Felt like part of the family...a huge, crazy and occasionally disfunctional family
Pros
Great co-workers; long time loyal customers; VERY little supervision; ok pay by retail standards; opportunity to learn a ton IF you're a person who picks things up better through trial and error rather than through regimented training; full time positions with benefits are sometimes available; they always try to hire from within where possible, so good room to move up. Never boring: stress levels get high often, and thanks to cost cutting, there is always something that needs to be done, even when foot traffic is low. Company is good about continuing education/training: they don't implement new technology or programs before everyone get's re-trained, which is good. Company gives associates a good amount of discretion when dealing with customers. IE if something is damaged but customer still wants the item, you can choose the discount based on the damage level without calling a manager. Company is very generous with discounts for employees. You have to pay with cash or their credit card, but you get a 20% discount immediately, and there is usually a "double discount" day ever six to eight weeks for all employees (seasonal or not). Also, if you exceed your sales goals by a certain amount, they bump you up to 30% discount.
Cons
First and foremost: credit card quotas. If you haven't seen your manager for weeks, simply stop signing people up for a Belk card -- you're manager will appear out of nowhere and be all over you for the rest of the month. Routinely had to choose between making a big sale or taking extra time to push someone into a credit card. I mean, I know it's good business, but at all expense? It just felt yucky. The rest: For me it was not a con, but for others it might be: there is ridiculously little supervision. Managers are so overburdened, you better have a darn good reason to call them. This makes initial "training" pretty iffy. Basically, they show you how to run the cash register for about an hour or two and then...voila, you're out on the floor. If you want to know how to do all the other stuff you're judged on at your once-a-month status checks, then you had better make friends with your co-workers and ask them how things work. Your manager will probably be very good and IF they have the time, will be happy to further your training, but don't expect to get your hands on them often. Like I said, if you learn better on your own, Belk is the place for you. Pet peeve: cleaning crews were cut a few years ago and the stores are filthy. Also, stores are visually out-dated and feel kind of dingy. It's hard to work your butt off all day when it just never looks any better.
