The Black Dog Reviews

I worked at The Black Dog

Pros – Martha's Vineyard, the beach is right next to work. You get to work with a variety of characters.

Cons – The owners are more concerned with personal vanity and kite surfing then actually trying to run a company. Year round employees are usually crazy not properly trained and have management positions.

Advice to Senior Management – Consolidate your stores, properly train your management, and re-brand

I have been working at The Black Dog

Pros – They offer a great discount on both clothing and food. The original Black Dog Tavern is located on the beautiful island of Martha's Vineyard, and is a destination in and of itself. Customers seek out the stores and all of the stores are high volume and always busy. Employees get a free ride on either the Shenandoah or the Alabama, two tall ships The Black Dog owns and operates...an incredible experience.

Cons – Unfortunately, Senior Management does not spend enough time in the stores. This tends to make them somewhat out of touch with important issues that affect sales. There is too much emphasis on the numbers and not enough emphasis on employee development. There is also no formal training plan in place, and managers are expected to understand every single aspect of running their business, even if they have been shown only once how to do something.

Advice to Senior Management – Make a detailed training plan and hire someone to implement that plan companywide. Ensure all locations are running the exact same way and eliminate "rogue" managers who are out of control and making up their own rules. Spend more time in the stores to better learn how things run and what would be helpful to make the store run more efficiently

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend