merchandiser

garden center merchandiser

seasonal associate

merchandise team leader

osp engineer

National Garden Service

EVERYTHING HERE IS MY OPINION AND MY SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE.

I used to work here and I was very well liked by most people I worked with. I loved my job. But I grew to hate my employer. This review is going to be all over the place but it is honest and heartfelt. Hear me out.

I applied for this job both out of desperation to escape my previous industry and with extreme excitement to do this type of work. On paper, the job seems perfect. Make your own schedule, be your own boss (most of the time), drive your own car and wear your own clothes (other than the shirt), network with lots of people, and take a hands on role in a unique horticultural job. Great, right?

But after some time, and after getting to know my bosses more intimately and hearing the insider scoop from them, the glow wore off. This company is terrible. They care about one thing, and one thing only: money. Not you and not the plants and not the customer. DO NOT TRUST ANYONE HERE because they will throw you under the bus and ruin your life if you step out of line in the little world they've created for themselves. Very sanitized "culture" and going the way of corporate-overlord-style management.

They somehow weasled their way into a major contract with Kroger, among others, and they have had no means of fulfilling this contract to the fullest. They are operating on skeleton crews and overworked and underpaid staff. NGS operates as a virtual company with literally ZERO real assets and THEY ARE COUNTING ON YOU TO REDUCE THEIR BUSINESS COSTS. Think about it.

You're covering all of your own expenses on your car including maintenance, gas, insurance, plus the increased risk of traveling for work and exposing yourself to crime and accidents as you work in potentially bad areas. (I was even attacked at a store by an employee of the store, for instance)

On top of this, they expected us to buy all of our own supplies and even replace and maintain Kroger's supplies and equipment at times. It wasn't until people started quiting or outright starting arguments about it that they started to address this. To my knowledge, they still send you out unprepared.

They barely trained us and what little training they did provide was laughable. Most of the people here have no clue what they're doing and are just winging it.

They don't compensate you for any of this. I tried to get full time after almost a year of giving this job everything I had, but they reduced our hours to make that impossible. And now, instead of covering 4 or 5 stores like I was, they apparently don't let you have more than 1 or 2. Which means guess what, your paychecks SUCK and you get no hours. When their budget is tight, they cut your hours to compensate. It happened to all of us. Then they use little schemes to make it seem like you're getting a seasonal raise but at the same time cutting your available hours. If you like overtime you will almost certainly never get it here unless you're a manager of some kind, in which case expect to have no life outside serving your corporate masters.

Do not choose the salary option if presented the choice either because they will abuse it hardcore.

No opportunity for full time or advancement at NGS. They won't even talk about it. I tried and it turned into a lecture from my boomer boss about how ungrateful I was to even ask for a chance at full time employment. This company has zero communication and does not even employ a dedicated recruiter last I knew. So there is no way to even see what positions are opening up within the company or how to grow professionally.

This is very much an old boys club type deal or very clique-like in general. You're not in the club by the way.

The compensation seems decent at first until you take everything into consideration and you calculate your expenses vs your pay and think about your goals as an individual. The wage is pathetic, actually. They don't even offer you insurance plans or paid time off. THEY DO NOT EVEN OFFER AD&D. Just act like their 3rd party contractor and get tossed to the wind when it's no longer convenient for them.

Most of your co workers will be brown nosers and your poor managers will be too overworked and tired to give you the help you need to be successful. I really did love my immediate supervisors, they were pleasant to work with. But they were being taken advantage of clear as day. And they knew it. But what other alternative is there when old heads still gatekeep and intentionally extract the wealth for their own benefit?

I would like to see the hourly pay and benefits package for the CEO and then compare that to the Live Goods Merchandiser. But oh wait, that information is not available because this is the least transparent company in existence.

Enjoy never meeting or even getting a phone call from people who will be determining your entire experience at NGS. They may even contact you randomly through the app to rebuke you, but thats it. No encouragement, introductions, or coaching.

NGS is just very frustrating to work for. The freedoms they offer you are in a sense unparalleled, but those freedoms become the thing that holds you back. Because sure they actually do give great flexibility to you, but their commitment to you succeeding professionally basically doesn't exist. They don't care about you at all. So while you will have a schedule that fits your lifestyle and a job you're passionate about, you will be so broke and so desperate for more growth it won't matter. This job is only ideal for recent high school graduates with zero responsibilities and minimal aspirations or retirees who just need to get out of the house.

