sales associate

buyer

fashion consultant

assistant manager

retail assistant manager

Uptown Cheapskate

A typical day at Uptown cheapskate consists of us opening the store and setting a clear sales goal for the day. We strive to assist each customer to the best of our ability. However, because we are so short-staffed, we are sometimes limited on how much customer interaction we have. Each of us has a specific role, and those roles entail a chore that we have to keep up on throughout the day. As a buy, sell, trade clothing store we definitely have our hands full with clothing that customers bring in to sell. If I'm sorting through those clothes, I have given that customer an expected wait time, which makes it hard for me to stop to help another customer because then I would be neglecting the first. 
Our owners expect us to put those chores last, and customer service first (which I completely agree with), but our work load gets so heavy when we don't stay on top of it and can sometimes result in either things not getting done completely, or us as employees staying much later than our owners would like in order to get it all done.

The co-workers are great, and full of energy. Sometimes they lack direction because they prefer to work on whatever they feel like instead of taking on a specific job title for the day. We all work together well, and if something needs to be done, no one complains when another person asks for help. 

Our management is non-existent at the moment. This store has a hard time keeping a manager staffed. I have been there for over a year now, and I have seen 4 managers leave. I think they have a very stressful and intense job at our store. It's hard to function well when everyone wants to leave the company. 

I feel like I had a good understanding of great customer service before I came to this job, but I have definitely learned more about what customers like, and how to get them to buy more. I have also learned a lot about what sells in terms of fashion. I have the title of buying clothing into our store, and in doing so, I am responsible for choosing items that will appeal to our demographic. 

The best part about working at Uptown Cheapskate is that we have complete freedom of expression. There are no uniforms, no dress codes, no image requirements. This makes our staff very diverse and interesting, and a lot of our customers can really appreciate that. 


Owner ran the store so there were no other managers or shift leaders etc.. but this was my first retail job ever and I worked here before the grand opening, (where I was promised a pay raise after the grand opening in the interview), and it all went smoothly the owner was VERY particular about every single thing and constantly micromanaged me and other coworkers though. She was still nice and sweet about fixing things I did, but then about a week after the grand opening is when I realized I didn't get the pay raise I was told about during the interview. I asked the owner about this because she lied about the pay raise, then about an hour after my shift, she called me and started screaming at me how me asking that question really p*ssed her off because a new coworker was near by and lied about saying that in the interview and started saying up how I brought "negative energy" to the store a couple of days after being called a very "hard worker" along with her saying she knew I didn't like her which was not true. She was very manipulative and terminated me for those reasons as well as having a relationship with a coworker, which we chose to keep confidential, as I have a legal right to privacy to do so. Also as the call went on she asked me if I would rather choose to resign or if I wanted me and my coworker I was dating fired. So I chose to "resign" myself, then I kept trying to defend my actions for keeping my relationship confidential as she was upset I never told her even though I legally have a right to have my own privacy, but she said if I kept talking my coworker would be fired. The whole call I tried to be reasonable and professional and even asked for a face to face professional discussion which was rejected. Now I am currently working to file a complaint with the Texas Workforce Commission due to this issue, but overall the coworkers were very amazing and good to work with. But as for the job itself, it was very difficult to manage working with the owner and in the end left me wrongfully terminated in the middle of a pandemic whilst having apartment to still pay for.

In the time I've been at Uptown, I've enjoyed working with my co-workers. We've established a great working environment and everyone is really helpful about picking up a shift if someone's schedule conflicts with a family emergency, school, or illness. My managers have worked really hard to help me move up in the time I've been there - I'm moving up to a keyholder position. I think they do an excellent job of on the job training and helping me learn how to become a buyer. At this time, I'm not sure if I want to become an assistant manager, it all depends on the pay and if I could negotiate benefits if I work 40+ hours a week. However, based on my interactions with the owners and other employee experiences, I am doubtful that they will offer benefits to me as they make their rules as they go (ex. allowing some employees to gain their buyer password before finishing their training to move them through the process faster and not allowing others to do so). I do wish we didn't have to clock out for our 15-minute breaks - that seems really weird (cheap on the owners part) and for those working 9 or more hours a day, we should have an hour lunch (I often work 10-7 or 11-8:30). I also don't like that the owners edit the schedule as they do not know the workers well enough to know our life and if we are available. This often causes people to ask for shift changes or coverages from others. It doesn't seem efficient since the managers ask for our schedule availability around the 15th of each month for the next month, in which we have already given them times that we cannot work. Also, I believe the Fashion Consultant pay should be moved up to $9/hr, min wage in Raleigh is ridiculous. Overall, I think its a good job for young adults who enjoy fashion/clothing and want to make some cash plus the discount (30% off items in the store for a full Friday-Sunday weekend) is nice. Hours are always available and the managers try hard to respect your availability. However, many of us have other gigs to help supplement this job, so be mindful of that.

TLDR: Don't work here unless you like bad management.

Interactions with customers are good, and the store itself has great inventory. When the wage legally goes up in MO (to $9.45 an hour) our owner did not adjust the wages for anyone who currently makes more than that. This means that new employees, long-term employees, and asst. managers will all be paid roughly the same regardless of their title and/or loyalty. Basically, someone who has been here 3 years would make barely any more than a new employee. The management (owner, manager, and asst. managers) run the company like it is a high school cheer squad. Instead of maturely handling issues in an adult way, most things either get 1.) talked about behind your back or 2.) discusses in a group chat instead of in person. Manager knows less about how to buy clothes / company policies than my lower-level coworkers did. Small problems are blown out of proportion. They promise chances to move up in the company during your interview, but this isn't necessarily true. I was told multiple times that I would be trained to buy, but my manager just "never got around to it". You're told you will get a 50 cent raise upon becoming a buyer, but a coworker of mine got promoted, and was told she would not get her raise until she could buy "independently", which wasn't for another 2 months. You end up doing more work for the same amount of pay. Promises are not met. Turnover rate is high. They don't train people well. The management claims there are "bad vibes" in the store and tells the employees that its their fault, but if you were to ask anyone working there they could tell you that the negative environment is due to those in management.

