sales associate

customer service representative

travel agent

retail sales associate

Pier 1 Imports

I worked for Pier 1 for close to 7 years and I enjoyed my time there a lot. At my store, my co-workers had amazingly vibrant and caring personalities and were extremely hard workers. I think the reason why you will read Pier 1 has a great work environment from store to store is because everyone at the store level has a sense of camaraderie...for being ripped off and neglected by the company. Upper management as well as home office is completely and utterly out of touch with reality when it comes to the happiness of their workers in the stores.

The times I didn't enjoy my job were mainly due to the demands of the company itself. They expect their employees to be super human retail selling machines. Whether its from setting impractical goals for selling credit cards to people who don't want or need them, providing over the moon customer service like, "Sure ma'am, I'll let you return a two year old rug that you've obvisouly used for the full $500 you bought it at!", as well as promoting surveys that customers never take and YOU get reprimanded for it by having it be apart of your raise (how does that make sense?), or even better unloading a 20 foot truck at 6:00 am in the freezing cold and then have to unbox it and put it away by the end of business day all while helping customers, and of course working long hours during the holidays and I don't mean just Thanksgiving and Christmas, I mean having to work until midnight the night of the Super Bowl because we have to move a candle display two feet to the left since it's really going to "speak" to the customer.

Now none of these things would really bother me if they actually paid to compensate for all these unrealistic demands. New hires would always start out at minimum wage and couldn't accrue more than a certain number of hours because then they would be eligible for medical benefits. Generally only two people had medical coverage in the store: the store manager and the assistant store manager, the other two members of management were always kept at 29 hours a week otherwise they would be eligible for medical benefits. And the medical benefits are just as terrible too. Unlike most companies, if you quit your coverage ends the day you quit, not until the end of the month, yet it is still conveniently deducted from your paycheck. As an assistant store manager with almost 7 years under my belt, I barely made $17,000 a year.

Even in training videos and home office newsletters the resounding importance always seems to be the customer and not the employee. Even when a store or an individual excels at all these demands, the employee sees no real reward or incentive. The vapid regional and divisional managers are the ones who benefit, which is why they have a conniption fit when goals aren't met. And the goals for the incentives they do offer are set so inconceivably high that no one ever makes them and the incentives are never rewarding enough. Why am I going to push 100 credit cards when all I get is a basket full of goodies for the break room? How vague and meaningless! Their incentives were more insulting than motivating.

The regional and divisional managers are the worst of them all. They are the fakest, most hateful and greedy people I've ever met. They are the masters at telling you that you're a terrible employee in a politely condescending way accompanied by an empty smile.

The bottom line is that Pier 1 is a greedy uncaring company not worth your time and energy unless you're working in upper management or at home office.

And even though I no longer work there, I am still lying about the state location of my store because only one regional manager oversees this particular state and I don't want the employees who still work for her to somehow have this review backfire on them...yeah, she's that bad.

