CVS, effective not efficient, and short-term, definately not a long-term position. - Photo Technician CVS Health Employee Review

4.0
Sep 28, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Some of the best reasons to be employed by CVS Caremark include, sales awareness, shopping tips, and store discounts. With sales awareness, you are able to become more aware of good sell prices and have the opportunity to be one of the first to become aware of clearance items that can often be bought at bargain prices. As a cashier you become familiarized with your customers and their shopping habits, and get a first-hand look on efficient ways to utilize the shopping opportunities that CVS offers, including in-store coupons and "extra bucks." And once you master this easy techinique of shopping, you can purchase roughly $20 worth of merchandise and only pay a few dollars out-of-pocket. Lastly, the perks of receiving a 20% discount on national brands, and a 30% discount on store brand items, are not that bad of employee benefits.

Cons

Some downsides of working for CVS Caremark include responsibilities, shift times, and pay. As for responsibilities, I speak for the front-store cashiers/photo technicians. And of course, this depends on the city/town that you are employed in. But as a cashier/photo tech, you are primarily in charged of the cashier drawer and are 99% of the time checking customers out by yourself and then are asked to also perform other duties such as stocking, straightening the shelves, or hanging the weekly sales tag. The other tasks become a nuissance because you have to constantly come back to the front of the store to check for customers waiting to be checked out, since that is your primary responsibility. As for the hours you work, or your shifts, you will most likely have to work 6 days in order to fulfill a 40+ hour work week, due to most stores having an 8am-10pm store schedule and shifts being split into 7 or 6 hour shifts for cashiers, due to the shifts or photo lab supervisors getting the better hours. Finally, the pay. With the pay that one receives working here, you could only survive if you still live with your parents and have few expenses, and tend to be slightly, and I mean slightly, above minimum wage.

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5.0
Apr 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great company, great people, nice pay

Cons

Too much remote people overall

5.0
Dec 13, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I learned a lot working there as far as how to run a business as well as how to develop a team. I had one of the most successful teams in the company ranking as the top store year over year in two separate markets, one in the Northeast one in the Southeast. I was a paragon winner with the company as well. My most recent DM was very supportive. I genuinely thank them for the opportunity and the knowledge that I acquired while working with them.

Cons

Work hours were excessive. To be successful hours worked were borderline slavery. While I willingly worked them to be successful, the week you didn't you were immediately behind. Vacations were almost non existent due to constant visitors from corporate stopping in to do reviews. Holiday weeks were paid 4 days regular 1 holiday and you worked all 5. The facade of the stores looking great when these people stop by versus the reality of the business is polarizing. There were always teams of people and excessive expenditures of payroll thrown into stores prior to their visits. While I understood the need to make an appearance, it was always will always be a backwards way off thinking. Company preaches quality of life for their clients while quality of life for their employees is non-existent. As a "manager" in your average store you will be "managing" a total of one person during your shift, with a total of 10 people at location. Location open hours will exceed total payroll hours ie Sun-Sat 7am-10pm = 15hrs per day x 7 days x 2 people = 210 hrs which excludes the need to have a person unload deliveries that come in during non opened hours. Your budgeted hours will be approximately 208 hrs. I will only mention that during the month of December that there are extended hours for the stores but no budgeted hours to accommodate. Stores are held to strict shrink targets with little to no control over external theft. Remember 2 people at location, if four people enter to steal there is nothing you can do to stop them. These are facts not personal prejudices.

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