sales associate

retail sales associate

retail assistant manager

store manager

assistant manager

Sunglass Hut

My typical day at work included inventory each morning. It included making not only my daily sales goal individually, but also the stores daily goal. I had to make sales goals as well as credit card goals on a weekly basis. I was responsible for taking care of customer needs and providing customer service. My day ends by making end of day deposits.

Throughout my two plus years at Sunglass Hut such as always greet with a smile, always know more about your product than the customer, and of course never judging a book by its cover. I realized to always pay attention to not only the big things but also the little things. I learned to pay attention to details. I learned how to work fast but being precise in everything I do. My skills in multitasking improved because of having to not only do more than one job at a time but also being able to handle multiple customers at a time. The one thing I can take from working at Sunglass Hut more than anything is work today as if it were your last. Don't end the day with you thinking that you could have done more and finish the day with everything you got. I gave 110 percent effort everyday because of the great people that trained me and mentored me in my years there. 

The one thing I can say I did not like at Sunglass Hut is the lack of stability at the manager position. I had 6 different managers in my time there so it was constant change as each manager had a different style. It did help me in learning how to adapt to change better and faster. However, despite the constant change I always took away something from each of my managers. I was able to learn different things and apply them to my own set of skills whether it was being competitive, being organized, being able to lead others, or having more knowledge about things than others. There was always something I could learn and the thing was I wanted to learn constantly. 

The one thing I am really grateful about Sunglass Hut is the fact that I always had a great set of coworkers. I was able to work and learn things from different people I worked with. With change in manager came a new set of coworkers. Coworkers came and left. I had to work with 3 new set of coworkers in two and a half years. It wasn't always easy. Yes, there were times we didn't see eye to eye but that is what you can expect in any business. Despite the differences we did great things at Sunglass Hut including reaching an all time high in sales for the store and making everybody believe that  Sunglass Hut at Towneast was here to make an impact.

The hardest part of my job I would say is having to deal with 4 or more customers at once. At Sunglass Hut although I had coworkers, many times I was by myself and with that I had to deal with many customers at once. It was always a challenge and although I was able to manage it, it sure had me exhausted at the end of the day.

The most enjoyable part of my day was actually being busy. I love the fact that I would constantly have customers wanting to buy things and for me that meant constantly staying busy. I love competition but I loved being number 1 in everything I did. Sales was big for us and the more customers that shopped the better my numbers will look which always put a smile on my face since I always finished number 1 each week.

There are a few benefits for a Store Manager Position at Sunglass Hut.  As a general rule most managers are not salaried and are therefore not overworked (if the store is fully staffed).  It is possible to keep a semi-flexible schedule and have some work-life balance.  That being said the position was highly oversold to me.  During the interview process they heavily focused on coaching and development of staff but in reality there is very little of that.  Most stores have a staffing of 1 person at all times and therefore there is never anyone to develop.  You may supervise people that you go days or weeks without seeing and when you do it is the passing Hi/Bye conversation.  As the manager you are basically the person that works in the store the most and does a handful of managerial duties (like schedule making and deposit verifications).  Just be prepared to work by yourself, all the time.  The culture is not nearly as toxic as other retailers but it does have its moments.  The company puts a massive focus on raising money for its foundation and actually grades managers for how much money they raise, a practice I find to be unethical.  Like other retailers they come up with new training ideas and bombard the store managers with implementation of these practices however never give the stores hours so they can work with and develop the staff.  You basically train through company videos and leaving sticky notes for the staff.  The other metric that they currently love and focus heavily on is the conversion rate from the door counter.  The company believes that every time the tracker goes if it must be a customer and if you don't convert a certain amount then you are failing (even if you're reaching sales goals).  So if a family of 5 walks in and out of your store 3 times and buys nothing then you find yourself forced to write action plans to improve behaviors in your store.  The pay and benefit package is mediocre and is basically the same as other retailers I've worked for.  The PTO accumulation was extremely poor and the company focuses on giving "Holiday Days" which were time sensitive and would disappear if not used within 60 days or so.  The regional managers provide very little support and would expect you to answer your phone, report to the store with little notice and manage your employees while off duty all without being paid.  They would also expect you to work open to close daily, often without a break, if you are having staffing problems.  Overall the position is not terrible but had I fully understood what I was getting into I would have never accepted the position nor would I recommend it to others.

