Pros
I got a paycheck. Paycheck was every two weeks so it was a nice amount. Wage was insulting though. I know it's a retail job but I felt sorry for the older women working there who weren't managers. I'm a college student so no family to take care of. Mega corps have to do better. Employee discount - 40% - never bought anything though cause I refused to pay that much for cookware.
Cons
Applied to be a Stock Associate, ended up being a cashier. I don't like the stress of point of sale so I thought I could just move boxes. Nope. Might as well have called me a Sales Associate. Co-workers started off nice but slowly revealed competitive and bossy nature. Whole system of asking customer "Who assisted you?" And giving 'credit' to employee who helped. You have a sales goal. At the end of your shift, you're pestered into writing down your sales for the day. If you clock out before doing this, there's hell to pay. They say there is no commission or bonus but everyone is super competitive about taking credit, going as far to leave sticky notes on products and void sales and start over when they aren't given credit. Co-workers got nasty with me about it. I didn't care that much. Scratch that. I didn't care at all. I later learned that the "commission" is free pots/pans/skillets and coffee makers. I guess it was worth it considering how overpriced everything was. As I mentioned, your sales are not based on who you actually ring up. They're based on who you help. If you ask the customer who helped them and they say a certain name, that person gets the 'credit.' If they've got me at the register and don't allow me to walk the floor, how do I get credit? I don't. Managers will tell you your sales don't matter but will still talk to you about getting your numbers up. Employees will check their sales during their shift and nod their heads at the screen in approval. Annoying. They check your coat/bag at the end of your shift and if you leave the store for break. Made me feel guilty even though I know I'm not a thief. Managers constantly tell you to stand at the register but in the same breath will tell you not to stand behind the register and go and talk to customers. Managers will be standing right at the register but will call me from across the store to take care of a customer. I don't get it. Managers make you pester customers. I had to ask customers who'd already been approached four of five times if they need help. I know myself when I'm at a store, that's the kind of thing that makes me leave without purchasing anything. If I need you, I’ll come get you. Managers will tell you to straighten up but also keep an eye on the register. When I couldn't do both (cause I couldn't see the register from where she wanted me to straighten up), she was exasperated calling me to get a customer (even though she's at the register). Then when I said, "Where do you want me? Do you want me here or there?" she tries to calm me down like I'm out of my mind. Managers expect you to know how to do things without showing you. I messed up a transaction where a customer was returning something they bought online. It was different than if they would've bought it at the store. The manager was bothered that I called her from the back to come help me. If she would've trained me, she wouldn't have had to move. You have to deal with arrogant, showboating customers who'd rather spend $40 on a whisk than just going to Walmart to get one for 40 cents. I told people all the time to go to cheaper stores. I couldn't justifiably tell them to waste their money when they could get the same thing inexpensively. I was a seasonal employee and didn't know it was my last day until I had about an hour left in my shift. Who does that? All in all, more cons. Avoid this place. Avoid it like the plague. Avoid the fake friendliness. Everyone wants to be the boss. I'd even dare to say they care more about getting credit from the customer than actually helping the customer. There were only two real managers: the head manager and the manager-in-training. Everyone else was a low level manager vying for the top. The associates dealt with the crap from their tainted leadership. Basically, they micromanage EVERYTHING you do.
