Von Maur reviews

I don't know where to begin. They condone and encourage really bad behavior from their customers by coddling them and letting them return merchandise that is 10 years old or sometimes not even from the store. This in turn creates a really entitled customer base. At this point I realize I can probably get fired just from a customer saying I looked at them wrong. I live in fear that some overly entitled person is going to complain about me and BAM that's it. They say to page for help when needed but the phone/computer system is so outdated that this is actually impossible. So we, the sales associates, are really the ones who provide the great customer service. Not my managers. So many managers. And speaking of customer service, if you want it provided at such a superhuman level maybe consider paying your employees a living wage or at the very least one that matches your main competitor less than mile away. I'd be getting out asap but they are so vindictive and delusional that even though I've worked INCREDIBLY hard I know they would say something bad about me to a new employer so I am frantically looking for a new job so they won't even contact this place. That's how bad it is. And for the love of God, stop asking me if my friends want to work here. I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemies. The favoritism is absolutely obscene. They blather on in the interview process about getting promoted but...that doesn't happen. Even if you get promoted to DM there is really nowhere to go from there. Maybe a floor manager in another store? But why would you give up your life and move to another state just to manage a store full of completely unhappy and demoralized people? So all that about "promoting" is really just a ruse. Speaking of favoritism, the store is dominated by a few power sellers, who are allowed to do absolutely anything and everything. The rules DO NOT apply to them. The commission is a paltry 1% but since you're making practically nothing in hourly wage it is enough to make people competitive. Other departments constantly steal sales but management couldn't care less because hey people are buying. What they don't realize, or more likely don't care about, is how demoralizing it is to the person slaving away in that department day after day. Then they complain about how you aren't making your sales goals, and what they never EVER mention is that if they choose they can fire you for this. HR is a joke. Worse than a joke, an abomination. If I had a problem I don't even know where I'd go, to be honest, but HR would be the last place. Hiring a vindictive, mean spirited early 20 something for such a serious position is just...unforgivable. WHAT COMPANY WOULD DO THIS????? Oh, right, Von Maur. I have never seen such turn over in my life. People working on the floor 2 days, 2 weeks, and then gone. The culture of secrecy is such that it could be due to them being 61 seconds late and getting fired or just running for the hills, who really knows. The non-existent morale and terrible HR/store manager create a vicious rumor mill that otherwise nice and normal employees participate in, as there is no other outlet for release. I can't really blame fellow associates for that, as it is management that created and fostered this environment. My store is staffed at about 70%, tops, which leads to people working 10-11 days in a row and in departments they would NEVER have signed up to work in. Again, if you expect us to provide super human customer service, DO NOT work me 10 days in a row because at that point I cease to care as all I can think about is how much I hate you and hate my life and how did I fall into this trap? Oh I remember, it was all the lies you told me when hiring me. Speaking of lies, new rules are constantly made up all the time and dropped on you on the spot, so therefore you live in fear constantly of breaking some rule you didn't even know about. It's just absolutely insane. And god forbid you get sick or are 61 seconds late. They'll fire you. Ultimately the problem is with management. At first I wasn't sure if it was mid or upper level. Now I realize it is both. I'm aghast at the turnover in this place. I'm wondering what rationale they are using to tell themselves that it's "normal". There are times I walk in to work ( oh, did I mention I now absolutely dread going to work?) and I look around and see the like 6 people working in the store and think a) How is this place even in business still? and b) "WE are the ones making this place run, it's just us". And we get paid nothing and treated like dirt. The HR manager needs to go. She is responsible for several great associates quitting and not to mention firing countless others. I used to think the store manager was maybe ok, but at this point I know that she has to be pretty bad too because it's her store and therefore HER FAULT that no one wants to stay there. She was selling cosmetics just like 3 years ago, how quickly she seems to have forgotten how things really work. I could go on for about 5 more pages. Don't work in this terrible place.

