centre.
3. You asked for and were granted the work hours YOU personally requested after telling me that your husband was demanding that you spend more time at home.
4. You never worked “massive over time hours which you were not paid for”. The facts: a) our employee handbook, which you signed a copy of, and your employment agreement clearly states that NO associate is authorized to work more than 44 hours a week (a regular work week as determine by Employment Standards) unless it is with the expressed written authorization of myself as this would incur overtime wages. You never made any request nor did I ever authorize it or ask it of you. b) On the contrary, after you were given additional management opportunities you were specifically told in writing NOT to work additional hours and to focus on your centre. c) You were always paid according to the time sheet you submitted, self validated and personally signed. Further, there was never a debate or question of your hours. How is this misleading? Or shady?
5. Regarding your comment: “I left the company after I was approached to be a partner of a new flagship program called ZERONA. I had originally gone in to discuss my raise.…” You were with the company for just over a year and had received a raise, your employment agreement called for you to share in all centre profits but I did offer you the opportunity to wholly own your own centre, if you wanted to. All management associates were given this opportunity and several have gone on to very successful ownership of their centres. I would always give the first opportunity to our managers as they are the individuals who I believe have built the business and deserve it most and for whom I have a deep passion to see their dreams of ownership become a reality.
6. Regarding your statement: “I said I wanted to talk it over with my bank manager and husband because it's a very expensive venture, and she kept trying to tell me to be an independent woman and think for myself, do this without the husband!” I, on the contrary advised you you SHOULD discuss it with both these parties and we called your husband together to set a time for a meeting for which he said he was not available! You later told me you WANTED to take advantage of the ownership opportunity but that your husband did not want you too. You also expressed that you were having difficulty in your marriage and I simply asked you, “What do YOU want to do?” and encouraged you to make the decision that is right for you whatever that would be. It was never discussed again.
7. Regarding the term “license to print money”: I don’t believe I ever used the term as this is not common in my vernacular because I know nothing is that easy! Business ownership is hard work and even the best of opportunities require dedication, time, energy and teamwork. There is no shortcut.
8. Regarding the term “silent banker”: I have never used this term. I did however tell you that you could purchase the equipment for a new business through either a bank leasing division or the equipment leasing company who has a 25 year old plus history and provides equipment leasing for numerous medical devices to companies all over Canada. I further told you that chartered banks have leasing rates in the area of 7+% but have a more rigorous and lengthy approval process. And that equipment leasing companies have a faster and less rigorous approval process but rates start at 11% (if ones credit is perfect) up to 16%, this too is standard. I also said that I would be happy to write a letter of reference for any application you submitted, as your employer, if you wanted to own your own business.
9. The technology you speak of was founded by Erchonia. As a matter of fact you did NOT “discover” anything but on the contrary we had meeting at which you were one of the attendees and at which time I told YOU that the laser expert was not to be referred to as a PhD. There was NEVER dogging and you never “discovered” anything, as you suggest. And of course we would immediately change ANY information on our web sites that we find to be inaccurate. That is being responsible!
10. Regarding your comment “How can she continue to push and promote this?”: I will mention Dr. Oz in just a moment and further down your own written comments but let’s start with the facts: Zerona is the only laser devise of its kind to have endured a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled, multi site, Level One FDA Clinical Trial (the same standard of scrutiny undergone by a pharmaceutical drug or devise like a pace maker). In those trials the FDA confirmed both the effectiveness and safety of the Zerona laser in reducing 3-9 inches of fat circumference in 2 weeks, or 6 treatments, with zero negative side effects. It was additionally revealed in these FDA trails that patients saw an average of a 13% reduction in LDL (or bad cholesterol) while HDL (or good cholesterol) stayed the same! Considering a statin, the common cholesterol medication with all it’s numerous side effects, is considered successful if it can reduce cholesterol by 15% over 3-4 MONTHS I think it would be remise of us NOT to promote such a revolutionary technological breakthrough. Of course this devise is also Health Canada Approved as well. Additionally, world class doctors are conducting additional medical trials BECAUSE of the numerous medical applications and the potentially lifesaving implications that the safe reduction of circumferential fat can mean to millions of people’s health especially as it relates to cardiac diseases and type 2 diabetes. On the note of doctors, anyone can view videos on the internet and our web site of renowned doctors praising the breakthrough of Zerona including most recently Dr. Oz who called it “The miracle procedure to fight fat” when covering Zerona on his show. I will take my lead from these notable physicians and the tens of thousands of patient that have been studied. Further, you YOURSELF documented, in writing, your centres findings of an average client fat reduction of just under 8 inches in two weeks or 6 treatments. Further, you wrote, uncoerced about the tremendous benefits of Zerona and its impact on patients which I share further down.