Nobody should have to jump through hoops to enjoy a meaningful and productive career. I didn't even want a promotion unlike my clearly eager co workers, I simply desire fair compensation and a team who actually supports me. The "we're a family" stuff they spew is total nonsense. Doesn't exist. You'll be working for dry people who don't know you and don't care about you in the slightest.

Enjoy!

Worked here over a year. Leadership is very ungrateful and terrible at communication. The job is not part time. It is seasonal so be prepared to have another job in the winter. If you decide to drink that free coffee and be team lead you will put 150 miles on your car a day covering a list of stores each day all over the state and setting them up all while performing your other roles and meeting deliveries to unload. Your only reimbursement is for gas. No car maintenance reimbursement. You will exceed 40 hours. For part timers there is also a slow season in august and early winter where you are only allowed to work for one hour at each store. Gas money is not provided if you are willing to travel to other stores for more hours so it defeats the purpose. Going above and beyond wont get you anywhere. There are no raises. Just one bonus if you stay during the slow seasons but it doesn't make up for the lack of hours. Tools are not provided and most stores dont have them so you have to pay out of pocket or use buckets filled in the sink to water plants. Heavy display units are behind the store so you must build and take them around the store or shopping center on a pallet jack in the road whenever there is new product or when there isn't product. You are not supposed to go into the back of the store to get plants on pallets but they wink and say "only If you have to." 
You have to, because most employees at the store dont want to help you. They also throw trash and cigarettes in your display as well because the store is union based and this company is taking hours from union members. If you complain then they will fire you and blame it on performance issues. Not what I expected from this company unfortunately. Much happier where I am now. 

I worked at this job for a good chunk of time and enjoyed it mostly until my employment was terminated. Do not trust this company to give you job security for a multitude of reasons. First off, the communication of when you will be working is terrible. My manager never had any idea when product would be coming in, so I would have weeks without work sitting and waiting for them to let us know. It was often that they let us know our final work day for the season 1 day in advanced, making financing very difficult. Secondly, I lost my job for “poor communication and attendance” when I had not missed near more than the acceptable amount of days and had called in advanced any time I was going to be late (they specifically advertise as a company with a flexible schedule). The last thing I had heard from my manager over email/slack at the time was that they had no idea when the next shipment would be in, meaning they didn’t know when we would start work again, but they would let us know. The next email from them I was saying I’m being terminated. In the email they even included how great of a job I had done while working for them? Which is why this is so upsetting, I worked so hard for this company and this is how they treated me. I do NOT recommend working here unless you’re looking for no job security or communication. Honestly if the company becomes better with communication then I would 100% recommend this job. It was very fun, fulfilling, it taught me a lot, and you can build a great team relationship with your stores. Yet purely because of this poor communication and lack of trust in stability, I cannot tell anyone that they should work for this company.

 A typical day consists of visiting Kroger stores to stock product water clean. Some days unexpected deliveries arrive with a huge amount of product and Kroger Mgmt expecting it all to be unloaded that day even if I had multiple other stores to visit. It's unreasonable and poses health risks for some who are having to do it in hot and cold weather. No help on anything. You work alone. What did I learned is I began this job with a positive outlook because I love plants and talking to people but unfortunately I learned NGS did not have my back instead prioritizes external parties their client which is Kroger, over the safety, wellbeing needs or professional dignity of employees often abandoning their employees when contract negotiations arise. Profit over employees 100 percent no matter what the affect is on the employees or their families. The Churn and Burn business mentality. Retention importance does not matter. Some of the Kroger Managers and Floral Staff are rude and condescending to NGS Merchandisers.  There's a lot to deal with then again some staff treated me kind and respectful.  NGS Merchandisers are told to do things one way by NGS Another way by Kroger Mgmt  another way by the Floral Lead and the Kroger District Mgr visits and changes it all. There are no raises no discounts no bonuses, absolutely no days off allowed all mandatory except Sunday, no holidays off except Christmas and Thanksgiving. You may have to buy your own water hose or other supplies because Kroger won't! If this sounds like your dream job then Good Luck! 


You will work for NGS but will be a vendor for Kroger servicing plants on their porch. The job will start off easy but you will soon find out that your every move will be controlled and dictated by Kroger as if they own and pay you.  Management walks the porch daily and they have a new secret Corporate QR Code to report merchandisers over petty things behind their backs. This has destroyed trust. Merchandisers are told to establish a positive working relationship with store leaders but most leaders are unapproachable. This company is afraid of losing the contract and will throw you under the bus in a heartbeat. The job is very physical hot in the summer and freezing in 30 degree weather in winter. No raises, no phone reimbursement and it will wear out quick with heavy daily use. Unexpected large deliveries you unload by yourself,  Difficult to get a day off. Grueling Mon thru Sat schedule. New unexperienced employees are paid more than experienced ones. The enjoyable part of the job is meeting some of the customers. Flowers have been a part of my profession for years and I love working with them but the toxic culture I have dealt with this at this job has diminished the happiness of it. KEEP LOOKING you can do much better! High turnover of employees and management and there's a reason.

