Looks very good on the surface - just on the surface
Pros
For the most part one does have a flexible schedule.
Cons
The ones who organize the list the DC's (not Data Collectors, not people) are to collect obviously never collect the information. Speed is everything however it is extremely frustrating when the lists are so poorly organized. The pay is low and getting lower. I have worked for the company for almost 4 years and my pay has been cut 3 times. 3 TIMES. Oh they try to sugar coat it and say that the per hour goes up and one can make more because they can work more. But the truth is DCs are paid per piece, if they stay long enough, and the per piece rate has been cut. And will be cut again, it is just a matter of time. There is so much more that is expected of us little people than we will ever be paid for. There are no pay raises, no merit raises, no cost of living raises - EVER! To show appreciation for long time employees, the ones who have been there before the last pay cut, will be shown appreciation by starting new employees at a lower rate. But one is NEVER to talk about pay with anyone. DCs are talked at by the District Managers DM (via email) who are put in the middle as they are being yelled at by Home Office and the DCs. What is expected is not always possible in every market, but that does not matter. Home office wants what they want. I cannot speak of all DMs but some DMs have some of the poorest of communication skills. Home office will not stand up to clients. Clients demand and are "willing to pay more" so home office makes more and we at the bottom do not see more but work more, harder and under much more stress. Home office and the clients NEVER listens to the DC. Even after they have been told SEVERAL times that the location is wrong, there is no such store at the address provided, that same location is on the schedule - putting more work, unpaid work, for the DC to find the closest correct location. Not to mention when informing them that the item that is being requested is never and has never been found month after month, year after year it is still on the collection list. And to add insult to injury we are sometimes requested to go back to the store and verify that item is truly still not there. The equipment is slow, is required to use wireless connections but there is no wireless plan by the company so the DC is required to find wireless and take unpaid time to prepare for the work that will be paid for. And there has been a time of two when all of the hard collected data has been lost. But as soon a new equipment comes out it will be the "best" and will give reasons to cut the pay again. Mileage is paid for, however it is after the first 30 miles and at the overall lowest rate in the country. In the lapel and hard lapel locations - those stores that do not want collectors in their stores (even though some of them are our clients) - if approached DCs are to lie, say anything other than the truth of what you are doing in the store at that time. Oh and at this time the pay difference between lapel and hard lapel is .004 cents per item. But the stress is immeasurable. I am just waiting for the right time to quit.