I went into this job ready for a change and willing to learn but after 4 months it became obvious I bit off more than I could chew. Pier 1 is very much a horse of a different color. With a background in clothing retail and customer service management for 6 years I thought that I could handle it but the demands that they put on you, mentally, physically, and professionally, I was not ready for.
I would typically work a 1:30p to 9:45p shift with a 30min lunch daily. I also got 2 or 3 days off a week depending on the week. Being a part time Sales Leader, I had the same management duties as the Store Manager or the Assistant Store Manager, w/o the pay and the title, while she was off the sales floor or not in the store. I usually worked a total of about 25-32 hrs a week. That work included unloading truck that came once a week and could be as large as 42 feet and filled with couches, chairs, tables, benches, dressers, and various other merchandise as well as online orders and in store orders that needed to be assembled or un-packaged and ready for customer pick up as well as moving freight to the sales floor, customer service, sales, and management duties.
The biggest and hardest thing that I learned from this job is if you are not able or comfortable balancing 7-10 different tasks, physical, mental, and in your face, all at once, don't do it. With this job you have to have your head on a swivel at ALL times and have eyes in the back of your head. You are the moving company, the point of sale person, the manager, the leader, the interior decorator, the moderator, the visual merchandiser, the voice of reason, the unhealthy addiction feeder, the Jack or Jackie of all traits. You wear SO many different hats at the same time sometimes you loose yourself from the chaos.
I greatly enjoyed my time at Pier 1 and learned a great deal while I was employed there. This job is definitely a challenge and for some people, like my SM and my ASM, it is a perfect fit. But the biggest draw that this job had for me was the stability. Everyone that I spoke with from the company prior to joining the team had been with the company for years and was still there. Now when I say years I'm not talking about 2-3 years. I'm talking about employees that have been with this company for anywhere from 6 to 26 years and still love it. So if you are looking for stability and ready for a challenge, this job is probably a great fit for you.
The management and staff are usually very friendly and knowledgeable. I cant speak for other stores but I know that the staff at the store I was at was very friendly and actually care about one another. They work as a team and really try to present themselves that way. But if you are the weakest link, the management will let you know. Focusing on Sales Figures, if yours are not where they should be, and after coaching and working to improve them for a couple of months is still not helping, and as a Sales Leader, your figures hinder your SM from getting a bonus for making a her figures for the quarter, you are not looked upon very happily. You are usually called into the store office and given a very stern,"I know you love your job and customers and staff really like you but you might want to reevaluate that this is the right place for you" talk. But overall Pier 1 is a great place to work and learn and be a part of a highly physical team.

A typical day kind of just depends on what we have going on at the time. One of the most important things is making sure each customer is greeted when they enter the store and making sure we can help them the best way we can. Most days I help customers find certain products they're looking for, answer their questions and provide product knowledge for our products, assist them in making their purchases, offer them the benefits of our in-store credit card, sometimes carry items to the customer's car or help them load furniture into their vehicles.  Some nights I mark clearance items with price tags or tag items for our sale going on that month.  We get trucks on Thursdays so if I work that day I usually assemble furniture and unbox new merchandise and put it out to be sold.  I've learned a lot of information on various home products such as candles, furniture, different types of materials used in furniture and home décor items, the way different items are made, different decorating techniques and tips, how to make artificial floral arrangements, how to put together various furniture items, and have gained even more experience working with public and providing exceptional customer service as well as furthering my skills with time management and organization and learning how to do things quickly and efficiently.  I get along with every person I work with.  Everyone at my job is friendly, easy to work with, eager to help, and they all are great at their jobs.  The managers are great also.  They are very professional while at the same time providing a work environment that is comfortable, enjoyable, and fun.  They are easy to talk to whenever you have any kind of work related problem, no matter how big or small.  They all will go above and beyond to help you out if you need it.  They are very flexible when it comes to scheduling which can often ease a lot of stress in certain situations.  One thing that I appreciate is if there is an area you can improve on, they will talk to you about it, give you advice, and listen to your input without making you feel like you did something wrong or are not doing well.  It's obvious they want to help you be the best you can be at your job not just for the company, but for your personal fulfillment.  The hardest part of the job is probably figuring out how to make the customer happy if they are unsatisfied.  We highly value our customers and if someone is not happy, we do whatever we can, within reason, to assure they will return.  The most enjoyable part of the job is having customers come in with an idea in mind and helping them expand on that idea and give them suggestions and help them put a look together that works for their lifestyle.  It's fun to help put together floral arrangements or dining sets or matching pillows and throw blankets to furniture.  Even if a customer doesn't know exactly what she's looking for, it's still fun to help her develop an idea and put together something great for her home.  Often customers will come back with a picture of what they did and it's great to see how excited they are to show it off and see how happy they are with the products from our store that we helped them pick out.

Working for Pier1 as a Sales Leader is really easy but can be incredibly boring. They hound you to death about their credit card. This company cares more about you opening accounts than their actual sales. Yes, there are daily sales goals you have to try to achieve but they are more upset if you don't open a credit application.

