Crate & Barrel Reviews

Pros

The company allows for flexibility between your personal life and work life. The people I have worked with are excellent and my manager was great at ensuring all company standards were met.

Cons

The company does not allow for much advancement and the low pay leads to high turnover. The money spent on training could be better invested in keeping current employees satisfied.

Advice to Senior Management

Offer more raises at year end reviews, I worked at Crate and Barrel for nine months but when I learned that after a review I only received a 35 cent raise I realized that advancement would be not worth my time or energy.

Pros

Very good management in the store. The co-workers were helpful and friendly, even though I was hired only for the Christmas season (Dec 11 - Jan 12). Good quality merchandise, clean and well organized sales floor, nice employee discount. Less stressful and competitive than other retail jobs I've had, because there is no commission.

Cons

The usual things that are common to retail. The job is very physical. The hours can be long. The pay is lower than other industries.

Advice to Senior Management

I wasn't there long enough to form an opinion. Occasionally associates from the Corp. Office in Northbrook would visit, but they didn't speak with me directly.

Pros

Coworkers were great, nice customers, great merchandise and decent discount. They were flexible with my full time job schedule and the hours weren't too bad.

Cons

Cons: the pay was pretty low to begin with $ 9 per hour. Got a great review but only a 3% raise - it was almost insulting. The Assistant Managers were great to work with but the Store Manager was very unapproachable, not just for sales associates but for the department and assistant managers.

Advice to Senior Management

My only advice would be to change the manager of the store. Some people were laid off without explanation and something should have been communicated to the employees.

Pros

Beautiful, fun, interesting, reasonable shifts, hours, low but typical pay

Cons

Poor managment, no room for growth, not enough funds dedicated to advancing the customer experience

Pros

Beautiful store great light. Good location.

Cons

To be promoted must be part of the "in crowd". The lower management do not even follow the established rules and protocol. They do what they feel is fair even though it may be against the rules They do not have good management skills nor do they educate themselves in management styles.

Advice to Senior Management

Hire people who have management training Hire from out side the store or promote people who are qualified from within not your friends.

Pros

Great physical store. Have good products. Nice POS system. Good core team. Everyone respects others. Nice amount of employees during holiday season.

Cons

Not great discount. Everyone should pull there own weight around and do what they are paid to do. Children of management that work for Crate should not get any special treatment.

Advice to Senior Management

Management seems to hide when they can and act like they are swamped with work. Corporate should not just walk through the store with their noses in the air. I'm sure since CB promotes from within, that would be something they never were taught in school.

Pros

No pressure to sell
Supportive staff

Cons

Politics the higher you go
Long hours
The pay is not competitive
Depends on the people you work with, especially managers

Advice to Senior Management

More fairness and consideration for the people who wish to advance. It will help boost collective morale.

Pros

People are wonderful to work with!

Cons

No Open Communication. No Discussion

Advice to Senior Management

Open up the floor and listen!

Pros

Good compensation for retail, Full time benefits (Medical, dental, vision) are great and unexpected, Paid vacation (based on hours worked and longevity) for full time employees, Profit sharing, Bonuses for quarterly goal achievements, Family environment among employees (in former suburban Chicago store), Training is good and training initiatives are made to improve ongoing product knowledge, Longevity of staff is impressive for retail (in former suburban Chicago store)

Cons

It's retail, long hours on your feet and unwarranted complaints from customers. If you work outside of the Chicago area, chances for advancement are nil. The holiday season is fast-paced and busy (fun at times) BUT no downtime after the holidays and a full store inventory at January's end makes for a brutal transition into spring.

Advice to Senior Management

Your sales people and department managers are your warriors and are in the store every day and night. They are the ones who really know what is going on in the stores. They are the face of the company and should be treated better and listened to by their managers. Store Managers should be more visible on the sales floor and should close the stores at least once or twice a week. Communication at both the corporate and store levels has always been kept strangely secretive and makes the employees weary of management.

Pros

If in the right department, hours used to be pretty decent compared to industry standards.
Cool products to work with
Nice People/Staff generally speaking

Cons

Salary is way below market standards
Benefits are poor(no 401k, profit sharing is close to non existent, high copays)
Flex time and remote work is extremely hard to impossible to get
In the last few years, working hours have increased exponentially, openings were scarce
All good talents usually leave within the first couple years. Turn over is high amongst them.

Advice to Senior Management

Learn to communicate, learn how to keep the right people that will carry your brand in the right direction. PAY your employees properly. offer 401k match. Be clear on job requirements for promotions/openings. Offer a growth path and focus on growing your talent upwards. Join the 21st century and learn to make decisions.