Designs Of The Interior (DOTI) News and Happenings.

What do you think - will Designs Of The Interior (DOTI) grow fast? Are they expanding their staff? How does Designs Of The Interior (DOTI) stack up against the competition?

I would not do my home with this company. They are up to know good

I wouldn't say they are "up to no good", but they are not headed for success. The amount of micromanaging is incredible, and they have a high turnover rate which is symptomatic of the company. The problems lie in the actual structure. I don't think my boss was a bad person or out to get me. I simply think there are too many problems to allow for the possibility of success.
Unlike other companies there is very very little repeat business. Which is odd. That might be tied into the high turnover rate because the only reason to pay the exorbitant prices is because of a relationship with the designer.

Yes they do have a high turnover rate. I worked for them when they frist open in 2006.

They have several locations here in Arizona. I have applied
at two of them. I haven't heard back from them yet. Do they generally take a long time to respond to resumes if you are qaulified? I can spell, write a sentence and decorate, unlike Anna. I don't need a long term position. I just need medical coverage for a few months. Does anyone know if the DOTI medical coverage and benefits are decent?

I don't know about this company. designer from WOODLAND HILLS worked for them when they "frist open" instead of "first opened." I think she's related somehow to Anna in Sunland. Does this company care if your literate? Because I am and if it's going to be a problem for me, tell me now.

You certainly have the attitude required to fit in there. best of luck you you deserve to work there.
FYI you need to be able to do more than decorate. You need an educational background in design.

designer in California said: You certainly have the attitude required to fit in there. best of luck you you deserve to work there.
FYI you need to be able to do more than decorate. You need an educational background in design.

So, your comment on the "How to get a job at Designs of the Interior" forum stating that they have a 70% turnover rate and they will hire anyone was inaccurate? I'm anyone, so according to your own assessment, I qualify. Besides, where did I state I did not have an education in design? You're rather presumptuous. The reason I used the term "decorate" was that is what it seems this company does as oppose to authentic "design." Will you need and explanation?

No I don't really care.
There are more requirements, if you sincerely needed help I'd fill you in.

They called yesterday. I have an appointment. Medical is the name of the game, not the job description. I've been in home decorating and design 12 years. The job will be easy.

Host said: What do you think - will Designs Of The Interior (DOTI) grow fast? Are they expanding their staff? How does Designs Of The Interior (DOTI) stack up against the competition?

I have a friend who works in one of their Phoenix area (not specific to protect her job)stores. She is miserable. They are making NO MONEY AT ALL. Most of them are looking for other jobs and are afraid the store is going to close. High pressure environment and lousy economy. She said things do not look good for this company.

After leaving Thomasville, I interviewed with this company. They called to tell me they didn't have a place for me, even though they run a constant ad, which indicates a high employee attrition rate to me, which made me a bit of a skeptic to begin with. I was disappointed because I had 2 design jobs I needed to get started on. I told them that was too bad because I had 2 immediate new home projects & another remodel 2 months out & was hoping to be able to do the jobs through my new company whoever it was. The guy started falling all over himself saying that he didn't mean they didn't have a place at all, they just meant they couldn't start me that week, which is absolutely not what he said in the beginning, & what exactly were the budget & timeframe & did they include window treatments and how much furniture on each of these projects. He was practically falling allover himself trying to curb the excitement in his voice. I told him I didn't have budgets but the timeframe was they wanted to get started as soon as I landed somewhere. he told me to get the budgets & timeframes & any other info I had & call them back and they just might be able to start me asap.

After that there was no way I was going to go work for this money grubbing salivating company. It just told me they must be desperate and I H A T E that kind of envirionment. I worked out a deal with 2 local furniture companies and a window workroom so I didn't have to bear the risk and double bill my clients and happily did the jobs independantly. Things are picking up lately so I won't be working for this company E V E R!!