Overall Experience
My experience with Sunglass Hut reflects deep structural and leadership issues that go far beyond a single store or manager. While the brand presents itself as a premium retail environment, the internal reality was marked by chronic understaffing, excessive micromanagement, and inconsistent leadership practices.
Staffing & Operations
Stores are routinely operated under single-coverage staffing models, often without realistic break coverage or operational support. Despite this, leadership continues to demand aggressive sales performance, flawless compliance, and constant hiring — expectations that are incompatible with the labor hours actually provided.
This directly impacts:
Employee burnout
Customer experience
Safety and loss prevention
Operational accuracy
Training & Performance Management
Onboarding and training were inconsistent and often incomplete, yet employees were held to rigid standards without being properly supported. There was little to no structured leadership development, and performance correction was reactive rather than proactive.
Rather than being coached toward success, employees were often positioned to fail and then disciplined for it.
Leadership & Culture
Upper management relied heavily on remote surveillance (CCTV) and micromanagement rather than on-site leadership and support. This created a culture based on pressure and control rather than trust, development, or collaboration.
There was also minimal collaboration between stores in the same market, with an excessive number of locations cannibalizing each other’s sales and resources. Instead of cooperation, competition was fostered among managers, further degrading the work environment.
Additionally, there was an expectation of forced social engagement that went beyond professional boundaries, contributing to an uncomfortable and exclusionary culture.
Demotion & Termination Practices
I experienced both a demotion and later termination under standards that were inconsistently enforced and not aligned with how leadership behavior was handled across the organization. Progressive discipline and corrective coaching were not meaningfully applied prior to termination.
This reinforced the perception that discipline was selective rather than objective.

When I was initially hired for this position, I was stoked excited to see what the future would be like to have a well oil team to be a part of. Sadly, that was not my experience . Truly, I believe I was hired as back up for the three individuals who give themselves all the hours all the leisure and all the grace. Anyone outside of those three will be stress beyond their means  Unable to live within their means And treated like less than . Management will chastise you about having your phone in sight but will stand behind the cash register openly texting while customers are shopping in the store and it is also selective outrage on who they speak to about phone usage as other members in the core mean girl group are allowed to be on their phone, bend over on the cash register, stay behind the cash register and do as they please Trying to exhibit such behavior will be written up or picked On If you are not one of the three. Also, they Will stress you beyond measure about selling a pair of  sunglasses it doesn’t matter if the solar eclipse is outside and it’s raining and it’s pouring and there’s not a ray of sunshine. They will still tell you you can make five grand in  a day. Also hours are not even a thing at this location, unless you are one of the main three. They will give you 2 four hour shifts a week and then expect you to still sell 10 grand in sunglasses that week and if not next time they see you which is rare and in between because you’re never there they will give you a work assessment because you’re not reaching your goals in your very complementary 16 hour pay period . The second mean girl is also very rude. She’s second in management and will tear you down. I’m not sure if it is dislike of you or just boredom. But she will tear you down as a sales person. Tell you you suck and everything you do wrong and will never congratulate you on anything you do right she wants to zone in on you and tear you down. This environment isn’t meant for anyone who is genuinely nice and kindhearted. Anyone who genuinely has to make a living or anyone who isn’t 13. Stay clear of this place. The mean girls only care about themselves and will do as they please will write you up about seeing your phone, but will show you And their phone right to your face they didn’t write you up for having your phone near you. This place is a joke. Management is laughable even district management is a clown. If you don’t want burnout or for your mental health to be sufficient, don’t work here. 

On a typical day at work I am creating energy utilizing our energy cart to attract customers into the store. Afterwards, thats where the fun comes into play. First I make create a personal connection with my customer by complimenting them; inquiry about the weather; most importantly their needs. I then begin to show off the store. Trying on the latest brands with the customers simultaneously, giving them candor feedback. The customers normally end of with two or more pairs to chose from. So, after we narrow it down the their favorite pair, I then close the sale. Afterwards, I appreciate them by thanking them for stoping by which values my customers.I have learned to partner with other managers in different locations to see how their business is going and what they are doing differently to create energy and generate sales. I have learned how to use the company resources to maximizes my store potential. For example, we have a site called dash board where we can discover how well we are trending. Our strengths and weakness which directs me to my weekly focus. It also gives me insight on my associate trends. Moreover, according to Sunglass Hut policy, as managers we are to allocate the most hours to our highest performer. With that being said dash boards also aids me in completing the weekly schedule. As far as my Regional Manager, things are typically organized and everyone is on one accord due to our weekly conference meetings. Where we discuss new initiatives and celebrate what went well in our stores as a region. My Regional Manager conducts contest every week to the store with the highest percent to comp. This is also a great tactic to maintain energy throughout the week due to the incentives we have a chance to win! My associates are great to work with due to their work ethics they posses. They're very attentive to the customers and details. They are very reliable, they don't mind going an extra mile for the company. Overall I enjoy working with them. My most enjoyable aspect of the job is remerchandising the store. Every month we receive advertisement that must be displayed  throughout the store. This process is very time consuming but it's full of excitement and it also creates energy while setting up. This process attracts the most customers due to people being very inquisitive.

