seasonal associate

sales associate

customer experience leader

associate

retail manager

Victorias Secret

Keep in mind- I worked there in 2015 so the problems I had, may not be an issue in 2019. 

My only experience was with the branch in Elizabethtown, KY. In the mall. 

Buckle up people, this is a long one. 

I was expecting a really catty, competitive coworker environment- however Co-workers were patient, kind  and skilled. I had no problem with them, The problem was Managment. At first they seemed nice, but after you were hired they were harsh, overly critical, unrealistic, and double dealing, and played favorites . (Particularly one who shared a name with the governess in The Sound Of Music, who seemed to get off on making us feel stupid.) The group I was hired with were told to come in for our first day of orientation- we were given no orientation, but instead thrown into a 9 hour work day with no prior training, and humiliated and disparaged for making mistakes, despite the fact that we did not yet know what we were doing, due to their lack of training. I, unfortunately- was put on cash wrap (not a great place for a shy girl with dyslexia and poor math skills, not to mention having an angry manager barking at me for giving the wrong change, hitting the wrong buttons, being too slow, etc.) And that pattern continued for the duration of my employment. God I wish I had never come back after that first day. But you know what they say about hindsight. 

The months I worked there were the worst of any job I have ever had. It was my first job out of high school  and I was petrified, and was too afraid to speak up for fear of loosing my job. Several of us came down with the flu ariund the same time, we were all expected to be at work. In between asking for permission to leave the floor to run to the bathroom to throw up, we were told multiple times that we'd better not get them (the managers) sick, as they constantly sprayed Lysol on everything we touched. We were treated like pariahs for being there, yet we we're told not to go home but to : "work through it" .

The current workers knew how the managers were, and you got the impression that they were all skilled in 'keeping their heads down', and had learned the hard way as to the best ways to cope with managment and most all of them quietly tried to help us, without managment noticing so we wouldn't bare the brunt of their outbursts. I saw WEEKLY, girls being berated to the point of tears- both on the floor, as well as in the back and occasionally on the phone. (Which was the breaking point for me, when I had am issue with my schedule and I got a call back from a manager solely for the purpase of cussing me out for the inconvience I had caused her.) Compassion and kindness are of small commodity here. 

The rare days when management were Not in the building were the only time myself and my co-workers actually enjoyed our jobs, as it was the only time you weren't working in fear. We respected and helped each other in ways managment never attempted to try to. Basically, if you work here, your co-workers, paycheck, and the discounts are the only thing keeping you coming through the door. Unless they get completely new managers and a dang good human resources rep, I would never recommend this place to anyone. 

This isn't a hate filled review from a disgruntled, former employee- I have only my scared, and naive former self to blame for not speaking up and getting out sooner. However everything did happen, if I documented everything from my time there, I'd probably be writting for a week. You had the occasional good day, but you had FAR more bads. Underneath the constant pop music, pink decor and plastered smiles, It was just frankly, miserable. If you're thinking of working there, please-please-PLEASE, do your homework before applying, watch how they treat the workers when no ones looking,  read the reviews, I'm only writing this because I honestly wish someone would've given me a heads up before I gave up 6 months of my life to emotional abuse and anxiety attacks, due to being wide eyed, scared, and uninformed. Please be safe, value yourself and how your treated. No job, no paycheck is worth what I went through and you deserve better 😘.

I applied to Victoria's Secret thinking it was just another retail job with mostly the same guidelines. I was horribly wrong. When I first started, it was decent for the type of job it is, however, I quickly learned the true colors of people. Of course, you're going to have customers that are hard to work with, but that was not my issue here (and that's at any job involving sales). The management here is not that great. Neither are the co workers shall I add. The only manager that made me feel like a person was my beauty manager. All of the other managers won't even remember your name, they put on a fake face and act so nice to you, meanwhile, they don't even care about you (all they care about is you do their dirty work). They will push you so hard to sell credit cards to people who have consistently said no. They talk on their walkie talkies to you and tell you you're not doing a good job because you're not selling people useless items so that they make more sales. They will tell you constantly you need to sell this many bras, panties, outfits, etc. Many people you ask will say no, because most customers come in looking for one specific thing. The co workers are disgustingly rude to you as well. I had been taught how to measure and upmost of five different times, and I still had girls come over to me and tell me I'm measuring wrong (when I'm not) and embarrass me in front of customers (and those girls won't even remember your name either). I had one girl come over and take my client who I was measuring, and take one glance at her and GUESS her bra size (which is not accurate at all). The girls that had worked there longer thought they were higher up, when they've been in the same position for years. So many girls asked to be moved up because they have been doing really good at their job, and they never got moved up (so they lie during the interview when they say that you can move up). I won't lie, I loved some of my co workers, they were so sweet to me, but most of the girls were not unfortunately. One day, my manager told me to work in the PINK store, which I was not assigned to (you have to be invited to work there). I thought it was unfair they had me selling in the PINK store, because I didn't get any of the benefits of that. PINK girls make more money and they get a better discount, so if you set me in that store, I expect to get the benefits along with it, but I did not. So many girls have started here and quit because it was so horrible. Please do not waste your time and your energy, and work somewhere else that has a more positive and overall encouraging environment with girls that are nice and will help you instead of treating you like you didn't even make it past Kindergarten. Last but certainly not least, I was there when corporate was coming to check on the store, and the managers had everyone doing THEIR job for them. They force you to do things that they should be doing and tell you it's because they have a BIG visit coming up, however, I've never seen them doing anything so extravagant that they couldn't do the job themselves. Most of the time, they're sitting in the office on the computer. I had one manager who would always talk to her boyfriend on the phone at work, but if any of the associates did that, she would have screamed them out.

