Pros
Depending on management, you can have a tight knit family, or a loose, inefficient group. I’ve gotten the opportunity to experience both extremes. Having a manager who cares for you on a personal level makes the most difference, and that’s what I’ve got now. We’re not thrown to the wolves, we’re not overworked, and we’re encouraged to cross-train. There’s so much knowledge to be gained if you just ask questions. ABC was never my endgame plan, but because of the opportunities I’ve received due to a manager who actively searches out the best qualities in a person and tries to bring them out, I don’t plan on leaving. ABC is my endgame. I started as a rooftop material handler, and did all that I could to increase my knowledge and value enough to gain a promotion to the sales team in about two years. The opportunity for advancement and proving your own worth as part of the team is easy if you strive for it. It took me bearing the blistering summer heat, rainy winters, and being the only roof loader at times, but my manager (second one) recognized and concentrated on the potential he saw in me that I wasn’t so sure I saw in myself. If you have a good manager, the opportunities are absolutely there. The knowledge and skills you can obtain from your manager will propel you forward if you listen, understand, and are coachable.
Cons
Not all of your coworkers feel the same way that you do. It’s important that everyone finds ways to compromise in order to come together and increase/maintain production. I hate pulling orders, but that helps my guys feel like they’re cared for, and that boosts their drive to do their respective jobs the best that they can. Summertime can be hot in the south. Customers don’t seem to care that you’ve already loaded 5 roofs before 1pm, or pulled 12 orders for the next day, on top of servicing walk-in customers. They want you to be on top of your game, don’t make any excuses, and that push can come from management as well, even if the heat index is triple digits in the middle of summer. It can be miserable at times. The idea that “the customer is always right” is like a plague to this industry. You can be blamed and criticized behind your back from a customer that never brought up any issue to your face, and management ultimately has to side with them in most cases. That’s frustrating, and those complaints affect your mental state when it comes from coworkers, and especially management. Be prepared to be at fault, even when you’re not. It’s almost too easy for an inside sales associate to be left to handle the bulk of the relationship prospering of small and large accounts because the outside sales rep doesn’t feel they should have to work as hard on the same level. Inside people don’t make commission anymore, and it’s a shame, because I feel that it shifted the outside sales team’s mentality from a hands-on approach to their customers, to a relaxed, “I’ll just take them to lunch” mindset. It’s a double edged sword because an inside sales associate can become such an integral part of the operation and maintenance of keeping a customer, that promoting them outside or losing them to a rival would be detrimental to an extent, and it’s almost like being punished for being a stand-out, efficient employee. You may be stuck in that position when you know you could be much more advantageous in a higher position. It doesn’t matter if it’s delivery, warehouse, or sales; if you’re setting yourself apart in a major and beneficial way, look out for being held at your level for longer than you may want to be.