Pros
Every day when I walk in, I see about 60 associates that are pleasant to see and greet. They are smiling and happy. Almost every customer that I speak to responds positively. I am recognized and respected by management and associates as an expert in customer service, product knowledge, and ability to find and apply information in our computer systems. Huge amounts of product training by computer is available and required of every associate, so that gaining knowledge is certain to anyone who stays employed. I am a "key-carrier", an hourly department manager with the authority to run the store when needed. We are truly empowered and expected to do almost anything to see that a customer has a satisfactory experience with us, whether profitable or not. Helping a customer is reason to stop in the middle of a sentence and turn away even walking with a district or regional manager. Associates have a great deal of freedom to transfer to another store in the area or across the country. Basic health benefits are available to every employee after 90 days.
Cons
For full-time associates, most jobs have nearly random hours from 6 or 8am to 10 or 11pm, any day of the week. This applies to salaried store management as well. They are scheduled to work 11 hour shifts at least 5 days a week anytime around the clock as needed, including working until midnight and returning by 5 or 6am. This makes advancement from hourly, to salaried management, an agreement to surrender any type of normal life or relationship. Communication goes through so many levels and takes so long that it is usually incomplete or outdated, requiring another round of the same, etc. There is no opportunity to make additional money through individual initiative, ability and hard work, except through the twice yearly Success Sharing which is determined solely by whether your store makes its sales plan, a figure generated at the corporate level.
