Ben E. Keith Reviews

Pros

Great pay out of gate. Late model trucks. 2 weeks vacation after 1year of service.

Cons

Demanding physically. Sleep is a luxury. Pay raises not passed on performance, but merely jut being a warm body with an employee id number. Management doesn't get the big picture and relays messages about certain issues to the wrong body of employees.

Advice to Senior Management

Get with the times and update the equipment. Company still uses prehistoric ramps to move product off of trailer. Liftgates would be an all round help, yes they cost $$$$$ but they would save time and $$$$( employee injuries)

Evaluate your employees for pay increases. The method of handing out raises to everyone for "just being there" is a waste of money. Take care of the ones taking care of you. Keep track of when an employee is due for a raise.

Pros

Great pay, used to be great employee incentives but those seem to have gone along with budget cuts. Higher management knows employees by name.

Cons

Long hours, lots of stress, people not recieving praise for work well done, in fact if you are a good sales man you seem to be pushed even harder instead of getting recognition for doing a great job in the first place to make up for the slackers who can't work hard. Long weekend work especially during special events. Not enough people to do the work, but if there are more people then less opportunity to win incentives. Work/home balance isnt great when you are on your route until 6 or 7 at night and working weekends.

Advice to Senior Management

Do more to let employees know they are appreciated. Hours are long and hard, provide us with the tools we need to get the work done more efficiently. Provide training tools to help us advance. Not much room to move anywhere once you reach an area manager job because there are so few higher positions. Expecting the same number of employees to do 3x the work. The company business is growing, the number of people doing the work is not.

Pros

Stepping stone to get to where you wana go.

Cons

Company still uses ramps to make deliveries

Advice to Senior Management

Company need to upgrade to lift gates

Pros

World class full body workout daily on the route, meet people and interact with them daily. 95% unsupervised work environment, most weekends off and some holidays. Paid Weekly. Benefits are unreal in the industry but do have to put in about 3 years to really start to see them.

Cons

Extremely early work schedule and longs days, 10-12 hours minimum. Pay is not hourly. Not a job for those with a family. Very hard on the body.

Advice to Senior Management

Could show a lot more face time to the little branches. Our satellite office is 4 hour from the division warehouse and have seen my big boss only 1 once in 18 months. Little things could be better property that is much better maintained. Better bonus. Stop spending dollars to save pennies and pay the little people more, they make you!

Pros

they really care about there employees, the pay is good, the benifits are good. they have functions for your family, upper management knows you by name and always talks to you and ask how your doing.they also have employee apprecation lunchs.

Cons

the only down side is that we work alot of hours, exspecially if you work in the warehouse.but management gets out and helps so that's a plus.

Advice to Senior Management

your doing a good job.on site child care would be great, and maybe an employee gym.

Pros

Lots of good beer brands!

Cons

Company relies heavily on uneducated work force.

Advice to Senior Management

Increase beer knowledge among sales staff.

Pros

It is a family atmosphere with many employees that have been with the company for 10+, 20+, and quite of few with 30+ years with the company. You don't see that much anymore.

Cons

On the sales side there is a lack of management. It starts with the President of Sales and goes all the way to the Sales Managers. They teach their managers to merely crunch numbers and deliver messages from up top.

Advice to Senior Management

Treat people other the top sellers as people. I don't understand how and why a company that preaches about family can distant themselves from new people and unexperienced sales reps.

Pros

No terrtitory restrictions on your area.

Cons

They feel the rep is an inconvenience and care mostly about making money on the buy from the suppliers and not the on the sales end with the reps. Pads are very high and the credit department is entirely and outrageously strict on terms with customers.

Advice to Senior Management

Trust your reps more.

Pros

The close group of people working together. The company at management level office recognition. The company parcipiates in community activities.

Cons

I feel the company is losing sight of the voice of the people. Loyalty pay scale. Upword mobility in all locations.

Advice to Senior Management

I believe the company needs a new training program. The company has lost sight of the value of an experienced employee and has begun replacing experience with newly educated simply because they can pay less salary dollars.

Pros

Paid retirement but not very much is paid. Lay ed back atmosphere. Good people to work with. Benefits of employee purchasing. Profit sharing, once again not very much unless your a manager.

Cons

Bad health insurance. Managers do not care about employees. Employees do all of the work while managers do nothing. Sick days are a joke. You can not use a sick day until you are out for 3 days. Then you can use a sick day but you only receive 75% of your daily earnings. If there are no company cars available to visit customers with. Then you do not want to use your own vehicle. You will only receive .15 cents a mile or they will pay for your gas. Which ever one you want to pick but not both.

Advice to Senior Management

You call yourself a great company. Prove it to your non management employees. They do all the work for the company.