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Hello is what I am going to start by saying. I have so many other words I will say about my current experience with Charlotte Russe. It all started with a very much unprofessional group interview with about 5 shy girls… The Store Manager did not even know how to conduct it in, I asked all the questions. She seemed intimidated and lacking confidence… She hardly provided us with information, basically just said she needed people for the holliday season to start tomorrow----PERFECT FOR MY SITUATION… She seemed sweet and nice…
I was so happy when I got the call back, but not surprised since I was the center of attention of the interview like I said. Every day we were very busy because it was mid December and every shift I was placed in the fitting room… While this period I enjoyed the job, the co workers and the plenty of hours I was getting… I had to accept minimum wage ($7.25 hr) and I have never worked for that low, because my bills are so high, I am bilingual and have a lot of sales experiences. But I figured after the holidays I would get a raise for my hard work…
It seemed like girls called in every day and I was the one covering the shifts… but I was happy to since I am a hard worker and need the money desperately. All these shifts I STILL spent in the fitting room and occasionally in shoes… Those 2 departments are day and night. In the fitting room I spent hours repeating the same few things, opening doors and taking ENDLESS hangers with messed up clothes what they didn’t want. Shoes was heaven, I admired the “Shoe Expert!” . Like I previously mentioned I enjoy to sell, and (I am good at it selling over $50, 000 worth of jewelry for Friedman’s Jewelers in 2007) the girl that would always do shoes did not shine at it like I felt like I did… She ended up never coming in for her shift couple weeks later… guess who came in for her.
Time kept passing and for “Check in” I would keep getting placed in the fitting room… I started to wonder if I was not considered good enough for the sales floor, register, greeter, ANYTHING but the fitting room!
The store manager did not care about anything but how she looked when HER bosses came in. She started literally FREAKING OUT ABOUT IT days before, everything and anything was about whoever they were that were coming in… she seemed very scared, apprehensive and nervous. One of the 2 different days the “big bosses” came in I worked for somebody (go figure) in the morning, which I go to school and had never done before. It was akward and weird, before the “big bosses” got there, the Store Manager threaten myself and the other seasonal that if SHE got in trouble, WE got in trouble! Well, they came in, and of course I couldn’t wait to introduce myself in hopes of a future advancement or even, raise. The store manager acted like a puppy the whole time they were there. It was pathetic. Few days later another girl needed me to work for her, of course I called my GM to ask her… she denied it because another set of big bosses/owners were going to be there… and that SHE needed to work. Wow, stab in the heart. I represent Charlotte Russe in every shape and form but she didn’t want me to work?! Of course she had to cover her as* and have somebody there and she let me stay until 3 since they wouldn’t be there until 4…. Couple days later there is a note on the board, about how apparently the employees did not meet the customer service level that the “big boss” wanted, and that she would be hiring. I was mad, happy and shocked. I felt like she chose the other girl over me because of her looks, (even though I look damn good myself!) and it backfired on her so it was a “HA!”… but more hiring?! ment less hours… Which this was after Christmas and I still could not make ends meet… Since I am a student, DHS requires 20 working hours a week to qualify… not very much to ask for at a job, and I have always worked over 40 at other places. So when I told her about this and asked her for those 20 guaranteed hours a week, which, with how well I performed and how I thought I proved myself by constantly coming in for others, did not think would get absolutely denied, she got very nervous and said she could not guarantee them. weird enough the next day, I walked to the back as another co worker asked her the SAME thing… and her child-like reply was… “I want food stamps!” over and over again… well, she is very much overweight so it was akward, and rude since it is obviously not by choice that I can’t even afford food. By her acting this way she got off the topic… I looked at my situation: I am foreign with no family help, going to school full time and working somewhere where seems like I am the only person who wants the hours, but the only one not getting them. I figured it was so when others called in I would be available… But the hours on my paychecks never added up to being 20 a week, and I still am not able to get that little bit of help from the government… there is a lot of anger in this. If I am doing something for my future how could DHS have such a harsh and strict rule to help? How could a my Store Manager deny me of that too? All my other jobs I admit that I had attitude with my bosses, all males, but come to find out my Manager is my friend’s sister and boyfriend’s dad’s former deceased Mother. Wow. Well, to make my life harder, my hours the past few weeks and on the current and next schedule are: 9. WOW… what? the only person who cares to come in, who by this time joked to my boyfriend and called myself the “fitting room expert” and who had to put pride aside and ask for more hours because I cant even afford a coke. Is life unfair or am I being taken advantage of? Or does she see how good of an employee I am and is jelouse and does not want me to overshadow her? Around this time is when I realized… I am the only