Container Store Reviews

Pros

Very positive pro-employee culture. Very respectful employee/manager relationships. Simply the best retail company to work in business today.

Cons

Advancement is somewhat limited. New opportunities are often rare because hardly anyone wants to leave the company and new stores would often mean relocating.

Advice to Senior Management

Just keep on keeping on.

Pros

Great Compensation
Positive environment
Great Colleagues
Great Management Team
Teamwork (EVERYONE pitches in)

Cons

No consecutive days off for Full Timers (it’s Retail)
Walkie Talkie Radios (again it’s Retail)
Limited Full-Time opportunities/openings

Advice to Senior Management

Look at ways to provide the Full Timers consecutive days off
Staff Resource Center with more experienced staff on the Weekends

Pros

People working there are positive and customers are grateful (most of them) for solutions for their needs making it a nice atmosphere to spend your day. Room for growth if you work hard.

Cons

Like many retailers, it's all about making goals.

Advice to Senior Management

So far, so good.

Pros

Good pay, nice discount, lots of training

Cons

Very few hours given, push employees to the very edge of what their minds and bodies are even capable of, cold and sometimes ruthless management(at least at my store), rarely given praise individually, only value certain types of people(i.e.; loud, outgoing), comments by other employees: "i feel like a failure when I go home", "the managers hate me and avoid me", amongst other terrible things.

Advice to Senior Management

I came to my job at TCS with a great attitude. It was a new store and I was excited to be a part of it. I have worked many part time and had a career in a very tough field previously but no job has made me feel less valued as a person than working at The Container Store. The management(at least in my store) needs to think about their employees as people and rather just the "bottom line" which has clearly become the total focus. "Bottom line" focus is fine, except for when you're claiming that it's not.

Pros

they pay more than most other retail jobs. they really hire quality people. overall pleasant work experience.

Cons

well...i have a Masters and professional work experience so i really feel that it's time for me to more fully utilize my skills and experience. also retail gigs in general don't pay the bills...

Advice to Senior Management

management is great overall. i would just like more hours and a hiring hourly rate.

Pros

above average pay and appropriate training

Cons

do not promote from within as first choice. Preference is to hire from outside.

Advice to Senior Management

promote from within more readily

Pros

Great communication amongst workers and friendly environment

Cons

Very pushy with how they run sales

Advice to Senior Management

great attitude but needs to tone down the pushiness

Pros

Better pay if you compare with other retail stores.
A lots of training!

Cons

You have to work during weekends and holiday season!

Advice to Senior Management

They are very well trained managers. Nothing to say!

Pros

- Great coworkers
- Employee benefits great for retail
- Fun culture
- Great atmosphere

Cons

- Cost cutting led to shift coverage reduction
- Certain managers abused their authority or behaved unprofessionally towards employees

Advice to Senior Management

Solicit anonymous feedback from employees and continue to treat employees better. You are already doing a great job, so please maintain that track record! I enjoyed my time working with TCS.

Pros

Discount, employees you work with (not for), ability to make decisions on your own (once you have proven to management that you can do this without their interaction at every turn and/or you have the ability/confidence to think for yourself).

Cons

See above in parentheses. Too much micro-managing by SM's when they venture out from the back office. Lack of promoting/allowing too much variance from their "whole-brained" thinking/approach. Individual thinking is generally frowned upon. The biggest thing is the inability of ANY of the SM's to do any of the menial tasks we are supposed to -- register back up, carry-outs, helping customers. Their contribution ends with getting on the walkie and saying, "There's a customer over in shelving. If someone could help them, that would be great." Such leadership!!

Advice to Senior Management

Learn to do (and than actually DO) the things you ask of your employees. You don't have to do them as often, as they are not your priority. You don't have to do them as well, since you don't do them as often. But they should have a rudimentary knowledge of EVERY aspect of the operation of the store so that, when it "gets a little busy" they can actually contribute! What a concept, huh?