Pros
-Instills a hard work ethic if you're a stranger to hard work while working in excess of 48 hours in extreme conditions with no heat in the winter. -An introduction to sales skills, targeting customers, sets the foundation for good organizational skills. -A good place to have earning potential if you have no formal education and no real opportunities for advancement. -As a manager trainee you can adjust prices as 84 can't compete on prices with big box stores for many many materials. -Learn the pay off of hard work in measly bonus checks each month to supplement a low base pay. -If you are a veteran, have previous law enforcement experience, etc. you will be promoted quickly regardless of how terrible your sales are. Despite the "You are promoted based upon sales ability only" speeches from when you are first hired.
Cons
-Management is absent or completely incompetent. -Unprofessional working environment with harassment commonplace where physical altercations are likely. -Terrible communication which promotes nobody taking responsibility for their personal mistakes or miscommunication. If you take responsibility, you get shafted. -A business model based in the '50s/60s that makes this place more reminiscent of a mom and pops general store with over 250 store closings in the past couple of years. -Low pay, long hours, expensive benefits and a company that cares absolutely nothing about their employees. No balance of life and work here. Be prepared to become a binge drinker. -Contacting the corporate office for password after password to be able to order materials for the store that you need desperately and customers are in disbelief you don't have. "You don't have any more 2x4x8 studs? Are you kidding me?" -Promotes an environment of incompetence and lack of action. Manager is on vacation, delegates to another manager that is lost in his budding racing career while working on his race car in the back lot of 84 or getting race car parts. -An environment where there is no such thing as unprofessional behavior. -Management that does the least possible work to keep their jobs while expecting the absolute most of manager trainees and yard guys to keep the lie going. -Developing the necessary ability to work with various coworkers who are not emotionally stable or have learning disorders which severely affect the efficiency of the operation and you're ability to get your job done.