11. Regarding your comment "amazing team is a group of 3 extremely abused marketing individuals”: Where do you come up with this? Yes, I do have an amazing team! I LOVE the people I have the privilege to work with, they are incredible, dedicated, and passionate and they inspire me every day and there is NOTHING abusive in our company! Our team is 52 people (maybe more as we are expanding and I am not involved in all new hires), not 3 as you indicated. Ten of these associates are our full time Corporate office team. Again, confirmed by payroll records.
12. Regarding your comment “a VP who is beyond 2 faced and horrible to the clinic girls”: First, if you were running your centre solo, as you claim, then who are the clinic girls to whom you refer in this statement? The VP you refer to is a tremendous person who is direct and straight forward, the last person anyone could call two faced! You know this well and she is/was also a friend to you and defended your efforts at all times and remained your friend, perhaps until now, after your departure. She was always in your corner and always supported you and the team. She has a very tough job as she is responsible for clinical standards within the facilities. This means she must and will ALWAYS put patient safety above all. She has the very difficult role of reprimanding associates who are not following medical protocols, patient charting standards or abusing company property or protocols. It is very rare she has to reprimand anyone but it does fall under her area of management. On a personal note I must say, I have worked with her for almost 9 years and she is a consummate professional who would do almost anything for her team. Including the time you were in a car accident and she called you over and over all night because she couldn’t reach you after the accident when you passed out. She didn’t sleep not knowing if you were okay. Both her and I told you not to worry about anything the next day and she was the one called everyone and made sure your centre was covered while you recovered.
13. Regarding your comment “they fetch her lunch, purchase her airlines tickets, pick up and drop off all things personal for her, deal with broken machines and doing more personal projects for her then the company”: Simply false! You did not work at the corporate office so let me give you the facts: Since November 2010 when I adopted a goal of a healthier lifestyle I have almost exclusively packed a lunch every day and ate at my desk so they were not “fetching” my lunch. The team does however ask me if I want a coffee when they are going out for themselves (and the all too occasional cookie) or if I ask (Tim Hortins is right next to us) for which I am always grateful. I actually called our Art Director to ask if anyone had ever booked a flight for me as I can’t remember this ever happening and she verified “never”. The Art Department has only EVER done one personal project for me and that was putting family photos into a video loop as a gift for my husband on our 10th wedding anniversary and I paid them for the time. The Art Department picks up and drops off many things including, overseeing trade shows, video shoots, dropping off print files to the printer etc but they DO NOT run personal errands for me, but as one of them stated after reading your posting “and if you ask us to, who cares you’re the boss”, that made me laugh.
14. Staff are not authorized to “fix broken machines” there are licensed technicians that do this and you know the certified expert we use, Leon, for all non Zerona lasers as he if from the US and has visited your location. However, our Zerona training centre laser at our Corporate office was sent a replacement diode. I did get a call from an individual in the Art Department who was very excited and to tell me, and the team, how accomplished she felt after taking the initiative to call the main technician and have him walk her through putting it on. She was NEVER asked to do this and was very pleased and with herself joking that she could put “fixing lasers” on her resume.
