Brown Shoe Reviews

Pros

Very good discount
Met a lot of great people
Decent hours
Most of the customers are very pleasant
Easy to keep the store looking nice

Cons

Certain times of year can make it so that a person hired as full time can vary between 32 and 40 hours per week. A variance of 16 hours per pay period is a huge deal, and is tough to deal with. District manager doesn't seem like they have a clue what is going on, as we never see them and they never really have any answers. Most store managers have been with the company for 20 years. If they actually hire a new store manager they're put in a store with an assistant manager that's been with the company for 20 years. Sometimes it's an odd combination. Personally I've had a fairly decent time of it. I'd recommend it to people as a job, I've always been treated fairly.

Advice to Senior Management

To tell employees that they've done a good job. Everybody makes mistakes and usually are aware when they do, but it'd be nice to get a small pat on the back for great work that's been done for the company.

Pros

Decent job. Average pay for an assistant manager (10.50/hr). 30 percent discount. No overtime (could be a con).

Cons

Hard to advance to store manager. Basically once you become an assistant manager you are going to make 10.50 an hour for years and year. Which might be fine for some people with no edegree. But once I graduate college I would want to work somewhere with more opportunity for advancement since I will have a 4 year degree

Advice to Senior Management

Great job for people who are happy not making salary, but I do not see how they could attract educated people, because this job does not pay enough to live off of. But it was great for a college student who did not need to make a full living, I like this job and would like to keep it after graduating, but a promotion just isnt realistic, they do not offer much opportunity to advance past assistant manager, even if you make/exceed your goals consistently.

Pros

Great Benefits
If you like working with customers this is for you!
Great Bonuses if you apply yourself and lead your staff towards achieving targets

Cons

Could use more hours to operate store, but you make do with what you have

Pros

There is flexibility if you have other engagements to meet. 30% discount for employees.

Cons

Low salary , not enough payroll to properly staff store, and loss prevention is a joke. They frown upon theft, but with one person operating the store the first half of the day, no cameras or security devices, what would anyone expect.

Advice to Senior Management

To be truly successful, increase the payroll budgets, give descent salaries to full-time employees and monetary incentives to all employees for meeting goals. It's not one person (store manager) making the goal. It's a team effort, yet they are the only ones to get monetary incentive if goals are met.

Pros

Nice work/ life balance.
Great place to work if you just want a job.

Cons

Company is very "siloed" and it is extremely difficult to advance if you are not part of their post- college development programs.
Unchallenging work.

Advice to Senior Management

Practice what you preach - y extol the virtues of " Good to Great" yet miss opportunities to maximize talent.

Pros

experience, responsibility oppoortunities interactions with people

Cons

heavy boxes customer complains pleasing people

Advice to Senior Management

good

Pros

Teach you good customer service

Cons

They pay people who are older in age and have kids more then people who have been there longer

Advice to Senior Management

Be more strict on requirements don't be afraid to fire people who are doing poorly.

Pros

You get 30% off your entire purchase

Cons

It can be drama but that depends on the people you work with but the main downside for me has to be the disrespectful attitudes that you have to deal with

Advice to Senior Management

Don't be disrespectful because Ttitude is everything and if God gives you the opportunity to work somewhere else never burn your bridges because you never know if you might have to go back

Pros

Good benefits after 90 days. Part timers also get benefits. You get employee discounts immediately at 30%. Most of the employees are good to work with. If you want very little hours as a sales associates this is a good fit. Good for college students

Cons

No personal time until after a year.
Do not see a real chance for advancement.
management team does an lot work for little pay
No guarnteed hours. Too much emphasis on payroll hours management get so stress out if someone is to close on getting overtime hours.

Advice to Senior Management

A better system is needed to handle shoplifters. Better pay for management team. Bonuses for full time assistant mgrs. A better training process for all employees. Allow more hours for payroll to cover shifts and maybe help prevent shoplifting.

Pros

the pay is good and you get deals on shoes thats about it

Cons

upper management is oblivious to what really happens in the stores, they need to focus on other things rather then stupid ideas to help sell if you think your staff can't sell then hire other people or fie the ones who already work there.

Advice to Senior Management

take a closer look at your store managers and quit nit picking at the people who actually work.