Perfect if your fresh out of high school with not clue what you wanna do with your life. If you can show up, sell some shades and keep stuff from getting stolen this is the job for you! All and all a decent job, it pays better then most; especially if you have a decent sales week, you can rake in some good commission. Your work hours will be INSANELY inconsistent (like most retail), your ability to advance is entirely predicated on your willingness to work multiple locations at the drop of a hat and your boss at any of those locations has either: A.) Been doing this ever since the got outta high school and will NEVER leave, unless they get fired B.) An ancient relic whose worked ever kind of retail under the sun and has a friend within the company who was kind enough to hook them up C.) possibly (but unlikely) a honest to goodness hardworking person who started as a part timer and clawed their way through blood, sweat, and tears to finally get the store GM position of their dreams. Like I said, average entry level retail stuff :D

Best parts about SGH:
-Most locations have a very positive work flow
-It's and excellent first job as it really teaches you the basics about most retail life, and because you gonna work with so many different people your gonna be able to glean some kind of knowledge from them that may come in handy later
-Since there are usually a lot of locations in a given city it's generally easy to find place that need help and are willing to give out some hours
-Co-workers are more than likely gonna be around your age if your fresh out of high school
-Again, onesight, after your first year of service you have the opportunity to sign up to be selected to participate in any one of several different types of missions, its all paid for by Luxottica AND they even pay YOU while your there

Worst things about working there:
-Because of it being such a menial, entry level job, your managers are often very sub-par and were more than likely selected because they were the only person there at the time to do the job in the first place, and they just stuck to it
-For the same reasons as above, not a lot of truly hard workers, mostly just kids collecting a pay check
-Hours can fluctuate heavily between seasons (high in May-July, skeletal in Sept-Nov)
-Employees of high seniority are sometimes (heavy on the sometimes, it really depends on the store) very lazy and will put things on you because "you're the new guy"

I loved working with customers to find sunglasses they loved. It was satisfying.

However, I would work all day Sunday, one of the busiest days of the week, alone. I had no support. My two coworkers, however, worked almost all day Saturday together. I would do just as many sales alone as they did together in one day, alone. But, I worked really slow days the rest of the week, so I could rarely meet my goals. I was practically a stand-in for the hours my manager didn't want to work.

I started having mental health issues from the stress of the job and lack of support. I could never call in sick because my manager would tell me to find someone to cover for me, but there was only one other employee at the time besides him. He would be mad if he had to come in.

I was in college at the time, with a difficult home life. I was struggling. I wanted to keep my job, but I had to quit because the stress from working alone, without support with no way to call out or even take a break if I needed to during an 8-9 hours workday, was too much for me. If I wanted a break, I had to close the store gate. But, there were always customers in the store, so I had no way to really do that on a busy Sunday with a store full of customers. I couldn't do it anymore and when I folded from the pressure, my manager just got mad at me. I ended up quitting.

He also got mad at me for not pushing more products. I had good sales numbers, but he didn't like that I didn't push the accessories more and my other coworker did. That just made the whole thing worse for me.

Also, it was policy to sell customers the same pair of glasses that they tried on from the display case. A lot of customers did not like that because a lot of other people had usually tried them on at that point. I hope they changed that policy by now. I think for $140+, you should get a brand new pair. The policy just encourages customers to leave the store and then buy them online, now that they are convinced they want to buy a specific pair of sunglasses. That is bad for sales goals when employees really do everything they can to sell the product and help the customer find a great pair of sunglasses they love!

