Sur La Table reviews

Day to day store operations are micro managed from corporate. Executive management seems to have little confidence in the abilities of store managers. Like most retailers it is pay for play but many stores are under staffed because of unreasonable payroll expectations. Store managers often work well past a normal work week to meet the needs of the business. Many new stores seem to be opening in speculative markets with hopes, dreams and wishes for growth without consideration for the reality on the ground. Major markets rely on hiring from the outside for managers because little to no development is taking place from within. Most internal promotions are taking place because people quit or are terminated. Part time staff is under employed for most of the year with the promise of more hours during peak season. Most managers at the store level are frustrated in being unable to provide hours to people who want to work. Stores are required to maintain staffing as it relates to an often exaggerated business goal while keeping most pt employees in the 4-12-24 hours per work week. The computer system is old school and often does not reflect current inventory. Lost prevention is a focus by corporate but store level concerns are often ignored by corporate. In one case a store had its guard removed without corporate informing the management team at that store. Store walk through: by corporate executive and regional managers are sometimes pop visits, usually unprofessional and often demoralizing. The general attitude seems to be wanting to catch the team doing something wrong vs how to help them succeed. Embarrassingly dated management practices with a focus on coaching notes and behavior modifying. The idea is fine but it's sad when smart people rely on a check list to to try and manage intelligent people. It's an inside joke among the the staff when a manager tries to coach in the moment. It's an inside joke among the managers when they write notes to the area/district/regional manager regarding the people they coached. I am sure the joke goes all the way up the top to HR...not to mention Investcorp. Stores follow a mostly mass visual execution with little payroll support to maintain. In most stores managers are working in overdrive trying to keep their store aligned according to visual expectations. Some stores enjoy having a great merch asm that was likely trained by another company.

I spent many years at SLT corporate before I finally admitted that upper management was never going to change, and I gave up and left. With the perspective of a year away, here's a parable capturing what the experience was like. In this story, every city is a project, or an operational goal, or a business objective. "VP" is leadership. "Staff" is you. VP: We need you in Los Angeles right away! Staff: We'll get started. It'll be a three day drive. (next day) VP: Where are you? We need you in Chicago. Staff: I'm in Portland. I'm on the way to Los Angeles. VP: Forget Los Angeles. Go to Chicago right now! Staff: Um, okay, it'll be a week or so. VP: You have two days. Staff: That's not really-- VP: Get going! (two days later) VP: Why aren't you in Chicago? Staff: We told you it wouldn't be possible. We're going as fast as we can. VP: Never mind Chicago. We need you in Portland immediately. Staff: What? We were just in Portland. If we'd known-- VP: Stop arguing and get moving! (two days later) Staff: Okay, we're in Portland. VP: Great. On your way through Idaho, we need you to pick something up. Staff: What? We're already in Portland. We needed to know about Idaho yesterday. VP: Go back to Idaho, do the pickup, and on your way, stop in Houston. Staff: What? Houston isn't between here and Idaho. VP: Get moving! And so on, and so forth. If you don't mind being yanked around like this, if you enjoy wasting your time being sent down blind alleys and dead ends by inexperienced micromanagers, if you can handle the realization that the people in charge have literally no idea what they're doing from day to day and are running the business at a blindfolded improvisatory sprint, then have fun. Me, I like to know that there's an actual strategy being followed. I don't respond well to reactionary panic.