Chico's FAS Employee Reviews about "bonus"

Pros

It was fun to help people feel better about themselves and to have opportunities to buy clothes at a reduced price.

Cons

It is all a racket.They have the salaries set so low and to make your bonuses is almost impossible. If you make your goals they will pull you off the job to stock or let someone else get their goals. I have actually been helping a customer that was buying a large order and had the asst. manager come out and tell me my shift was over. I said I would some back as soon as I finished with the customer. When I got to the back the manager had signed me out while I was still working. I was reprimanded for not letting someone else take over my sale. They only wnat you to work 4 or 5 hours on a shift. This insures that you will not make many of the bonuses. If you are good at sales you get accused of stealing other peoples sales. Some days you just stand at the register ringing up sales for others, but you are not suppose to share in the sale. There is tremendous pressure to do more and you are treated like crap. There is so much competition between sales associates that the environment becomes toxic and there is a lot of back biting .Managers want you to tell on other associates when they are dishonest with sales.

Pros

-Great discount if your store makes sales plan -If you are a good sales person you can make a fairly large bonus each month -Good training videos

Cons

-Normal growing ups and downs -They treat sales leads like they are not actually managers (no paid holidays, not a lot of input in the company) -Too many tasks for one person to handle (selling, cleaning, targeting new clients, coming up with G.R.O campaigns) -Lately Chico's has been pushing their managers to the point of burnout because they are trying to sell as much merchandise as possible. -Not enough hours for part time associates. -Way too much pressure from upper level management. -Too much focus on BONUS selling. -Extreme amounts of coupons.

Pros

Love the clothing and the customer service. Good training available on product knowledge, fashion advice, and customer service.

Cons

Your clothing prices are a bit too high. Also coupons sabotage sales that go on in stores. Have a coupon or a sale. Not both. Competition between management and other sales associates for customers and bonus at times creates resentment and hostility. Managers should be there to support sales associates and help them make bonus.

Pros

Worked with some really nice, talented people (and a couple of not-so-much). Most customers were a delight to work with. It's easy to sell clothes you love to customers you love.

Cons

Store managers are terrified of Corporate from the DSM up. Corporate philosophy seems to prefer a management style of sticks instead of carrots. Salary is low and the 'bonus' system doesn't work as intended for the associate or for management. Instead of promoting healthy competition and incentive (that is what you intended, isn't it, Corporate?) it often encourages nasty back-biting and sales-swiping among staff members; rarely results in the $3/hour 'expectation' for most associates. Hours stated when hired had little connection with reality. All part-time employees in our store worked fewer hours than expected. Management took more lucrative shifts. Schedules were posted less than a week in advance (Wednesday afternoon for the week beginning on Sunday), making an employee's planning difficult. Chico's studies every conceivable number with reference to sales, including number of shoppers per square foot per hour and the percentage who bought items, sales per associate per hour, the number of items sold per bag, etc. They base each store's daily sales expectations on last year's numbers. You would think those projections would also predict well in advance the number of employee hours a store would need each day, too. Chico's, why won't you give employees a little more lead time to plan their own lives? Making periodic telemarketing calls to customers (not mentioned during the hiring process) is annoying to many customers, a reviled task for many employees, and results in few sales appointments. (Newsflash: those customers were coming in anyway.) Clothing bonus of 40% off retail sounds good, and store employees can even occasionally earn up to 65% off. However, I found that actually do better as a non-employee by using coupons, taking advantage of Chico's incessant sales, and using my Passport membership (which is invalid when you are an employee).

Pros

Opportunities to make bonus if you can find time away from tasking

Cons

No benefit to being sales lead..expected to produce same % as mgt with no benefits..reduced bonus and discount

Pros

Promotions from within if you want to move up. Used to offer health insurance to part time employees but don't anymore. Flexible schedules but be prepared to be 'on call' to work each week. Yearly reviews and raises even if they weren't much. Bonuses for bigger sales so you can make great money if your numbers are good.

Cons

No payroll hours for additional work they add on daily. New promotions all the time- sometimes several at the same time so its confusing to the customer and the employees. Its not uncommon to spend a lot of time changing signs to new signs that say the exact same thing as the old one, except its a different color. POS changes almost daily- the same piece can go from 40% off to 50% off to 30% then back to full price then 40% off again- over and over. Each time the racks have to be moved, updated and the WOW's changed. The worst part is no extra payroll hours to get these things done- the store works off a payroll matrix based on how the store did last year the same week. Not based on the amount of work called for. Shipment comes every day and needs to be unpacked and steamed. Window updates, merchandise pullbacks, POS changes, etc. And if you are the closing people, you have to clean/scrub the bathrooms, swiffer/vacumn, take out the trash, clean mirrors, etc. You are the cleaning crew. In your nice clothes.

Pros

Creating chic outfits to satisfy customer needs and wants in a beautiful environment. Our stores are professionally decorated and merchandise is elegantly displayed. The people that work there are generally friendly and personable. Good training is available to new sales associates as well.

Cons

Competition between management and other sales associates for customers and bonus at times creates resentment and hostility. Managers should be there to support sales associates and help them make bonus.

Pros

nice co-workers and good employee discount

Cons

constant sales cutting in to sales bonuses and structure of bonus system leads to tension among employees. .It is not an equitable bonus structure. It should be commensurate with total sales and not have to be based on selling one customer excessive amounts.

Pros

Discounts on the clothes/jewelry and being able to use the discount at Soma and Black/White.

Cons

Hiring offers were exaggerated. Shifts were cut at the last minute, not just one shift, two or more. The Bonus structure makes it impossible to make any money with all the specials and coupons offered. Not unusual for the Manager to take sales. Overall, a lousy, tense atmosphere to work in. So happy to be free from Chico's!

Pros

Customers feel valued, clothing is flattering, comfortable and last a long time. Company offers good training, nice working environment, excellent fashion knowledge and ability to get bonuses. Company does offer good benefits.

Cons

Raises are often very little and the company restructured their bonus tier making it more difficult to achieve those numbers. Company will deduct return sales volume of on-line purchases to store-front bottom line. Sales Lead and Assistant Manager positions don't offer much in salary to compensate responsibilities.