I would appreciate if somebody posted who worked at other retailers as well, to compare their experience. I’ve applied for an associate position at one of the clubs and I got an interview. I know the formal elements but I would like is somebody gave me some info on the realistic work conditions.
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This job is so easy. Don’t listen to anyone on here who is complaining. All you have to do is ring up some items or stocks pallets and they’re going to pay you $10-$12 an hour to start. If you want to make a career out of it you can if you want to just work here a few years you can. Most of the people who are here complaining are sorry then the ones gossiping all the time in the clubs. I’ve been here 25 years I like it for the most part. Some of the managers could do without, but I suppose that’s just about anywhere you work
I’m an old dog, even had my club closed and would still say there is a lot of opportunity to move up with this organization. In most cases, the issues are not the clubs nor the leadership teams, what it is though is the market manager, their staff (except the market assistant, I have yet to meet one that wasn’t loved by all), and regional vp are incompetent and/or egomaniacs (not all, there are some good ones out there). That level of leadership is toxic to the clubs in a lot of cases. Tell them how great and right they are, say I’m sorry it won’t happen again, and say yes sir or yes ma’am, you’ll be golden. Seriously though, clubs are family’s and usually pretty tight, just be cautious of the MM and RVP’s, most are not good leaders and sometimes just not good people.
That said, retail is not a great long term career choice. Brick and mortar will continue to shrink (not go away) because of the online business. Good retailers will alway be trying to change and evolve along the way but part of the process again is change which we all struggle with and is not popular. I could continue to ramble but If you’re going to work retail, Sam’s Or Costco are the way to go.
And after busting your butt for a year, to maybe get a rare full time position, all they'll give you is a 2% wage increase... a whole 22 cents. And a whole 22 cents the next year.... its going to take you a 4 years to get to $12 an hour.
Toxic, stressful, hostile environment. Look elsewhere. Preferably out of retail.
I've worked varying levels of Sam's and other retailers. Most companies act the same way, I would say most are actually worse. The issue with Sam's and Walmart is that they use to be great to work for, they cared immensely for their associates and it didnt feel like it was about greed, at least not like it feels like now. The pressures on club managers to juggle everything seems both normal and impossible. The term "weather the storm" is now somewhat common. As for should you work there? Yeah, I dont see this company going away soon, especially not in 3-5 years. Theres a lot of people on this sight who try to intimidate with fear, but the reality is that we are a $60B company and we're plenty profitable. Growth is harder here than smaller retailers so if your looking to get in the door and get promoted quickly, Sam's isn't likely the place. If you want to come in and put forth effort, it's a great place to work. In all the clubs I've worked in, very rarely does an hourly have issues that they dont bring into themselves - attendance, shortcut on process or ignoring processes, etc.
I would not recommend Sams or Walmart. Wegmans, Aldis, Whole Foods . There is no future at Sams they won’t be open long 3-5 years tops.
There is no growth in Sams Club, nor will there be. If you want to work in retail, work somewhere that is growing. Costco ,Meijer, Trader Joe's, Whole foods, Woodmans. Check to see who's building and expanding, those are who you want to grow with. Oh, and might I add, here ..... building here in the US of A . NOT over seas.
I have worked both hourly and salaried with Sam's Club and other retailers. Is Sam's Club the best, not by any means but it certainly is not the worst. Pay is decent, they can be super flexible with scheduling if you work part-time. The trend that has been happing over the last year and a half is definitely downhill so I would certainly consider looking elsewhere if you are able.
Sam's club s---s. They are getting rid of positions left and right. If you are looking for something temporary then go ahead and try it out. Retail is no place to stay for a career anymore. People are bitter, but that is because the company has choosen to hide everything. They will tell you to your face that your position is safe, and you have no worries. The next day they will pull you in the office and say your position is eliminated. Then everyone is left to figure out how to run the eliminated positions job, but nobody knows how. They expect you to jump in and figure it out. There is no learning curve. You get it done now or else. There is no training, there is no help and there is no future. That about sums it up...
On this site, everyone pretends a gun is being held to their head to work for Sam's. Realistically every retailer in the world is trying to reduce payroll, hell every company in the world is trying to reduce payroll while increasing work load. It's just that some of these leeches have been working here too long to see it or are too new to the industry to understand. Good Luck.