Pros
We were close to each other witth my colleagues and regular customers. It meant a good network and the people I met given me ambitions. I had a lot of Indian MBA graduates working with me, and it was great to know them, we went out a few times, and I named our story "Wild Young Hearts". The staff member discount was also great, though the Coop is not too cheap to shop in even with the 10% off. The experience I got in shopkeeping and service was really high value.
Cons
Many times the managers are less qualified than the employees. This can create disputes. Also, gossips and badwill is a general feature of such a closed community of workers. I had a fight with a supervisor once, and with two really stupid cusomers. I don't agree that the customer is always right, though this is a principle of service. How could they be righter than me? Do they serve the interest of the shop or of themselves. Some of them like to steal and cheat!
