Pros
Because Carr has been a fixture of the Berkshires since 1928 you know it has staying power. The reason that it does is because of the culture of service that exists. Marshall and Bart expect managers and associates to perpetuate the legendary service of Sam Carr who used to know down to the drawer where the most far out and unheard of gadget was in the store and find it for the customer. I am a fan as an employee because of my many years experience in big box retail. In big box retail the goal is not to help individuals with projects or find solutions for folks. It is to move as much product as possible and to command the trends. Big box retailers are on the clock, when they sell what they've brought in for the season they move on to the next season's products, never mind that there's still snow on the ground and you need a snow shovel. At Carr we hold the seasons much longer and are not concerned if we carry a couple of shovels over we truly want to meet our customers expectations and to build long lasting relationships and partnerships in our community.
Cons
If you are looking for a cake job, don't like challenges, or aren't a people person this job's not for you. Every day challenges come from ownership, managers, associates and customers. That is the friction that gets the job done. There's no mal-intent but EVERYONE from the ownership on down wants to perform well and has an active interest in daily goings on. If you have thin skin, no self confidence or no interest in a continuing dialogue about the business; working at Carr may not be for you.