one running back and forth with fitting room ### while she stands around with the other lazy ###. I noticed how last weekend, I took somebody’s shift at 11 am and did not stop for one second until 5:30… Am I the only employee not allowed to have lunch?! Of course she ate… I noticed that day, that she has favorites and we were fairly busy… and she let one of her favorites get off… only so this girl could shop and try on clothes for about 2 hours which we were COMPLETELY slammed but she had the guts to get me to walky her and the other 5-yr-associate over to see how she looked in every outfit… WOW… does this make sense? I was supposed to work 11 am-3 pm for SOMEBODY ELSE, no problem but guess what... ANOTHER lame excuse came over the phone line and was asked to cover somebody else’s shift! I was so angry inside, I need the money, I cant say no. Im exhausted and starving, fed up with people handing me tons and tons of clothes that I had to put up….. but I did not show any frustration. I realized that I could not show how weak I was at that moment and act like it was no big deal, that I didn’t notice I was the only one who did not get a break, for half a second, to breath. I got my 20 minute break 45 minutes before I was supposed to be off, only to call my boyfriend and all I wanted to do was to cry… is all this worth it? Like I said as soon as I came back I left but was back for the new girl at 7… come to find out she had a weak stomach earlier that day but she “pulled through” and I worked half her shift…. (I have to mention that I have severe GERD and gastiritis, a lot of acid, and not eating makes that acid burn, add bending over several times, I ended up dry-heaving horribly loud and painfully physicaly and embarrassing… this was at closing, when my body had had enough.) so when this girl told her that, again anger and just, disbelief came over me…. I am willing to put my health thru that with no complaints, to anybody, nonetheless call in… and here she is… leaving. I realized I am a total sucker and they got to the point where I was hurting myself when others didn’t care. But she has double the hours, and on her 2nd day already doing real nothing to do with the fitting room. Seeing her checking people out while I folded the rejected clothing made me open my eyes to…something aint right and aint fair!
Soon after this we had a meeting, “Does anybody besides the managers know what this meeting is about?” she asked. No answer, but I pay attention, and listen… CUSTOMER SERVICE, I confidently said. “Yes, our secret shopper points are down”… “And us the managers sat down and don’t think anybody here gives it their all, all the time, to not be replaceable. ----STAB TO THE HEART. I realized another thing at that moment, that nothing mattered to her but the outside view of the store, and management. She went on to say that when, and if, the store scores a 100% her and the other managers get $100 gift cards to spend. BUT SHE WOULD GIVE HERS UP TO THE PERSON WHO GETS 100!. I was so upset inside, first of all, why would managers that aren’t even working get $100 worth of something they had nothing to do with, and she is so fat she cant fit into anything we carry, so it doesn’t matter to her. She wants the score to have a non-existing image of a perfect customer friendly retail store. I was shocked when she pretty much trained us on how we were supposed to act to customers EVERY time in order to get that perfect score. I realized this was the first and only training I ever got from her. I guess fitting room work is self explanatory.
Well, I realize this is extremely long, and I appologize. Today I had enough. I looked at the schedule wrong and was scheduled 12-5 but thought I worked 3-7. I got a call followed by a text from her demanding explanation to why I was not there!. I immediately called her, turns out I looked at next week’s schedule… both weeks 9 hours. She was rude and said I had to be there “ASAP!”. I was angry at the whole situation. If I had any hours instead of blanks maybe I would have a copy at home, but by this time its me only working Friday and Saturday. My boyfriend was there when she called, and he tried to tell me again how can I let her use me like this… But $80 a week is better than no dollars a week, I kept telling myself. I was very scared to go in, I thought she would be so mad because I got there at 1:30, mainly on purpose. She checked me in and was the sweetest person ever, calling me babe and everything. By the way, we weren’t busy. I was extremely relieved that she wasn’t mad, and the shift was going GREAT until little things caught my attention… I had had enough when 5 O clock came, she left and nobody informed me if I had to stay or not. I went and asked. Answer was that I had to stay an hr and a half extra since I was late. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME KEEP THE 9, but there was no communication from my boss that was long-gone. The new manager was eating in the back, and I brought up this up. Conversation led to my GM not liking that I “TAKE MORE DRINKS FROM THE WATER FOUNTAIN THAN ANYBODY ELSE”, that it “GETS ON HER NERVS THAT I DON’T SPEAK LOUD ENOUGH ON THE WALKIE” and that “BEING LATE IS THE WORST THING EVER TO HER”. I had my mouth open but no words came out because I could not believe that all my hard work was not appreciated, me covering was not appreciated, me suffering from being broke not realized. I can not help I get thirsty cause I run back and forth, unlike anybody else. I had a feeling this was happening so I would make myself go longer periods of time with horrible thirst and dry mouth until I couldn’t take it anymore… how is this normal? Nodody taught me how loud or far to speak into the walky, didn’t even know it was “annoying” and such a big issue. And the tardiness is exaggerated by 1 minute being automatically late.
