retail sales associate

retail merchandiser

reset merchandiser

territory sales

route sales representative

Advantage Solutions

Hello, this is a honest no nonsense reveiw of Advantage Solutions. I didn’t want to post this review on there Facebook page and them finding out who I was so to remain anonymous I’m posting my review here. This is my second review two years later.

I’ve been working here for 2 years as a Event Specialist, let me say this, this job position should be treated as “temporary” employment to bridge into a better job and you’ll find out why as you keep reading. It didn’t take much to get this job, just a phone interview with the manager and I was in and since I needed a job, any job I took this. 

I’ll start with the pros but their aren’t much firstly you work at your own pace and you’re not micromanaged as soon as you walk in the door, it’s VERY independent work so nobody is hovering over your shoulder. You set up and get to work. It’s impossible to get fired, even if you come across they’ve posted your position up on LinkedIn and Zip Recruiter behind your back. They are very desperate to keep people even if you’re the worse employee in the world, the only way to lose this job is if you quit. You’ll get plenty of free time to pursue other things or another job since you will only work “up to” 3 days per week. On average you’ll work 2 days per week or less and occasionally 3 depending on your area.

The cons, unstable hours, the hours vary week by week if any at all and if you’re depending on a paycheck every 2 weeks and a decent one at that this is not the job for you. NO benefits absolutely none, NO mileage reinbustment or even partial reinbustment for putting wear and tear on your vehicle to get to there destination(motorcycle in my case) and the threshold to even get mileage reimbustment is unreasonablly  high. NO pay raise, don’t even ask them for a raise. NO career advancement, this is a dead end bottom of the barrel job. LOW PAY, this job will NOT cover your cost of living it’ll pay a bill here and there and the rest for gas and some food to get by till next pay check, your yearly income is still way under the poverty line. You’re not treated like “family” you’re treated like a number on a data sheet. They put on a facade “winning together” that they care about you in warm welcoming envoirment, they don’t, the only people “winning” are big salaried employee’s and upper management. Management constantly changes, sometimes you don’t know who to call. Most of the time you won’t even know they exsist untill they email you out the blue.

Minimum wage in California was recently increased to 12$ per hour, as a two year employee with the company they shaved my hours down to 4 hours per event, this means I cannot afford take a break anymore. With the adjustment I’m making less now then I was before the wage adjustment on top of a already high tax burden. This is defiantly going to prompt people to quit and long term employee’s to walk out. The company is not so strong as they like to make you believe since they cannot even afford to pay you a state minimum wage increase without shaving your hours off.

If you’re not in a dire situation please look the other way, I only recommend this job to elderly people that want something to do or a young person that’s getting up on their feet with a first job to get the foot in the door that’s it or anyone that’s in a hard situation and willing to take the little bit you do get from a job like this. If you’re ambitious and want more do not stay here long term, get a better job or eventually.

This is as true, honest and in-depth as it gets, they will not tell you this stuff during the hiring process, they’ll most likely lie or twist things to make it sound good when in reality it’s not. 

Thank you for reading my review. If you’re wondering why I’m still here, I have a second job that compounds with this one, that’s the ONLY way it’ll work if you plan to stay here for the long haul.

I've been with a company like this before and should have learned my lesson the first time. Although, Advantage Solutions is much better than the previous company and is definitely willing to work with you on some occasions.

A typical day is you, selling the products and being friendly to members which is nice especially if you love talking to people. The downside is that usually on some weekdays, or certain times of the month, you will be bored stiff and just stand there with warm food and no one to feed or your cold beverage becomes room temperature and you have to throw it out over a certain amount of time. And depending on which store you work for, you will be overworked and very busy or it will be very steady and make you feel you are actually working. 

On what I have learned, patience is a virtue and some members can definitely surprise you and make you laugh instead of you making them laugh. 

Management was excellent compared to my previous company, I was hired at one store and LOVED the manager there since she really did work her hardest every day (always willing to help us and answer any question no matter what, not to mention very easy to reach) and I appreciated her and has been the best manager I have ever come across. And honestly, this company doesn't deserve her. Due to moving, I had to relocate to another location closer and the manager is all right but I feel says some comments about the store that really isn't necessary or professional. 
It was easy to get hired and easy to reach the company when being hired. 

Depending on store location, the workers would be very friendly and help you or completely ignore you like you have the plague or something. It's very odd. Just be careful and study your surroundings or even ask questions before you ask a store worker for a favor (like if you can't get a certain product).

