Hello and good day to you all! Hope you all been doing well. So, I have worked for Macy's as a sales associate for over 3 years and I have seen so many changes during my time over there. Unfortunately, there are so many problems during my time I would like to cover. So for a little background, there are two separate Macy's stores in a mall I worked at that sells women's clothes on one side and the other store that deals with men's clothing, with kids clothing being sold in the women's side. So we have a whole team of managers split between the two stores. We all have our own radio communication devices called Theatros to communicate with each other regardless of which side of the store. With that out of the way, here are the glaring issues I'm going to list here. Its a long read, so get ready:
- Short Staffing
We are almost always short staffed with just mainly one person on the registers in each department. I do understand there are issues like this in other businesses not just in the retail space, as well as people calling in sick or other family issues to attend and I get it, but it's been going on for so long and customers aren't happy with the long wait times. I feel like there should be at least two people on each checkout stations to deal with, especially during the weekends. Hiring more people should alleviate this, but management were hesitant on doing it for whatever reason.
- Useless Support Team
We do have a support team that assists the sales associates in cleaning the department and putting back clothing in their respective rack. Those people are also responsible for covering people's breaks and lunches as scheduled. Although I had a couple of them who actually did their jobs and available when needed, the vast majority of them aren't so helpful. From messy tables to go-backs that are not put back with many of them even take their sweet time to come cover my breaks and lunches when I'm scheduled to take them. Often times, I get scolded by managers for taking my lunch or taking my breaks late. It's not like they are too busy helping out other sales associates or assisting customers, they are just not doing their jobs. Even management refused to help when I've been swarmed with customers needing help and ready for check out. I get scolded and in trouble numerous times due to this issue. These people even get paid more than us sales associates. How these people keep their jobs is beyond me.
- The Generalist Program & Its Confusing Scheduling
This here lies the majority of the problems I have with Macy's and to this day they've insisted on keeping this broken program. Macy's Insite, in the past, used to be a useful scheduling website where it will tell you what department you are assigned to, as well as the times to come to work and open shifts to pick up. I can choose any department you feel like working at, as long as its open. If you don't feel like working at the Kids department, you can trade with someone and work in Men's suiting. Also if you like to get more hours, you can choose whichever department you want to work at and how many hours you like to work that day. You don't always have to choose being a sales associate as you can also work fulfillment, receiving, or janitorial positions. I did legitimately liked that program since I don't get burnt out on working the same department every time. Its pretty sweet! With new management taking over, all this was gone. Now, Macy's introduced possibly the worst program ever created, the Generalist program. You can still pick up shifts as usual, but with a catch. Insite will supposedly say what department you work at, but management has the final say on where you will be moved to. You might be thinking, this is great I don't have to work in the same boring department where I can go everywhere like the old model. I say no, this created more problems than there are solutions. At least with the older scheduling model, you do have an idea where you are stationed at, well before your shift begins. With the new model, you have no idea where you actually work in until you arrive. I have been often accused of “being late” almost all the time because the website says I work in “Men's Furnishings” and really managers say I work in “Women's Ready to Wear.” Feeling comfortable working in your favorite department? Sorry son, management has the right to move you somewhere else at any time. Often times, they to move you to multiple areas in a single shift. So being a Generalist means you are forced to work in many different departments, whether you like it or not. This renders what was said on Insite useless. This was a very controversial change amongst my co-workers. That is very confusing and frustrating to deal with. I rather have the old program any day of the week. To give you all an idea what the scheduling is like, here's a glimpse: https://imgur.com/a/WjrZege
- Problematic Managers
For those who had worked in retail would relate to this. Admittedly, I had a few managers I have no issues with and a pleasure to work with. But there are many others who aren't as pleasant. The three managers in particular who are a nightmare to work with. For privacy purposes, I will name them Manager A, Manager B, and Manager C. Managers B & C works for men's while Manager A works for women's. Manager A, the store manager, would always be on my tail at every chance she's got. I'm not an employee who is looking to cause issues and I do what I'm told to do, all without question. Despite my best efforts to follow store rules and help customers in need, she would always look for an excuse for me to look like an idiot. She would frequently watch me and treated me as I never worked retail before, ignoring the fact I worked retail for years. Also, she has no problems accusing me of even the smallest things. She would love