Washington Mutual

Don't apply!! Uses and abuses there employess!! You do to much for little pay

True

I agree, I used to work there. Absolutely no career path. They also have a nasty habit of picking up entire operations, moving them from city to city, the new location has to integrate the new process into their day to day, then they'll pick up the same operation and move it again. They went through a major west coast layoff period about 3 years ago. People I used to work with would all of a sudden be "gone" and I wasn't given any information on how the task they used to do would get handled going forward. They do not pay their employees well at all. They are management "fat" in the middle. Man the idiots who were managers couldn't manage their way out of a wet paper bag. I should know I worked for one and he used to bad mouth all his other employees to me all the time. Major no-no. I was more capable of doing that guy's job than him. Stay away. In fact, I haven't seen any postings for WAMU in a very long time.

If you are over age 50: WATCH OUT! These guys have joined the elite BIG Boys with age discrimination aka AGEISM.

I used to work there and they treat DO use and ABUSE you!!! WaMu stinks!!

Seeing ads for the same positions again and again without end would seem to support the sentiment in this thread.

The customers might get free checking accounts but whose hide do you think it coming from??

Yes, all of the negative commentary is factual. I have worked for many companies, and WAMU is the second WORST company to work for.
Yes - WAMU's management is incompetent and sinister.
Yes - if you are not a manager, you'll work for years without reward.
* WAMU is an EVIL, SOUL-LESS corporation that rewards their customers with "carrots" like free checking... while bilking their employees.

Still feeling the pain, Seattle WA in Seattle, Washington said: Yes, all of the negative commentary is factual. I have worked for many companies, and WAMU is the second WORST company to work for.
Yes - WAMU's management is incompetent and sinister.
Yes - if you are not a manager, you'll work for years without reward.
* WAMU is an EVIL, SOUL-LESS corporation that rewards their customers with "carrots" like free checking... while bilking their employees.

Unfornately, I think this is a real common problem in our industry and if only they had a brain cell and realized how demoralizing it is to their employees.I will never DO ANY BUSINESS with Wamu or refer any of MY CUSTOMERS, FRIENDS OR FAMILY to them. Their focus is going to these extravgant sales parties in Hawaii, or Cabo.The small person is the company is the one who is busting his backside everyday, just trying to provide food for his family and then Wamu discards them like they are nothing. We definitely live in the world of Have and Have nots. Oh well, what else is new???

I forgot to mention my confrontation with WAMU's CEO, Kerry Killinger... I originally started working at WAMU as a Bank Teller. During one of the bank's propaganda (aka "we love the company") meetings, I asked Killinger to justify his $50k yearly BONUS while tellers make an average of $9 per hour. He replied that he had "a plan to address that." Then he had corporate security "escort" me out of the meeting. One year later, while working for Lending Operations, I posed the same question. - Killinger replied with the same answer. WAMU's executives are only concerned about filling their GREEDY POCKETS.

I agree!! in Modesto, California said: I used to work there and they treat DO use and ABUSE you!!! WaMu stinks!!

I agree,, I just quit last month,, was there for 3 long years!! The managers give new meaning to the word "special". So much for their core values. They only think about themselves,, while us tellers and PFRS do the real work. They have us out there begging for checking accts. They dont care how you get em.. just get em. VERY VERY stressful job!!! If you like to be underpaid, overworked, and treated like you are worth nothing, then its the job for you!! Good luck!! Wouldnt even waist my time with their phoney bologny!!!

Just by reading these comments, I'm kinda having second thoughts. I have an interview for the PFR position and am nervous. What's the position like? I know that you have to sell products as much as you can.

I was there for week, as per a temp staffing service in pleasanton ca. The job STUNK and sodid the traning ( the TRAINER ). DONT GO THERE.

I'm aware that there's monthly sales quota for PFRs, is there a specific amount that you have to sell? If you can't meet those goals, will you get fired?

I currently work at a wamu call center. They definatly could care less about retaining qualified employees. They recently decided the way they rate our performance so they don't have to give out bonuses. There treatening to fire me if i dont live up to there standards and at this point it may be a blessing to get away from the negativaty of wamu.