Hardest part of the job I believe is how strict the rules can be and things change CONSTANTLY every time you come in. One thing will be said is okay one day and the next time you come in, it's not and is very confusing and frustrating to the workers. Another part is that there are times you will feel overwhelmed but you need to just stop and take a breather at times. If your food is currently cooking, take a moment to relax and think on upcoming good selling points of your product. And did I mention no PTO or benefits? No overtime. Nothing. Nada. Zip. The only ones who does is your boss really, and you can't negotiate your pay. I've tried.

The most enjoyable is that usually, but also depends on location, your coworkers are very nice and willing to talk to you or give you pointers. Enjoyable and friendly break rooms, you will ALWAYS get a 30 minute break. If your manager recognizes you working hard you get praised which is very nice. You get to be friendly and make jokes with members. It's pretty nice.

I've never spoken to or received a return email from my supervisor for the Indiana region and there phone number is NOT available to E.S. I've emailed 3-4 times but never received communication in any form. If you have an issue you have to call the 'support team' and they are not always available when you need them because they are on west PST. When you do call them there are many times where you have a long wait to talk to someone and that someone is not always friendly or knowledgeable enough to get the job done and some are great and very helpful.
The in-store product demos: many times you have to prepare food samples for customers and two different products when there isn't enough time to do that with the hours you've been scheduled. It takes anywhere from 1-2 hours to set up for a product demo-sanitize cart, clean equipment if not done previously, search for equipment in the assigned area which can be crazy if previous E.S. are not organized or don't care about organization to make the job easier for themselves and others and then shop in a store that you are not familiar with and in those stores the department heads are so busy that they can't get to you to answer your questions, or they don't even know themselves where the products are in the warehouse and sometimes the shelves! Then YOU have to choose where the cart should go though suggested in the paperwork, many times there is no electricity available in those areas when you have a demo that involves cooking, so you search for a good location-more time consumed.
I was scheduled to work for 4-5 hours one day, did all the work preparations to get there and turns out there were not enough samples to hand out so I had to turn around and go home after 1 hour!!! I was only paid for that hour after reserving MY TIME for that day for only $10.00, the getting ready, preparing a lunch, ironing, getting all dolled up  :D and no place to go/stay! It was very disappointing and this has happened on more than one occasion do to product availability (some products you are going to promo are NOT even in the store and DON"T even have a UPC code (so why hand out coupons?) or there's not enough to sell so there really needs to be more communication between the Event Specialist and Store,  the Store to A.S. Management teams and shipping manufacturer.
The best thing about it is working with the public and working on your own.
You do get paid for phone calls to A.S., emailing, online training, so it is good that they consider our time in those matters, but it's not always considered when you show up for an event that's not going to happen.
It's still fun but can be kinda frustrating.  <3

I was a full time beauty concierge and I loved my job! It was great to work independently, build relationships with guests and help educate guests on why specific products were so effective for them. The downside, we were all laid off without notice. They liquidated our beauty concierge program all the way through management. Typically in California, companies must provide a 72 hour notice prior to lay off, we did not receive that notice. Instead 2 hours before reporting to work we had a nationwide conference call explaining that our positions were all terminated,  do not show up for work, do not report to job, simply you're done. We were all muted on the call as well so we were not able to ask any questions or get further information. All of us who were full time, were taken down to an on call position, they did this to avoid reprocussions of lack of notice, and to avoid paying unemployment rates, royally screwing 1000s of employees over. They agreed to pay us 2 weeks out as a "severance", however I had to fight for weeks to get money they owed me as well as my severance. I was not able to stay on for on call position, as they dont provide any work maybe 4 hours every 2-4 weeks, therefore I resigned. I did have to resign several times as they lack in efficiency, and feel they were really try to avoid paying me my 2 weeks severance, 40 hours of holiday pay, 56 hours of vacation pay, THAT I HAD EARNED AND WAS ENTITLED TO BY LAW. I loved this job while working there, the pay, the benefits, everything; but I didn't realize how low down they were until we were laid off. While working for this company you believe its great and are very happy, the downfall comes when they lay you off and toss you out like the trash. Losing my medical insurance without notice was the hardest part as I am a type 1 diabetic (insulin dependent). I showed up to work everyday, and I met sales requirements, had a huge amount of returning guests, and had a great relationship with my store team members, so it was really hard to be thrown away like we were. Be advised if taking a position with this company, you may feel the job is great, but when they're done with you, they are done with you. They do not care about their employees at all, what so ever. GOOD LUCK trying to reach anyone on the phone regarding payroll or hr, this company isnt a scam however after experiencing they way they terminated all of us (nationwide, 1000s of people) it most definately felt like one. Beware.

