Michael Hill loses sparkle

Michael Hill International has announced it is closing eight of its 17 US stores. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Jewellery retailer Michael Hill has received stinging criticism over his first public motivational seminar, after attendees complained it was no more than a recruitment drive for the company.

The seminar, held at the 2500-capacity SkyCity Convention Centre three weeks ago, posed the question "Are you New Zealand's next Michael Hill?" The founder of publicly listed Michael Hill International said reaction to his recent book Toughen Up inspired him to put on the event.

"There are quite a lot of people out there who do need help," he told the Herald on Sunday.

But Pukekohe salesman James Teague said he and others among the audience of 700 walked out.

Marketing material had not made it clear that the main aim was to hire another 800 people as part of the company's plans to expand to 1000 stores by 2022, he claimed.

"I didn't think it was going to be a campaign to tell you how good working for Michael Hill was, and that was it. There was no advice whatsoever.

"It was almost like, if you crossed an Amway meeting with a born again Christian sort of camp. It was that bad.

"They actually went into the nitty-gritty twice about how good it is to work for Michael Hill."

Teague said he was glad that proceeds from the $69-a-head ticket sales went to medical research charity Cure Kids. "Otherwise I'd have been pretty much rocking up to his front door and saying, 'Give me my money back'."

Auckland watchmaker Philip Green also walked out of the seminar. "I was led to believe it was going to be one of these inspirational 'this is how I did it, here's a few tips' [events]. I hate being had - if he had said what it was I would have gone in with my eyes open."

Hill, who will no longer be writing a column for the Herald on Sunday, said he had received a lot of positive feedback about the event and was surprised by the criticism.

"Me and my business is what I am, I don't pretend to be anything else. You're never going to win everybody."

It wasn't all about recruitment, as his hour-and-a-half address at the end covered personal development issues.

He said with hindsight, 4 hours was probably too long for the event. "But hey, it worked. We've got some great people, and I want some great people still."

Cure Kids regional manager Josie Spillane said, after costs, the seminar was expected to contribute several thousand dollars to the charity's coffers.

She said Cure Kids was "grateful and proud" to be associated with Michael Hill, who had helped it raise more than $450,000. "It's the awareness that he's creating for us in the public, too."

In the same week as the seminar Michael Hill International announced it was closing eight of its 17 US stores at a cost of US$1.8 million ($2.6 million).