Pros
-The training is exceptional, thorough and hands-on. -Generous starting pay, generally higher than other retailers -Awesome employee discount - 40% off non-elfa products -The PT staff has a warm and fun family dynamic -The company is nationally recognized on Fortune 500's List -Great product selection and quality, albeit pricey -Everyone works together as a goal-oriented team -The atmosphere from training on is very supportive -Plenty of learning opportunities and experiences -Laid back and comfortable dress code -Schedules are posted at least two weeks out
Cons
-Inconsistent scheduling: early morning, late night and overnight shifts which are usually physically demanding and frequent, especially when the same group of people get stuck working them. -Getting time off is a difficult process. If you want to get two days off in a row, it's considered a vacation. Everyone has to work at least one day on the weekend and sometimes even both days. -Depending on who you speak to, calling in if you're sick and can't work can lead to unnecessary guilt trips. -Favoritism runs rampant among the upper staff and management. The managers tend to hide out in their office while micromanaging everyone else over the radio and through their favorite FT staffers. The happier and more upbeat you are, the more you are liked, regardless of how strong your work ethic might be. -The company's philosophy is all smoke and mirrors. They say one of their top priorities is to provide outstanding customer service by giving the customer "what they need," when in reality, it's just a mask for "make them spend as much money as possible so we can make a profit." There's a constant pressure to sell, even if the customer just wants to browse and be left alone. In the end, it's all about the money. -The majority of the FT staff at my store is wonderful, hard-working and bright, but there are a couple of them who people get away with doing minimal work, thereby causing everyone else to make it up for them. -The actual work is repetitive and laden with the idea of "it's good, but let's make it better." There always seems to be someone breathing down your neck insinuating that you don't know what you're doing. -Around the time of performance reviews, the FT staff is called upon to provide constructive criticism about the PT staff because of how uninvolved management can be (meaning, they have no idea what to say to us), but that's never the case for the PT staff. We're taught to be vocal about our opinions, but we're hardly asked, and in the rare instance that we are, the comments are either shunned or used against us in OUR reviews. It is an extremely fair statement to stay that the PT staff outnumbers the FT staff, and as a group, we collectively do more work than they do. If anything, our opinion should matter most since we provide the backbone for each individual store. It's not said outright, but there is a clear one-way street hierarchy between the FT and PT staff. Honestly, I probably would not work at TCS if it wasn't for the PT staff. I love working with almost all of them.