Your day at Pier 1 will consists of you mostly being on the sales floor walking around and checking in on customers and trying to sell them expensive furniture and seeing if they will open a Pier1 credit card. As a sales leader you do have keys to the store and have to open/close and run a Point of Sale register at times. Most of the time you are only working with one or two associates. They are usually your main cashier while you try to sell and get customers orders. You are constantly trying to make your in store sales targets and pier1.coms sales target for your store. But if a customer brings in an online return it screws you instead of pier1.com. Sometimes the store is dead and you are desperately trying to find things to do than just stand around. 

This company is so technologically backwards. Their point of sale systems are very old, you have no RF scanner, and merchandise is pretty much free to be wherever to some extent. Inventory is usually off on smaller items especially clearance. 

Every manager is different but for my particular one he is a little OCD and makes it difficult for you to find a right balance of tasking and selling. Overall I get along with him

The company's policies are ridiculous too. Employees cannot use their employee discount on damaged merchandise. In fact, we are instructed to destroy merchandise that is damaged, even slightly!!! Starting in June, you can't use your discount on clearance and a manager on duty has to ring up all associate purchases. They make you clock in and out for your PAID 15 minute breaks. Furthermore they have this other policy in regards to when you take your breaks. For example, I was off at 5pm one day and I took my break at 4pm. Somehow I still managed to get in trouble for it? I was told my break as to be within 80 minutes of my next punch or something like that. I don't get it. 

I mostly gave this company a bad review because they do not want to develop and would rather hire from the outside than within. Also, I was recently a full time sales leader while our assistant manager was an acting store manager at another location but he came back and I am back to part time.I interviewed for an assistant manager and was told to start as a sales leader part time to "learn the ropes." Two years later I am in the same place...

I am trying to find a new job.

A typical day at work would include opening the store, turning off alarm, turning on lights and running deposit to the bank & getting change if needed. Getting back to store, run numbers for the day and figure out what goals need to be improved upon and where we are doing well, printing out daily schedule, opening door for my morning crew, straightening up if needed before opening store and conveying store numbers and goals to employees, as well as any on-going or new promos. Throughout  the day, greeting customers and finding out their needs, assisting newer employees with any questions or resolving any customer-related issues, replacing inventory as it sells, taking phone calls, filling online orders, contacting customers when orders arrive, putting out newly received inventory according to planners, telling customers about promos, cleaning and straightening and making sure there is enough floor coverage, helping customers pick up deliveries from stockroom, receipt paper replenished, and that all computer equipment/lights/toilets/etc. are in working order and corrected ASAP. Closing details would include locking doors upon closing, closing email to opening mgr relating days happenings, reconciling tills and preparing deposit to place in safe. Making sure the store closes cleanly, with the store being stocked, and all items put away, holds replaced, bathrooms cleaned and stocked, floor swept, bags replenished, supplies ordered, damaged items documented and closing balance documented. 
I learned that I enjoy a team atmosphere vs. a commission-based, that I enjoy helping customers decorated their homes, my co-workers were awesome and that management was pretty supportive. 
The hardest part of the job was doing alot of my duties with minimal training and I was sort of "thrown into the fire". When upper management learned of my lack of training, they wanted to correct it, but it was a little late when I finally did receive it.
The most enjoyable part of my job was working with customers who really valued my opinion and who I would really connect with as well as the awesome co-workers that I got to work with.

This is going to be a thorough interview but please read to the bottom and bear with me. I have a lot of great things to say about Pier1. 