I wonder if the out sourced people get rate dthe same . Doubt it. They have no idea how to probe when a customer calls for help.Believe me every transferd call I receive is from our out souced call center. I was told that the people in the other countries that we outsourced to are not use to the products that they answer questions on, It is something that they they donot have in their countries sothey don't really know what to ask. Don't you think that the upper management that hired these people whould ask about this before they moved a big function ? The training is no training what so ever!

sammy in Renton, Washington said: Just by reading these comments, I'm kinda having second thoughts. I have an interview for the PFR position and am nervous. What's the position like? I know that you have to sell products as much as you can.

Don't think twice run in the other direction. You wil work till you drop and it will not be good enough for them!

unknown in Medina, New York said: I currently work at a wamu call center. They definatly could care less about retaining qualified employees. They recently decided the way they rate our performance so they don't have to give out bonuses. There treatening to fire me if i dont live up to there standards and at this point it may be a blessing to get away from the negativaty of wamu.

It is not any betterr in the branches! You hit the nail on the head they do not care about anything but themselves.

sammy in Renton, Washington said: I'm aware that there's monthly sales quota for PFRs, is there a specific amount that you have to sell? If you can't meet those goals, will you get fired?

They won't fire you - they can't keep people employed!

Wamu really is a bad place to work. I was there over three years. I was trying to move up in the company - I went from being a PFR to a Sr. PFR to an LPFR to Ast. Mgr - and finally had an interview with the regional for a Mgr position. He showed up 45 minutes late, expaining that he his lunch ran long. Had I shown up late because I wanted a long lunch, my head would have been cut off!

I can relate with the fact how they treat their employees. they make the goals "unobtainable" and then when you cant make the goals, they give notices and dont help you obtain the goals. They want you to work your butt off, and then they nitpick at your work taking points off for things you do wrong, but then do not help you to correct your mistakes.
I HATE WAMU. it used to be a great company, but has turned into a GREEDY company with no concern for it's employees.
Where is the "FAIR, CARING, HUMAN,DYNAMIC part of the logo that we were forced to learn? no, all they are now is "DRIVEN" by the devil himself.

After reading comments on indeed.com about all sorts of companies, I am surprised that the comments (since they are mostly complaints) get amazingly down to the truth for the companies I know about. (Microsoft =stress, long hours and backstabbing, UPS = people screaming at you, WaMu = large company that does not care about people anymore and is laying off everyone they can.)

Here is my experience after working at the corporate offices. At WaMu they do not even pretend that people count any more, it is all about profits. Jobs are constantly going to India or other places where people costs are cheaper.

A friend who is still at WaMu (an underwriter with years of experience) will be training her India Buddy in the next few weeks. Her division laid off hundreds in the last few months, and it looks like her job is going to go to her new buddy.

This is true of other large companies as well, and not unique to WaMu. Unfortunately.

I am a 12+ year multi-loan customer of WAMU. I've opened & paid off a number of investment loans. I just finished writing a letter to the last loan officer that I will ever deal with at WAMU. I realize that she is over worked. I am closing a HELOC with the company that has only been open for a month or two, and I'm eating $500 of early closing costs just so I no longer have to put up with the incompetence and the attitude that is coming through her. I've been self employed for 20 years. It's really a blessing to not have to deal with the crap that all of you have dealt with in reading your comments. If you don't want to ever have to deal with people like "WAMU", I suggest that you invest a little time each day in finding out how and what you can do on your own to make a living. There's nothing like working for yourself. If I had to go back to work for people like the one's that you have described, I'd either likely go postal or end it all. That's not a suggestion. Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities. I have three businesses now. Opportunities are there. You just have to believe and seek them.

Question.

I've been interviewing with WaMu for a Selling Trainee position in my area. They are currently putting through my background check and upon stumbling on this sight, I'm more than slightly worried. I initially tried to google to see what realistic "incentive" goals and payouts were. While on the interview the division manager made it seem ultra lucrative, but then again, he's selling me on it. What's the realism of the roll? Any help would be appreciated.

THECindy in Chicago, Illinois said: I've been interviewing with WaMu for a Selling Trainee position in my area. They are currently putting through my background check and upon stumbling on this sight, I'm more than slightly worried. I initially tried to google to see what realistic "incentive" goals and payouts were. While on the interview the division manager made it seem ultra lucrative, but then again, he's selling me on it. What's the realism of the roll? Any help would be appreciated.

A couple weeks ago, I was selected from three candidates for a SA position. They finished the background check and collected all the docs they need. But unfortunately I was told late last week the hiring request was suspended by the 1st Vice President. The Hiring Freeze froze my dream job!! I hope eveything will work for you. Good Luck!!

