Container Store Reviews

Pros

Great pay. Ability to request time off. High quality of fellow employees.

Cons

No set schedule. No set shifts. No set amount of hours scheduled each week.

Advice to Senior Management

Recognize that there IS hierarchy and embrace it!

Pros

The offerings at the store are sleek and contemporary. The store does offer a wide range of products for those obsessed with organizing their lives. Many of the products are unique to the store and their employees are usually fairly knowledgable.

Cons

While the merchandise is very contemporary, it is expensive which can make sales difficult. The upper level management seldom listens to store employees and consequently they schedule sales events during times that are not necessarily the most effective. In addition, there's an attitude of long time insiders that makes it very hard for newcomers to feel like they are part of the solution. Overall it's has become the housewares section of Crate And Barrel. In this economy only the very wealthy are able to shop here. Most employees began as loyal customers. But after working here for awhile, I do not think I will continue to shop here.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop hiring friends and relatives for key positions. They do not necessarily make the best decisions. Also, trust the employees who have to sell the products first. They are the ones that have to deal with purchasing mess ups.

Pros

The best reasons to work here are the people and the products that are sold. The company provides extensive training for new hires and continues as you grow with the company.

Cons

As with retail in general, the work schedule can conflict with stuff outside of work especially around the holidays. However, they are flexible to an extent.

Pros

Co-workers are intelligent and generally team players.
Nice discount.
Decent pay, especially for retail.
Employees are empowered to make decisions without management input.

Cons

High pressure sales and sales tactics.
Huge focus on meeting sales goals.
Employee expectations are not clear and follow-up is poor.
They tend not to promote from within.

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs to be scheduled on the sales floor. Performance goals and expectations are set for employees, but it does not seem to translate to the management as well.

Pros

Pay is good for the retail industry.

Cons

It is a Stepford environment, and the 'training' program feels more like indoctrination.

Pros

Great employees, decent benifits, great facilitys.

Cons

Management out of touch, with the needs of there employees. The employees past job experience, education, and know- how, are totaly overlooked for a watered down pay system, that nickels, and dimes you, to death, no matter how many job positions you learn, and work, it's all considered lateral.

Pros

Compared to working retail elsewhere it's better
Training
Communication (on some levels)
Generally nice people to work with

Cons

A LOT is expected of employees, with not much in the way of acknowledgment, praise or reward
Conflicting priorities
Not enough time to accomplish goals/tasks given and work the sales floor
Managers completely out of touch with the staff and the sales floor
Don't get paid nearly enough to have customers be often rude and even swear at employees
Management micromanages employees at every turn
Need some sort of rotating 2 days off in a row for FT employees

Advice to Senior Management

If you think the culture is still alive and well you are kidding yourselves. Employees will not be completely honest in a face to face conversation for fear of retribution in the long run and that others won't also speak up. How about an internal anonymous survey (not the Fortune one)? Many employees are very unhappy with how the culture has deteriorated over the years and it is not just in one or two stores. Store managers are constantly in the back offices overwhelmed with reports and admin things and very rarely get on the sales floor as they are supposed to. When they do come on the sales floor they make quick snap judgements without taking in the bigger picture or situation. And let's change from vacation and sick days to simply Paid Time Off like other companies - we are all adults here - let us take the time when we truly need it.

Pros

Great team to work with, hardworking employees, intelligent managers.

Cons

No career advancement, no guidance from senior management about career advancement, endless voicemails that mean nothing.

Advice to Senior Management

Communication is not leadership - forced communication is leadership,

Pros

Favorable salaries, hiring competent care about their job employees. Company communication is great. Company culture of employee first is great.

Cons

Alot is expected out of each and every employee. Sometimes this translates into spending extra time with certain employees to make sure they understand their responsibilities.

Advice to Senior Management

Better decision making during the scheduling aspect of the work day would g a long way in improving morale within the stores.

Pros

Fairly Good Pay
Great electronic communication

Cons

Lack of Interpersonal communication
Lack of support for military reservist and national guard members

Advice to Senior Management

Look at the multiple roles of an individual and help them balance those roles