From the very onset of your first interactions with the "remote management" you get this very professional feeling from the onset. Soon after that first interaction and job offer everything is downhill from there, Very fast you are thrust into the game of numbers and even if your store or stores has very little to no opportunity to fill those numbers they don't care. For example As with any merchandising job you are expected to fill gaps and place things where they should exist but the store you are at have a solid crue and these things already exist where they are supposed to and you express this to your upper management you get broad replies like "You need to fill these at every store we know they are there" when you are the one at these stores communicating and see first hand they are not. What does that lead to? The need to fill these number columns regardless or you end up on a red list....and receive personal calls and emails they seem to never share in the team chats or apps they use to keep everyone in touch..oh no all you see is jipper happy messages in these chats because what they actually want to say is always said in the dark without prying eyes and ears. They use shady tactics to sell things and leave you minimally trained and equiped with limited knowledge about the product for stores you're heading into. They will tell you openly we understand not every store has these opportunities in  training and just to leave every store better than when you arrived and you have an open schedule to do so as you please as long as your stores are covered. But in practice this is not true and is impossible in most situations due to the the target frequencies of your stores on how they fall week to week. The way their "Milage program" works is less than suitable to cover the amount of miles you drive in a week. 600plus miles a week might get you 80 every 2weeks if your lucky. A lot of miles real fast and they don't even cover the gas let alone the wear and tear you get with tires and your vehicle along the way.
The more you really look into this place and the practices within you really start to get a picture of the terrible environment you are thrusted into, a little ironic considering you work alone don't you think? 


This is probably a good company, but they need to make some improvements. Can be a good job for a lot of reasons, and although there's the mix of stressful and exciting, good and bad, the Walmart environment can be a problem at times. It would be great if this company paid the event specialist a little bit more per hour, and perhaps if they streamline organized certain things those raises could be afforded. And the company itself could be more efficient. If you want some extra part-time hours this can be a really good fit, and have a lot more self responsibility and independent work although there is not much guidance, and especially training. The company  leaves a wide open alottment to get one's job done and it seems the managers of the actual stores have more supervisory role over the specialist. You will have to really think things out as you go, as not only is certain training just not but the practical enactment of what's written on paper isn't exactly what works in the grander, actual scheme. Specialists are dependent on a lot of different people in this job.There's times assistance is heavily needed day of event but they were also big blank spots when I could not reach anyone, for things most employers regard as crucial. Alot of aisle dodging, buying, being in cashier cues. This be a good company to start out with however for someone new to the job as it's not a quota based competitive venue. If you like to sell, cook, talk to people, work in a challenging environment, not be behind the cash register or have to sit this job has pluses. You'll have a constantly in flux work environment but a regular one where people will almost depend on you to be there, and other demo artists. Keep an eye on personal and company items as they can magically disappear from any part of the demo carts.

Expect to be grossly underpaid, unappreciated, work alone, put thousands of miles on your car with reimbursement WAY less than the IRS set rate.
Most likely you'll never meet a supervisor in person. Some of them care, say thank you, tell you your work is exceptional, some don't. They are also underpaid, overworked, and frustrated.
Employee turnover is insane because the pay is so pathetic and unrealistic. Expect to train or work with new hires with no experience or skills that have a higher pay than you. These people will not be fired because knowledgeable, hard working, good people leave in droves.
You get to schedule most of the jobs assigned to you within a 2 or 3 week time frame. Some major jobs that require a team from multiple agencies are hard scheduled. Sometimes you wake up and realize you are late for a job that was not on your schedule when you went to bed.
Unorganized and inefficient are not adequate words to describe what you'll deal with day to day.
You'll get a company newsletter bragging about the outstanding revenue as you are exhausted and sore from hand scrubbing filth from store shelves on your hands and knees all day for hours longer than scheduled because the other people scheduled from your company didn't show and you had to to the work of 3 people. No one (except a good supervisor if you have one) will acknowledge or apologize for this and you will in no way be rewarded.
At this company you will never get a raise, on the zillion to one chance that you do (let's say someone you're training complains to you that they aren't being paid enough and it's more than you make, you have years of experience while they have zero, your boss finds out and fights for you) that raise still won't be adequate.


