Bed Bath & Beyond Reviews

Pros

You get very good product knowledge on items sold

Cons

Wages are very low but you are expected to do everything

Advice to Senior Management

More money

Pros

Great training and emphasis on customer service. Product knowledge classes that stick out leads and bounds above other companies I've experienced.

Cons

Lofty goals without the proper support. Pretty asinine to set guidelines for coverage and support in the store yet cut back payroll 100 hrs on Monday, then call back and cut another 70 on Wednesday leaving 3 people to do the job of 9, yet wonder why stores have 50% scores on mystery shops and have customer complaints. When you take away resources then that naturally leads to shortcuts meaning that those in management get stressed which makes everyone's life hell. Of course, lots of those managers who stick around are either the worker bees who can't wait to quit because they are never going to move up or just lazy because they are personal friends with their boss who's friends with their boss and so on. There's no way an employee who has 4yrs experience with supposedly over a yr of training towards management hasn't moved up yet a lazy, newly hired (4months) employee is already a Sales Force Manager. Wait I know, maybe its that this person is best friends with their newly promoted District boss, who is best friends with their newly promoted Regional boss, who is friends with their Regional Director, who is the VP's favorite. Yes I'm a bitter employee who has been used like many others but when you get blatantly passed over and used and made to help train people who are higher up than you to watch them move on but not you, you would be pissed too.

Advice to Senior Management

Look at and develop your talented current staff instead of having a revolving door of managers who soon quit/get fired. Leaving all the stable, higher up positions for best friends and those that know how to suck up the most which makes the rest work that much harder.

Pros

Employee incentives, promote from within, return policy and products. Paid well over min wage as cashier back in 2005

Cons

Unrealistic expectations from district staff, management scheduled to work 10 Hr shifts expected 12-13 hrs realistically. Managers could be transferred to another store (up to an hour away) with one weeks notice. Refussing to transfer resullts in any chance of promotion. Moral is low, company wide. A "You could do better" "Not good enough" company

Pros

$8.25 an hour entry level wage. Compared to minimum, very good pay.
Good, professional company.

Cons

Must work 6 hours for a break
Always on your feet
No food/drink on sales floor
High standards
Snobby Customers
Pessimistic management
Most management is rarely inviting or friendly, rather intimidating at times.
No time to relax; physically or mentally. I am worried about getting thought less of when I take a simple bathroom break.

Advice to Senior Management

Lay off your employees, this is a very high demanding retail job compared to others. I know that is compensated with good pay, but make them at least feel positive about their workplace. Be patient with your employees.

Pros

The training that was given to the stores to help develop the store team

Cons

Upper Management not very positive and very negative about everything. Did not ever give an employee or Manager positive feedback.....only talked about negative things throughout store walks

Advice to Senior Management

Negative feedback = Negative results
Positive feedback=Positive results

Pros

Nice store
Product variety
Best customer service of any business I've ever seen
Favorite store ever
Open return and exchange policy
Quality products

Cons

Almost impossible to get a promotion
Pay from one employee to the next unfair
I personally know people who constantly come in late, or call out...some how get a raise
Some employees have special privileges
Not allowed to take a break unless u work more than 5 hours
Not allowed to take a 15 unless u beg for it
Management gave gifts, promotions, raises to certain employees: favoritism: unfair
Management would ask hourly associates out for drinks or dinner: found very inappropriate
Management has been know to yell at hourly associates and make them cry on several occasions
Employees receive the exact same discount as the average customer with a coupon
Management has been known to have employees stay until 2 am: utterly ridiculous
Annual review is a joke the most u can get is 3%: clearly they don't care about keeping employees
Apparently they don't give 90 day review
Constantly giving you more responsibility but refuse to pay you for all the hats they want u to wear
High turnover rate: people constanly quitting
Management uses cell phone on the sales floor in front of customers: unprofessional

Advice to Senior Management

Please please please give positive feedback to employees who do a good job.
Favoritism is not a good way to run a business
Store is known for great customer service
And known for not taking care of employees

Pros

low pay for hard work, dismal raises each year, contradicting orders from management, occasional irresponsible management (scheduling conflicts are blamed on other people)

Cons

some good people to work with, most customers are great, the work keeps you busy so the time goes by fast, generally good atmosphere

Advice to Senior Management

Take responsibility for your own mistakes, take into account associate skills when deciding where to place them, work with associates to teach them right instead of just getting mad when they are wrong

Pros

You meet some awesome coworkers
You get great experience dealing with customers
Product knowledge is improved

Cons

Wage
District manager wasn't the smartest
Raises are a joke, 2% a year? Really?
University classes. A pain because you have to take at least half of the 36 knowledge classes

Advice to Senior Management

Offer better hourly wages and give better raises because 2 percent is not cutting it

Pros

The incentive program is very good. Every month there are very good deals on different Bed Bath and Beyond products such as Calphalon, Dyson, Tervis. It is a good thing because with the salaries of Associates we wouldn't be able to afford anything in the store without the incentive program.

Cons

The managers do not communicate with one another. Associates are constantly getting in trouble for doing things other managers said to do. I have been told in the last 4 months that they want to move me up to do something extra with me, but there has be no movement on it. Very frustrating.

Pros

It's a job. fairly simple.tasks.show up on time and work you won't have a problem. No room for laziness here. Associates and man. Pleasant, but there are always a few bad seeds

Cons

Very physical. Long hours, no break unless you work more than six hours. training is never ending. They overload you with way too much info. Be prepared to be "schooled" for the first two weeks. Your job will not be dept specific. You are trained storewide and will be asked to do just about anything, thrown to the wolves . very confusing management hiarchy. Everyone seems to be a manager.no benefits for pt and full-time has benefits but no bonuses or company retirement..only your 401k.

Advice to Senior Management

Need smoother training, allow breaks, Definatey and this is a MUST...update registers and computer systems. way out dated and in efficient. Also, the register stand are not at all ergonomically friendly, and the bending and lifting of the heavy items is harder because the bays are much too small. safety is supposed to be a priority, the first night I closed I had to pull freight with luggage stacked way above my head and one fell on me.