Their success is not steady at all. Itis very spotty. A store will have 1 good month after 5 bad ones. Usually it's 1 person that had the good month and makes the stores month good. Corp. will brag about some store having an awesome month. Doti thinks anything over 100K is awesome. A store has 5 to 8 designers. How awesome is 100K divided by 6? Not very awesome.Their turn over rate for employees is awful because no one can make a decent living. I read on here the Arizona stores are doing very bad. The Illinois ones are lucky if they are breaking even. Not everyone at Naperville is making a living. To hear corp tell it, they are all just doing awesome. That's one of their favorite words, awesome. Since the economy is bad they have gotten seriously in to doing things "the doti way." They hate it if you use that phrase, but the doti way for designers is you are seriously under the gun and the microscope with everyone you talk to and everything you say. Even how you say hello when someone comes in the store is watched. They have a high up guy who used to own Norwalk stores. So he's modeled alot of what they do from them, but made it harsher and harder. Note i said he USED to own. If his way was so successful how come he still doesn't own them and Norwalk has closed tons of stores? You are a number to them. No more and no less. And that number is what you sale each month. So Jeremy my friend, if you like that set up go apply there.

DOTI doesn't stand for Designs Of The Interior. DOTI stands for Dominance Of The Interior designer and Deterioration Of The Interior designer. They won't be happy until they have dominance over everything you do and say. Then you will deteriorate along with your income if you work there.

It's not a happy place and 2 of the stores in this area are owned by control freaks Ms. Frick & Ms. Frack. They have both had or are threatened with mass walk outs.

designer from WOODLAND HILLS in California said: Yes they do have a high turnover rate. I worked for them when they frist open in 2006.

I've heard about this place. It appears the owner of Designs of the Interior (DOTI) Woodland Hills, Karen Schoener, fosters and appreciates a hostile enviroment, which increases turnover. I had a friend that worked for Karen Shoener once. At the time the turnover rate was 300%. We believe it to be higher today.

I hear Karen believes she's above the law. It appears Karen violates California employment laws by not paying employees on time, cheating employees out of commissions, and lying in unemployment hearings to avoid paying unemployment.

It appears Karen sues and takes legal actions against clients and threatens suit against her employees.Karen Schoener is nothing more than a cheat posing as a business professional who rapes the design industry. Karen allegedly cheats customers too, so be careful. She is an autocratic/micro manager. If you end up working here be prepared to encounter fear and intimidation.

If you've been fired by Karen, you have rights! Karen tries to control employees after leaving by telling them they signed a non-compete. If she tells you this remember: Non-competes are illegal in California.

California Business & Professions Code Section 16600 states "every contract by which anyone is restrained from engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business of any kind is to that extent void."

If you are denied unemployment benefits, be prepared to fight. Karen may lie if necessary to win. If you have been cheated out of wages, contact the Department of Industrial Relations. Ask to complete a wage claim form or file a complaint. If you've been disciminated by race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability file a Federal complaint by contacting the EEOC. Over 40 laws protect you from age discrimination. Finally, challenge unemployment benefit denials.

Julie in Tujunga, California

4 months ago
Save your time do not call. They are all talk. I had only worked for them for a total of 7weeks then they let me go because I don't sell 20,000 in my frist mouth of being there. No one walks into there store, they have 7 designer on the floor to work but NO CLIENTS. You need walk ins to have sales. The Owner Karen is b***** with a smile and the manger Gengno is a ASS h***. They do not let YOU THE DESIGNER design the jobs the both of them take the jobs from you and then say you are not going in the right way with the client. You only get $1,800 and you well over 50 hours a week and on YOUR DAYS OFF.
Run very fast from this company. I do not wish this on any on.

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I posted these here because they are about DOTI but on another forum???? the one below as well.

Disgusted with the Interior in Los Angeles, California

2 hours ago
Yes, Lies all lies.The house of K. Shoener is built on quicksand.Better to be out before it sinks than be there while K. self destructs in her fantasy of being a designer.

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Woodland - I KNOW (from inside sources) the Huntington Beach owner worships at the alter of Karen Shoener and has been through about 25 designers herself & 2 managers and she's only been open a year. The Temec manager quit (know a designer there) and she was manager of the year.

I've got another one -
D (disappearance) O (of) T (the) I (income)

Let's keep coming up with these. This is fun and much more accurate than what corporate says D O T I stands for.

