Bon-Ton Stores Reviews

Pros

Bon Ton associates are encouraged to make customer service a priority. I felt that many managers and associates took it upon themselves to make a positive impact on the customer. I also loved the meetings that are held each morning before opening. The meetings make it very clear what the goals for the day are. Bon Ton is a very goal oriented work place. The setting of these goals makes employees strive to do their best.

Cons

Store policies were not always upheld from store to store. This made employee store transfers a difficult adjustment sometimes. I was promoted through stores and found that the stores that followed the corporate policy made much easier work environment. The stores that did not follow policy sometimes made for a very stressful work environment.

Advice to Senior Management

Follow policy as it is written. Don't make up policies from store to store for the power's sake. When policy is not followed it followed it can become a stressor for employees. Also, the morning meeting are great! These are a wonderful tool for communicating goals.

Pros

Allow for personal days with sick kids.
Adoption benefits program

Cons

Upper management micro-manages. Consult your technical team before making decisions on any contracts.

Advice to Senior Management

Let the managers below you update you on issues....don't circumvent them. Trust your employees and place them into projects they can succeed....don't set them up to fail.

Pros

Flexible sched with new associates

Cons

Paid nothing close to other stores
Do not work w older employees
Keep around incompetent associates
Cut schedules
No budget
To much pressure on aasm when sales manager is incompetent

Advice to Senior Management

The coupons are horrible...90% of my day was spent helping associates with coupon problems. We let the customer get away with everything why have a sale, we should just give it away. We are trying to be macys but working like a thrift store. And anything under 11 dollars an hour, is horrible for a management position. In my position I've been talked down to and made fun of...

Pros

great 20% discount on top of coupons, good benefits, great people, 32 hour work week with full benefits, easy, weekends were not peak shopping hours

Cons

extremely boring low-skills job, extremely low pay, I worked for a smaller cosmetics line, but still. Crazy holiday hours

Advice to Senior Management

implement some sort of online discount to employees, don't let seasoned employees get away with things that no one else would get away with

Pros

Possibility for expansion and promotion. Great leadership in most stores. Nice discount at special times throughout the year. Overall nice company to work for.

Cons

Some management are unavailable when needed. Some tend to be incapable of working appropriately. Training is sometimes inadequate for seasonal help.

Advice to Senior Management

Work towards getting everyone within the company to excel and enjoy their job. Too often those working have a negative attitude towards their job.

Pros

A large regional department store offering low to mid level hourly rate with a very good benefits package. Merchandise mix of some designer labels and lots of private brands.

Cons

Upper mgmt merchandisers don't have a clue. The stores have not made numbers in the past 6 months while competitors gain market share. Dept mgrs are kept on the basis of seniority, rather than ability.

Advice to Senior Management

Recruit key merchandisers and buyers with experience. Spend time in the branches. Do a better job of leading, rather than following.

Pros

If you love retail, with all its challenges, this is a good place to work.

Cons

They treat some of their employees disrespectfully.
They rely heavily on favoritism in dealing with employees.
If you are young and/or non-white, you will likely be favored.

Advice to Senior Management

The company has gone downhill ever since BonTon bought Carsons in '04. Not only is the business struggling, but turnover is much higher than previously. New management is
needed at the very top.

Pros

Fun place to make extra money. Other associates area fun to work with. Instant credits are easy to sell, especially on a large purchase.

Cons

Took some time to figure what shoes worked best for long hours on your feet. Odd hours on black friday.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue hiring fun and innovative associates. Managers who are constructive and not pushy or mean are more apt to have associates sell more instant credits.

Pros

People worked well together for the most part.

Cons

Had terrible shifts. The coupon policy is a nightmare which causes customers to be very unhappy most of the time. Never enough help. Had to use your charge card to get employee discount which caused a lot of people to hurt their credit score.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't be open such ridiculous hours, have more staffing on the floor at all times and revise the coupon policy. Develop a better way for employees to get their discount.

Pros

20% employee discount which can be used WITH coupons, flexibility for scheduling(I'm a student and mother), most management is decent

Cons

low pay, nonsensical methodology, cash registers always crashing, sending stock that isn't needed, schedule done by a computer which isnt done well ( it scheduled some of the sales people 2 hours before the store even opened for a 4 hour shift???)

Advice to Senior Management

Update your cash registers so they dont always crash, and be better prepared. One of our black Friday "door busters" the UPC wasn't even in the system... Fix your scheduling computer too, it makes to many errors.