A typical day at Uptown should have been straightforward, but it never was due to the carelessness of the owners. They consistently failed to provide the necessary cash flow to keep the store running smoothly, leaving employees unable to pay out buys or take cash purchases. Instead of addressing these operational issues, they shifted blame onto employees when sales didn’t meet their unrealistic expectations.

Despite having high demands, the owners rarely set foot in the store to understand its challenges or offer meaningful support. Instead, they hovered, criticized, and made employees feel inadequate for simply doing their jobs.

Communication boundaries and work-life balance were nonexistent, with calls and messages coming outside of work hours and immediate responses expected. Employee safety was also not a priority; when staff was placed in dangerous situations by unruly customers, management provided no support.

Ultimately, this business is struggling financially, yet the owners refuse to adapt or take responsibility. Instead, they place undue pressure on their employees, who are the reason the store remains operational. They need to make necessary changes, or step aside rather than continuously exploiting their staff.

When I worked for them, they scolded me for not comming in when I was sick (I had really bad coughing and a snotty nose). During the interview nothing is specific on pay or hours, they pay bare minimum while over hiring. A normal day working here is like any other work place, some coworkers are sweet but the majority want nothing to do with you or training you... even on your first day. The only thing I believe I learned working here is how to tag items. Management is rude and will not accommodate without scolding. I had some personal issues within the time I was working, I made sure to let them know in advanced if I wasn't going to be able to make it etc. Scolded for passing out due to extremely short breaks and only one in 9+ hours. The hardest part of the job was dealing with management and poor working conditions. I met some new people and gave customers a smile on their face. I had to ultimately leave because of the poor pay, poor working conditions, management, and not scheduling me more. I was only working weekends and ended up getting fired during the conversation of me putting in my 2 weeks for "being sick too often","faking sickness to get out of work" etc. Overall I wouldn't recommend anyone to work here.

Coworkers and managers really make the job!! I love talking to my coworkers, and my store has a good culture and atmosphere. 

That said, Uptown gets extremely fast-paced and stressful on busy days, especially as general floor associates. Week nights & Saturdays and Sundays have huge rushes & then it's hours of clean-up and fixing up the store until closing and afterwards. It's VERY tiring, especially when you are not paid a decent wage. I, thankfully, make more than $10/hr, but I have many coworkers who make around $10-$11. It's very hard to motivate yourself to do a day's worth of back-breaking work for less than $70. That's unlivable.

On the flip side, if you become a sorter or a buyer for new clothes coming in, it's very emotionally draining. People often complain or have disputes about policy and pricing of their items. I definitely had at least one person upset at me every shift. It's a lot of balancing customer service, while upholding policy, and constantly being beat down. 

I really love my coworkers and they make the job fun. However, sometimes that doesn't outweigh how demanding the job is.

Only worked here for a short bit, and thought it would have been a good fit for me since i like style and fashion. The store is WAY too full and it's nearly impossible to fit anything onto the clothing racks, if you like constantly picking up clothes off of the floor and dealing with dust everywhere, this is the job for you. 
The way some of the veteran employees treat you is unkind and bossy, terrible attitudes from most of them. 
They have 0 coverage when you need to call out sick or for an emergency, they'll fire you for being sick and not getting a doctors note or providing proof- not to mention 0 benefits. 
Long boring shifts of doing things that some of the veteran employees don't want to do, and constantly waiting until an hour before your 8 hour shift ends to go on a break. 
This company only cares about making money, and doesn't care at all about treating employees well or fair. 
PLUS it's super frustrating to work with 14-year-old high schoolers; terrible attitudes and rude

I was excited to get hired at Uptown Cheapskate. It was my first job working in retail as a HS student, I love thrift stores, I enjoy working with the clothing and helping customers. Other than the management, my coworkers were kind and helpful. 
The manager made this job experience unnecessarily stressful and very disappointing. The job expectations were unclear due to the lack of communication and training. The manager micromanages by watching our activity on video and timing and criticizing our hanging speed, however there was no recognition or consideration for more important job performance like great customer service. Overall, what could have been  a fun part-time job turned into a bad experience because of manager’s immaturity, favoritism, pettiness and negativity. I hope the owners of the store take note of the  negative feedback and set clear expectations for managers in the future, require management training and uphold better practices for a more positive work experience. 

The job itself in terms of running tasks and customer service was manageable. I wouldn’t recommend working here if you have a health condition that prohibits you from carrying heavy stuff and working in a very fast pace environment. The store does put a lot of emphasis on customer service, that is a big plus considering sometimes it’s hard finding a retail store, let alone a resale store with friendly workers. One thing I will note is that management makes or breaks the team. As much as i can say that the management does a lot, sometimes I feel as though they lack sympathy, in terms of they assume what’s best for their employees instead of asking for their input. While they may not directly say or do anything that says that their employees don’t have a voice, it is often dismissed and they don’t really listen to their employees concerns. I will also note their retention rate is low for a reason. So please keep everything in mind when applying to this job.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Sales associate 165 salaries reported	$12.79 per hour
Buyer 117 salaries reported	$13.35 per hour
Fashion consultant 72 salaries reported	$12.05 per hour
Assistant manager 65 salaries reported	$16.05 per hour
Retail assistant manager 38 salaries reported	$13.99 per hour

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