Future Shop Reviews in Toronto, ON Area

Pros

The Working environment and the people that work there.

Cons

Sales Pressure but if you can handle it, it's a great place to work.

Advice to Senior Management

Lead by Example not by theory.

Pros

- Gain new friendships
- Employee discount
- Learned new communcation & retail skills
- Training was very informative
- Good money if you sell a lot/also depends in which department
- Easy work

Cons

- Competitive
- On your feet constantly
- Lost self respect, expected to be pushy in selling warranty. You cant be too nice to customers. Never take no for an answer type attitude (which was not me)
- Expectations are too high
- Physical work unappreciated. Managers only look at numbers.
- full time hours on part timers
- Clicks in the workplace
- Not very welcoming to seasonals

Advice to Senior Management

Managers are very energetic and encouraging with morning meetings. However, they always tell you what to do rather than ask you. They expect you to work FOR them not WITH them. You hardly see them around. It would be nice to see them sell things as well so you can get a real perspective on how to sell properly. Not to mention, it can be discouraging at times when they brag about other peoples sales. It would be nice to forget about numbers for once and just appreciate all the hard work we actually do.

Pros

Future Shop does offer excellent part time (and even full time) benefits to retail associates when compared to the competition. The upbeat nature of the stores can be fun at time, knowing you are able to talk to customers about some of the newest gadgets and toys on the markets. Head office and Vancouver are set on taking care of their employees and giving new vision to the company, but this hasn't translated down to a store level yet (therefore just feels like words on a page, even though they sound great).

Cons

There are way too many internal politics. Most store managers have been with the company for numerous years and come from an era of used-car-salesman tactics. This translates to their management style by hounding staff on numbers, numbers and more numbers. Did you just give excellent customer service to a customer who will no doubt return because of it? Well, that's nice and all, but they ignore that and just ask if you got extended warranty and attached more accessories. Even the managers that are more reasonable when it comes to numbers (and more fun to joke around with) still will haggle about numbers here and there, whether in a joking way or a serious tone.

Managers and even front line employees constantly try to find ways to find loopholes in store policies so we don't have to honour them. Price matching policies are there for a reason. If it qualifies then it qualifies. Customers can tell when you are frustrated you have to do a price match (because it hurts the store's profits). If it qualifies, I smile while doing it and don't have a problem with it. Others put up a fight.

Advice to Senior Management

This is 2011. With the advancement of technology and social media, companies need to be come much more transparent with how they conduct business. In terms of retail, customers can small a bad fish a mile away because if the sales associates are telling them one thing to close a sale the customer has the ability to pull out their phone and google it to see if it's the truth. There needs to be a much more focus on putting customers needs first instead of cramming things they may not need down their throat. Sure, present everything in a clear and professional way, but don't have employees fight back when customers say no. We are currently trained to "never take no" as an answer. Customers aren't dumb and they can tell when we are using old fashioned sales tactics. We need to be the leader in customer service and that will bring in repeat customers. If we keep scaring them away with sales pressure, it will spread fast online and word of mouth, causing them to never come back and lose other potential sales.

Read "Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney" by Lee Cockerell. If we can follow those guidelines, Future Shop will be the leading retailer in Canada.

Pros

Offer a good chance to keep abreast of new technology and opportunity to help solving people their problems

Cons

taking un-due advantage of new comers
Non professionalism at store level management
Not really "equal opportunity employer"

Pros

Great employee discount.
Choice of medical plans.

Cons

Commission only. Commission on gross margin is often nothing.
Sales only matter if you sell extended warranty.
Depending on sales managers, certain employees receive favoritism.
They get preferred hours, and are sent customers.
Everyone is out for themselves.

Advice to Senior Management

They seem to be very successful, so they wouldn't listen anyways.
Problems are no-where near the top.

Pros

Futures shop has a fair compensation plan, with the aid of a good management each employee is able to make his/her mark.

Cons

Senior management along with senior staff in some stores does prove to be a concern. Groupings are also a big concern at Future shop.

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs to have specific guidelines and procedures posted for the development of employees.
Newer. dynamic employees bring a lot of charisma and it should be managements job to maintain a balance between senior and junior staff and include best practices

Pros

Good way to build communication skills in dealing with customers. Able to learn how to manage/sell/work as a team. Have ability to make a lot of money during busy seasons.

Cons

Starting pay for technicians is 11$ in the toronto area, kind of low; raises are small and come twice a year.

Advice to Senior Management

managers need to be more team oriented; be on the same page. more training would be an asset to future shop.

Pros

Phenomenal Part time opportunity
Used to have good commission pay out until recently
Good Brand image, which drives customers to the store
1 on 1 customer interaction boosts morale and progresses personal development
Ownership of actions and responsibilities
Was lucky to have a good supporting team

Cons

Scheduling needs to be better
Payouts need to increase to enable employee retention
Rarely actions are taken against senior members who take disadvantage of their position within the company.

Advice to Senior Management

Review employee Feedback
Open channels of communication for every one at store level.
Reward outperforming team members on monthly basis

Pros

Employee discounts, great for part time work. Can earn as much as full timers without the extra duties. You just show up and start making money as a part timer. Never boring with the products as there's always something new introduced. Good training and seminars to visit.

Cons

Commission based means you are as good as you are from your last sale. Dog eat dog world on the floor and customers feel it. Have to be aggressive with other sales associates in order to speak with the customers and make a sale. Extended warranty sales is always enforced to sell to customer which is difficult because the percentage to sell is very high to maintain.

Advice to Senior Management

Treat your employees as equally as your customers. The image Future Shop is making is where students can come, work , have fun and spring board to another career. In reality, most employees are older, mature individuals that have a mortgage, kids, and bills to pay. We are sales people there. Professionals -not kids.

Pros

Good salary, career growth opportunities, time goes fast, there is never chance to be bored, a lot of benefits, such as electronic cost+10 percent prices

Cons

Always on legs, tough commission based job - constantly thinking about your money, a lot of pressure, some merchandising is involved.

Advice to Senior Management

There is introductory leadership program, a lot of management positions, but tough to be promoted. Possible to become a manager, but a lot of effort is required.