Pros
Ollie as an entire company has an amazing culture and friendly environment. All employees are encouraged to be their true, authentic selves and treat everyone with kindness and courtesy. Upper leadership, including our CEO, is never too far away from low-level employees, and I don't have any fear of reaching out to anyone if I have a question or just want to chat. Any changes made are communicated to the company, and employees of all levels are not only allowed, but encouraged, to ask questions so everyone completely understands the reasons behind the changes being made.
I feel that leadership is held to high standards when it comes to treating employees with respect, and providing clear communication with the team. Pay and benefits are very competitive, even at entry-level positions, with ample opportunities for promotions, raises, bonuses, and rewards. This company also really focuses on improving performance rather than punishing when expectations aren't met - I have seen plenty of people be given more chances to improve than I personally would have offered them if I was in charge.
I have seen, specifically in the customer service department, management bend over backwards to accommodate employees who need help with certain things (i.e., schedule flexibility, temporary life changes, mental health crises or family emergencies, etc.).
Overall this company is a rare one that not only says they care about their employees, but shows it with actions and policies. I have also made a lot of life-long friends through this company, as every employee is selected for not just their skills and experience, but their personalities as well. I truly feel that Ollie has somehow figured out how to only hire good-natured people, at all levels of employment.
Cons
In any customer service role, the biggest con you will ever face is of course, customer-facing situations. This is a dog food and wellness subscription company, and pet owners are highly emotionally charged when contacting customer service regarding their subscriptions. This job is emotionally taxing and can be exhausting at times just due to this alone.
Something that I feel is also a big con is that the customer service team only hires out of two hub cities in the country, which I feel limits our ability to bring in truly exceptional employees and makes it more difficult to work in your preferred shift schedule. This does allow for the team to have in-person offsites within these two locations, which is always fun to participate in, so this could potentially be a pro instead of a con depending on your values.
All customer service representatives are held to higher standards than you will find in other call centers, and at times it may feel like the expectations are too much to handle. I am only putting this in the "con" section because that means you can't get by without putting in real effort here, otherwise it will be noticed.
There is also an underlying fear that the company culture is just "too good to be true" and that around the corner we will end up straying away from the original values which make Ollie so great to work for. Luckily there are plenty of people who would stand in the way of that from happening, but I would be lying if I said the concern was not present among employees.