I would be careful about how lucritave that job position is. If it is in mortgages be very careful. It is only lucritive if you can use the products they push. The option arm, and 5/1 multi pay, These products are tabu in the industrey. The products you need to be successful is fixed rate FHA loans

I would like some help regarding the branch manager of the Gold Beach office. He ran off people in the Myrtle Point branch when he managed it part time. WAMU removed him from there, then he managed the Brookings branch and once again, several people quit because of him. The "higher-ups" decided he should only manage the Gold Beach branch. Most of the employees with many years of service quit because of David. Washington Mutual did a great article in the local paper stating the long time employees were retiring, when in fact they quit (after 27 years) and went to work else where. He has verbally abused many employees, to the point they just can't take it anymore. Why in the hell would WAMU keep someone like this employeed??? We pulled all of our accounts out of WAMU and thankfully did not have any problems. Since this is such a small town, most people who have quit are afraid to say too much for fear David will do something to make them "un-hireable". He personally contacted an ex-employee's new boss and told him she was a bad employee. Fortunately her new boss knows David and dismissed what he was saying. He knows he has a good employee and knows David is probably suffering from "little man's syndrome".
Gold Beach needs help getting rid of this person. Any suggestions?

I have been employed with Wamu for a year and a half, and I have to say in the beginning I felt lucky to work for Wamu. I had a wonderful Manager who truley cared about his employees. I moved to another county and trasferred to a wamu branch near my new home. All was going well until our manager was let go and was replaced with a newly promoted manager from another branch. This manager is the most horrific person I have ever worked for. She verbally abuses us, calling us names, and names you wouldnt even call your most hated enemy. She threatens our jobs on a daily basis. Tells us that we are worthless and she cant see how we ever passed an audit without her. Speaking about audits...she reminds us everyday of the up coming audit and tells us that if we cause her to fail in anyway we will all be fired. She has stressed all of us out including our poor asst manager who is the best boss you could ever hope to work for. But here is the worst.....she doesnt stop the abuse at just us employees..our customers are being abused as well. Some of our long time customers are closing thier accounts because of her. Our customer service score is going to be embarassing. There are so many violations going on including discrimination because of her. I think to myself everyday " How could our regional manager even promote a nut job like this???" It really turns my stomach. I dont even look forward to going to work anymore. She makes us feel like Wamu is in a crisis and that they are laying of tellers and pfr's left and right just for the fun of it. We dont even know what to believe anymore. I feel like I am going to be out of a job by next week. She states that the up coming audit will be a keep your job or lose your job situation. How can we even pass an audit if we are threatened everyday that we are going to be fired because we are to incompetant to pass an audit...I just feel sick. Has anyone elses manager in the Florida region 13 area started going insane due to this audit???

sammy in Renton, Washington said: I'm aware that there's monthly sales quota for PFRs, is there a specific amount that you have to sell? If you can't meet those goals, will you get fired?

Yes, you can get fired for not meeting your goals... It generally takes a little while for it to be done, but having an a-hole dictator of a manager, and well over-reaching goals will speed that process up....

I'm getting the hell out.

I can atest to info posted in this thread, WAMU is an absolute joke to work for. I'm only speaking from the branch side perspective here , but as far as that goes it's an absolute joke. I'm a teller, So I kind of sit back and watch the madness. Basically it goes like this : if you're a manager you're set, you work at most 30 hrs a week and make 90k + a year, and on top of that if your regional manager likes you, you will not get held responsible for the absolutley ridicoulous goal numbers. Here's where the assitant managers come in, they actually have to work - they make a respectable 50k + a year, and even though they are held responsible for goals to a certain degree , the buck always gets passed to the PFR's. PFR's - dont even get me started here, Basically you get paid a base rate of barely more than a teller and are held responsible for every metric in the branch. They (i.e. - managers) dont care how the numbers are met , they just want it done , no matter how unethical it may be. Listen to this , i've actually heard of PFR's selling multiple checking accounts to unsuspecting clients , one for normal transactions , one for bill pay, one for online shopping....what a load of BS....and I dont even blame to PFRs , they get so much pressure to produce that it's no wonder that have to stoop so low. Tellers and Ops sups - we're the lucky one's . We dont have to deal with so much of the production BS, but we still have our demons...Reffarls ....wow...I get sick of the first thing I here everyday from my supervisor being that "Credit cards and Checking accounts" , "that's what I need today"...."I dont care how, just get them" ....Jesus...give me a break...I look like a fool asking the same person that just came in here last week for a CC or chking account when they have turned me down four times before....Bottom line : this is a joke company and a joke of a culture to be around...I've woken up and I hope others do to...

