Customer Service Representative | Columbia, MD | Mar 12, 2019
If you like your coworkers and customers then you'll like this job.
A typical day of work starts with maintaining attendance.You are penalized for lateness with termination for up to 13 accounts of tardiness from your annual review date. This is the case if you're even a second late for your shift regardless of your circumstances, stated or otherwise (Traffic, family emergency, illness, etc.) unless deemed admissible by a member of management, which in most cases is reliant on which manager you speak to and their temperament which is a first indicator of a lack of solid infrastructure.
After clocking in you're required to perform your job tasks and assignments as per any other job. As a skeletal outline, job requirements are on a basic customer service level; attend to customers needs at the register, maintain fresh flow of merchandise from the front and stockroom to the main floor, assist associates with daily tasks and assignments, and push credit quotas. One thing that proves to be a major downfall as a company is the inability to properly push company policy and initiatives, partly due to the amount of managers and also due to the lack of dissemination of information to employees. In multiple instances you can go to multiple managers to ask about more effective ways to perform your job requirements and be met multiple different responses to your inquiry. And the ability to read actual documented guidelines is governed by management, basically meaning that if you wanted to read up on your title you're held to their schedule unless you c
ProsYour discount is 10%. On small occasions there will be catered luncheons.
There are a lot of different roles you can fill at this company; I had primarily "backroom" jobs where you are processing stock, helping unload truck, etc. (Sometimes I would work as a cashier or fill in for breaks in other, "up front" departments such as the fitting room.)
This is fine if you're part time, because there are few expectations on you beyond showing up. When you do, it'll be 1-2 hours of unloading boxes full of random items that have quite literally been thrown into the box by the warehouse, (there would often be things like broken candles or other glass/ceramic items in a box with things like makeup, or dog toys.) then about another 45 minutes of ripping open plastic bags full of clothes and "laying them up" so they are laid out flat for the clothes hangers to put onto hangers. (This is usually your job after you lay them up.) You will then spend the next 3-4 hours standing at a table putting size nubs onto hangers and clothes onto the hangers, sorted by size and type. There will be a fifteen minute break in which you will all funnel into the breakroom and then the older women who work there start being flagrantly racist once the door is closed.
Once you go full time, you are expected to do this for 8 hours a day, as well as encouraging/cheerleading everyone into doing these tasks as fast as possible. TJX spends a lot of money researching how long it should take you to unload their boxes and process their clothing and take out the trash. If you're unable
Your typical minimum-wage retail job. At times it could be really boring, like when hanging clothes or recovering. Once I was trained as a cashier and started on the registers it was more stimulating. Something that bothered me was they would schedule you to do the same thing for the whole day, e.g. recover your whole shift or cashier your whole shift.
The scheduling was also a mess. The schedules are computer-generated two weeks ahead of time (if it's on time) and differ from week to week. Some of the time the schedule comes out and doesn't fit your availability or has too many or too few hours. Then the managers ask you to put up with it for at least two weeks until the new schedule comes out. My coworkers and I also had problems with managers not putting in our schedule requests so we would have to remind them to do it.
The culture between employees is pretty typical. You have friends and people you don't really talk to. There are managers you like and don't like. It was mostly students and retirement-age people. Sometimes there are spats among employees but nothing horrible.
