Pros
My DMs have been very competent, most of my coworkers are amazing people. I've met a lot of new friends, the work is inside and outside, and there's usually some downtime. I live on-site as well, so commute is awesome. It's a nice place.
Cons
See the plural up there? I've had three district managers in just over three years. Upper management has become overbearing and callous towards it's employees, DM and property people alike. Low pay, like everyone else has said. Since I live on site, I make 3$ less than my relief managers. Initially my pay was 1.50$ less but then they gave ALL reliefs an extra dollar in hopes it would 'encourage them to do the same amount of work as the property managers'. Add on the .50$ raise for them compared to my .27$ because it was based on a percent rather than work done... there you go. Even then, if something bad happens, it's the property managers fault. For 3$ less - 9.97$ an hour, even. Slow repairs to properties. Lock and insurance! We get written up if our numbers don't go up. I think our locks are pretty heavy duty (I've cut padlocks myself, at my old job) but not for 18$. Insurance IS a requirement but if people lie, we can't refuse to let them rent... even though our numbers go down. Then we get written up. So on and so forth. It murders morale. They've done away with the bonus system entirely save for the 'once a year' thing. I don't consider that a bonus. They word it to sound as if 40% of the company getting bonus is a lot much like in 1984 when they cut rations but made it sound super awesome. It's not. In a company where the smallest property makes in a month what I do in a YEAR... they can afford to give us a bonus, or raise the pay for property managers at least. The scripts aren't so bad. I've been in sales for almost a decade, every place has their scripts. It's a pain to memorize them, yes, but this is the first time I've had eight to twelve different scripts or the requirement to never vary them even if to built a proper rapport. My regular customers have learned that if they come in with other people behind the counter not in uniform that they shouldn't expect me to act myself but rather spout scripts at them. Not learning them earns you a very aggressive talk from the RM and a write up. Also, three write ups in the course of your ENTIRE career there gets you fired without question. If you've been there fifteen years, received one every five... and you're fired. The only reason I'm with the company is because of the apartment and genuinely enjoy my customers - save for the ones I've called the police on. Or the skeevy ones who hit on me and won't let up because 'those security cameras catch everything?' wink wink. I miss feeling respected and valued as an employee.
