Can't believe how UGLY this place is! - B2B Sales Consultant Staples Employee Review

1.0
Jun 13, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Weekly pay Freedom of being in the field and not stuck at a desk all day 401K Decent commission comp (if you can reach the ridiculous metric to get paid on it)

Cons

I have to say that ever since Sycamore Partners bought out Staples, it is a completely different company. The leadership is horrible. They have completely unrealistic and unattainable metrics. The only type of account they are interested in is the $299 membership account , despite the fact that all customers have different needs. So if you acquire a customer that needs a different solution than the membership account, you don't get credit as a win for that account. They want reps to sell this membership account (at $299) which has a bunch of useless business perks that are of no value when the customer signs up and tries to use them. They want us to sell this program to the customer on VALUE alone, avoiding any comparative pricing. (As if the customer is going to be so amazed by all the smoke and mirrors that the price of their supplies isn't going to matter anymore.) Not only do they expect us to close this scam membership deal on value alone, but they expect us to do it in a one call close 70% of the time. Leadership manages through threats, intimidation, and fear. They even created a new "bench warmer" position. So when someone on a team is put on the equivalent of a P.I.P., they'll hire this entry level B2B Sales Associate who is sitting on the sidelines waiting to move into your Sales Consultant job, because they expect you to fail and leave. You are always 60 days away from potentially being out of a job. No one really knows what that actual goal metric is because it seems to change based on your relationship with your manager. You can be told one thing and follow that plan, only to be told later that what you have done is incorrect, not enough, and you are on a plan. Literally, you are expected to hit 30-50 businesses a week between first appointments and warm calls. This is not including cold calls. They completely ignore all the pricing, admin work, and lack of resources that also exist weekly. Things are constantly changing with company policies, procedures, and capabilities, but there is never any communication about what is happening. Five minute tasks end up taking an hour and a half. I could go on and on. If you are talented and good at what you do here, forget about going anywhere. They hold you hostage, use you for your ideas, put you on projects and panels, ask you to mentor your teammates, and share your "best practices", but forget about getting a promotion. Although I am grateful to have a job, I hate this one and can't wait to find a new one.

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5.0
May 31, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good community of workers overall

Cons

It has a very high turnover rate due to layoffs

4.0
May 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Stable corporate environment Staples is a long-established retail company, so roles usually come with: Structured processes Predictable workflows Lower volatility compared to startups 2. Exposure to large-scale retail systems You get experience with: High-traffic e-commerce platforms Product catalog systems (thousands of SKUs) Order management and supply chain integration This is useful if you want to move into bigger retail or tech e-commerce companies later. 3. Good learning ground for beginners to mid-level professionals Common learning areas: Digital merchandising SEO for product pages Pricing and promotions systems Basic analytics (conversion, traffic, funnel metrics) 4. Cross-functional collaboration You typically work with: Marketing teams Merchandising teams IT / engineering Supply chain / fulfillment Good exposure to how retail ecosystems operate end-to-end. 5. Employee benefits (varies by role/location) Often includes: Health insurance Employee discounts Paid time off Corporate training resources

Cons

Limited innovation compared to tech-first companies Staples is primarily a retail company, so: Processes can be traditional Innovation may move slower than in Amazon/Shopify-type environments 2. Tooling may feel legacy-heavy Depending on team, you may work with: Older CMS or merchandising tools Internal systems that are not always modern or flexible 3. Role specialization can be narrow Some e-commerce roles can become repetitive: Product page updates Catalog maintenance Routine reporting tasks Less exposure to deep engineering or advanced product innovation unless you're in a technical team. 4. Moderate salary growth compared to big tech Compared to companies like Amazon, Microsoft, or Google: Compensation growth may be slower Bonus structure can be more conservative

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