Pros
- The associates - The animals - Knowing that your contemporaries are on the same page as you and dealing with the same issues. So at least you are able to vent back and forth. - The Petco Foundation is good (in theory). Then again, $2-3 bil/year in revenue, but only $34 mil for animals in 10+ years (the vast majority of which comes from generous customers and associates)?
Cons
Where to begin? - About 20% of Petco management I've encountered are qualified for their positions, let alone able to tie their own shoes. Very interesting mix of people who manage in this region. I can't figure out how some of these people get hired. Its definitely not charming personalities. Nor is it usually education (my college degree(s) say otherwise). Experience maybe? I don't know. Not when my manager confesses "I have no idea how I got this store." - Everyone (outside of GMs) has mentioned pay. A company with an estimated $2.55 bil in 2008 revenues should be able to afford more than $0.30/hr max raises. I bet Jim Myers received a raise higher than that. - And giving raises out on a curve? Rediculous. If I have five excellent employees deserving of a whopping $0.30/hr raise, but the company will only allow my store two, so three others have to settle for $0.20/hr or $0.10/hr? Talk about not appreciating your team. - Hopefully lastly about money, why is it so bad to have full-time employees? Full-timers should only make up X% of payroll. Ha! Petco's owners paid $1.8 bil for the company. I'm sure they can afford benefits and minimal overtime for a few more full-timers. - My DM has said approximately 200 words to me in my time at my current store (1-3 years). Never is he interested in learning from those "responsible" why things are the way they are. Instead, he talks to a slick talking buddy GM of his who always blames the manager(s) not in store that day. If "X" is working, then it is "Y's" fault, so the DM can't get the truth from "X." - Despite parroting every other company with a "promote from within" policy, management positions in our region are filled from the outside approximately 80% of the time, if not more. My question is, if the staff you hired isn't good enough to be promoted, who is the failure here? The hired, or the hiring manager(s)? - At what point is the GM responsible in this company? The ASM is actually the GM in regards to duties. The GM is just supposed to "oversee" and "direct" operations and "not actually supposed to work anything." I've seen many ASMs come and go at my store and others directly because of their GMs. If directing operations means sitting in the office and talking on your cell phone, or taking a break from that to go outside to smoke and talk on your phone, then repeat, then I know some pretty competent GMs. So how many ASMs and Department Managers have to fall before GMs are actually responsible? The GMs who actually hired those managers. I'm still waiting to find this out at a number of stores. - I won't go much into it, but animal care is mediocre at Petco. Not due to the associates or lack of associate caring, though. Just things like have management who get angry when you find a sick or injured animal and have to spend time caring for it. Sorry for keeping the damned thing alive, so it can get better and then you can sell it and profit off it. - Stores have lost approximately 15-30% in payroll over the past few years (from a company making record bucks), including those making plan and exceeding LY$, yet the duties and demands keep jumping. Some review mentioned their customer adviser position. Perfect example. There is supposed to be an associate who greets and assists customers exclusively during certain hours. No additional hours were allocated for this new role. Or there is the (in)famous "Showtime," also known as peak selling hours. During these hours, anywhere from 2-10hrs in a day, nobody is supposed to do anything but assist customers. No projects. No backstock. No anything. Well, no new hours for this either. Then, bosses want to come in and complain why X, Y, and Z aren't accomplished. Well, sorry, Showtime says nothing can be worked. "Oh, uhhhh, well, we gotta get this done." Yeah, that's some solid management. - Complete lack of coaching. Its hinted at in various corporate documentation, but I've never seen it in practice by any superior. Coaching is not telling someone how to do something. Coaching is asking questions; understanding how associates best learn; utilizing company tools; helping associates figure out the best way to accomplish something on their own. Coaching is not "Here, do it like this!" Coming from different corporate cultures in the past, I've seen others the same as Petco, and some who actually do coach to success. More lip service from Petco in this department. - I could go on and on and on, and already have. I'm a realist. I could write a novella criticizing each of all my employers throughout life. Things rarely change for the better at these faceless companies. I'd recommend anybody to get out when they can. Work for something local if you can. Open your own business if its feasible. Try not to get sucked up into dirty corporate vacuum bag of life. It'll only drain yours.
