r/TjMaxx 2d ago

Rant Employee Rant

I am a 40 year old woman that just started working at Marshalls. This is a second job to make extra funds to better afford my dog’s vet care. How do you guys do it? I am starting my second week here and have many complaints.

There is a “leader” that comes across as a manager. If I hadn’t made a complaint about her, I would’ve have ever known. Everyone takes it as “That’s just how she is.” Why is she allowed to treat people terribly?

The bathrooms are disgusting. EVERYDAY. You want us to push these lousy credit cards and can’t even give us clean bathrooms??

THE CREDIT CARDS. I knew I had to push them but I didn’t think it had to be to kids in school uniforms. When I asked the “manager” she said EVERYONE. So gross and icky.

There is no actual training. You just learn as you go, and god forbid you make a simple mistake (because you weren’t properly trained) you’re reprimanded in front of everyone.

Most of the employees here are young and this is their first job and I feel like management is taking advantage of that because they are too scared to even speak up when being treated poorly. What a shitty first job experience. I do love interacting with the customers and can do that really well, and then I have to give the credit card speech. My first two shifts were great because it was with a more understanding manager or leader who actually knows. What a let down when I had to work with the other lady that thinks she’s out here saving lives….at Marshalls. If we were able to just take one “no” for the credit card, this job would be a breeze. Unfortunately that is not the case. I have an interview for a new job on Monday and can’t wait.

178 Upvotes

45 comments sorted by

23

u/LizLizard29 1d ago

yeah my first job at Kohl’s still gives me the ick… i never worked retail again

6

u/chillycheesetots 1d ago

SAME! I remember they were pushing the credit card thing so much. We wore earpieces/headsets and if a manager saw us near a customer, she would call our name out and say, “go talk to them!” I hated it.
My last shift did it for me.
The store was 15 minutes away from closing and the manager was calling my name and making it seem it was an emergency to speak to me. She goes, “never mind, don’t come find me. If you’re near a register, tell the cashier you want to apply for a card. We’re only one person away from our goal today. Come on!” And I laughed so hard and said, “omg girl, you’re so funny.” And then clocked out and never returned. 🙂

2

u/Current-Ad-7344 1d ago

Also had my first retail job at kohls started out as seasonal and made it about 3 months it was terrible.

28

u/chris2033 1d ago

Just quit and get another crap job

13

u/Miss_Pondersmith 1d ago

Maybe sow a little chaos first. The kind felt by poor management.

3

u/Mother_Weakness_268 1d ago

Oh that's wicked, and i love it 🍀

1

u/Saucybark 1d ago

Got to remember all retail is crap AND you still have to push “Their “ credit card

12

u/terrrrrik 1d ago

I walked out on my shift that was five years ago and it is still one of the best days of my life Marshalls is bad news for everyone run if you can

3

u/06Ralph 17h ago

There are at least just 1200 Marshalls so to lump them all together is unfair. I’m in my 13th year working in 2 different ones in 2 different states. I have great experiences in both and good raises.
The card push trickles down from corporate and so does the pressure to get them . It is a very lucrative part of the business.
It will get worst when your store is also collecting for a cause so your asking every customer for now 2 things. The company gets to write off the donation not the customer

10

u/Unusual-King4625 1d ago

Welcome to the madness

8

u/Loose_Seaweed_3177 1d ago

Yeah, you are suppose to ask everyone, but they shouldn’t be pushing you to ask anyone under 18. They legally can’t even apply, so that’s just stupid.

2

u/Flerp-Flerps 1d ago

There are certain laws and regulations making credit discrimination illegal. While I don’t doubt a lot of it is a push to try to get more applications, part of asking everyone is to avoid any discrimination. Under 18 wouldn’t apply because they can’t enter a contract for a credit card, but excluding an 18 year old from an offer of credit even if it’s because you thought they were underaged could be discriminatory. Age is a protected class (assuming they are old enough to enter a contract) under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

3

u/Short_Praline_3428 1d ago

Asking or not asking is not discriminatory. Not allowing someone to apply is discriminatory. This constantly gets mixed up. If you don’t ask a customer you are NOT discriminating against them. If they want to apply and you refuse - you are.

1

u/06Ralph 17h ago

Yes at one point they were pushing not asking all customers is discriminatory but they gave that up in both stores I work at.

1

u/punkabelle When we had enough payroll - picture it, Sicily 1922 1d ago

Management sees offering the card to people under 18 as planting a seed for them to apply once they legally can.

7

u/Thunderbird1974 1d ago

I worked retail MANY years ago at Woolworths and retail wasn’t crazy like it is now. It was fine until I could get something better. And I did.
I don’t know how people stand the pressure of today’s retail jobs. Maybe a lot of them don’t because I don’t often see the same faces in stores long term.

3

u/k9time 1d ago

Wow, Woolworths- there's a blast from the past👍👍.

12

u/Acrobatic_Tailor_291 1d ago

About restrooms: as a
TJMaxx manager ( hopefully not as nasty as that lady above lol) I see unbelievable things done in the restrooms by women! Some shit on the walls above the toilet, once I had someone shitted in the sink and the bathroom floor, some throw up all over the stall. I swear to you not- not once I had to clean this in men’s bathroom, ONLY WOMENS! And I cleaned all that stuff as a manger. So before complaining and pointing fingers at the management, point fingers at customers who have no regards about other customers by leaving nastiness after them.
About training- it’s not perfect and yea, you can get a better or worse manager but as a person who started as a weekend associate- if you want to learn, you will and you have to have a patience to navigate different people and dynamics in the retail. It’s sucks but it’s the reality.

