Pros
SOME people were nice and I had two women in cosmetics that took me in.
Cons
I heard that this was one of the best companies to work for and I was very interested. I had taken the semester off and I needed extra money. I applied for shoes, knowing that it would be a busy department to work in and that I'd make good money because of commission. However, shoes wasn't available and I interviewed for women's active instead. I asked the assistant manager point blank whether or not there would be lots of foot traffic because I wouldn't want to work in a dead department. That means no money. Her answer was a flat out "yes" so, of course I took it. I was excited and this was my first time working in commission, but I had an extensive retail background. I had to wear active clothes, which I thought was cool at first because I could wear sneakers, but it became a problem really fast. When I got to the sales floor, I noticed how empty the department was. My manager assured me that it was just a slow day and that it would get busier throughout the week and into the weekend. So, I took her word. "Why would they lie to me?" I thought. I came to realize that I hated wearing active wear because I quickly realized that most customers didn't think I worked there because I looked too casual. They don't give you a nametag or anything. I would have to stand behind the register as a way to let people know that I worked there, but I got reprimanded many times for doing so. I tried wearing other clothes, but nope! I had to wear active. People thought I was weird for striking up a conversation not knowing that I worked there. Then, I came to realize that my department was the SLOWEST department at my store. The sales goals were ridiculous and there would be days where a total of 10 people would come through the department for an entire day, browsing for more than a few minutes. I was pretty much working minimum wage as there was no way that I could make any type of commission in such a slow department. I was bored to tears most days because I was usually the only one there and my manager was always in other departments, not that I cared because she was the most passive aggressive woman I have ever come across. My department was next to dresses and I would help people with dresses just to pass the time. I wouldn't go up to them at all. I'd wait for them to come up to me because I didn't want to actively steal sales. The women in dresses hated me and rumors about me started going through the grapevine. Of course, it quickly got back to me when I was talking to a fellow co-worker. Mind you, I was there for less than two weeks. I was in high school last year and I have zero tolerance for high school like behaviors. These people were way older than I was (I'm 19) and were still resorting to such childish behavior. That was strike one. The discount is ridiculous. Most of the items are high priced and 20% is nothing. I can't afford to shop at Nordstrom anyways. The hours were terrible. I would open one day, close the next, then open, and then close. What was left of my sleep pattern got obliterated by this (I take medication for insomnia) and I would come to work late because of it. I wasn't getting enough sleep, which meant that I would be miserable during the day and you can't drink on the sales floor. So no coffee or anything. I once had to do jumping jacks in the dressing room to keep myself up. I brought it up with my manager (Ms. Passive Aggressive) and she gave me a questionably nasty answer in the nicest voice ever. I didn't know whether to be offended or not. That was strike two. I went to HR and the open door policy is crap. It's a wide open door if they LIKE what you have to say. If they don't, they come off as dismissive and plain rude. I knew they didn't like me and were going to make my life hell. A good chunk of customers are downright rude and super entitled. They abuse the return policy. I also noticed that a good majority of them racial profile. I had to watch a woman's kids for an hour as she tried on bathing suits. They wouldn't stay with her in the dressing room and I didn't want them to being snatched so I watched them for her. One was running away from me to a neighboring department and she knocked her head on a door. It was a pretty hard smack and I panicked. That was strike three and I wanted OUT. I stopped showing up and that was it.