Many people, before actually beginning employment, think of working at Victoria's Secret as a glorious, fun, and easy job. Not at all true. Your typical day will mostly depend on your role in the store. Personally, as a sales specialist (one step above a sales associate) I spend the entirety of my shift walking around the sales floor assisting customers. By assisting, I mean shoving my name down every single customer's throat so they will say my name at the register for sales tracking purposes. When I first started with the company, sales tracking didn't exist and you were free to be as genuine with customers as possible. Now, the company expects you to "sell" at minimum 250 dollars per hour. This amount has no "ands, ifs, or buts". I can't keep track of how many days where there was heavy snowfall in my area, which severely affects mall traffic, and I was still berated for not hitting my sales goal with 2 customers per hour and 4 sales associates on the floor. The best is when you are scheduled to stay an hour after the mall closes to clean the store and it counts against your sales goal (because I can sell to the mannequins, right?). The management at my store is a disastrous mess. For being so close with one another you would think they would all be on the same page. Nope, each manager follows their own policies and it gets extremely confusing when you have to base your behaviors off of which manager is there that day. Every time I've approached a manager with a problem (they have an "open door policy") I always received excuse after excuse as to why my concerns weren't legitimate. One of my supervisors has purposely done certain actions to frustrate me because she found out I had gone to our store manager concerning her attitude. As a "sales specialist", an elevated position that labels me "the best of the best" at selling behaviors, I am always asked to do things such as being an extra cashier or hanging a size run of bras on a wall, meanwhile you have sales support associates working the floor getting sales. I do not feel like my management gives me an environment I can succeed in whatsoever. I have become completely miserable at my job. The most enjoyable part is getting those customers who just genuinely appreciate you and make you smile. Customers can range from psychotic or horrendously rude to someone you end up hugging on the way out. Helping women with something so intimate is rewarding most of the time and gives you a warm fuzzy feeling. The company is also very generous with making sure associates get the product for free or very discounted. The discount is a big perk, of course. Co-worker wise, I've met amazing ladies through work. I've also met some of the most downright vicious, caddy girls there are. You learn to avoid them. As previously stated, everything gets strained when everyone is working toward getting their sales numbers off. Plenty of sale stealing and dishonesty to go around to avoid getting yelled at by management. I would have absolutely recommended this company the first year and a half that I worked there. Since then, with all of my good managers transferred and the addition of the gruesomely flawed sales tracking system, I cannot wait to find another job.

As long as you’re driven and committed to giving your best effort, you will do well here.
Store operations naturally force you to be versatile. You’re expected to adapt to various roles, wherever you are needed (backroom, sales floor, cash wrap). Time management and multi-tasking abilities are just as valuable to maximize store productivity. Spacing out your tasks appropriately ultimately contributes to store performance because you can get the most amount of work done (and meet sales goals) in a short amount of time, as hours are limited. It also makes transitioning between replen/open/close/floorset shifts more seamless. Maintaining a presence on the floor is crucial, as you are expected to connect with every customer in your zone, while simultaneously recovering merchandise, operating the fitting rooms, and being available for extra tasks as needed For instance, supporting in other zones if it is busy. 

This place teaches you hard work, attention to detail, and excellence in every area. The skills you gain from working here can be applied not only to other careers, but to your life as a whole. Highly recommend as it has been very rewarding for me. You get to work alongside some of the most diligent and highly-capable individuals. These women are hardworking, productive, efficient, and many are enthusiastic about their jobs. Customer satisfaction can also be very rewarding, especially when you develop a genuine relationship with them. Not to mention, the monthly gratis and employee discount is a bonus. 

