Please strongly consider accepting a position at CSN, regardless of which department.
Pros
The people were great. After a certain point, though, everyone (and I mean practically everyone) started to become very negative. It's no wonder, though, because our salaries were constantly played with (they pended on bogus and inaccurate data, by the way). "Promised" monthly bonuses were either never delivered or many months' late. I know all reviews are mentioning this, but false promises and miserable salaries like this really messed up people's lives. The holiday party was fun. Knowing it was paid for by our salaries, however, made it a less joyous occasion. The snacks, while great, were NOT free. I received a notice at the end of last year stating I paid more than $300 for "snacks and first aid supplies." (At that point, mind you, I had only been there a handful of months). I'm pretty sure we only had cheap junk food (some of which was expired) and a few band aids... The location is good and convenient for most who live in or around the city. It seems as if a call center doesn't need to be in downtown Boston in a location with very high rent, though.
Cons
There was an extreme lack of professionalism at CSN Stores--throughout the company as a whole, but especially in the customer service department. The relationships fostered between manager and customer service representative were, at many times, inappropriate and made others feel uncomfortable. There was clear favoritism between male managers and female representatives. Also noteworthy, aside from inappropriate behavior, was managers' complete lack of experience, public speaking and leadership skills. The pay was a pittance from the very beginning. Reps on emails felt "safe" for a short few weeks before being put on the dreaded "comp plan" and on the phones. Those who did "well" with customers and received positive customer feedback* got raises every quarter, but to realize that their salary could go down the next quarter, probably due to the inaccurate (and possibly phony) stats. For example, a rep could try his/her hardest to appease customers in order to receive high ratings, but still fail in the eyes of management because of customers' unwillingness to participate in the survey. The comp plan created a sense of false security for some and anxiety for most. The bonuses were judged on sales stats and were oftentimes not delivered. This was completely unfair and reasons as to why they weren't paid out are still a mystery. I did not appreciate being treated like a number and a child. Management made me (and others around me) feel as if our job was not appreciated and we were just as good as the next desperate recent-grad they were going to pull in. It is a bad sign if a)people are trying to get fired and b)people don't care if they are fired. People are dropping like flies, leaving on their own accord or being fired. The customer service/sales representative position should not be limited to college graduates. In fact, this is not a job suitable for a college grad. There is a complete lack of stimulation and challenge. Despite other reviews, there is no room for advancement; if there is, it is due to personal relationships between management and the rep. *This positive customer feedback was not entirely accurate. Many customers, in fact, decided not to participate in the survey, even despite excellent service and a good conversation. It was completely unfair to base our SALARIES on others' "opinions" (which were on a number scale..), which were recorded by an unreliable tracking system.
