Pros
Generally enjoyable work. If you enjoy a customer facing role with no desire to progress within the company, it’s not all bad. Sales targets are more of a passing notion. They’re there, but not detrimental to your Job security.
Cons
Recruitment is done via Head Office, allowing no input from the team in store. The people who have the best judgement of what will and will not work with their existing team. Management conference calls were expected to be held out of work hours. Either just before clocking in, or just after clocking out. The pay does not justify that extra responsibility. That’s what would be expected from a area manger on a far higher salary than a store manger. Ridiculous self debasing videos requiring a stupid action to be preformed with a customer or on your own where requested by upper management on the regular. The intent of these videos was to drive sales, yet we’re not preforming monkeys. This sort of practice is very americanised. It serves no place in the UK. Also, the ‘Choice’ of being in a whatsapp group was more an order. I initially refused, but was pressured into joining. This was primarily used to post the above nonsense. But also for important information cascaded down from upper management. A very unprofessional way of conducting any sort of business. You are essentially on ‘Tap’ for any communication from anyone in the business via Whatapp. An app i regularly use for my personal life. Disturbing rest days regularly. No internal progression opportunities what so ever. It is literally a dead end Job after acquiring store manager. Pay is poor for shop assistants AND store managers. So it’s hardly a ‘I’ve finally made it mummy!’ position. The title sounds far better than the reality.