15. Regarding our Art Director...I am the one lucky to have her!...as both an associate and as a friend. She has worked with me for 4 years and yes she is a patient person. She is also smart, talented and never afraid to speak her mind or tell anyone if there idea is not a good one, including and especially me! I also believe she would take offence to your portrayal of her as anything else. I introduce her as the Marketing Goddess for good reason. You may not have the experience to know that the print medium is one that lends itself to numerous changes before going to print. Typos being the biggest issue. Your comment about “5000 changes” is an obvious exaggeration. Our printer can verify we rarely have to stop a print job and if we have it is because someone realized a missed typo….as I write this I can’t help but wonder how any of this relates to your heading of “misleading investors” or being “shady”???
16. Regarding your comments on “flipping out”: Sorry, I have NEVER flipped out on her or you or anyone for that matter! On the contrary, and as one example that comes to mind, when she and I joked for about a year after we went printed 100, 000 info pieces and realized after that the “before” and “after” pictures were reversed. Mistakes like these can happen, that’s life, but how we react is what is most important…we decided to laugh. But on the flipping out note, it is simply not my style. Stern? Sometimes, when called for, but that is required in leadership. Is that to say I never get upset, certainly not but I NEVER flip out.
17. Regarding your comment “these 3 team members are so over worked, and under paid”: Again, no one in this department has ever worked more than 44 hours a week. I am not at liberty to discuss their wages as that is confidential as per Employment Standards and their employment agreement but I can say that those in the video department applied for their positions based on salaries listed in the job postings for their role with the second hire having his salary determined by his superior, not me!
18. Regarding your comment “When they do leave they will probably have to beg and wait for hours to get their final cheque signed because she is too busy to sign a piece of paper”. I am religious about payroll being on time or early as you yourself know because any time payroll had it completed in advance of the day it was sent to you in advance so you could hand it out, on time, to the team you say you did not have. The only reference I can think you are making is the day you picked up your final cheque. As verified by text messages YOU sent, you asked an associate if you could pick up your cheque as you would be in the area of the corporate office. The associate texted that the office would have it ready at 3pm. You texted your arrival at 3:17pm and you confirmed, in text, you were departing with it at 3:25pm.
19. Regarding your comment: “She is so delusional and believes she is a role model of success and female empowerment, when in fact she is a shady heartless woman who has one of the ugliest and evil souls I have ever encountered”. I don’t profess to be a role model for women, I leave that to the experts, but I do try very hard to set the best example I can of a positive, healthy, productive, supportive and honest person for my team and, most importantly, my children! I am profoundly inspired by women of significant accomplishment and often hold them out as examples we can learn from and, as you personally know, I will encourage anyone to pursue a positive goal, be it personal or business. Beyond that, I cannot express the level of deep personal hurt your unfounded, unsubstantiated and polar opposite to all that I stand for comments has elicited as I cared about you and your wellbeing deeply and expressed that to you always. I dumbfounded by what your motive for this personal attack could be.
20. Regarding your comment: “As for her happy clients who raved wonderful things about the company 2 are her best friends (Michele and Marie) and the other is her sister. So of course they are great references”: First, anyone can go to our web sites and unsolicited testimonial from clients who have no connect to me praising their experience of our business and most specifically Zerona. Second, let me point out that I was the one who told YOU who these people were in relationship to me, it was never a secret. Further Marie states it in her posting! I am very fortunate to have many people in my life that would defend me because they have been clients, friends and in some cases known me for 30+ years. People want to defend people they care about when someone makes false statements, especially when, as in the case you refer to, where they are apparently made by competitor.