The worst part of the job by far is the managers put a lot of emphasis on the TJX credit card. As a cashier, they listen to you to see if you are encouraging customers to sign up exactly how they trained you. They always set goals for the day and say if the store was on track, how well other stores were doing, and just constantly reminding us in general. If anyone got a card it was super celebrat
Prosfree snacks, good breaks, 10% discount, easy to make friends with coworkers, easy to get the job
ConsTJX credit card pressure, can be boring, bad scheduling, minimum wage
Every one in the store from my point of view get along and are nice to each other. But the customers and the staff always end up making the store overflow with so much stuff being put in different places or overstocking. I used to hang clothes at first and than I got into working in the truck making sure we got at least 6 pallets done. Sometimes we’ll most of the time we never had more than 3 workers in there so the process wasn’t the fastest. We usually end up having the totes and the canvas full from 2-3 pallets and during the busy hours we had to go to the floor and do price checks I didn’t mind but it took so much time and ruined our momentum eventually I requested to be a backup cashier because we were low on staff and o wanted to help out the store as much as I could. That leads to now I am not the fastest or the most cleanest cashier but I do try to make people smile or laugh when I’m up there because it’s stressful for both the customer and the front end associates. I got the nickname the workaholic because I love to work weirdly as that might sound I love it everyone greets welcome and I start as soon as I can. But the managers are really really nice but they don’t like to work. Let me explain some managers don’t like to be up as cashiers so they just call for back up and then wonder why their section isn’t clean. Especially home that place itself is overstocked the kitchen side is super over stocked from the mugs, cups, wine cups, kitchen towels, gadgets and food go
ProsLunch is 45 minutes and we get paid during our breaks
ConsHeavy understaff, rude comments and overworking
3.0
Customer Service Associate / Cashier | Arizona | May 17, 2016
Friendly coworkers and good job stability but can be stressful
TJX is a great company to work for as a first job or even a side job to earn extra money. Coworkers are great and some of the friendliest people I've met working in retail. Most customers are great too and are grateful for your service.
I'm primarily a cashier working at a dual Marshalls/Homegoods location. While cashiering isn't as physically demanding as working the floor, it's been more stressful emotionally. You have to constantly watch for fraudulent returns, switched tickets, correct form of payment and worst of all, advertising the instore credit card.
Most customers don't try to steal but it happens often enough to be a concern. Every single day, I awkwardly try to tell a customer that a swapped ticket is incorrect and it's very nerve racking. One time a customer took items off the shelf and returned them to me, loss prevention and the managers watched it all, did nothing about it.
Not only that but I really have to sell the TJX Rewards card. Not just sell it but pour my heart and soul into it, even to customers who clearly aren't interested. I can tell that it sometimes annoys the customers too and it feels degrading to keep trying to persuade them after they've already said no.
I rarely make my goal, so a manager watches over me like a hawk to make sure I get the paragraph of information out. I'll list all the benefits but I'll still get pulled off to the side and micro managed over every word I say. Dealing with a long line of anxious customers is stre
ProsGood stability, lots of hours if wanted, friendly coworkers
ConsStressful, high theft, too intrusive with the in-store credit card
A typical day at work for an associate would be to first check to see if their was changed without notice, then find out what area they will be working in. A cashier will spend the shift ringing out or making returns of the customer's items. Other duties include; sorting returned items into their area's box, clean registers section organized and assisting customers with questions. A sales associate will be responsible for assisting customer with finding items, stocking merchandise, clearing the fitting room and return's box of products, and maintain a clean and organized store floor.
At the end of a closing shift, associates must clean the store and clock out when the schedule manager tells them to, however, no is permitted to leave until the manager closes the registers, locks-up the money, and has everyone together. This may take 10-15 minutes after clocking out, and must wait to go home.
The experience of working as as an associate has taught me the responsibilities of trying to provide exceptional customer care. Team work and communication are important keys to reaching goals in business.
The managers work to motivate work performance, great customer service, sales, and team work with in store. The managers try to make the work environment enjoyable, fair, open for associates to express their concerns, though some managers are much more considerate than others. It is difficult to deal with poor scheduling, low payroll, yet new people are still hired, low security of the
Prosa variety of duties, working around enjoyable employees, causal work environment, open door policy, flexible schedule, working with a motivated team, meeting friendly people, freedom to express in your duties, lively work environment
Consschedule is changed without asking associate, some workers slack off, questionable policies, low payroll yet people are hired, most customers trash store, horrible return policy that loses money, low security, extremely little opening to rise in the workplace, only coordinators & managers are full-time, no constant work shifts
Learned new skills, but need another job.(more hours of work)
Whan I get to the job the first thing I do is to register my entry and continue to the assigned department of the day which can be from the backroom to the front of the store as a cashier. On the way I greet everyone.
