Pros
This company is great for ambitious, self-motivated workers. You will last if you take initiative and strive to reach your goals. I worked in one of the higher-volume and higher traffic stores. The pace is fast and you are expected to juggle a lot. In lower volume stores, the pace is a bit more relaxed and there isn't as much pressure. There is opportunity for career advancement if you perform well and there are positions open. I turned down promotions several times due to school requirements. However, a person could potentially have to wait a long time for a higher management position to open up. This company stands behind their policy to do what is right for the customer. Customer service is the top priority. On the other hand, some of their policies about returns/coupons do put the associates/managers in a tight position. Displeased customers want to reach some kind of resolution while in the store and the manager has no power or authority to do so. In any escalating customer service issue, the manager is directed to call the customer service center. However, they are only open from 9 to 6. So, during peak times (nights and weekends), you can only tell the customer to wait and call the center on their own time.
Cons
There is a lot of accountability and pressure put on the managers. Everything from making your segment goals to the visual standards. Even if it's not your division of responsibility (talent, brand, merch flow), each manager is expected to do something in each every day. Since I began working there 6 years ago, the amount of pressure they put on managers has increased. Especially recently, there are unrealistic demands. I might have been a lower-level manager, but I had the same responsibilities as a co-manager except for hiring/firing employees. Part-time was technically less than 32 hours. I was scheduled typically 29 and worked on average 35 to 40 hours. Closing meant you stay until it gets done, which meant some very late hours. When any manager closed, they were usually scheduled to open the next day. The mentality was basically "suck it up and do it", I am successful and I perform well, and I am held to higher standard. The same standards and expectations are not applied equally. I have seen grossly under-performing managers bad behavior ignored so that my store manager and district manager didn't look bad, as if they couldn't handle their managers, to higher management. This company has very little backbone. When "visits" occur, you are expected to work a lot, even stay overnight. No excuses. Most of the time, the visits are confirmed, but upper management doesn't show up. You are not told often when you are doing well. After a long, hard day's work, I was usually told what else I should have gotten done. I was contacted frequently in my off-time and often left not feeling very good. Poor work/life balance except in upper management. CEO not very involved with stores at all.