Nordstrom – “Don't shift from being a shopper to employee!”

Pros

Gorgeous surroundings, great coworkers, lovely customers, image, image, image. If you're going to work retail, and you like the freedom to really sell, then this is the place to be.

Cons

All that glitters is not gold. The great customer service Nordy's is famous for is only rewarded if the big dollar sales come along with it. There was a time when employees were appreciably thanked for thrilling a customer. Today the company pays lip service to that, but the standards of sales per hour keep rising despite the shifting economy. The message is "Give service, but you better make it snappy.
And profitable." What a better time to applaud employees who are still willing to spend their time with loyal customers even though paychecks suffer when we aren't shoving clothes into silver bags in record time. Instead, we are browbeaten about our sales, and always wonder who will be let go next.

Advice to Senior Management

Thank the people who are keeping your doors open during tough economic times. Even though your stock is rising again, we are getting by on a much smaller paycheck than we were before. And we're still here, working harder than ever, continuing to take time with customers to make them feel as special as we always have. Remember the faces that do it for you.