I would  drive to assigned stores and merchandise, water plants, unload and stock if you have a delivery, slow days and busy are common. Understand though, it's not merely just watering plants, its much more. In the Spring, Summer, Fall, you will get slammed with  unexpected deliveries which can turn into a exhausting 10hr day. Winter is very slow 3hrs or under per day. Workplace culture... dealing with different leadership at the stores can be difficult. I often felt disrespected and unappreciated. A day off will not be allowed if you cannot find coverage. Management at NGS for my area is good, but they have limited authority with the contracted store to help with things you may need. Be prepared to purchase your own supplies with no reimbursement because the stores won't provide it. The hardest part is getting hit with unexpected over deliveries. There is nobody to help you unload and stock. Working in extreme heat and cold. There are no discounts, no reimbursement for using your personal phone for your job, The most enjoyable part is seeing beautiful flowers, talking to friendly customers, and some store staff who are fun to talk with. I learned to be prepared for anything. 

I worked as a florist and enjoyed interacting with customers and creating floral arrangements. The work itself was enjoyable, and I learned more about floral design and customer service.

Unfortunately, management and communication made the experience very difficult. Expectations regarding breaks and work procedures were not clearly communicated to me. The employee handbook did not clearly explain break lengths, and I was never personally informed of the policy. This led to confusion that ultimately resulted in my employment ending.

The supervisors were often unprofessional in their communication, and I did not feel supported or treated with respect when concerns arose. Instead of coaching or clarifying expectations, the situation escalated quickly.

The best part of the job was working with customers and flowers. The hardest part was the lack of communication and inconsistent management.

Based on my experience, I would not recommend working here unless management improves communication, training, and how employees are treated.

And all of my pay needs to to be paid to me 

Right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing. Constant changing you around store to store so it’s difficult maintaining a relationship with your assigned store. 

Continue to have no communication between upper management and field.  Everyday is a new rule, new problem.  .. no consistency with just allowing employees to do their job and not be babysat, hen pecked and over worked. 

I don’t understand why there isn’t alternative workdays instead every single day, even holidays!! Sunday is only day off. 

This company can’t keep people because they don’t have the right tools and amount of employees to allow a life outside of work.

There is the constant pressure and overlooming threat… your jobs at risk if you don’t get it …. The way TODAY we want. 

Every day….. it’s new…… and it’s never good job, great work.  They have  this person go around to every store and check to see what’s been done wrong .  Total inefficiency 

The job is great, you work flexible and independent outside with plants. Some management is awful though, they don't train you but make passive aggressive critiques about you and your work, they don't actually confront you personally about any personal complaints with a call and don't speak to you like a human when upset about something. There's no warnings or coachings if you do something wrong or something you didn't know was wrong, they seem to jump to their own conclusions without asking any questions or having conversations with you and make decisions based on their assumptions. They also often say they're going to do things and don't follow through as it pertains to actually helping you when needed. You pretty much don't know much about the job outside of what you're doing at whatever store(s) because they don't explain much, and do a lot of random last minute changes on things.

I have worked here for years now, and truly had little to complain about under previous management. However, this year began with new management and a completely new set of rules/regulations being thrown onto merchandisers with little notice. I understand this is a rapidly growing company, and I've dealt with a myriad of company changes in the past, yet it seems that the current management lacks any transparency with their employees. Despite all of the extra work and responsibility we are expected to take on, there are no longer any promises of raises, bonuses, etc. 

I adored the previous manager in charge of our district--she provided consistent raises and communicated with even low-level merchandisers as equals. Now, I unfortunately have to say goodbye to a once enjoyable gig because of terrible communication, a lack of support from my supervisors, and no real advancement opportunities. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Merchandiser 20 salaries reported	$18.03 per hour
Garden center merchandiser 1271 salaries reported	$17.02 per hour
Seasonal associate 66 salaries reported	$16.22 per hour
Merchandise team leader 9 salaries reported	$40,944 per year
Osp engineer 36 salaries reported	$17.49 per hour

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