Pros
I enjoyed the job a great deal. All of the different hats I was able to wear and the positive changes we brought to the business as a team were very enjoyable and rewarding. The company tries to improve processes even if still lagging behind a bit and the technology is slightly better then some other retailers.
Cons
This is the most wasteful company I have ever worked for; completely environmentally irresponsible. The amount of garbage accumulated at one store is enough for the entire strip mall combined. If shareholders knew how wasteful the company is there would probably be a great deal of changes. I'm surprised this is not regulated after what I have seen. This is the company known for last minute changes, announcements, policies, meetings, you name it. GM’s must attend a conference out of state for multiple days in a hotel room with someone they may or may not know. This is a waste of money, and if the company requires this they should treat GM’s like professionals and at least give us the privacy of our own room. The company does not live up to their own values. Corporate team members are more often than not dismissive, rude, or borderline disrespectful. GM’s here are treated worse than any other company I have been with. Being talked down to, treated like a cog in the wheel, given little to no respect for your personal time and life, good luck getting your benefits when you actually need and qualify for them, and don't expect to have growth opportunity if it will not benefit your district manager. Many of my peers said similar things and were clearly frustrated. The district lost multiple managers and this is a trend for due to poor leadership in the field and a company that does not give respectable benefits or value their hard working GM’s personal life and time. The culture in the district was catty and unsupportive or maybe insecure, hard to tell. Are your new to the company? Learn everything about a new company operating differently than other retailers and when you have questions or need support after training good luck. Multiple key holders leave due to the DM upon your arrival and you need to get coverage, good luck your working open to close in a turnaround store with 10 days of training. Simply stated this is not a healthy working environment. There is a disconnect between what is written in the values and what actually comes to fruition.