to accuse me for being late, as mentioned in number 3 in the list. She even got to the point of almost firing me for having too many go-backs just sitting there and those don't even belong in the department im stationed at, despite herself saying I should leave those for support staff to transfer them to their respective department where those belong. Also I was instructed not being allowed to leave my post just to drop those off myself with the lazy support team problem. Manager B is another one of those people I have issues with. Unlike Manager C, who I will get to, she can at least hide her attitude better. But that's not saying much. She dismisses my needs for assistance as she “claims” everyone is apparently busy and had to deal with the swarm of customers and the mess they've left behind (again I was the only one at the registers). I did eventually got one of my co-workers to help me out, proving Manager B was lying to me. She even had no problems telling me to reconsider my job. This one I saved the worst for last. Manager C has to be one of the most, if not, the most difficult person I've worked with. This young woman ALWAYS got attitude problems. It doesn't take much effort, if at all, to piss her off. She will, and I mean it, she will berate me even for literally everything. Everytime I need assistance and theres no other manager available, she would answer me in an annoyed tone, like she doesn't want to be around me. When I was pulled into her office, she would angrily criticize me for things I did not do, to the point I felt uncomfortable and leave me in a terrible mood. I do understand people go through bad days or had to go through a lot of stress in life, but it is absolutely unacceptable to take your anger out on others who has nothing to do with you. Its so unprofessional for management to do that its embarrassing for a company who supposedly values both the customers and their employees.
- You Got Feedback For Us? Tough Luck
Every year, Macy's holds meetings with us colleagues to talk about our issues and suggestions on improving our working experience. Its management that are supposed to be there to listen and to take feedback. However, unless you are a favorite of the company, your feedback and suggestions means nothing. They even have every associate fill out a little survey, again every year, about our experience and what the store needs to improve on and take our opinions to consideration. Those surveys also did nothing. How about those yearly meetings held where they sat us colleagues on the same topic? Still nothing! Whats the point of doing all this if they aren't gonna listen to us?
- The Signing Incident
This here is probably the main reason why I decided to make this very Reddit post. Back when I got re-hired by Macy's from my temporary leave from the company, I was offered a signing job. On the phone with my People Leader, she says she is looking for someone who can fill the role when they couldn't find someone to do it. Excited about this, I wanted to learn more about this job. Then problems quickly arise even before I started working there. The People Leader mentions this is a “temporary position” more on that later. I said “How long am I going to be in that role?” she pretended she did not hear it. I repeated the question, still did not answer said question. This right there is a big red flag for me that I unfortunately missed. Not wanting to make it more awkward than it already was, I went ahead to accept the offer, The signing job itself is very refreshing from having to deal with customers for me and I enjoyed this job a lot. Sure its only a part time gig and the hours are kind of short, but its probably the easiest job I had ever done and I can work on my own without much interference. I was assigned to sign men's section on the first floor while my co-worker was assigned the second floor in the same section. However, there are multiple issues on here alone I have to list them here on this section:
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Abusive Co-Worker
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This one older lady who I once worked with seems to be normal, at first. She was the one showing me the ropes on how the signing job works. She seems pretty nice the first week I shadowed her. However, a week later when I started signing on my own, she starts showing her true colors. She starts to yell at me for missing a few signs. I did apologized to her saying that I'm still learning doing this by myself since I never did this job prior. This didn't stop her from berating me at the signing room. This would go on for over an hour on how much I am not good at my job and I should consider quitting. Normally I can ignore nasty comments from people, but this felt different. Also forgot to mention, I do have a social disability and that hits me harder. Not gonna lie, my feelings were hurt and that had soured my mood. I even complained to my People Leader about it, but she didn't care. Neither any manager I complained to, they didn't care either.
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No Feedback
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Kind of going back to number 5 on the list, when I requested feedback or asked for something I need to improve on, my People Leader thinks I've been doing a good job and claimed I was doing “way better than her” at signing back when she had the role in the past. That comment isn't assuring to me since my co-worker was being very problematic and I obviously want opinions from a different perspective. I even begged other managers for input, but they refused to tell me anything. Since there is no feedback from her or from anyone else, I was left confused and left alone on what I did wrong or looking for ways on being more efficient at my job.