21. Regarding your comment: “Please note that if you go into a clinic 98% of the staff have all been employed under 6 months. What does this tell you?”. Again, you KNOW this is FALSE! Twelve of the sixteen current Premier Medical Spa staff were with us prior to your arrival and you were with us over a year! Again, facts supported by employment records. In contrast to what you are implying, although the aesthetics industry tends to be transient, we have a lower than average employee turnover rate, offer full time employment and health benefits. Of the current sixteen employees within the Premier Medical Spa locations specifically only four of them are under 6 months. Two where hired due to expansion and one to replace a receptionist who left your centre while under your management, the other to replace you. The other twelve associates have all been with our company for over a year to 2 years or much more. The only other new associates under 6 months were hired for Zerona Centres which only came into existence 6 to 9 months ago depending on the location. Further I am proud to say we have seen 5 women leave for maternity leave and all return to our company in the last two and a half years!
22. Regarding your comment: “OH and lastly she is now charging all employees $2000 for training if they do not give a full months notice when they quit!!”: As you are well aware in our clinic employment agreements, signed by each employee, they agree to give one month notice should they wish to leave their employment (this is fully in alignment with Employment Standards). It is further stated in that agreement why! Because if an associate disregards what they agreed to in writing and do not give proper notice, due to the specialized training they have gained and the time required to train a new associate, it will mean an interruption in patient treatments and undue stress for other associates. This is to protect our client and the team and it is what the associates themselves agreed to. You yourself gave this one month notice. We have no issue with an associate taking their increased skill level and training gained elsewhere, this is reality, and there is no training fee if they give the notice they agreed to in their agreement. Further this is a policy that the associates THEMSELVES suggested after a staff member left without notice!
23. For all that the slander you have stated, it should be noted that you opened your comments by saying you are a “former client” yet I was told today you continue to attend Premier Medical Spa as a client as early as the Friday, after the date of this posting as evidence by your patient file and payment!
24. I will close with a quote from that YOU personally wrote, unsolicited unedited, about our company and which was published when you were given the Associate of the Month award…. YOUR words not mine…“Working at Premier Medical Spa is not just a job, each and every day I receive true gratitude for what I do. I work with the most amazing group of empowering women who are not only supportive but are motivating. I believe in everything that Premier Medical Spa stands for, I even brought my sister on board to come and be a part of this amazing journey. We are the leaders in the industry, keeping up to date on all the new and unsurpassed technologies. Zerona® has been quite the experience, and to be involved in this new technology has been truly amazing. Our clients are regaining their self esteem and a lifestyle they always dreamed of having. Energy levels are noticeably increasing and clients are now feeling like they did in their 20’s. How exciting would it be to be there to witness our clients’ transformation! I get to see it every day!”
We are shocked, hurt and saddened by the marinade of outright lies and the serious defamation of character you have attacked us and specifically me personally with but even more confusing is where the motivation is coming from. You have put myself and my company in a position that we will be forced to defend legally.
Giselle |
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Now that was some reading. However, I do have to agree with a lot said by the individual. I am also an ex employee of the company, and can say that one does work extreme hours, even after a signed contract stating hours per week. There is no over time paid EVER. maybe time off, if you can manage to get.
I do believe Giselle Cardillo or Briden, whichever she decides to go by, is out for herself, and does over work her employees, I've witnessed this. Of course the people working for her now are hardly going to agree with her, they need their jobs.
Both Cardillos (Giselle and John) are their for themselves, they are not nice to their employees and quite frankly I don't believe they even know how to be. They keep people because of high income wages, which eventually one will make a decision that enough abuse is enough, and money isn't everything. Happiness and being with family is worth much more.
At the same time, most of their campaign posters are either made up names or family/friends, this much is true, with exception of very few.
I'm just happy to say I made a wise move and left the company, laughing with the occasional other ex employee and exchanging the nasty going ons within the company/clubs and clinics. |
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Gisselle,
Give me a break… Zerona doesn’t work for anyone, except those who crash diet during the treatments. The laser procedure is pure quackery. I had 6 treatments with zero results, except my wallet $600 lighter. I would have had more impressive results wearing a Q-ring magnetic bracelet, then the comedy act of stripping naked to this rotating LED light show. FDA approved you say? Yeah, right….
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm256890.htm |
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