I went back to the sales floor and thought about this and got even more heated. I told the manager on duty I still needed to talk to her. I told her I cant let anything out because I don’t even understand how they think this is acceptable. well, im done with this story. She couldn’t understand why I was so upset. she told me to go home, 10 minutes early, but I stayed and tried to explain my frustration to the other “right hand” that is actually a very nice girl. I left after appreciating her for always being professional and nice and I left. I got home and told my boyfriend. I realize that none of this matters. to anybody but me, because its my life, my income, my job. I am replaceable and they don’t care about any of this. Im scheduled tomorrow at 3. I don’t know if I will go in or not.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I HATE WORKING AT CHARLOTTE RUSSE! I have been working there for more than a couple months now, AND STILL, only getting 6 to 7 hours a week! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I am suppose to be a part-time employee so I should be at least be getting 15-20 hours a week when I barely work 6! One girl is making $300 every two weeks and I can barely get $50. I honestly believe that there is favoritism with the employees. Whichever girls the managers seem to be friends with, they always get more hours! IM SORRY IM NOT AT WORK TO MAKE FRIENDS, I AM THERE TO DO A JOB AND I DO IT WELL! It really sucks because I absolutely LOVE the store itself and was so picky with my job search...I ONLY WANTED TO WORK THERE. Now I am just so disappointed! The managers are so lazy they don't do anything besides sit behind the register and have conversations with each other with the headsets! Its embarrassing that my 15 year old sister makes 4X as much than I do working at freaking Del Taco I HATE IT! So made my decision and going to look for a new job immediately! May not be where I dream to work, but at least I can finally make a living and buy decent Christmas presents :(( really wish I never even applied!
The store manager is unprofessional and ignorant. The store manager does not do her job well in a business management. The store manager talks ### about other employees, does not treat each employee equally. And the store manager is lazy. Someone from corporate should take this complaint effective immediately. Fire this unprofessional women. None of them employees enjoy working with this store manager. A lot of people quit their job because of the store manager unprofessionally.
I started work in June,
And I have so much horrible things I have to say about the professionalism in this company store and environment. Little did I realize how degrading it is to work for Girls stuck in high school. If I ask a question about something I don't know, because I just started don't you think someone would help me out in a polite and timely manner instead of making me feel like a 5 year old child ? Why is it that my assistant managers are copping a good 45 hours a week when I'm only receiving 15 ? I clearly do not understand so someone explain. Why is it that my managers have the need to criticize our customers and talk sh**in the walkie? Why does my manager talk sh** about me to other co-workers when I do something wrong? I have never in my life worked such an un-meaningful job in my life. WE ARE NOT DRONES and WE ALL HAVE AN EXTENT to which we are pushed ! Why do I have to give a two-week notice so that I may ask for a day off ? Really two weeks ! Seems like my managers have no experience in handling a schedule . This is the most mediocre job I have ever worked at. Nothing and I mean nothing is worth your time at Charlotte Russe besides being a smart girl and just shipping there.
Yes I am a manager. But I do not work for Charlotte Russe. You observed? LOL.
Are you a manager?^ why the long faces
I've observed the staff and management there
Customer Service haha yeah right
Unless you work there as a manager you know ### about how to do her job. Maybe the employees don't like her because she makes them work.
i just read this complaint and my god how my situation sounds almost EXACTLY the same as yours! except for one stupid mistake i got written up because I had brought in a friend and used my discount for her clothes which doesnt make any sense because i had done it once before and this one time i got caught and apparently i was "abusing" my discount and my manager yelled at me for making a stupid mistake like this because this was something i was supposed to know and she literally admitted how she didnt care about who i talked to or if it was my first time everything she rudely said to me almost made me cry that night. and the one thing i always hated was that i was always walking back and forth catching every customer trying to sell and they would talk to me over the walkie telling me how im not doing my job and that i need to talk more when im really trying to help a customer out finding her size or watever the heck shes looking for. in my five years of working retail this is the worst job i've ever had and this is the time something has ever happened to me. i seriously am not considering of adding them to my resume because i dont trust wat theyll say about me if contacted for reference when i really did bust my a$$ at work covering almost everyones shift. this crap is ###.