They call us Wamulians....might as we

Franklin, I dont know how you can say that managers only work 30 hours a week and make 90K per year. I have watched my 2 managers put in 60+ hours per week and they earn less then half of what you are stating. Anyhow,

Did everyone here that is working for Wamu on the retail banking side notice Kerry's last letter? It didnt sound as promising that we are going to get thru this mortgage crisis. It actually sounded like he has given up. How much longer do you think it will be before we are called Chase Bank? I think the end is coming soon. Regional has beefed up the audits. Instead of taking 1 day per branch to complete the audit they are taking 2 days to coplete the audit. Tellers are being asked alot more questions then previous audits. We just lost two managers at another location for failing an audit. Everyone is terrified and walking on egg shells at this moment. We are expected to have our audit sometime this week. I dread seeing corperate walk through the door. It feels like dooms day is just around the corner.
We are all under the impression that our jobs are no longer stable and that we could be replaced in a blink of an eye. Wamu has eliminated our float staff. I see the end of Wamu coming...they are firing people right and left and closing branches that were striving and doing well. Corperate keeps a tight lip on what branches are being targeted to close and they say there are more closings coming. Its just a matter of time and there will be no one left. We are surrently running a branch with only 4 employees, including managers. We are a very busy branch and have no hope that we will have a full staff again. At this point we are bowrrowing people from other branches close by to help out on the extremely busy days. God help us all !!

Wow!! I am glad I looked into this position a little more before I applied. I will be honorably discharge after 10 years of active duty and definitely will not be applying to this company. I can understand a couple of negative reviews.... but every single review of them is negative. Where there is smoke there is fire. Thanks for saving me the headache.

who else thinks this new "woo hoo" ad campaign is an absolutle joke?...rotella should be ashamed of himself....how is "woo hoo" going to increase business?...it's a disgrace and a JOKE.

It was embarrasing having to go to work wearing a t-shirt saying "whoo hoo" over the front of my chest. I had alot of dirty old men making comments about that shirt. As a woman, It feels like I was pimped out by wamu !!! I refuse to wear that shirt again. I will quit first.

I am the daughter of a former WAMU worker (formerly Providian before they were bought by WAMU). My mother worked there for 15 or more years (maybe it was 18, I'm not sure). Just over a year ago they decided to change her job description and gave her "time" and "warnings" that she was not meeting this new job descriptions impossible requirements. She complained to me that it was because she was old and was going to retire soon. She knew what was coming. Yes, they "Fired" her. It was pathetic. She discussed a law suit. She had no other income until she could claim early social security. This is what she did. She used most of what money she had in her 401K and took out an equity line of credit to survive until SS kicked in and she was forced to take out a reverse mortgage to make ends meet because of all this.
She just died due to a complicated string of illnesses. I am now the executor of her estate.
She should have been still employed, had life insurance, not had to have a reverse mortgage, not have had to drain her 401K and not have had to pay for COBRA coverage until early retirement. She should not have had to take early retirement. This is so wrong and I would really like to take legal action to right what they did at least from a financial standpoint. I hate what they did to her and what they did to my brother and my inheritance. She was so mortified. She was such a careful person and planned everything. They rerally screwed up in a very short period of time what she had worked for years to provide for herself and her children.
Anyone know a good lawyer or have advice?

flower girl in Brookings, Oregon said: I would like some help regarding the branch manager of the Gold Beach office. He ran off people in the Myrtle Point branch when he managed it part time. WAMU removed him from there, then he managed the Brookings branch and once again, several people quit because of him. The "higher-ups" decided he should only manage the Gold Beach branch. Most of the employees with many years of service quit because of David. Washington Mutual did a great article in the local paper stating the long time employees were retiring, when in fact they quit (after 27 years) and went to work else where. He has verbally abused many employees, to the point they just can't take it anymore. Why in the hell would WAMU keep someone like this employeed??? We pulled all of our accounts out of WAMU and thankfully did not have any problems. Since this is such a small town, most people who have quit are afraid to say too much for fear David will do something to make them "un-hireable". He personally contacted an ex-employee's new boss and told him she was a bad employee. Fortunately her new boss knows David and dismissed what he was saying. He knows he has a good employee and knows David is probably suffering from "little man's syndrome".
Gold Beach needs help getting rid of this person. Any suggestions?