I called that stupid rag The DOTI Disgust. The way they fawned all over Temec it was like they were the DOTI Holy Grail.
Try this D (Diseased) O (Office) T (Tithes) I (Idiots)

Hmmmm - I worked in a DOTI store for over a year and it was fine. I needed to sell - but needed to make money so it worked both ways. I loved my manager!! She was awesome! I moved away - and there is no DOTI in Miami - so am on my own. There was some turnover in our store - but usually people with bad attitudes were the ones to go. Our store was fantastic and would recommend it to any designer in that area!

Wow! I read these postings and feel like I'm in the twilight zone with y'alls comments. I just moved to Vegas and am so disappointed that there isn't a DOTI here. I liked working there. I'd done the Ethan Allen, Norwalk thing and got frustrated with the limitations. I thought abt going on my own - but I don't have the money for that. So DOTI gave me my own business. I have to say I did hate getting pushed on the "personal marketing" thing at first. But they helped me with that and now I am much more confident that I could maybe go it on my own here.

I can't let this stand. J or S from corporate or an owner put icreate & divinedesign up to this. Trust me on this people!! Corporate or owners are trying to get their "friends" to say anything good to play down what you're reading on here. They know people looking on here for a job check the forums out. They are not happy! I'm at DOTI, but I am looking real hard for another gig. These two were probably pets. We've got them at my store. The owners hand over plum projects. I know because I get them at my store all the time because I can 'close the deal' as corporate calls it and the others don't like me for it. does closing a deal sound like design trade language or car lot sales language? My owner thinks I'm soooooooo happy!!!! Happy, happy, happy! Noooooooo!!! It's how many for POTI, I mean DOTI, and how many against? Sorry all 2 of you, we win.

divinedesign in Nevada said: Wow! I read these postings and feel like I'm in the twilight zone with y'alls comments. I just moved to Vegas and am so disappointed that there isn't a DOTI here. I liked working there. I'd done the Ethan Allen, Norwalk thing and got frustrated with the limitations. I thought abt going on my own - but I don't have the money for that. So DOTI gave me my own business. I have to say I did hate getting pushed on the "personal marketing" thing at first. But they helped me with that and now I am much more confident that I could maybe go it on my own here.

you my dear are the exception. DOTI is about making money for the franchise and the individual owner. They acknowledge the fact that the turn over rate is astronomical and they don't care.Push the sales, create the relationship, build the value.
B.S.!

Disgusted, after investigating and talking with other POTI desgners, the 2 pro POTI replys were written by someone at corporate. We all believe they were written by the same person. I know the way they talk and words they say alot alot alot. I've listened to same things to the point of nausea. They say the same thing over and over and over. I've had to listen and talk to them for several years now. After I read Beenthere's posting I was laughing soooooo hard!!! I know exactly who they are talking about who can't get through a sentence without saying awesome. It's sooooo obvious who wrote them. It's one of people that I indicated their intials for the first time. I said what I did on the 1st reply to try to get them to respond so I could be sure. But they are scared now because too many of us recognize the POTI, the new name has caught on at my store, ha ha ha!!!, language. they are scared we know who it is. Because we do!!!

ps, POTI is Plotting Of Taking Income HA! That's accurate isn't it igotout?

oh wow. i have not been on here in months,
HI its Vanessa formerly of HB DOTI!!
Don't care who knows it!
yes those two postings were written by corporate. We are not stupid.
I have not been on here in months because I am working and really happy. I recommend learning the warning signs of failing companies and learning how to SCREEN for them when interviewing for your next job. I did that successfully and am now employed with a stable company. Ask the person interviewing you very specific questions and ask to speak to other designers, and ask them the same questions. a lot comes to light.
when was your last day off?
what are your average sales per month? is that normal for the company?
how many people have quit in the last 90 days?
what kind of insurance coverage are you provided with?
how much repeat business do you have?
how long have you been open?
how many managers do you have?
how many years have you worked in design? at how many companies?

SOLID COMPANIES are totally comfortable with this. they want someone in it for the long haul. Doti has a high turnover rate, and they are keenly aware of it and have done little to stop it.