I'm 19 years old and I had no retail experience prior to this job. This was my very first real job. I've been working here for the last 4 months and I can't tell you how happy I am to be a part of this company. The management is so very great at my location. They're all extremely friendly, caring and considerate of my needs. When I first started, I made mistakes and they helped me as I needed with whatever I stumbled on. I was trained very thoroughly so when I was finally put on the floor, I had a great idea of what to do. My co workers are very helpful and sweet. Scheduling is easy and my boss is understanding of my college schedule and I have asked for days off for family gatherings and important occasions and I have never had a problem. My co workers are helpful with picking up my shift if I need to take off some day and when they need their shift picked up, I try to be there for them also. I love that I can work on my own without having someone watching over me the whole time. I put a lot of heart into my work and I am never questioned about how thoroughly I cleaned up the store or how I deat with a customer. I am trusted enough for my managers to know that I must've done a good job. There isn't much heavy lifting. I don't mind it anyway. It's not like I'm lifting boxes and furniture all day. Mostly, I deal with customers out on the floor. I try to push sales and credit card sign ups. There is a tad bit of pressure for the credit card sign ups. My managers are extremely appreciative of my hard work and they acknowledge when they see I've done a good job on a certain task. My effort certainly doesn't go unnoticed. Managers always bring food into the office and keep it in the break room for the rest of us to munch on during the day. No day is a dull day at Pier1. I am very satisfied with the pay - $8.75 to start with no prior retail experience. I have learnt so much in just the past 4 months. It is THE BEST first job ever. I love working here and time passes by so fast with all the amazing customers and my great co workers. I love pier1. Please apply here if you're considering it. You won't regret it at all!!

Responsible for performing a variety of sales functions. Arranged, organized, and displayed merchandise. Processed sales transactions, returns, and ensured that all related documentation was accurate and complete. Served customers in a professional, courteous, and timely manner. Performed administrative functions including tracking, ordering, and managing inventory. Ensured store security. Kept the Store Manager well informed of activities and significant problems. Sorted merchandise, stocked shelves, counters, racks, and tables with merchandise. Returned misplaced items to correct locations. Ensured the neat and orderly appearance of sales displays. Marked and tagged merchandise with pricing, size, and product specification. Assisted with the presentation of window displays, promotional presentations, and sales programs as assigned. Worked to prevent damage and theft of merchandise, and preserved materials in saleable condition. Ensured that merchandise is stored, handled, and displayed in accordance with established Company policies and procedures. Provided product information including price, location, and use of merchandise to customers. Recorded requests for merchandise, orders products, and notified customers promptly. Operated the cash register and prepared customer receipts efficiently. Processed credit cards, checks, merchandise credits, vouchers, gift certificates/cards, cash payments, and discounts properly. Followed established policies and procedures for verifying payment and ensuring accuracy. Followed store policies for merchandise returns. Completed sales functions in compliance with established policies and procedures and in a professional and courteous manner. Answered telephone calls courteously and provided callers with information as requested. Recorded and relayed messages correctly. Maintained a high level of customer service by ensuring that merchandising/recovery was completed and that register and customer service area was processing customers in a timely manner.Performed other store duties as needed to ensure smooth operations and to meet customer needs.

Part time positions only for sales associates
Part time or full time for sales leads (managers)

Pay is above minimum wage, but not enough for what is 
expected of you. You'll get asked over and over again if you make commission. You don't. However you are expected to commit to making sales like you depend on commission.


You will get a work out often. There is lots of lifting and moving furniture/boxes/displays. We are on ladders to retrieve items/furniture daily. 


Corporate wants their stores to give customers a "unique" experience. Make no mistake- this is still a typical retail job. They want associates to act like interior decorators and help customers style entire rooms from scratch. This is obviously a great idea in theory but associates need to be paid more and trained more then!!! If you are not an artistic person naturally, many associates struggle with this. Customers usually ask us to do things like help pick out pillows for their couch, create center pieces, pick out furniture for their indoor/outdoor spaces, etc. This is where you can have fun getting creative. You may get a difficult customer (like any retail job) who will get upset with you for not knowing what kind of things they like. 