That's a stupid store. Seriously. Nobody care of customers. And I guess there is no GMs or big bosses up to them, who cares about store and customer service. Why?! Because I was 1000 times there nobody care. Seriously. Nobody care your problems. Another stores like forever 21, love culture and many more have more nice clothes plus it's not " those" prices? Why pay more? For this rude stuff up there. Better pay less but with nice and smiling stuff at forever 21. I have a bad experience with this BEACH (!) up there (Orlando, fl, praime outlets). I'm just surprise How stupid people can be. Seems like no limits on them brain. Oh, just close the store.
I was really surprised to hear this. I've work for charlotte for two years and the store I've been in has never had drama. Everyone works together as a team helping with sales and go backs. Our store is very close knit. Fitting rooms is a great place to be because of the opportunity to add to the sales and really show off how you are an expert as far putting together outfits and accessorizing. As far as hours associates usually only work 4 hour shifts with a 15min paid break. Depending on how many hours your store has to work with getting 9-10 hours sounds about right. Around the holidays especially black.Friday and Christmas expect to pick up few shifts. I
The perception of an employee addicted to oxycontin is mind blowing. I would even be willing to say that it might have even been a halucinagin she was on if that's how she thinks she worked. There were two managers at that interview, one was indifferent and the other was completely against it. Obviously her outstanding questioning of when breaks were and paydays during the interview persuaded employment. This employee is the only reason that when in doubt, don't hire is our interviewing motto. I look forward to sharing this enlightened moment with former coworkers.
wow i guess CR has the same problems everywhere! I, too, was coming in EVERY DAY to cover other girls shifts that call off last minute or never show up at all. Our DM is the biggest b**** you'll ever meet. She talks to everyone like they're incompetent 3 year olds. The managers take [protected] breaks a day, and the second i ask for a 15min break they look at me like i have 10 heads and say "uhm you can't take one now, you're leaving in an hour and a half" its ILLEGAL to not get a break so they manually go back in later and put in the computer that i took one but I NEVER GET BREAKS! to top it all off, 2 of our managers and one of our associates are BEST FRIENDS so they give eachother all the hours and get the best vacation days and have the same days off and always work together. Thats extremely unfair because all of the sales associates are getting 5 hours a week but the managers are giving her 27 hours a week because they're BEST FRIENDS! ughhh! i hate favoritism! oh and we're expected to do all of this selling and we dont get commission, what BS! i get screamed at if i dont offer EVERY customer a pair of shoes, jewelry, and a belt hand picked by me, with EVERY outfit they find. its absolutely exhausting! and for what? minimum wage? oh please. this company is a J O K E.
I can't believe other people are experiancing what I have experianced at CR. I have been the company for a year and 2 months already and to be honest it's not worth it. The managers are lazy. The only time they actually do something is when the DM is there. Our DM is close to our store manager so she practically covers her [censor] all the time. I guess they worked with each other before from previous jobs. Another thing that is messed up is a few girls and I started this job the very same time this other girl did and this girl was promoted twice in one year.
Supposedly, the reason why she got promoted was because she had the experiance of being a counter supervisor. We were not even notified that position was availiable! Secondly, this girl is so lazy! She does not do anything and it's even worse now that she is KEY HOLDER. All the managers even take random breaks and never clock out or some of them sit in the back. There is just so much to tell, I can't' even believe that it's this way.
First off, I have been reading all over the internet about associates and management alike who are having issues with CR. I have been with the company for eight months as their "part time assistant manager" and have had NO real one on one training, blackballed by one of the other managers and fight every day to maintain my sanity. Our "store manager" is a joke, thank GOD she is on leave. She is the most two-faced woman I have EVER come into contact with. I take myself as a very professional person, I don't like to stand around and talk gossip about the other girls. I find that my girls are my TEAM, whereas, she would always be sweet and nice to their faces and talk crap about them behind their backs. Our "full time assistant" was a joke. I finally called our DM on her because she basically RUINED the store, chose favorites and cut hours, including mine. She was very disorganized and saw fit to treat everyone as if they were beneath her. This is a GROWN woman I speak of who has KIDS. Everything was always my fault according to her. She let shipment pile up and couldn't do a floorset to save her LIFE. It got to the point where I couldn't make my BILLS. So finally, I got sick of it and called our new DM of our district and complained to her about how all our girls were thinking about quiting, how we were all tired of her power tripping. She immediately made plans to move said girl from our store. That next day I went into work and she tried to FIRE me. Mind you, all the girls and other management were behind me and had spoken to our DM themselves.
