Pros

It was a great place to work - it is now like a different company since they have consolodated. Good discount.

Cons

All about fear and intimidation. The rules change and nobody tells you. You are terrified to miss an email - so you check it even on your time off and vacations.

Advice to Senior Management

Work with your managers - busy work and "moving things to move them" is not the answer. Too many old May company Manager mentality - guess what - they are out of business.

Pros

possibility of making more money through pay for performance
associate discount on all merchandise
vacation days, sick time, and personal holidays

Cons

too many tasks for the associate, not enough recognition for good work, too much pressure for opening up Belk credit cards

Advice to Senior Management

try to relate to your associates, provide more help, better training for new hires, update the registers, try to get everyone on the same page

Pros

Management is fairly flexible in regards to associate work schedules. There are many college students and people who have other full time positions that work as sales associates along with a few full time people.
The company uses a pay for performance plan that allows associates to receive raises based upon their sales and credit goals which are easily attainable.
The company as a whole is financially strong and has continued to grow.

Cons

This position has many job duties, which include providing customer service, running the register, maintaining the department, putting out and merchandising new merchandise, promoting national events, semi-annual inventories, and other tasks as they arise. Unfortunately, there is seldom enough employees to handle these tasks. Many times, the work load can become overwhelming. You have to learn to balance customer service along with projects that you are completing. Also, many employees will waste time while a few carry out the majority of tasks.
Evaluations also include customer service satisfaction which is based on the store as a whole. As such, employees that work hard and consistently receive great customer service ratings receive the same score as someone who simply does as little as possible.
Opportunities for advancement are limited and most often are time consuming and difficult to pursue.
Training is limited and barely prepares employees for the job.

Advice to Senior Management

Provide ASMs with enough available hours to accomplish assigned tasks.

Pros

Great Support of Associates in need.

Cons

Outward superior attitude from Sr. Managers concerning cutting hrs. and pay of hourly associates. They make fun of their situation financially.

Advice to Senior Management

Sr. Managers need training.

Pros

People that have been there forever and know nothing else, the usual company folk
may be happy, the few that still exist.

Cons

They hire parttime, give new people the hours noone else wants, such as sales when they open at 5am, or stay open until midnight. Then, when it suits them, they will cut your hours to 5 hours a week, and if you have insurance thru them, you end up owing on that. They harrass their employees to get credit applications, that is all they care about. Your bonus is $1 per application. They expect 3 apps a day.

Advice to Senior Management

Lets see if Belk can survive the recession

Pros

Belk is a very strong company, even during a recession it has maintain high quality, obtained and hired valuable associates. They have been very proactive in this economy and have communicated with all the associates what cuts were to come and have offered alternative approaches to limit wasteful spending and secure a workable budget.

Cons

Some associates are not paid what they are worth, the work load between maintaining sales per hour vs. sales floor duties(stocking, straightening,etc.) needs to be reworked. Allowing associates non-selling hours that will not count towards their sales per hour rating which affects their pay. To piggyback "not getting paid what you are worth"- Area Sales Managers are not paid on the same payscale depending on their date of hire. Two associates could have the same educational background, same years of service but their compensation is hugely different. I don't think this is intentional but yet an oversight that needs to be highlighted in the new year when the economy is on an upswing and the company is more willing to give raises to sales support associates. Also, sales support associates need to be compensated as well as sales associates with the understanding that -if it wasn't for their support the sales associates would not be able to perform their duties and make the sales that is keeping the company successful. I would also look at cost of living increases for associates who have been with the company for over a long period of time. They are getting a 5% increase when support staff gets raises, most of these associates started out a rate that was acceptable for that year hired but since then people that are newly hired are starting out more than them and I find that unfair considering the years of service the older associates have given to the company.

Advice to Senior Management

I think that Belk is very good at making their associates feel valued by an awards program but the compensation does need to be reevaluated especially for the sales support associate with over 10 years of service. These associates need to be brought up to today's hiring min/mid/max rates of pay.

Pros

employee discount
you wear many different hats therefore learn a lot

Cons

they expect far too much from their employees. helping customers, putting away stock, price changes, merchandising, setting sales, and associates are pay for performance. If you stand behind the register and do nothing else you get pay increases. If you do all of the other necessary work but don't have a high sph they actually take money away from you at review time. most employees working there on average of 5 years are actually being paid less now than they were then. $8 or $9 an hour when their starting rate was 11. I have never seen any retail company expect so much from their employees.

Advice to Senior Management

You need to reacess your pay scale. it is archaic.

Pros

The work is pretty easy to do. Good part time job or college opportunity. I would say if you are looking to move up in the retail world they may provide some good long term opporunity. The people are very nice. The manangement team does a good job of treaitng you well and making you feel pretty welcomed at all times.

Cons

The hours suck. If you are looking ofr weekends (as all retial) beware. Long long hours. Of course you won't get your holidays off. The rules do tend to change sometimes. Also I feel like the standards may differ from other retail stores.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the good work.

Pros

The benefits are great , meeting people.

Cons

Pay rates of various positions extremely off!!!

Advice to Senior Management

REALLY take a look at what the store managers DO?
Help the associates feel like part of a team and give them just a little pat on the back or incentive for improving.

Pros

The 20% discount and knowing when to expect sells.

Cons

The pay and the commission. Commission is horrible at any retail store especially this one!

Advice to Senior Management

Get rid of commission! People hide behind clothes stalking customers and stealing other employees customers. Customers are sometimes ignored because of low purchases... " Not enough items/ high priced items'. Managers don't discipline veterans, that make quota. Veterans that make quota slip on other duties, such as keeping the store clean and get away with it in the end. Also, 7.50 for part time employees isn't enough. We are expect to vacuum the floors, reorganize the shoe room, stock new items, reorganize the sells floor... which means moving the racks and sometimes removing all the clothes and lugging those heavy rack. Building and breaking down metal racks... none of those task equal 7.50 an hour!