Worst part of the job is pushing the credit cards!!! There is a daily credit card goal every day. If we don't make that goal, it is the end of the world. There is a lot of pressure on associates to open the credit cards and customers can often tell. A customer has told me we ask her to open a credit card more often than her bank. Associates are told to ask every single customer and continue to remind them about it even if they said no. Obviously opening cards is part of the job, but I believe some of they ways it is often done or suggested comes off as pushy and annoying to the customer. Opening credit cards seem more important than actual sales. 


I will say that there is a great "team" atmosphere region wide. Stores in close areas are often calling one another for problem solving or item look ups. You start to make friends with employees you've never met from other stores.

I worked as a sales associate at a Pier 1 several years ago and did all the typical sales stuff you would think of. I worked under more than one manager and I have to say, this makes a HUGE difference. 

The first manager was wonderful. She was sweet and kind and was able to balance being the boss and being a friend. She always made sure to talk to you when there was an issue to straighten it out. 

The other manager I worked under seemed pretty great to start off with but the second a problem came up, her reaction was to tell me to quit without talking about it first. It turned out she'd gotten some misinformation about a situation from some coworker basically saying that I was saying I was injured to get out of working at a time I wanted off but wasn't given. 

I really had been injured (not on the job) but I hadn't said anything until I knew for sure from the doctor to avoid making an issue out of it if I didn't have to. I had a legitimate doctor's note and explained the situation to the assistant manager (the manager wasn't there when I went in) but she still went with what some other associate said and made up her mind without even talking to me, She also accused me of purposefully avoiding her so I didn't have to talk to her about it and have her find out what was really going on. In fact, I'd called at least 4 times but she was never there when I did and I was told that they would leave messages for her, which apparently they never did. So instead of trying to call me and ask what was going on, she just made assumptions based on third hand information. And I'd been working there about 3 years when this happened so needless to say, I was angry and betrayed that after 3 years of good work, they'd just say see you. I ended up quitting because of this because that is just completely outrageous in my opinion.

If you want a fun job for a little extra cash but don't really need it for the money, check this place out but I wouldn't recommend working here if you want something serious.

This company was horrible to work for. I've worked retail for 23 years and never worked harder for less in my life. They seriously put their employees in harms way daily. Scaling walls of product and dragging HEAVY boxes of over priced cheaply made furniture off of 12ft walls of stock and off the backs of tractor trailer trucks...even in snow and bitter cold and rain and sleet you still take it all off the truck at the crack of dawn...and then you stay after you're done unloading and unbox and put it all out in under 24 hours...I got sick more the year I worked for them than ever in my life...and then was told by my store manager "we all work when we are sick....". PATHETIC! I would litterally go in at 5am...in the bitter cold, unload and put away and not even get to shower or change in between and by the time I got home to shower or change it was 3pm and I would be in unreal pain from dragging 100lb dressers around all day. And it's drity dirty work!!! The boxes are filthy and sprayed with pesticides. The one truck driver even told me another driver had filed a lawsuit becaus ehe had inhaled so many pesticides from the trucks frieght he had gotten sick. The items they sell they say are exclusive...they aren't ...you can find them any and every where...and usually for less...the furniture is cheaply made...most of the outdoor furniture unravels before it even goes to the sales floor and none of the upholstered furniture is guaranteed to hold over 200lbs...we were told to daily "touch up" the wooded and woven furniture on the floor. And the sales floor is always a mess waiting for someone to get hurt cause they process all the boxes on the slaes floor and stack furniture way way to high and have 100lb girls and oldr women climbing ladders and pulling chairs off the perimeter over displays of glass...insane. And my pay? OMG...I made barely what most key holders make at other stores and I was the assistant manager...ps...they tell you when they hire you there's room to grow...yah...there's not...you're store manager will never let you leave them lol

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Sales associate 4 salaries reported	$8.75 per hour
Customer service representative 1 salary reported	$8.50 per hour
Travel agent 1 salary reported	$19.00 per hour
Retail sales associate 1 salary reported	$8.50 per hour

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