-Management tries to pit workers against each other. They hire social butterflies but try to crush them once they work there. They do not want you to like/befriend or communicate with your coworkers. If you plan to move up in the company, you cannot be cordial with anyone that works there. You are not allowed to speak to employees in other departments. You must stay away from the people who work in your department. There is not a drive to work together as a team. -Racist management-refrains from hiring and promoting people of different cultural backgrounds. -Gender discrimination -Age discrimination-will not promote people to management positions based on their age. They will promote very young people over an older person even if that person is more than qualified for the position. -They often do not post positions (as they are supposed to) because they already have someone intentioned for that job. Pay -The pay is a sham. They tell you they will not pay you what you ask for because there are incentives to make more money. THERE ARE NOT. The regular commission is 1%. You will never get a breakdown of your commission. Your commission will always stay in the same range no matter how much you sell. There are not any other opportunities to really make money as they promise. The pay raise after working there for a year, or if you are secret shopped is 25-50 cents (which is a slap in the face considering how much work they require). -They promise weekends off, vacation, etc, but fail to tell new employees that they do not receive those benefits until after being with the company a year. Attendance Policy attendance renews once a year You get 4 call-ins a year. 5 is a write-up. 8 is termination.-(No doctors notes).-So if you are sick for a week, prepare to lose your job. People come to work sick when they are contagious because of this. -1 minute late is tardy. 15 tardies(optional verbal warning) 18( write up) 25 (termination). No exceptions for weather. -They DO NOT take doctors notes. It does not matter what it is. The only time they take doctors notes is for workers comp related issues. -Not allowed to drink water, cannot leave the sales floor to go to the bathroom without coverage so you must page a manager and managers refuse to answer their pagers. ( you could go 6 hours without an opportunity to relieve yourself). Its rare that you get a break yet you cannot keep snacks even if you have health related issues that require you to eat (diabetes etc;). -Sometimes you work a 12pm-9pm shift and have to go to dinner at 3pm. Then work the rest of your shift with no break because of staffing. Management --Young, disrespectful, and inexperienced management. -Management feels that in order to compensate for their lack of experience they need to prove who they are every day with passive-aggressive behaviors. -They act like they are in high school -Management and security like to target and intimidate shoppers they deem as not looking up to their status quo. -Under constant video surveillance. Management will sit in the camera room and watch you. -They will not promote people who have children or who enjoy spending time with their family -Lack of empathy for employees and customers medical needs. -Required to park in a designated area because of surveillance, but if anything happens to your car they are not liable. Dress Code -You cannot wear proper footwear. Nothing with a white sole and nothing that laces up. You are also not provided with any kind of ergonomic mat, for those who work in areas with hard floors. (Men are given more leniency on footwear than female employees). -They finally did away with the hose after tireless requests to do away with the hose for health issues. Prior to this, you would have to wear hose in 115-degree weather and work on the dock with no air conditioner to unload boxes on shipment days. -Women must wear skirts because apparently, we have to show our legs to get money. -Management picks and chooses who they reprimand for skirt length/outfits. There is no consistency in enforcement of dress code. Work Duties -You become stock and housekeeping. You will clean until your hands start peeling. They don't advertise the store, so the customer traffic is limited and most people come in to look or shop clearance. In your downtime which is almost always, you will be required to clean the same thing over and over to show you're busy. -If someone throws up or spills a drink, they expect you to clean it up on your hands and knees in a skirt. Covering -Prepare to work in areas that you know nothing about -They throw people on the floor with no training Customers -Customers constantly ask if the store is going out of business because of lack of business and merchandise. Merchandise -Never have the sizes customers need. Always requiring us to order from another store which is a lengthy process. -Their inventory is always messed up. Building -The sewer is constantly breaking. It has broken 5-6 times and they can't seem to get it under control. -Any time it rains the locker room starts to have water problems. Hiring -It is almost guaranteed that people will not make it out of their 90 days. They have it set up so that the odds are completely against you. For most people, its either attendance or sales. There's no grace in your first 90 days whatsoever. Part-time -PT gets the short end of the stick. Stuck with cleaning up the mess left from earlier in the day. Mostly closing shifts and only get 1 weekend off/month(sometimes). Seniority -You will not get the weekend off that you want depending on how many people in your department have seniority. -Poor work life balance -Cannot keep your cell phone on you and cannot get a break to check your phone. If you have children or elderly family members this makes it difficult. Phones must be kept off in your locker at all times. If someone's family member has an emergency management asks that they use the store phone to contact workers. Many times calls are not forwarded to the employee and they are unaware of an emergency until they are off. Advancement in Company Depends on who your upper management is.