All I really have to say is CR may look appealing from the untrained eye, or even from the window, but deep down, within every store, there is a lot of drama. You've got to think, the company puts on this fake happy go lucky charm, but how much are these girls REALLY acting? I believe whole heartedly that how the company treats, trains and stresses out the people who work there seems to change people. I shouldn't have to CHANGE my image for a RETAIL job. I shouldn't have to bust my butt to make sure others look good, while I'm sitting there, waiting, watching and wondering when it will be MY chance to shine. I've got a lot of retail experience and enough management experience to RUN that store on my own. So to be talked down to by someone who has maybe three years, got the job because her FRIEND was the store manager, is beyond me. Sadly to say, I'd love to see the company go downhill, the clothes are horribly, cheaply made, customer service is not worth much and all the paperwork is a JOKE. Let me SELL to my customers instead of being stuck doing Shift Accountabilities, typing in figures and trying to make unattainable goals. Why doesn't the company give you a pat on the back for at least doing your BEST? Don't tell us to cut hours, all my sales associates get MAYBE 9-12 hours a week, depending on availability, specialty (shoes, jewelry, denim, ect.)
The company overall needs an overHAUL. There is lack of teamwork in our whole district. We have one store in particular who basically LETS there associates STEAL from the company, gives discounts to friends, ect, which is a BIG no-no. Maybe hire less superficial girls and bring in REAL women who know how to work and not chat aimlessly about how horrible a girls outfit is. Did I mention that six stores out of eleven in our district are missing store managers, one of which is just being run by KEYHOLDERS? Promotion within should be key. My acting store manager, who I admire and like so much because of all her retail experience and down to earth attitude is basically falling apart at the seams because of the mess she has been stuck with.
To anyone thinking about working for the company, don't. It took me two weeks but I have finally found a new job, one that will give me benefits, great pay and won't make me feel bad for needing a day off or not picking up my phone to go work a shift for someone else because our girls NEVER show. And why would they? It's only four hour shifts maybe twice a week at $7.25 an hour.
So to the young lady who is in college, you're better off somewhere else, don't hold your breath about getting recognized. We have a counter supervisor, the last of a dying breed, who still hasn't been noticed and she's been with the company for YEARS. And to the newly promoted manager, have fun with the headache of all that paperwork, superficial management and grueling hours, you're one of them now. And if you're really a good person, not fake at all, maybe, just maybe, you'll be ok. But I have chosen to leave behind the drama, childishness and rude people for something better, a grown up career and a step in the direction of my future.
- Virginia
I recently read your complaint about the Charlotte Russe company, and was quite shocked. Having working at Charlotte Russe for over 2 years and just having stepped into a management position myself, I can see quite a few issues that there seem to be not only with your management, but how your store is run over all. I do feel the need however to point out that while many associates seem to think that their store managers and key holders are "doing nothing" all day there is a great bit of responsibility that goes with this position. I have worked as an associate for over a year so I know very well what the responsibilities are for all positions at this store. While it is unfair that you were not given a break for several of your shifts, you are not required a 45 minute lunch unless you have worked at least an 8 hour shift, a 6-7 hour shift gets a 30 minute lunch. In addition our store has received complaints in the past that the girls do get burned out from spending too much time in one section of the store over the other, so perhaps you could kindly suggest to your store manager that maybe your store could consider switching zones every few hours, it has worked very well in our store, and gives everyone a bit of a change. I think the biggest issue that your store seems to have is maybe a communication and training issue. Maybe you are being put in the fitting room all the time because they really do see how great you are back there? The fitting room is one of the absolute best places to sell! Think about it... you have the customer positioned back there, already with clothes they are considering and all you have to do is suggest suggest suggest, they are already there so take the hassle out of it for them... tell them "that dress is great but it looks even better with a brown chunky belt, would you like me to grab one for you to try on with it?" even if you're adding on a $8.50 belt, you're adding on! Not to mention you have the shoes right there and can say.. "hey we have the most perfect shoes ever to go with that shirt! what size are you I'll grab them for you!" They hardly ever say no!
If you really are doing as good of a job as you say you are, and you are picking up the shifts then you are not going unnoticed. I at one point felt the same way.. that I worked my butt off and nobody ever noticed because I was not getting praised... I felt unappreciated and like you, unnoticed. The next thing I knew I was being offered a promotion. I am not saying you most definitely have a promotion coming your way, but I do think you should hang in there!
It would also be very helpful for you to mention to your store manager, "hey I love my job, I love this company, and I want to do my best, what do you feel are my weaknesses and areas I need to improve on?" I did this, received a straight up answer of where I could improve, and I fixed the problem. It is worth a shot for you as well.. But I surely hope you just didn't show up, you probably just need to practice better communication both on your part, and your store managers.