While the company offers excellent opportunities for advancement, there is no "benefits package" offered to employees. If you need health insurance or a retirement plan, you'll need to seek coverage on your own, or set up an IRA or annuity with a broker. Hours can be long - particularly for managers - it is retail, after all. The work/life balance can be tough, since sales associates are expected to work nights and weekends. Additionally, the compensation does not make up for the lack of benefits typically offered by large companies. Pay rates ranging from $9 - $12 (including commission) for sales associates to $40,000 per year (including commission) for management are below average for the industry. Sales Associates typically work 35 to 39 hours per week while managers average 45 to 50 hours per week ($13.00 / hour base salary at 50 hours per week). Be prepared to deal with ALL aspects of customer service - from bill complaints to technical support issues - and most customers want and expect an answer very quickly. This can be stressful for some people since stores often get heavy traffic and there is often not adequate personnel on staff to deal with the level of customer traffic.