So learn your lesson, thank your lucky stars, and move on =)

I wish I knew about Indeed's forum's before I jumped ship from Ethan Allen to DOTI. Talk about a move that actually made me less money and just as unhappy! There has to be some connection between these 2 companies somehow. You know that game 6 degrees of separation? I think there is only 1 or 2 degrees here after having worked for both. Neither is a good option. If youre at DOTI don't move to Ethan Allen. I just told the people on the Ethan Allen forum the same thing about DOTI. My suggestion to all is Thomasville. Can we all say no micromanagment...yet anyway. Hopefully it will remain so. There are enough designers that used to work for DOTI or EA here that I think they get the message. I haven't had one person now at Thomasvile from those companies tell me it's not much better here since I got here a month ago.

Just so you people know. I moved to work for Doti out of my own pocket. It was awful. They used me to set up firing of someone else. It was the right thing to do for the business they said. That the problems with the store were personnell problems with people who don't want to follow the Doti Selling Program, not a the economy. Corporate said its the people stupid the selling program is economy proof. We all know the program workds. Things were goin to turn around if we get the right people. They did some housecleaning! The new came in and I still couldn't earn enough to even share an apartment with someone, make car payments and pay 3.50 for a gallan of gas and do I eat this month or buy clothes? I didn't spent thousands of $$$ on my degree to make $22,000 a year. Baby, that's what I was doin. No more! They're crazy! I don't want to be crazy anymore and you have to be to work there. The owner thinks she's some kind of designer. never been to school a day in her life. Puts up these drapes she thinks she designed. Anyone can open a window treatment book point to a style and say "make that." How does that make you a designer? If she said it to one more customer I was going to throuw up right there and then. "I designed these myself." No you pointed a picture in a book and had it made to look like the picture. Hate to tell ya babe. Not designing, not even. They're swags for God's sake!! They look as dull and dreary as our midwestern sky in March. I'm going back to school to get my teaching credentials. I'm done with retail.

Also, has anyone else noticed how sloppy most Doti stores look? Like they are all done with unrelated left overs. One lady in our store said "if my home is going to look like this
no thank you. what a mish mash." I was so embarrased.

They do not cover any benefit.
After working 90 days, they'll compensate up to $125/month towards your insurance upon
discussion & agreement.

I worked for Doti in Scottsdale. In the name of 'Designers of the Interiors', DOTI is not anymore than a retail furniture store who uses 'design' in means to close bigger sales. This Doti at Grayhawk has been opened for almost for two years and has no photos of any of the projects. I have never seen a design studio where they use 'premade magnet boards' to do the floorplans.
The owners and the manager know nothing about design yet desparate to get any penny they can.
Of course, each Doti store is run differently. But my experience has been that they treat their employees fairly and have higher turnover rate than any of the companies I've been. Successful companies start out by having long term happy employees before they have happy clients.
Momentarily they may think they're doing well, but in long run this sort of business model will not succeed.

And designers like myself and many others who didn't enjoy the experience at Doti will definitely spread the word.

There is no real great News with this company. It has sunken to only Gossip because that's all it's good for. If over-priced furniture & following a really flawed & pushy selling program is your thing, then POTI (DinD in Dotiville I think we used to work together email gutzy@you know the rest if it's you) is the place for you! Get right over there to fill out that application sweetheart! They are ready & waiting for you. I opened one of their stores and so did about 5 other people with me. NONE OF THEM were with the company 6 months later except...it wasn't me. She & I used to get things given to us. Does that tell you anything? Are you the other "driver" DinD? They used to call me & the other designer driver because of this personality thing they do. I'm in hospitality design now because it's more stable than
residential in this economy. Just a suggestion for those who are considering POTI.

DebDen in Illinois said: There is no real great News with this company. It has sunken to only Gossip because that's all it's good for. If over-priced furniture & following a really flawed & pushy selling program is your thing, then POTI (DinD in Dotiville I think we used to work together email gutzy@you know the rest if it's you) is the place for you! Get right over there to fill out that application sweetheart! They are ready & waiting for you. I opened one of their stores and so did about 5 other people with me. NONE OF THEM were with the company 6 months later except...it wasn't me. She & I used to get things given to us. Does that tell you anything? Are you the other "driver" DinD? They used to call me & the other designer driver because of this personality thing they do. I'm in hospitality design now because it's more stable than
residential in this economy. Just a suggestion for those who are considering POTI.