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Scheduling Woes
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Remember the scheduling nightmare that is Insite on number 3? Yes, this would be the problem that followed me here. There are times that I wasn't “scheduled” to work, according to the website. Apparently, I was supposed to show up for work on those unscheduled days despite not saying so on there. I was NEVER told I should be working those days, neither the phone call I had prior to accepting the role nor the People Leader told me anything about it. I learned the hard way when that same problematic co-worker berated me on not working those days. I sat there for nearly an hour listening to her yelling at me about it.
All this mentioned leads the People Leader and management to kick me out of the signing team. At first when I saw my schedule, I thought they have made a mistake. My People Leader claimed this was a “temporary job” and my schedule wasn't a mistake. It wasn't until a month later when I learned from another manager that I was not doing a good job at signing and I wasn't cut out to be part of the team any longer. Also they revealed I was not doing this as a seasonal job and more of a permanent one, completely contradicting saying its temporary. They since moved me to a salesperson position, which pissed me off hearing about it. Why did they even hide this from me when I begged them to give me any form of feedback, positive or negative? Why did the People Leader lie to me about the job being temporary? And above all else, why and why would they keep such a toxic lady keep her job and ignoring my complaints?
Since then, they have hired a new person on the signing team with supposedly more experience than I do. This wouldn't be a problem for me if that person knows what they are doing. Actually, she did WORSE than I did at the same job for someone with “more experience” which is very ironic. I even have proof of this down below here. Note, I did not move nor touched any of the signs I took those photos. Those are what the new signer placed before the store even opened. For context, signers have to place the signs on the front left of every table or the top if on the wall:
Exhibit A: https://imgur.com/a/JnuYKLe
Exhibit B: https://imgur.com/a/bDWFOu6
Exhibit C: https://imgur.com/a/i8hsyAN
All those mistakes would definitely would get a signer fired. But for the new signer in question, she gets to keep her job despite that. I got scolded quite hard for one little mistake, but for her nobody says anything. Rules for thee, not for me, am I right? I have plenty of more evidence of her doing all this, but those enough should give you a good idea how poor of a job she did, YET SHE STILL GETS TO KEEP HER JOB! So much for being more experienced, right? To be honest, that pissed me off so much I quit this company shortly after and I have no desire to coming back to working for them ever again. Not even as a customer I'm coming back.
Conclusion
Macy's is probably one of the worst companies I ever worked in. I learned that working in an upscale store is not immune to dealing with the BS with either managers and co-workers. Management does not care for the concerns of their own employees and they love to play favorites. I tried numerous times to talk with and express my concerns and discontent with management and even my People Leader, but they just kept ignoring me. They have no problems with punishing me for the things I did not do. They refuse to help me when I'm swarmed with customers or im feeling overwhelmed with go-backs. They did nothing to address the short staffing and the lazy support team. They did nothing in dealing with toxic managers and co-workers. They are hypocritical who would let their favorite employees and themselves get away with breaking company rules. Their hyper-fixation on unrealistic credit card and sales goals. All this is what leads me to not wanting to work with them any longer and possibly destroyed my interest in working in retail environment. This is how you DON'T run a company! So that's my story. I would like to personally thank you all for taking your time for reading this lengthy post. This post gave me the space to voice my frustration and headaches I've endured during my time working for them, and maybe this can encourage people to speak up and demand dignity from management, because workers like you deserve respect. If you're a customer who loves to shop in stores like this, Please! Please! Please, be considerate to employees who helped you out with your shopping experience. We are people like you and your kindness and understanding definitely goes a long way. Thanks for reading!
TL; DR
Macy's is one of the worst companies I've ever worked. The short staffing, the useless support team, the absolute broken Generalist program, scheduling confusion, dealing with difficult managers who doesnt take employee feedback to consideration all made a horrible working environment for me. Being with a signing team with a scornful co-worker and management does not care of the complaints, which led me to get kicked out of the team. New signer did a worse job than I did and kept her job. I hate this company. Stay away from working there!