Customer and Employee Experiences Are Completely Different - Crew Member Trader Joe's Employee Review

4.0
May 26, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good level of training. If you're a believer of the products, this is your chance to help customers appreciate them as well. You won't really have a choice anyway, since a high level of customer service is mandatory. Entry-level starting pay is competitive. Stores are laid out well; not oppressive and gloomy like other chains. If you're friendly and work hard, advancement is do-able... just let management know you'd be interested in running a store in the future. If you want to work in grocery, this is a good place to start.

Cons

As a customer surrounded by helpful people, you might not notice the following "cons." This is like any job where you work with fellow grunts: you'll run in to plenty of lazy people. I had worked at a decent corporate job previously and had forgotten how bitter, crude and flirty co-workers could be behind the scenes. Depending on the store you work at, receiving and moving the pallets can range from tough to brutal. The Mates (people in the Hawaiian shirts) shoulder a ton of responsibility. If you work at a busy store, you'll have to tone down your desire to keep the shelves full; helping the sometimes-high-maintenance customers and running the registers trumps restocking.

Explore other reviews about Trader Joe's

5.0
Jul 16, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

A lot of freedom in scheduling, with expectations of consistency and transparency

Cons

Very physical work which can be great for some, and not for others with limitations or injuriea

5.0
Jul 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

This company really does care about its employees. There's a reason why people make a career out of their time here. It is the most fun job I've ever had. They hire amazing, hardworking people with great personalities. Management is always willing to help. Theres fun tastings of new products all the time. Customers are generally always in a good mood. The job is physically demanding, but I am in the best shape of my life lol. They schedule you to change what you're doing every hour, so the 8-hour day goes by fast.

Cons

They can definitely play favorites. The same people get the shifts that they want, and when you first start, you can get stuck closing for quite some time.

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