I left out "for one" after NONE OF THEM were with the company 6 months later except.

Just wondering Chelsea....what is it you do for the company? You said you left the manager position & not the company. My source says they still have the same trainers as before. But, you're with the company some way, right? So....if you're with the company....why would anyone think with you boldly putting your whole name & your location out there, that you'd have anything bad to say? Because like you said you "did not leave the company." That would be like a cheerleader saying her team really *%#@'s over a loud speaker at the game. Do you think we're stupid?

Justified in Los Angeles, California

1 month ago
Unfortunately I too am a past employee of Designs of The Interior,the Canoga Park location,not located in Woodland Hills as they advertise,but located in Canoga Park,CA.Just another lie in the illusion that the owner or possibly corporate has created to fool the consumer so that Designs of The Interior can justify charging the outrageous mark-up that they charge. I have worked in the interior Design field for 8 years,taking on the job at DOTI,(Destruction of The Interior Designer)because I thought that the concept was good, as they offer several recourses in one location. After realizing that the owner who had been sold a less than optimum location that would not, and never will attract enough committed walk in clientele to support the over inflated mark-up that she charges. The services,merchandise and lack of satisfactory customer service at this bad location will be the demise of this Company. My justification comes from realizing that my lack of success at this company was not of my own fault, although after quiting it took a while for me to realize that all of the long hours that I had invested,many many without any financial compensation and my commitment to the company did not and would not ever equal success! Even with the mass advertising that this company does they are not able to entice customers into the showroom, and the ones that they do are either looking for the Patio store next door or they are there to receive a free interior design consultation with no intention of spending any money.Early on I think I even had a little sympathy for the owner,that changed as I watched her destroy and fire many employees before and after I quit. I am sure her conscience knows that 28 designers, who have quit or have been fired within less than 2yrs can't all be wrong!she is tied to a losing proposition. Her arrogance and lack of compassion firing a designer 2weeks after her father past away,bad timing,withholdin

Julie in Tujunga, California

6 months ago
Save your time do not call. They are all talk. I had only worked for them for a total of 7weeks then they let me go because I don't sell 20,000 in my frist mouth of being there. No one walks into there store, they have 7 designer on the floor to work but NO CLIENTS. You need walk ins to have sales. <content removed: edited by host> They do not let YOU THE DESIGNER design the jobs the both of them take the jobs from you and then say you are not going in the right way with the client. You only get $1,800 and you well over 50 hours a week and on YOUR DAYS OFF.
Run very fast from this company. I do not wish this on any on.

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DebDen in Illinois - you are totally right! Chelsea has to say what she has to say to keep income incoming. The Doti in Jacksonville, for whom I used to work, has recently left DOTI. They hired a dreadful mananger from Ethan Allen who tried to turn it into Ethan Allen. Oh yes, and we all know how well they're doing, laying off half of their so-called design staff. My owners were nice, They didn't deserve all the corporate balogne they put up with trying terribly hard to make it work by following "the Doti way" and hiring a no nonsense EA manager. The Doti way doesn't work! It isn't 'virtually economy proof' as they love to proclaim. Jacksonville got tired of handing over 6% royalties to corporate while they were on track to lose their business and investment. I believe at their peak Doti was at 28 stores, they are down to 23. Such a shame. The Evangers pompous attitudes, corporate greed and a very poor sales program aligned with this disastrous economy does not bode well for the balance of the Doti owners. I feel badly for them and those who are employed with them. Very badly.

Thank you so much for your posts on this site. I took the advice from designer in California and asked all the questions she said to on a phone interview I had. O M G they could not answer anything that made me feel like the glass was even half full but more to empty. I'm so glad I didn't waste my time. Then I went to Kacey's and Timberline for interviews as well, what a difference. One of the designers there told me one of her customers went through a nightmare with Design of the Interiors here and she sold her almost all the exact same stuff and saved the customer $2200.
Thank you to you all for taking the time to post on here.

