1. Pay - other retailers will pay you more, even Menards compensates for weekend shifts. Harbor Freight rationalizes this by pushing replacement guarantees and memberships. If you do not meet your numbers, you will be fired.
2. Scheduling - scheduling is chaotic at best. Forget about having a set schedule.
3. Work load - frequent call offs, labor shortages, and reduction of hours puts a strain on regular, working employees. Prepare to work your butt off for 7.95 an hour, before taxes. You are also expected to sell Inside Track Memberships. They are extremely hard to sell; you get berated when you don't sell them; even customers know they are a rip off. You will frequently have angry customers do to coupon exclusions. Return policy is antiquated and draconian. Customers will be angry; you, regardless if you are an associate or stores manager, will vent this at you while senior management will kiss the customer and give them 100 bucks for their 10 mile trip.
4. Unclean/unsafe environment - these are Chinese tools, manufactured with unmentionable chemicals; you will smell this in the store immediately. Since payroll is stringently controlled, you will be loading 500 lb items yourself with maybe one other associate to help, no motorized equipment to aid.
5. Micromanaging - retail failures liquidated by REAL retailers circa 2008 have made it into the company since the recession - HFT has soaked up talent (warm bodies) from failing companies. These people like to ice pointless tasks. The other day, the district manager wanted us to report to him, for the whole store, each reason for each discounted item for the entire weekend. Wow.
