Pros

friendly casual atmosphere, beautiful office setting

Cons

over-reactive instead of strategic marketing

Advice to Senior Management

trust the expertise of your hired professionals instead of micro-managing

Pros

I've been working for Harry and David for almost five years and I still love it. If you truly love having grumpy customers yelling at you then don't apply for this job. Of course giving out a piece of chocolate to people always puts them in a good mood as well. If you are an outgoing person and want a job with excellent management and great communication company wide then seize the opportunity to work for this company.

Cons

I work in one of the smaller retail stores so I can't relate to the Medford store though. Hard to advance because people never leave. There are many employees that have been with the company 10+ years and the only positions with consistent hours are management... Most stores have all managers working though.

Advice to Senior Management

I work so closely with management that I'm able to actually have input on how the store is run. We work as a team and everyone has a say in how certain things are done... Of course there is still Corporate instructions but they are even good about coming to visit stores.

Pros

Harry and David offers a lot of seasonal positions for the Christmas season. If you are out of work, looking for a little extra during the holidays, it's a great place to go for a couple/few months work. The training was easy. The type of products you are working with are not difficult to understand and get used to. Cross-selling and upselling are not as difficult as you think. Forget about bonuses if you work the night shift, customers will think you have all the time in the world and there is nothing you can do about it. Great part time work for students.

Cons

They might offer a variety of working shifts but the training hours for the call center can get in the way. Why ask someone if they are willing to work a night shift and then give them day shift trainings hours? Also, moving from a seasonal position to a year round position is difficult. There are a lot of people trying to do the same thing each year!

Advice to Senior Management

Your employees are an asset, and that asset can and will get up and walk away when things are good and there is a sour memory about the way they were treated during the low points.

Pros

They hire seasonally, so it's great extra money for the holiday season.

Cons

The bad part of working for this company is that you're only employed from November thru Decemeber, most of the time. I've know people who worked there for a week before being laid off. The upsells, cross sells, and telephone specials that you are forced to offer customers, but only receive one dollar for when the customer decides to take advantage of it. The whole commission policy needs to be revamped because it's very easy for you to be screwed out of what is rightfully yours.

Advice to Senior Management

Team leads need to be told the same things, so that the policies aren't up for interpretation.

Pros

Their internship program is especially awesome. The IT department was great, and I had a great experience while learning quite a bit I've used elsewhere.

Cons

Though it's a large department, there's a ridiculous amount to do. If you don't stand up for yourself at some point, you can put in 50-60 hours per week.

Advice to Senior Management

For the most part, keep doing what you're already doing. Definitely be more willing to visit people "in the trenches" so you at least know who's working for you. Stay technical enough to know the issues at hand.

Pros

Good compensation for Medford, Oregon. Good people to work with. Management takes good care of us by providing food.

Cons

Poor project planning, unrealistic deadlines, too many projects, not enough experienced personal. Working on projects that have no ROI. Using IBM websphere commerce -- what a complicated mess that product is. IBM pay your employees more money so they know their own systems.

Advice to Senior Management

Prioritize projects and provide time for employees to learn new skills. Stop the death march. Get us some projects with ROI....come on, large giftlist download is going to be a big money maker???

Pros

The product is the best out there. We will never sell anything that is sub-par. The company's reputation is impeccable.
harry & David as a company truly believes in having a home/outside life. All the time off that is given to us is the best . Vacation & holiday days are abundent. The people that work at Harry & David enjoy their careers. I have never worked for a company that has no many anniversary milestones.

Cons

There is no room for advancement. The company always talks about promoting within but once you hit a store management level there is no where to go. Recognition for doing an outstanding job is virtually non-existant. When I first stated with the comapny a few years aback. there is was constatnt feedback on anything positiove you accomplished in your store now all you hear about is anything wrong that happens in your store. There needs to be a balance.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to what the staff in the field is saying we are out there everyday dealing with the customers.We know what our customers are asking for and saying about us.

Pros

Good health benefits, nice treats in the break room. The call center has a pleasant atmosphere, and the people who work there have high espirit de corps. During the peak season the call center staff pull together to overcome obstacles and achieve production goals in a true spirit of teamwork.

Cons

Long hours during Christmas season, pay below living wage, too many incompetent senior managers who are being paid far more than they are worth. The company relies heavily on the experience and skills of its year-round call center staff to meet sales and service goals but does not reward them adequately for their contribution.

Advice to Senior Management

Clean house. Dismiss the deadwood in senior management and bring in young, fresh blood with new ideas, who are willing to earn their keep rather than fill a niche. The company needs to divert more wages down toward the employees who are the company's strength to halt attrition of the most experienced year-round staff upon whom the business depends during peak season.