Looks like enough people complained...they let him go yesterday. Yipppeee!

And they get paid for thinking up this?

Question for the Wamulians from FLORIDA...Do any of you know SANDRA SEERAM?? she was a manager from Boca Raton Florida ... What type of person is she ?? What tyoe of manager is/was she ??

Around the time I departed from their company, we were given monthly reviews and if you did not reach 100% of your expectations, you would fall beneath meeting expectations. Since when does 98% merit a failing grade and if you got 100% you only met. How can you get more than 100%? It is a joke and it does not help when you have a boss who lets certain employees poach the loans by coming in four hours ahead of everybody else. True story. I can see why you would be stressed out there. It has been a while since I have worked there and I am glad I am no longer there. My days are far more peaceful.

Wamu is going to pieces. I have been with them for a few years now. Stock closed today @ $3.23. Wow. Anyone have any questions I may be able to answer?

OMGGGG
i have an interview tomorrow.
is it really that bad to work at WAMU?
please let me know

Good luck.... they will use you as long as you allow them to. And you won't even get a kiss

Right now it's pretty bad. Before Indy Mac failed, they announced that they had about 31 billion in liquid assets and then it started to fall. WaMu recently announced that they have about 41 billion in liquid assets. See a trend? And yesterday there was a line out the door in Seattle Washington (home base of WaMu) and people were taking out their money just like the ones in Indy Mac. While the money is safe under the FDIC the jobs are not. In fact, WaMu is planning more layoffs in September (most likely back office and not any retail employees). I see it going down in a matter of months but dont quote me on that because I am not the FDIC. It just seems like the company is trying to go in different directions all at once and there's no teamwork and what not. But yea.

changalizze in Simi Valley, California said: OMGGGG
i have an interview tomorrow.
is it really that bad to work at WAMU?
please let me know

Just remember that in every organization you ALWAYS have people like us who dislike the company they work for and try to give insight on why they don't like it and on the other hand you always have people who support and love the company they work for no mater what. Take it as you will but financially WaMu is sinking. Other banks are doing bad but their assets and stock are secure. Hope I was helpful. Good luck with the interview. Post your interview session if you can.

This co. has harrassed me for over 2 months now looking for someone that lives in Northern Maine by Cananda. I am on the Coast of Maine dealing with over 160 phone calls in 2 months and they just keep coming. they will not stop. I even searched and found this person and her phone number but Washington Mutual doesnt want it. They like harrassing me more. I contacted the Attourney Generals Office. Whats next...the FBI? Un-FREAKING believable!!!! It has cost me 100's of dollars in fees retreiving voice mail messages that were only "hang ups"...Washington Mutual..YOU SUCK! (in my opinion of course)

Well, I hope everyone that had an interview in the last few months didnt make the grade, as the company has been seized by the FDIC 119 years to the day it was born back in 1889, and auctioned off to JP Morgan Chase. My days are numbered, as are many back office functions in our area.

I worked for Wamu in NYC for a few years starting in 200. I have been in banking for almost 20 years and when I first arrived there I was very impressed with them. They were different, they had the funny commercials and a unique approach. They had great image, but their upper management seemed to believe in it and it showed down to the front line employees.

You could tell by their training that they were dedicated to keeping employees. You don't put that much money into training just to have people leave to work somewhere else. You could see as they cut back training they were moving in the wrong direction.

Unfortunately many of the comments in this forum go for banking everywhere I have worked in New York City. The goals go up every year no matter the economy, the competition, or how well or poor you did the previous year. Wamu became like the other banks. I knew employees at other banks who would bring food to local companies to make friends so they could ask them to open checking accounts if they were short of their goal. Many bank employees either resort to this or get pushed out for not meeting goals. Large bank employment may only be a business for the very young now because of the intense stress. No one can take that for too long.

Unfortunately towards the end the usual problems with most banks came to haunt Wamu. They were worried about their stock, they put intense pressure on employees to get new accounts because that was supposed to be a driving force of the public stock growth. Ultimately the heavy investment in mortgages is what brought them down, but they had already changed who they were before that happened. Shame, they HAD great upper management and innovative thinking from the top down, hate to see things end this way.