I have learned and been able to work in many departments of the store. In the Backroom: preparing merchandise on hangers, taking the merchandise on moving racks to the store.
In the Layaway Department: recieve the selected merchandise from the customers, count each article, make all the paper work and evidence of the layaways, recieve money and put the merchandise away in the room in a specific organization following the company's rules and when the customer returns for his or her layaway I have to bring the merchandise to the customer, count all again, make the paper work, recieve the final payment and pack all up again following all the rules and policies.
In the Dressing Rooms (Men and Women): I have to count all the merchandise that goes in and comes out, give the number as the pieces the customer has, clean the dressing rooms and sometimes even give my opinion when asked by the customer. I also have to be aware of possible stolen pieces. I have to follow the company's rules.
As a Cashier I have to be careful with the money and the merchandise, offer the stores credit card and be kind so the customer will come back. Company's policies have to be followed.
As a general store worker I have to organize, pick up merchandise fr
Pros10% discount, special discounts about 4 times the year of 20%. Free lunch on special holidays
Not good for those who are too emotional or sensitive
While I've been trained to work in the accessories, men's and kid's departments, I primarily work as a cashier. I work *part- time In the first two years it was easier to get work done, process credit apps, stock the front end, and handle customers. I've learned how to work the register, customer service skills, and have been able to understand how to stock items so that they sell better. Sometimes they get breakfast or lunch(groceries, take-out, or catering). Hours are flexible because there's a decent amount of call-outs, people switching ours, and giving away hours as well. *ALMOST everyone is a nice person or a good person...all of this is true However, I've worked there for 4 years now and I can honestly say that retail there has worn me down. Management has been shoving the need to get credit apps down your throat and if you fail they embarrass you. Even if your customer service is superb they embarrass you by saying that you're the WORST cashier for that particular month that you didn't get enough to satisfy the. There's no incentive to do better in getting credit apps as their rewards have been 5 dollar gift cards, and food from the vending machine which feels cheap, and lazy. I've seen and have heard of coworkers applying themselves, friends and family just to not have a "zero day." Customers have gotten much more rude which doesn't even make you want to ask them to apply for the credit card. the pay sucks and the highest raises are 50 cent increases ONCE a year de
ProsFlexible hours, Good starter job to get through school, *MOST of the people are nice, free breakfast or lunch sometimes
ConsConstantly harassed about credit apps, Favoritism, Rude customers, can be a clique-y work environment depending on who's there, Managers are never on the same page, rarely praised when going above and beyond, Not worth the money
Two types of associates: 1) Consistently hardworking, 2) Just there for a paycheck
The store has a chronic case of turnover. While this may not be surprising in the retail industry, the daily call out number for our location is usually in the 3-9 employee range. Considering the day may only have 20 or so associates scheduled, the absence of this many people (3-9) is an ongoing hardship.
There is no communication across the board. From VP to RM to DM to SM to ASM to Dept. Coordinators, to employees. All information is usually discovered by some other means than direct communication. This leads to speculation, rumors, miscommuniction, missed opportunities, and ultimately, poor morale.
The associates at our store, have usually always "clicked" much better than what one would expect considering the diversity of ages, cultures, socioeconomic status, education, and professional experience. It is mostly a fun environment. I have however, heard that most of the other stores do not enjoy this same continuity and a lot of backbiting goes on. The people I work with are the biggest reason I have stayed.
TJX (mother company of Marshalls, TJMaxx, and Home Goods) pays extremely low. They expect ALOT from their employees, then add the day-to-day, over worked with additonal responsiblities due to call outs, it is very disappointing.
The company is also very VERY fixated on two things:
1) Credit Card sales. Each employee has the obligation to "push" the TJX rewards card on each customer. While the biggest push is for the cashiers, the floor sales associates are also
ProsThe company brings in food and soda and water, There are also snacks provided in the breakroom (noodles, granola bars, etc.)
