Pros
-- No managerial supervision. As a sales associate, I would literally go DAYS without ever encountering a manager or key-holder. I mean I honestly could have just clocked in, gone back out to my car and napped for my entire shift, and I'm truly doubtful that anything would have even been said to me about it! -- No real training process. Again, I'm not exaggerating. On my very first day there, they left me alone in the break room for 3 hours with a couple of promotional videos and a stack of paperwork a foot high. But after that, they put me right on the sales floor and then went on their way. I ended up figuring out the POS system on my own eventually, strictly out of sheer boredom. -- Nice customers. This one isn't sarcasm, I actually really did enjoy the customers. Obviously I'd come across an ill-mannered patron from time to time, but 95% of the time, the shoppers I assisted were nothing but kind and patient with me.
Cons
-- No job security. You start out on a 90-day "orientation". During this time you are expected to be an exemplary worker, or else they can and will reserve their right to sack your without any notice or explanation whatsoever. (And I'm quoting straight from the employee handbook, here.) -- Pay starts at minimum wage. It's seriously not even worth it, I promise you. -- Mind-numbing repetition. Literally, all your job is comprised of is picking clothes up off of the floor and hanging them back up. All day. Clothes. Floor. Hanger... That's it. It feels like you're cleaning your bedroom for 8 hours, except minus the satisfaction, because people just come and knock down all the clothes a minute later. I hope you like having a sore back, because half of those 8 hour shifts is spent just bending over. -- SO DIRTY. Firstly, you have the break room: The sink would be overflowing with smelly, nasty dishes for weeks at a time (who brings dishes to work?!). I tried to avoid going in there as much as I could because of the flies, but unfortunately that's where our lockers were located. Secondly, you have the bathrooms: Not ONCE while I worked there was I ever instructed by management to clean them (or even trained how to). Not once did I witness any of the other girls cleaning them. In fact, when I asked the girls with the most seniority about it, they couldn't even tell me what the cleaning procedures for the restrooms were! Needless to say, after that I always made it a point to "go" before I left the house, in the safety of my own regularly bleached bathroom. And finally, you have the floors: Next time you go to a Beall's, find a regular rack of clothes. Then, pull the clothes back for a moment, and take a good peak underneath. I'd bet you money that it'd look like someone just emptied the full contents of their vacuum cleaner's dust-bag down there. Why? Because even though they're open morning to night, 7 days a week; sweeping for some reason only takes place once a week. Mopping? Never seen it. I guess that wouldn't be so bad, except that in stores like Beall's, clothes tend to fall off of their hangers like, a lot (trust me). And so they fall straight into the filth, are typically trampled over a little bit before a sales girl finally makes her way over and notices. She of course hangs it right back up. And then you buy it. Congratulations, you now have Ebola.