Pros
Employee discount. The training itself exposes you to an understanding of lighting, portable power, and device repair. I have taken away knowledge of fixing smart phones, batteries, bulbs, and an expanded upon common sense approach to fixing small electronics.
Cons
The company is competing against Amazon. There is nothing sold in the store that is a high-demand, proprietary item to Batteries Plus Bulbs. The company trains the staff to be the most informed "expert" in batteries, lighting, and phone repair, which is true, however once the customer has the knowledge they can just buy it off Amazon...or anywhere else that is cheaper. There is no social media presence...corporate asks that 75% of the advertising budget be put into Google AdWords and the company's own eCommerce site. This is a narrow-minded approach to customer allocation. Without an active social media campaign it is difficult to see how the company will gain new, or even younger, customers. In an ever expanding mobile-phone based world most still don't even know that the company exists or even what the company offers a potential customer. Which is alarming being that there are hundred of millions of smart-phone owners in the US. This company is seeing a steady decline in many battery categories like that of Cordless Phone, Cellular, Camera/Camcorder, and Laptop. These categories make up about 1/4 to 1/3 of the showroom and this is largely due in part to smartphones and tablets becoming more popular. It may be that this company is on pace to be another Radio Shack... Zero benefits other than paid vacation, holidays, and sick days...must work for year before you get sick days and vacation though...this is dependant from one franchise to the next. If there is more than one owner...do not work for that Batteries Plus Bulbs. You will find that there is a general lack of understanding of what happens on a day-to-day basis for owners that are not hands on day in and day out. Those who may think that his/her narrative is the most insightful and intuitive one in the room at any given time is exactly what hurts businesses the most; a destructive personality by those who are in charge. Also, there is no opportunity for raises unless you get promoted from Sales Associate, Assistant Manager, or Store Technician to the Store Manager position. Most of those who I have worked with are arrogant and I watched as customers pick up on this pretty quick. It's not a very healthy place to work. Expected to lift over 100 lbs by yourself, exposure to lead, mercury, sulfuric acid, lithium, and other various battery chemistries like that of, but not limited to cadmium... Roark Capital Group, who had owned Batteries Plus Bulbs, sold the company in the summer of 2016 after a series of a reviews given by the franchise owners outside of corporate. I stated before that if the company doesn't do a better job that they will undoubtedly be like that of another company Radio Shack.