STAY AWAY.  I worked at Target locations in my area.  AS assumed Target was supervising us; Target assumed AS was supervising us.  I don't mind working unsupervised, but I always felt unsupported.  In the year that i worked there, I had 3 different AS managers (who were in Kansas).  None of them displayed any care or competence.  Target couldn't care less if I came or went.

The hours are HORRIBLE.  A good week which was rare gave me 15 hours.  Every month there was at least one week where I was given ZERO HOURS.  They blamed it on clients.  As an employee, I am not trying to hear excuses on why I'm not given any hours on a given week.
A typical MONTH gave me 30 hours.  A MONTH.

When it came time to replenish supplies, FORGET IT.  Target was notorious for ignoring these "Leave Lists".  I was told by other Event Specialists in the field to not bother with Leave Lists, because Target never honored them.  We were definitely second-class citizens in this regard.  We were left to sign out items from floor inventory and check down to backup plans.

Now, I did take liberties at work.  I routinely walked out with extra samples, which was normal. But I admit I also lifted items from stores, believing no one cared.  Well, one location wasn't having it, and secretly reported me to management at AS.  Long story short, from Target's first reporting of my indiscretions to AS, IT TOOK ADVANTAGE SOLUTIONS 6 WEEKS TO FIRE ME!!!  In that 6 week period, I continued to be scheduled by AS to work at that location 3 more times.  No wonder the management of that store looked at me funny.  (fyi, I was also cited by law enforcement.  The matter has been completely adjudicated, which is why I'm open about it now).

If you are really desperate for employment, then do what you need to do.  Otherwise, avoid this company at all costs.

First of all, this is a retail broker with multiple teams so please understand not every team will operate the same way. Each team usually has a team lead as well as it’s own manager. Some teams also have an additional Supervisor. 

My manager is wonderful. They allow us to be autonomous, trusting that we are skilled enough to do our jobs without hovering over our shoulders. At the same time, if I ever have a question or concern I usually get an answer within the hour. If I need a more immediate response my Team Lead is available to answer questions. I have definitely witnessed managers I wouldn’t want to work for, and am thankful I got on the team I did. 

I’ve been doing my job awhile so for the most part I can get things squared away easily. I have had the same customers for a few years now so I was able to build relationships with them and could probably do my job with my eyes closed. Some days are more stressful than others but I never feel overwhelmed. 

The base pay is comparable for similar roles in the field. I have been given decent raises since I started. The insurance is out of state and can be very pricey. If you have a spouse who has a better plan you can join I would recommend over the insurance at ASM. 

I think the drama level also depends on the team. I work on a small team and we all get along and are cool. 

Overall this job is easy, though it can be redundant since you are doing the same things each week. I have had a pretty good experience working here. Only things I would change is to do more raises based on merit and longevity, and if they could find a way to reduce our insurance premiums that would be amazing. 


The job as a Brand Ambassador for Advantage solutions is an easy job.   The Frustrating part of the job is when your carts or equipment are in bad repair, or you cannot find the items you need to do your job. But when everything goes well, that is, your cart is in good condition, you get your kit with the signage you need to sell your products, and the store has your products to sell, It’s smooth sailing for the rest of the day.  
    Depending what store your in and the time of day will determine how good of a time your having; that is, if the store is dead and your left standing behind or by your cart wishing for someone to come by and sample your food plus being bored to tears!!   Those days can be painfully boring and make the day go by very slow.  But if you get a bigger and busier store, or on a Saturday and Sunday the day will go by faster you’ll have an interesting time meeting the customers. and be challenged to keep up with putting out your food samples,
     As for management well, that is not such a good side of the job as the company is so big, and everything is done on line.  Its impossible to get ahold of or even be sure of who to contact for what and get an answer is even harder.  They have to improve on their communication with their employees. 
     You don’t get to see many of your co-workers and when you do, its nice to have someone to talk to and meet them.  Everyone I have met so far has been very nice.  Pay could be much better $10.50 per hour isn’t much, but what part-time job you know of pays  more than that.  
     Scheduling is alright I work part time and get about 4 6hr. Shifts per week.  All and all, I do like my job and plan on staying on. 
So if you don't mind working by yourself and can power through the some of the issues I have mentioned, you will like to stay with it.

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