A once fun job that is quickly becoming cookie-cutter retail that just happens to sell animals and supplies.
Pros
- Being around animals all day. - Request offs generally approved even with short notice. - In general, wonderful co-workers and associates. - If willing, you can learn a wealth of knowledge from other workers and managers from dogs to reptiles. - Several online training courses including extensive dog nutrition. - Customers seem much more friendly and polite than in most other types of retail, and when you help you get genuine thank yous from them. - A wonderful job to talk animals with customers if you share the interest. - Donations help local shelters
Cons
- Request offs are generally approved even with short notice. - No set schedule, and you don't know what you are working on Sunday until Thursday or Friday evening. (Not just this location. Seems at the very least district-wide.) - Little to no communication from senior management. Even on critical issues. - No management training at all for associates moving up and are new to management. Assistant and up may get a few days crash course, but not much. The trend seems to be sink or swim, figure it out on your own. - Drama, excessive gossiping. - Favoritism from DM and GM. - Relies heavily on negative reinforcement with almost no positive. - Donations are encouraged negatively as well. Resulting in poor performance write-ups for those who cannot raise enough in a day.
