- Insufficient training
- Unstable hours
- Unsanitary work environment
- Understaffed and over-tasked
- Raises are extremely minimal and only occur every 3 months
- Customers can be EXTREMELY rude and condescending
- Constant pressure to capture people's emails, sell puppy guides, get donations
Some highlights:
- Extremely unstable and fluctuating hours. Managers have obvious favorites. I worked part time, and only had shifts that were 4.5 hours long, and two or three shifts a week. 4 shifts if I was lucky.
- At one point, I was being scheduled 4.5 hours a week. The managers I spoke to claimed that it was because of everyone's availability but I know that either: hours weren't being distributed equally or that they were being severely cut by corporate.
- The amount of hours I would receive a week seemed especially unreasonable when I was still only getting 4.5 hours a week and yet I was available full-time (being on spring break at the time).
- When I first started working, I was thrown on the register with very minimal training. No instructional videos, and only a 5 minute tour of the warehouse-sized store. This lead to extremely stressful, unnecessary situations. It was highly uncomfortable experiencing the frustration and disappointment from both customers and co-workers.
- I worked at PetSmart for an entire year and had one uniform shirt that was given to me during the entire duration of my stay there. When I asked if I could possibly get more it was never made a priority and more shirts were never given to me.
- Pressure to get a high email percentage, sell puppy guides, and donations. Constant disapproval and talk-downs from management if these quotas weren't met.
- Some of my manager's were very condescending and passive aggressive. It did not help the team or the team's morale in any way. At times these managers would ignore me and my other co-workers, refuse to answer questions, give vague descriptions, or tell us that we should already know the answers to the questions we were asking. Oh and lets not forget constantly asking us if we did something correctly and how we did it. It made an stiflingly uncomfortable, hostile environment.
- Dog waste is everywhere. Dried, crusty urine stains in nearly every aisle. It was impossible to clean them all since we were always understaffed and over tasked. We provided "Oops" stations for all pet parents whose dog has had an accident. And yet, I watched people wait for their dogs take a dump, look around, and just walk away. The blatant disrespect was astounding.
- Oh and lets not forget about the dust and state of the public restrooms.
- Working here had a devastating effect on my mental and emotional health. I didn't feel valued or appreciated in any way close that was close to genuine. I HIGHLY discourage working here.