This is what is listed with the National Franchise Board with regard to how many POTI stores there are -

Business Established: 1983
Franchising Since: 1999
Franchised Units: 28
Company Owned Units: 1

Well, there's only 22 now. I know Barington, IL & Jacksonville, FL are the recent ones who got out. Jacksonville is called Beaches Interiors, I think - not sure what Barrington is going by. Probably, Happy Not To Be POTI Interiors. HA! I think there used to be 6 in IL & now it's 4 and 2 in Wisconsin, now there's 1. 1 in L.A. opened and closed in 2006.

A note to Chelsea who "did not leave the company" in some weird way. we weren't going to name names, but you did. If you can't read that c-ap written by icreate and devingdesign and not know who wrote them you don't know Susan very well. We've HEARD her say most of that B.S. in person!!! And if you think she didn't know about this blog, and we KNOW she did, too bad so sad you're that gullible!! It seems you don't know a lot, like the covert contacts all over to keep up with what's really going on with this stupid company because all corporate does is blow smoke up your a--saying how "awesome" whoever is and the doti selling program is when the top 10 comes out. Then when the designer's interviewed for the POTI Digest we pretty much get told what corporate wants said, I showed several people the email. What kind of company hires people like Susan, who don't even have a design degree, to train designers?! Her so called "design" experience comes from working for Norwalk for crissake!! They're a furniture store - not a design company! Susan is a sales trainer, not a designer. The only one at corporate with a design degree is Michele and she left playing at design for SELLING FRANCHISES!!!

Pray the Feds just keep on lowering those interest rates & the housing market gets back so those of us stuck in Dotiville can get the he-- outta here!!

DinDinDotiville,

I found this at Businessesforsale.com. It's an advertisement to buy a franchise posted by Doti and reads:
Designs of the Interior Franchise
We are the most unique Design Store in the country, and with 30 stores from coast to coast, quickly becoming the largest! Our nationwide Design Store Ownership program combines: franchising, home furnishings and interior design, relationship building to create one of the most successful and fastest growing business model formats today.

So according to Doti they recently had 30. You're saying it's now 22. That is a terrible loss of franchisee's. It's worse than I had assumed. Oh my.

Hi,
I have not been on here in months, another ex DOTI employee called and told me to look at the "progress".
1. Obviously someone from corporate left the two responses, and that someone likes to say y'all. I dont think she is a bad person, I actually think she does want to see people happy. No ill will there (at least not from me).
2. Chelsea was paid to consult with the owners of DOTI HB. It seems she has done a good job. Yes that place has crazy turnover still, but that will probably never change.

DOTI violates employment law. PLain and simple. Employment law varies from state to state, I recommend you read up on it.

If you are going to go work for a furniture store masquerading as a design place, accept the fact its high pressure sales.

Thats the only advice I can give. Glad the girl in Arvada use my questions-it cuts through the bs real quick.

She didn't do that good a job, designer in California. Half the new people are gone already. They are still losing their shirts. If HB didn't have deep pockets from his $job$ it would alreay be over for them. Smart designers just cut their losses and leave sooner rather than later. That accounts for the turnover. Not bad attitudes. Everyone has a great attitude the first couple months, in spite of other issues and if you worked there you will know what I mean. Then reality and needing to pay your bills comes into it. Chelsea's comment thatit all boils down to people and their talent is a somewhat true. But no serious design talent is needed at Doti. Chelsea has the gift of gab and persuasion. Which accounts for her former success, and the economy was much better when she managed. I hear she can talk to anybody about anything with a smile that never never leaves her face for any reason and smiles them right up to the cash register if she can. Sales talent is really all you need, the problem at HB is no one serious comes in to sell anything to. If they do they are scared off by the prices and the ram rod selling program that hits them with feeling of being obviously manipulated after the masquerading of "making friends" and getting the house call if you can. Even Chelseas smile is not good enough to overcome the pricing and compete with better priced furniture dealers and online dealers in this economy. I know now they are really holding everyones feet to flames over every little contact or "opportunity." But, who seriously goes to a shopping mall to find a good interior designer? No one. So they make you slave trying to market yourself allover town, because corporate is too cheap to pay up anything for advertising like other company's like Decorating Den and Ethan Allen and the owners are all to poor. Oh well. C'est la vie. Glad to be gone.

