Chico's FAS Employee Reviews about "management"

Pros

The consumer is probably the only thing Chico's FAS has going for it. Unfortunately, the business model is so bad, the customer is leaving quickly. The corporate office is nice, nice health facilities and some good perks if you are a woman. This company did care about its employees at one time.

Cons

There is so much bad to say I don't even know where to begin. First of all, Chico's is so behind the times with systems and innovation. For a company that was so advanced, it's like they haven't achieved anything new in the last decade. Everything is antiquated and they have no accountability or ability to make effective change. They are very poorly run from the top. Management runs the company as if it is a unique boutique and not a chain of stores. They have no policies, procedures, plans for improvement, the selling programs are out of date and the culture and clothes are out of style.

Pros

Great discounts on clothes and nice customers.

Cons

Management very aggressive towards employees to make calls to customers and make sales goal (unrealistic). When management is mad at you, they put you on the computer in the back room to train which keeps you off the sales floor trying to make sales. The DSM was a disappointment as well. He was not inspiring when he came into the store, most of the associates were intimidated by him. If you want to keep good employees be positive and not treat them like they are in a professional retail store and not high school.

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

Store team were great to work with and the majority of the customers were fantastic.

Cons

Unrealistic workloads with no payroll to support No support in hiring, so many stores are in crisis mode, the pay rates are low and the incentive is' a great place to learn and grow'? Full time managers lose PTO because they are understaffed and can't take time off No Covid pay, You are out of luck if you don't have PTO to use Upper management is not supportive and just wants us to 'gumby' our way through all of this. Unrealistic plans with not enough in store merchandise to sell No support from DM's and you are lucky if your email or call is responded to Pay for assistant managers have them jumping ship to other companies that pay a living wage Stress

Pros

One of the reasons I loved working at 2 of the brands in the Chico Fas company is because I believed and still believe in the products. I still promote the stores and wear their intimate apparel and clothes.

Cons

The upper management communication as well as keeping a unity within each store and between stores needs some solidifying

Pros

Lovely people and a genuine effort to collaborate. On-site exercise facility and cafeterias.

Cons

Constant change in direction and goals. Meetings about meetings. Enormous turnover at every level. (People are relocated to Ft. Myers, hate it and leave as soon as they hit their 2 year mark—if not before.) Leadership plays favorites. Poor salaries. Constant re-orgs. New senior management brings in their own people and let's current employees go at a whim. No respect for outside opinions. Attempt to rebrand every season. Inability to determine who our customer is and what she wants. Long hours. While so far staved off, private equity is circling.

Pros

Great product that sells itself, as long as the store is in a thriving higher income area. Employee discount is amazing

Cons

Lower pay for sales associates and sales leads. Making bonus for Full-Time management members is not very realistic as plan is set very high about 85% of the time.

Pros

Gym on campus... that is about it.

Cons

Help desk support crew are basically the people no one cares about or respects and the poor management does help. On the phone all day answering the same 10 questions. No room to grow because management plays favorites. Poor pay and benefits. Management is rude about bathroom breaks and only care about their numbers and stats looking good. Constant changes in policy that is never shared with help desk support. A mess of a department, the other departments seem to run smoother. Zero work life balance, you will work late, and on the weekends and on holidays.

Pros

The spirit of the company is great: do what is best for the customer. There is also a wonderful POS and training system that connects store-level employees to the company's social presence, C-suites, and news. You'll learn how to manage a small and mighty team and the importance of time management.

Cons

Leadership was encouraging but ultimately could not provide the training as promised. There is also strong emphasis on company directed sales goals. So there is a struggle between concepts: hitting your goal by pushing certain products or to achieve a certain amount in sales and "doing what is right for her."

Pros

Great products; always comfortable so fun to be part of the company. Good management support from store manager and corporate emails every day to stay in touch. Good online training.

Cons

No cons to report at this time.