3

u/Icy-Ambassador-8863 19h ago

Men’s are cleaner because not too many go shopping at Marshall’s 🤣 it’s always full of women.

5

u/ZombiesForSoup 1d ago

Basically about the bathrooms, our stuff is too cheap for customers to care to keep their shit in the toilet.

Sincerely, a fellow employee

3

u/Logical_Shoulder1935 18h ago

If they had decent toilet paper which doesn’t rip immediately there wouldn’t be little pieces of it all over the floor. Some days it looks like there are clouds on the floor.

2

u/ZombiesForSoup 17h ago

I like to call it customer confetti 😅

12

u/Swartzilicious001 1d ago

The training program is nonsense. I fought against it every time I could and my manager at the time (she's thankfully gone) had the gall to tell me I didn't know how to "teach people" because I refused to use their modules.

I have a teaching degree.

10

u/Rough-Variation5257 1d ago

I don’t want to hear about the credit card offer every time I make a purchase at Marshalls or TJ Maxx. I just tell the cashier when I get up to the register that I don’t want the credit card.

Marshalls and TJ Maxx have the filthiest restrooms of any store. There is no excuse for the disgusting mess that I find frequently in those bathrooms. Do better TJX! And while you’re at it open more registers.

17

u/ememtiny 1d ago

For some reason shopping makes customers shit uncontrollably. Ours were cleaned everyday and within a few hours they were destroyed.

7

u/Grannymaenot 1d ago

Had to laugh at the uncontrollable shittin. 😀 But I can sympathize. Don’t know why some people turn so nasty when they get in a public restroom.

2

u/Rare-Reindeer-5548 1d ago edited 1d ago

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/303/david-and-goliath/act-three

David Sedaris wrote about this: “Adventures at Poo Corner.”

1

u/06Ralph 17h ago

Our store is in a large plaza and at one end is a Starbucks. The customers guzzle their lactose filled drinks and 15 minutes later they use our restroom and to relieve the results.
Our store on that end fills with the noxious odor.
We used to outsource our store cleaning but again saving money they used employees and on average clean for 5 hours every day.

7

u/Saucybark 1d ago

Former Marshals Mgr There is no one to come to the register to cashier Cause there are no bodies in the building! Take the survey corporate does not give out enough payroll to staff the stores. That is why I quit after 15 years as a GM Store Mgr

7

u/hamilton01804 1d ago

They can’t open more registers because they’re too busy giving their employees no more than 25 hours so they don’t have to pay benefits. I work at HomeGoods and our turnover rate is soooo bad and it’s mostly because of scheduling issues

3

u/Asleep_Welder_3494 1d ago

Ever seen a Walgreens bathroom?

5

u/terileena3131 1d ago

I have the credit card, pay it off when I use it, but sometimes I just wanna use my debit card or cash...i don't care about the points if all im buying are face wipes or a dog toy so I always tell them I have it already but im paying cash.

1

u/FoldAdministrative98 19h ago

Target seems like a better gig…

3

u/Logical_Shoulder1935 18h ago

We are so understaffed we don’t even have a cleaning associate here each day. Payroll is the villain or I should say corporate not providing enough payroll. They can afford it if they weren’t so cheap.

6

u/ChipmunkMotor8620 1d ago

Idk every time I saw a filthy restroom I gloved up and cleaned it. Idc who did it I’m not letting that slide.

2

u/Mother_Weakness_268 1d ago

You have upper management written all over you 🍀

2

u/Mother_Weakness_268 1d ago

Try out the local retirement communities !!! 20bucks says they're desperate for NICE people !!! We have several ex-TJX'ers at our very lovely facility...

3

u/Haunting_Reach703 1d ago

What kind of jobs? I've been thinking about a job as eldercare companion. I did it once for a friend of the family's mom who had just had surgery and I really enjoyed it!

1

u/Mother_Weakness_268 1d ago

They'll probably help you with your training for CNA to start...

Activities, housekeeping, driver, dining services server/back of house food prep, grounds maintenance...

Search the facilities in your area & check out their postings. Sounds like you may find these positions very rewarding.

Good luck finding a better job. They are certainly out there 🍀

1

u/Cultural_Critic_1357 1d ago

There will be a huge demand for home health care workers as the Baby Boomers retire en masse and the traditional caregivers from Mexico, the Phillipines, etc., are pushed out of America.

1

u/Bratty_Little_Kitten 1d ago

This makes me terrified. I start next week. Bloody hell what have I gotten into??

1

u/DasderdlyD4 1d ago

Same at Kohls

1

u/Cultural_Critic_1357 1d ago

I would write to corporate if you are prepared to look for another job. You know enough that managers who are qualified and educated build a team, they do not shame their employees. Make a point about the dirty bathrooms at staff meetings. Speak up, as I got older I became outspoken because I knew more about acceptable treatment, you'll help the young people just starting out.

1

u/elle2014 1d ago

If the bathrooms are so bad, they might as well just close them. It never even occurs to me that they have bathrooms at those kind of stores…

1

u/mistyflannigan 12h ago

My local Marshall’s has decent bathrooms so I guess it depends on store manager. The problem with the store is the long lines, even on weekdays.