This is not an employee-friendly company and is strictly numbers/performance driven. The company's unwillingness/inability to rotate scheduling in such a way to allow all staff at least one weekend a month off is ludicrous, as is their philosophy that it is OK to work their management staff 6 days a week on a consistent basis, with open to close shifts the norm, rather than the exception. Management schedules are often dictated either by corporate, or DM.....as well. It is understandable to be present during peak times, but there is no reason to have a work schedule that does not allow you to enjoy holidays and special occasions as well.
Working long stretches of anywhere from 7 to 10 days in a row without a day off is also common.
It is also difficult to try to schedule vacation time, since company policy dictates black-out periods when days off, or vacation time are not allowed due to their "sale/special event" schedule.
Driving business is what we do, but there is a need for balance here. It does no one any good when staff is exhausted, resentful and the customer becomes an intrusion, and not the reason for us to be there.
Mandatory early morning meetings on Sat. or Sun. (translate that punishment) for lack of credit apps. (or whatever else they decide is lacking).
They will not tell you that even if you meet their posted corporate minimum standards in all categories, you will still not receive a salary increase at review time. Their focus now is strictly 6/6 for raises and promotions. While "Standards Perfection" is a nice ideal, it is not realistic or reasonable in todays market. Even if you achieve 6/6, they will find something else lacking and find another reason to deny raises or a promotion.
There are not enough hours in the day to complete the various admin. tasks that management are now responsible for, taking time away from the sales floor, where they should be. Corporate should wake up and not goal their management staff as they do, it would go a long way to helping to eliminate the competition for sales/commission between managers and their staff, since they bonus yearly on the profitability of the store.
The company makes the job so much harder than it should be. By and large, the clientele are happy, coming into their stores for happy occasions....birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, job promotions, graduations.....etc...etc...etc.... our job SHOULD be advisors....helping them with the choices before them to pick out what they would consider the perfect gift, based on their needs, budget and taste.....NOT hammering them with credit apps, payment protection plans, and the rest of the litany of things you are required to ask everyone for......these should all be a part of your general presentation, not the focus....the actual jewelry purchase gets lost in the process, and that is sad.
Unfortunately, large corporations like this will not change, and view their employees as generally disposable......
If you work for Sterling, use the experience and training as a stepping stone to something better and move on.
