store manager

key account manager

customer service representative

retail store manager

warehouse associate

Dover Saddlery

I worked for Dover for a year and a half as a sales associate. At the beginning they were willing to work with my personal and work schedule since I am a full time college student. However towards the end, they decided to lay me off essentially and only have me work seasonally. When I was unable to work one day that I was scheduled (Which I had told them well in advanced that I would be out of town, and I had also offered to try to find someone to cover my shift, and if I couldn’t I would still come in) I was rudely fired via text, and basically told that I “Was not working out for the manager’s schedule.” On other days where I had to call in (Because of sickness or because I was recovering from a TBI) management was extremely rude to me, and would send me nasty and passive aggressive texts basically showing that they were displeased that I couldn’t come in. 

Working here especially towards the end was an absolute nightmare and it was due to how I was treated by fellow coworkers and management. Coworkers were extremely cliquey and rude and while there were some who were kind and who I enjoyed being around, most of them were not ESPECIALLY in management. The pay was not anywhere close to liveable at only $10.25 an hour, and while the discount was great, it did not make up for the lack of pay whatsoever. I would not recommend working here, and I am so much happier at a different job that isn’t Dover. 

A typical day would be keeping shelves stocked. Cashing out customers. Fitting customers for the safest gear. Advising customers on equine products. I learned how to confidently work with customers and make them very satisfied and loyal to the company. I learned how to communicate with unhappy customers and employees. I learned how to resolve difficult situations. I learned what it is like to be appreciated by happy customers. The management was totally chaotic, no one is truly in charge and those who perform above and beyond get taken advantage of. All the coworkers are very nice and easy to work with as long as you do not become part of the drama. The hardest part is not being able to give your opinion about certain aspects of the store. The most enjoyable part is seeing happy customers with the products they need.

Great Stepping Stone for a resume builder. You learn to think on your feet when there seems to a situation that needs to be handled. You learn a new data entry system when ringing out customers, checking inventory, re stocking shelves, front facing the store, setting up displays etc. You are immersed in to a culture that is very demanding and very client specific, so you learn to adapt to all sorts of people's characters. When working with your piers, if you were not able to handle something or know what exactly to do, the communication was always there, you didn't feel as if you were alone. The dress code was either khakis and Dover polo, or you could represent any of the "in season" apparel. Over all, my experience working there was positive and enjoyable one.

I watched a lot of people burn out and leave, and others who were fired. Managers kept secrets and played politics.  They lied to employees about company policies to manipulate them. Everyone would confidentially admit that they wanted to leave and were working on setting up a new job. Lots of lying and zero flexibility about anything. One manager kept a menstrual calendar of his employees and would steer clear of certain people at times during the month. It was the worst job of my career. One thing I did like was that everyone had to participate in annual inventory counting, so that got us out of the office into the warehouse and people briefly seemed less stressed and almost social for a couple days.

Former store manager, I fought very hard for my staff to be paid a livable wage. It took me leaving to see we had the lowest paid employees in the whole company (some who had been there since the beginning). They don’t care about employees, they want you to devote your life to them but not compensate accordingly. Their reasoning “it’s a privilege to work for Dover”. Love the people I worked with and customers, but upper management are a bunch of mall retail junkies with no horse experience. The company used to be nice to work for, not anymore. Don’t work there and don’t shop there. The stories former employees could tell!

- Good discount, but is considered part of your pay. I'd rather pay my bills than get a new shirt. It should be an opt in opt out program, but it isn't.

- Upper management very wasteful with merchandise. Products that can easily be donated are told to be disposed of and to be made sure they are not in re-usable condition.

- Upper management absolutely zero equestrian knowledge, and stores are pre-stocked with what they see fit.  Hard to help customers that way.

- The customers are great, just pray your store is stocked with what they need.

- Always enjoyed who I worked with at the store, any other managers (corporate level) very little presence or assistance when needed.

This is a great job if you love horses and find enjoyment in sharing your knowledge to help other horse lovers.  I generally enjoyed my work days.  However, this job is only worth it long term if you are a store manager, as the pay is terrible even at the supervisor level.  Lastly, the stores only staff maybe around 15 people if even that, so finding coverage for a shift is next to impossible.  The store manager may or may not follow state mandates for breaks, so know your rights.     

You get to meet people and make connections in the horse world. A lot of the work is helping customers find what they need/giving advice/fitting customers for equipment, unboxing product and stocking shelves, setting up promotional items and events, and cleaning. For the most part the management is fun and inviting, but sometimes it can lean towards a little too personal. Also, with any lower-level retail job, there is drama, which I did not enjoy. Those are the bad aspects of my experience though, and overall I did have a fun time while I was there. It's a great place to start if you're just entering the workforce. 

Management at store level varies. Mine is skilled and knowledgeable, however she is often frustrated by corporate procedures and directives that just make no sense at all. Dover is experiencing big changes, but "work smarter not harder" doesn't seem to be a concept upper management understands. I see why our manager gets so frustrated. 
I love sharing knowledge and helping our customers, especially newbies to our world. The discount program is great, but better pay for what we are required to know should commiserate.

Working for Dover Saddlery was a wonderful experience because of the equestrian community and the staff I had the privilege of managing. We had a wonderful team atmosphere and genuinely enjoyed each other. However, there was a lot of disorganization on the corporate level, leaving the retail stores often left to pick up the pieces. I was able to make the most of my experience because I sincerely love anything equestrian related and I had a tremendous staff and support system.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Store manager 3 salaries reported	$54,667 per year
Key account manager 3 salaries reported	$16.67 per hour
Customer service representative 3 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour
Retail store manager 2 salaries reported	$25.50 per hour
Warehouse associate 1 salary reported	$15.25 per hour

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