DOTI is down to 19 locations. DOTI Newton is gone. That's losing 11 locations! If you've worked for DOTI you know why. The DOTI business plan is flawed,,,,hello. The owners corporate insist on choosing because they have no experience in the industry,,,another humongous minus, but corporate doesn't get it. Learning the selling program is a huge lesson on how to manipulate, you've got it right HBer. You are supposed to set the customer up, hook-up with them by never showing you are hoping to sell anything. You do this by using friendliness to get into their house and then go for the "close" in 2 days. If any of you on here are thinking to work for them pretend you're a customer and go in there and see for yourself first. They teach you things to say and ways of recognizing the customers vulnerbilities so it doesn't look pushy, but it totally is. If that's great for you then go the h_ll ahead and apply. It's calculated selling like a car lot but the designers are dressed nice. There is serious micromanaging to because they watch EVERYTHING so that you stay with the selling program NO EXCEPTIONS. NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE I LEFT! And won't as long as owners like in Canoga Park and corporate people like JE, FG and SS are around. Have any other owners hired this Chelsea chick to "consult?" Do you know designer in California? What a waste. Unless she can change corporate and their programs, it won't help. It sounds to me like shes taken the stupid selling program and turned it on DOTI. Looking for their vulnerbility, it's not hard, the vulnerableness is they are all loing money, and "selling" them on herself with her little Manager of the Year clutched in her hot little hand. Karen must admire her so much and wish she'd frickin thot of it. With Karen, she will just keep harassing no matter who consults with her. It's who the h_ll she is and she doesn't seem to care who knows it.

Good G_ _! Here's another one I found on here. How many other sites have comments about DOTI. WOW! Read on.

SJ in Hamilton, Ohio

17 months ago
Similar concept at Designs of the Interior in Mason run by a failed excecutive from numerous companies in the past who knows nothing about design or people management. I had a friend who went to work there and it was a disaster bordering on some serious employment law violations. Same high pressure deceptive techniques coupled with pressure to sign non-compete agreements and all sort of contracts AFTER he had accepted employment with the company - since when is that ever a fair practice when entering a contract? Predict the business will fall under soon since sales were so low each month, often under $5,000 and who can survive those figures. DOTI as it is fondly called is a flawed franchise concept to begin with and has had only limited success nationwide. I would advise against going to work there unless you want to be subjected to similar abuse as at Ethan Allen, except with less class. Interestingly the Sales Manager was a former Ethan Allen person who was as smooth talking and deceptive as they come wrapped in a beautiful package of course!

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Do not compete agreements are illegal in California. dont worry about them.

Not my real name -- and yes, they read what's on this site. Its not 19 igotout -- Designs of the Interior is down to 16!!! stores. Yup, That's it. Iknow 1 of the 2 in Scottsdale is gone and the 1 in Mason, Ohio along with the other gazillion doti's that are already Buh-Bye and there are 2 more on life support that aren't expected to make it. The one here --it's down to 3 designers from 6. I can't say a lot because I don't want to get others in trouble but let it just be said that corporate is trying to make the loss of all these stores sound like it's a good thing like they do when people quit, by saying "we would rather have 5 AWESOME performing stores than 20 poor to so-so ones. A tree needs pruning to bear more fruit and better quality fruit, and company's go through a similar process during their growth to become stronger and better. " What B. S.!!! During their growth?! During their growth?! Are they serious!!! I guess GM, Chrysler and AIG are experiencing similar "growth". "Just watch us come back stronger and better without the dead weight." Okay, we'll continue to watch -- AND LEAVE FOR OTHER JOBS OR NO JOB IF WE HAVE NOT ALREADY BECAUSE SOME OF US MAKE MORE ON UNEMPLOYMENT -- because Designs of the Interiors is "growing" & pricing themself out of existence in a terrible economy.

I worked at one of the now closed DOTI's in AZ. 3 DOTI's have closed in AZ! 2 in the last 2 months! The 3rd one was only open about 3-4mos.?!! There's now only 1 left of the original 4. One of my installers told me that they have to re-make most of the draperies 2-3x because their "designers' don't know what they're doing. . .surprised?