I reluctantly accepted the managerial position for one of the SoCal stores. I hated it from the very first day and was anxiously looking to find something new. The level of phoniness and corporate garbage is insane. Most stores are on single coverage so you get no breaks, work eight hours standing up, the sunglasses are not protected so you're always on edge trying to prevent shoplifting because you get written up if something gets stolen. Every day your Regional or RT has some new unnecessary form or paperwork to add to your job to justify their positions and consume more of your time. Every week the same thing is said on conference calls. Nothing new is ever mentioned and the same threats get made.. Its the same stuff over and over again and your other managers in the territory fake it up and tell the Regional what they want to hear. You are to check the voicemail twice a day every day and its literally the same three people giving you the same numbers/results from every location which doesn't mean a thing to you. You have to work almost every weekend too. And how can I forget? The amount of returns you have to do is about 50 times more than any other store you could work at. SGH has a 90 day return policy so these people can rent glasses and return them without consequence. And if the returns were purchased from other stores, YOUR STORE TAKES THE LOSS which makes it that much more difficult to achieve the 'high' goals they set for which in turn makes it difficult to commission. OH, AND YOU HAVE TO DO INVENTORY EVERY SINGLE DAY! That's right. You get to count hundreds to thousands of glasses EVERY SINGLE DAY. Most companies do inventory every few months not every single day.

Oh, and good luck trying to get help from a regional if you're not one of their favorite stores. I was a new manager and I had ONE visit in three months while they catered to the same stores. If I had a problem that needed to be handled, it took hours for them to get back to me. And the majority of your employees/managers are female which makes for more drama so have fun with that headache.

Thank God I found a great job outside of retail so that I'll never have to deal with this place again.

I worked inside a host location. I found that the work is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. Paid training is provided, and there is additional training for your host store. On a usual day, you are helping customers select sunglasses, cleaning tried-on sunglasses, ringing up sales, and keeping the store tidy/clean. Coworkers are usually positive - most are motivated to achieve goals but it depends on the store. You have to meet a specific sales goal to get commission - the commission can be great if you sell a lot and work a lot, but it's spottier the less you sell and the less your location sells overall. 

Hardest part of the job is working alone, especially preventing theft. I often felt like a security guard trying to manage everything at once alone. It would be stressful to open - trying to do a full count of all the sunglasses before opening and trying to manage customers is easier said than done. It feels easier when you are with coworkers, but there isn't always a lot of overlap. In Macy's, you were expected to have a colleague watch over your area while going on a break - they might leave the area if needed somewhere else, making the risk of theft higher.

I enjoyed learning about different sunglass styles, and getting better at fixing glasses. I was not directly trained on repairing sunglasses, and I had to learn on my own - still allowed me to get better at it. Most of the time you are just tightening glasses and adjusting plastic frames/nosepads.

If you get overwhelmed easily by customers, this can be a tough job since you are working on your own most of the time. But the pay is pretty good for the responsibilities and commission helps too! Management depends on your location - I worked at different stores and found that I liked some managers other than others. I always got hours, but I often got overwhelmed on weeks when I had to work a lot. Many locations only have 4-6 employees with varied availability (since it's part time), so it can be hard to get a shift covered. 

Terrible company, system is completely outdated, fails on an everyday basis, an employee needs to be calling Store system support everyday for how bad the system works and sometimes you have to wait days until it's fixed and you need to be calling constantly to remind them to fix it, extremely absurd so you spend hours and hours on the phone trying to fix their old system while customers walk in and you can't do anything. There's no way to contact HR, pay issues happen very often in the entire region so you have to wait days sometimes weeks for payroll to correct the mistake and get paid. My experience with management was terrible and completely useless, no help whatsoever you were asked to contact other managers before calling the RM to ask questions even though they are supposed to be there to support the stores. No full time positions except for managers and if you're in need of time off or vacation then your store is run by 17 year old part timer sales associates without supervision yet they still expect results even though there's no more full timers. In all the companies I've worked there has always been 2 full timers a manager and a assistant manager/sales lead/keyholder but no in this company. If something is wrong you are supposed to call Store System Support and the wait time can be up to 1 hour. I would not recommend anyone to work at Sunglass Hut. I always felt that they tried to blame the mediocre system on me by pointing the finger at me if something wasn't working even though everyone knows and complaints daily about the system. You feel like you have no opinion when speaking to your RM if you say something they always have something else to say so sometimes I decided to keep my opinion to myself because I wasn't being listened to and this happened constantly. For the entire time I worked there which was over 2 years I saw my RM 2 times, I found 0 intention to get to know me as a person, never had a conversation about me and my previous work experience nothing. No personal connection so you're just basically a number in their system

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