Crate and Barrel Employee Reviews about "great product"
54% would recommend to a friend
(168 total reviews)
Janet Hayes
45% approve of CEO
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Top Review Highlights by Sentiment
Excerpts from user reviews, not authored by Glassdoor
- "Would recommend to a friend simply based on if the staff is friendly at said location" (in 51 reviews)
- "Poor management and even though most of the employees are kind there are some personalities they are very unsuitable fit for customer service." (in 155 reviews)
- "The company does not allow for much advancement and the low pay leads to high turnover." (in 149 reviews)
Ratings by Demographics
This rating reflects the overall rating of Crate and Barrel and is not affected by filters.
Found 168 of over 2K reviews
Updated Nov 30, 2023
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Reviews about "great product"
Return to all Reviews- 4.0Oct 9, 2017Anonymous EmployeeCurrent Employee, more than 10 yearsNew York, NY
Pros
really great products and discounts
Cons
get the next week's schedule 2 days before the week starts. no time to plan your personal life. manager takes no responsibility for things going wrong
4 - 2.0Jul 23, 2017Furniture Sales AssociateCurrent Employee, more than 8 yearsBoston, MA
Pros
Customers and location! Coworkers are fun and interacting with the product face to face is a great experience. A unique shopping experience with a great variety.
Cons
I have experienced a vibrant, exciting company turn cold and stale.. education has been forgotten, recognition is no longer existent. Corporate rolls out ideas without completing them.
4
Crate and Barrel Response7yThank you for taking the time to discuss your experiences. We are happy that you have so many nice things to say about your experiences at Crate. We also welcome an opportunity to discuss your experiences further with you. Please contact our corporate offices at 847-272-2888 and ask to speak to a member of the Associate Relations team where we can find out more details and follow up with the appropriate senior level management.
- 5.0Aug 6, 2020ManagerCurrent Employee
Pros
Great culture people and product
Cons
none - great place to work, fair leadership
- 4.0May 2, 2012IT ProfessionalFormer EmployeeNorthbrook, IL
Pros
They are terrific about making sure the customer experience is paramount, which means that systems, operations, and products are all expected to be the best. Having high expectations ensures that employees need to be at the top of their game. However, that's balanced with a sense of humor that started at the top. Employees joke about 'drinking the kool-aid' -- that once you have worked at any part of Crate & Barrel, you always want to come back to it. I made some of the best friends of my life working at Crate. It draws a wide variety of talents and personalities; people who love the products and are enthusiastic about providing them to the public. The fact that the art direction has always been very strong is appealling as well -- it's exciting to be a part of a well-known brand that has always had a great 'look.' Having worked at both the stores and at the corporate offices, I can say that retail pay is retail pay -- nobody gets wealthy working in the stores -- but the experience is a lot of fun. Starting off in the stores gives corporate employees a much better perspective in what they do. In fact, one of my favorite things about Crate & Barrel was being at quarterly meetings where longtime associates were recognized, and senior personnel almost all started out as sales associates in one store or another. The concept of promoting from within is stellar -- while it's always great to bring in fresh ideas and 'new blood,' the recognition that every employee has the potential to rise within the organization is a very positive concept. Benefits at Crate & Barrel were very good. I felt the health plans were comprehensive. And a side benefit is always getting a discount on product. Associates start off with a certain percentage, which may increase with seniority. When I worked at Crate, they still had the concept of 'Schtickle,' a Yiddish derivative word that boiled down to associates being able to buy unsellable merchandise at a steep discount. Chipped dinnerware, small furnishings that needed repairs, stained or torn linens or just items that had been used in display that they couldn't sell -- every associate had the opportunity to get a little C&B for themselves. And a few times a year, all of the schtickle would be packaged up, cleaned up as much as possible, and donated to local shelters and organizations.
Cons
Retail pay is, well, retail. You work very hard at the store level, and you're on your feet all day. That's something to get used to, even if you're used to retail. The stores' designs incorporate a lot of different materials, which mean that sometimes you're on lovely soft reclaimed wood floors, but sometimes you're on poured concrete. And the pace is often very fast (depending on the store location and season, of course). No matter what your job title is, expect to make stockroom runs, dust displays, sweep up messes, stock counters, and help customers find the restrooms. It's part and parcel of making the customer experience a great one. For me personally, moving to Corporate was what I'd wanted, but my direct supervisor had a very dim view of work-life balance. It made my job much harder than it needed to be. Frankly, I'd have been a lifer at Crate if it weren't for that individual. Another aspect of any retail position (and retail IT) is the need to work holidays, nights and weekends. Not every single one, necessarily, but it can be a downside. Retail IT means that you test and bring up new POS and ecommerce systems at really odd hours -- for example, coming in at 11 pm on a Sunday night and working until 10 or 11 in the morning; possibly later, to make sure that things came up right. And if you have kids who have school holidays, you may be expected to work those days and need backup care.
5 - 4.0Nov 30, 2021Anonymous EmployeeCurrent Employee, less than 1 yearCarlsbad, CA
Pros
Great people to work with and amazing products
Cons
Such hard work for the pay. Its like you are moving every day you come in
- 4.0Mar 22, 2023Level II Customer Service RepresentativeFormer Employee, more than 3 years
Pros
I had the privilege of working at Crate&Barrel and I have to say, the company truly values their associates' wellness. They offer a variety of company-sponsored wellness products which are truly appreciated. The people I worked with were some of the most insightful, kind, and wise individuals I've ever met. Many of them had been with the company for over a decade, which is a testament to the collaborative culture and opportunities for growth that Crate&Barrel provides. The products and stores are beautiful and it's a joy to work with such awesome people.
Cons
There were some areas that could use improvement. While there was no chain of command, sometimes management would not act on employees' ideas. Also, there was some micro-management and pushing of credit cards over product which could be frustrating at times.
1 - 2.0Aug 13, 2015Anonymous EmployeeCurrent Employee
Pros
Great product, can be a great atmosphere to work in. Customers were for the most part pleasant to work with. The company was built on an idea of valuing the people who work for them and the products they sell. It went away from that for a while, but has been slowly coming back. I would recommend working there in a PT role, but not in management.
Cons
It's hard to develop into other roles, or be considered for other roles. Associate relation issues don't seem to be taken seriously, any complaints that are made in store or at the regional/area levels seem to be discounted and not valued. The store would rather have someone who creates a toxic work environment than run a bit under staffed. The workload expected is beyond the base pay grade, raises are minimal and hard to get. Salary is $5-$15K below comparable positions at competitors. You're expected to work long hours and even though upper management will tell you not to work off the clock, you do because it's the only way you can try to keep up with the work load.
4 - 5.0Sep 14, 2023Sales Associate/CashierFormer Employee, less than 1 yearChicago, IL
Pros
Beautiful product and space 401k benefit for part time employees too!
Cons
retail hours = nights and weekends
- 4.0May 29, 2013Sales AssociateCurrent Employee, more than 1 yearSeattle, WA
Pros
Company carries a lot of fun product and allows a lot of creative freedom in terms of displays and arrangement. Flexible scheduling and tons of training so that you thoroughly know your product.
Cons
Slight disconnect with corporate; they only check up with the individual stores every so often.
- 4.0Feb 7, 2014Anonymous EmployeeCurrent Employee, more than 3 years
Pros
Management is supportive. Training to give employees product knowledge and information regarding customer services and upcoming events is provided.
Cons
There is very little advertising for C&B, it may be helpful to bring in more customers if there was more advertising.