I think that there have been closer to 2dz.(++) DOTI's that have closed.

These posts are so true! Susan? What a JOKE! From what I could see the only thing she had on her mind was her next Donut! Oh? And Thomasville? Ha! Just another of the clones. I worked at an AZ Thomasville the franchisee also has Drexel Heritage too. What a joke! They're "training" was the same 'ol Norwalk (Shepard) type "system store" (car lot)plan. If you can think for yourself, you become a trouble maker. I left Thomasville a few yrs. ago, but still have friends there . . none of which are evening making $2,000.0 p.m! Here they hire people on Soc. Sec. and old enough to keep all of their earnings (read: 70++yrs. old!)they can manage to live on their $2,000.00 (or less p/mo)++ their SS! If you're younger than 70 . . .good luck! Check similar at EthAllen, Basset, etc.

The post about "pruning the tree" of DOTI corporate . .is so true of their mentality! Yes, they'll soon be going the way of Chrysler, AIG, etc. . FORTUNATELY for the rest of the new prospective innocent franchisees and future DOTI employees. The problem is: "who will hire the Evanger's" once they bail? Oh! I know! Someone on Wall sTreet? Maybe Maydoff? lol

Susan used to mosey into our store, look for the nearest seat breathing all heavy like she was going to die. She dresses very unprofessionally. Hey, look, we must be going to the supermarket...more donuts maybe. What a robot, too...The Doti Selling Program...The Doti Selling Program...The Doti Selling Program. Shes only there because she used to work for Frank at his Norwalk's. They used that degrading Shepard System - fail, fail, fail. Like someone here said, if it's so great how come that company is almost gone along with everyone else who uses it? You are sooooo right Sun City, doti likes people who agree not to think for themself - just chill, Miss Braindead, and get with the program. What Dummies!

I was "interviewed", LOL, twice for highest sales in the company propaganda phamplet - what it really is. Oh, but Digest sounds so cute with DOTI! How creative, Michelle! So much better than the "Doti Blow Smoke Up Your A-- Phamplet." And they ABSOLUTELY do tell you what to say. Susan wanted to know from my owner what I was going to say and my owners told me, Susan tho't it would be a good idea if you said blah, blah, blah. WHAT B.S! I came to see that my time was being wasted there. I was working too hard for too little. I did like my owners and left on good terms. I NEVER told them how I really felt...I just left. I'm not one to burn bridges when they think you're so great. You never know. The Evangers could sell out, yeah! and someone with the right ideas could take over and turn it around. Axe Frank, Susan & Jenny if they're still there, I think Cliff's probably a keeper though. I don't know Chelsea, other than a little from the Doti Digest, but she sounds as brainwashed as the first 3 from what she posted here.

Things are slow. I won't lie, but I am making more than I was at doti after having to pay $$$$$ for hardly any benefits.

Doti is down to 14 stores. That's all. Most are under their 5 year
original agreement. It would cost huge $$$ for them to get out. Used to work in Glendale. Hear **no one** is hiring the old temecula
manager for consulting designer in Cali.

Here's the deel. Doti and Norwalk in a desperate attempt for both to continue business are partnering or merging. Norwalk has a new name -Luxe. Frank at Doti used to own several Norwalk's and Susan worked for him, so I'm sure they are heavily involved in this deel with Norwalk/Luxe. The only problem. One Luxe I know of is already going out of business. The one in Bend. Norwalk has closed most of their locations and this is a last ditch for both businesses. Beware of this company. I know of no one making enough to live a decent existance on their own. I didn't.

Going - Going- Gone! Another one bites the dust. If the Doti Huntington Beach owner was the one worshipping at the alter of Karen in Woodland Hills, it did no good. The store is closed. It's empty. We went to the Cheesecake Factory in the shopping center where DOTI was-and it was empty. Nothing there. Wonder how long CANOGA PARK, not really Woodland Hills, will hold on. The location is bad, really bad. It was a very good day to be hired by Doti to do what I love most - design. Little did I know. It was a FANTASTIC day when I was able to find another job, not doing what I loved most, but just able to leave DOTI.