Work is fairly boring, expected to upsell packing services, materials and higher cost shipping
Pros
- The hours are very flexible. As long as you request days off in advance you will almost certainly get them - The base job is fairly straightforward, even boring sometimes. Some edge-case policies (alcohol, international customs, etc.) need to be constantly remembered though, which may be a problem for people who have trouble multi-tasking in a customer-facing environment - Being owned locally can be both good and bad. It's good that the owner was very hands-on and took a personal interest in employee performance. He also provided us with free refreshments from time to time, sometimes even catering services from Subway or Azteca
Cons
- The starting pay is abysmal. Raises are granted if you become the go-to employee for a location (the opener/closer) or promote into management. It doesn't help that you will have twenty hours or less per week during most of the year - There are zero benefits whatsoever - There doesn't appear to be a united best practices, even between stores in the same geographical area. It's basically up to each store manager how to organize paperwork and how certain situations are handled. This can lead to problems if you work at different locations, which can happen often early in your employment - Customers can be impatient or have a poor understanding of shipping prices, which can lead to moments where you have to judge your ability to shift their paradigm or simply let them leave. You will be expected to shift their paradigm as often as possible and not doing so will be counted against you - Too much ambiguity in regards to what upselling expectations are and what your conditions of employment are. There are no warnings in regards to poor performance, you could simply be let go if you are found wanting - A general lack of clear communication from owner/managers to employees