ConsThe absolute WORST thing is the low pay, It is definitely not commensurate with the job demands.
It's an okay job to have if you need work but long-term, not so much
It's been nearly 10 years since I've worked at Marshall's but I doubt much has changed about it since every time I go in there, there is someone new working there. A typical day consists of clocking in and talking to the manager about what he/she wants you to do and what department you are working in. No matter what department you get stuck with you will be busy with your shift all day long. The work is not hard but time-consuming!!! I can't stress that enough. It's a drag when it is a busy day and you got so much to do in little time especially if you are working night-shifts. Trying to get your department organized before the store closes is stressful, to say the least. Not so bad on a slow day but if you are working the registers well it's hard to stay busy especially when you can't be standing around.
The culture wasn't so bad where I was working at, I got along with everyone I work with. We all work really close to one another, so it helped make the time go by faster. I felt management did an okay job, it's not like they were aspiring us to work harder then what we were doing or telling us we did a good job. It was mostly do your job and that's that, type of vibe.
Don't expect to get paid much or get decent hours, they don't want to pay full-time to many people. I can only remember the managers and a few others that were full-time the rest were part-time.
They took advantage of me when I got the job through an agency that helps people get job experience, I was worki
Do Not Judge A Book By Its Cover, No Matter How Pretty The Cover May Seem
Management:
Management is the foundation for good team morale. The productivity, efficiency, and general mood of your store associates are a direct product of management's attitude. Unfortunately, this company has a bad habit of securing and (and for lack of a better term) giving away management positions to either external hires who have absolutely 0 skills within a management position or internal promotions who pride themselves on exhibiting selfish and underhanded behaviour. Very rarely do qualified associates end up in a coordinator or managerial position within this company. And if they do, they often plateau for years while underqualified associates play right into the favourite role and coast by on sheer smoke and mirrors. The pay you're given is hardly acceptable for the amount work and stress one must go through on a day to day basis. The workload seems about average for a retail store until you realise that the workload given is not divided among employees, but rather assigned to 1 or 2 employees at best. The only real benefit of working for TJX is by working your way up into a position at head office. However, unless you fall under management's list of favourites, you'll more than likely have to find another way of getting a recommendation in by them. Most locations are a revolving door of associates excited to work there at first and utterly defeated upon being ousted or having left on their own terms.
Everyday Worklife:
A typical day would most likely begi
ProsThe friends you make
ConsManagement, insane work hours, extremely high expectations, lack of respect, very little opportunity for work, dismal pay, underwhelming benefits and discount
Questions And Answers about Marshalls
What is the interview process like at Marshalls?
Asked Jun 28, 2016
The interview is very quick!, and after that I proceed
To the orientation at the next day :)
Answered Dec 8, 2020
I want to get a job as a cashier or product computer, please does anyone know if they are hiring for those positions.
Answered Nov 3, 2020
How are the working hours at Marshalls?
Asked Jun 18, 2016
Theyre very flexible and understanding
Answered Jan 30, 2020
Although the managers do work with your schedule, the part-time hours are incredibly unpredictable. One week you could work 8 hours. The next week you could be working 20 hours.
Answered Sep 12, 2019
If you were to leave Marshalls, what would be the reason?
Asked Mar 16, 2017
Pushing customers to open credit cards are the top most priority for the managers! If you open credit cards for the manager on duty you become their favorites which is very disheartening for other overworked/ hardworking associates!
Answered Mar 9, 2021
Scheduling. Work a short shift then a few long shifts. How about making every shift the same amount of hours? And not working 6-9 days straight. Managers tell us to come to them with ideas. Why when every idea is shot down.
Answered Nov 18, 2020
What is the best part of working at Marshalls?
Asked Nov 24, 2019
Employee discount
Answered Nov 10, 2020
I love making new the employees can be very friendly and so can some of the managers. The customer too the better customer service they more well come back and be a regular customer. It’s so nice to see them back and say hello.