Though, it can also be brutal at times. For part-time associates, the breaks are short and sometimes even missed/forgotten (make sure you communicate with your managers to ensure that you receive the break you are paid for). Also the “On-calls” (potential extensions to your scheduled shift, if coverage is needed) can be very inconvenient with late notice (they are required to let you know at least a half hour before your shift ends if they are keeping your On-call), especially if you end up staying past your extension. You are not allowed to have your phone on the floor, so make sure you regularly check in with management that you are getting your breaks and are set to leave on time as well (sometimes they may forget to notify you). The exception to that is for closing or overnight shifts. If you’re scheduled a closing shift, you leave when the store is fully closed—not when you are scheduled to leave. The same goes with inventory, floorsets, and sometimes shipment.

It is also important to note that no matter how hardworking or productive you may be, the hours and raises go to those who earn the most credit cards, which means: that will always be the priority (aside from conversion and ADS), and it is all a matter of how determined you are to get them. It can be especially difficult when you’re trying to establish a genuine connection or relationship with a customer, but doing role plays with a manager to build confidence in your selling statements helps you develop better strategies.

I worked at Atlantic mall. you spend most of the day either ringing people up at the registers, folding panties endlessly sometimes by yourself till 2 am, or harassing customers into buying the entire store and hoping to god they remember your name by the time they're at the registers. aside from panty table torture, it's a normal retail job. what makes it horrible is that the managers set ridiculous sales goals for everyone to meet where the only way to actually reach these goals is to either 'cheat' the system or abandon your tasks to shove your name down customers throats all day.   you have to sell $100 an hour at the register and the only way EVERYONE achieves this is by giving yourself credit for sales by loophole procedures (told them how a coupon worked? yup i totally sold her the $50 bra) not sure if it was like this for everyone since my managers loved beating me down and singling me out, but they were absolutely never satisfied. hit under the daily goal amount (even by $100) they make you feel like absolute trash. if you meet your goal, they're apathetic towards you and if you exceed your goal on a good day they act suspiciously towards you as if they don't believe you can actually succeed without cheating. no positive reinforcement whatsoever which is very important to me. I have Aspergers and my managers made it very very clear that they couldn't stand me and were impatient with me. they spoke to me through gritted teeth, harsh sarcasm, spoke to me like a child, yelled at me, embarrassed me in front of customers and were overall very cruel to me. I also worked there for 3 months and never got gratis (free merch every month) because they never had me finish my training which left me ineligible. barely got decent lunch breaks because you need 6 hours to get lunch but they'd schedule me 15 mins less than 6 hours. which is funny because I was never allowed to leave on time and usually ended up working 3+ hours later than scheduled every day still without a proper break. if you take public transportation good darn luck because you get written up for being even less than 5 minutes late. you're also pressured to take out credit cards which is odd to me since the chances of opening them seem completely random. no amount of employee skill can convince someone whos avoiding credit cards to open a credit card. the neighborhood is low income and almost everyone had horrible credit. also, watch out for scammers. especially if you have autism and cannot read people's negative intentions. if something seems odd or suspicious or if a manager is hovering while you're doing something don't freak out, they're trying to solve a problem without alerting the customer that they are suspicious. ASK QUESTIONS.

My job at Victoria's Secret was amazing at first, but now not so much. This was the first retailer that I've ever seen care about quality of life. As in no harsh punishments for calling out here and there or having limited availability since we ALL are PART time associates because my managers understood that life happens and things pop up you don't plan for like deaths, seasonal colds, etc. Also being a few minutes late was frowned upon but never something to degrade an associate with. Now my current manager is forcing people to "resign" if their availability doesn't fit her liking. I didn't even know you could do that, especially to a part time associate. We were all about empowering each other, and women. My typical day consisted of trying to give a woman who is insecure about her body a lasting impression with the brand and help at least one person leave my store feeling beautiful and proud of their body no matter the shape or size. The idea was everyone can be sexy! It was cool, you felt good about yourself helping someone plan for a date or just making them feel comfortable with their body with the proper fitting bra. I could show a customer around the whole store and give her great product knowledge and that used to be praised. Now if i did that, i would be reprimanded for not making a sale. Lastly, the coaching between peer to peer despite the level in the company was consistent. It was an open and free place to be yourself and speak your mind. The company has changed however, coaching is more of a demeaning or job threatening conversation rather than inspiring. They introduced commission to only select associates under select circumstances and it isn't fair to the rest of the staff in there trying to keep the store running. We are all required to sell a certain amount of money an hour no matter your position but also still do our original job (stock,cashier, ops and staffing manager, etc.) which i find unfair and unrealistic because if i'm stock or cashier it's pretty hard to sell much since i'm not on the floor and have other responsibilities that at the end of day have to be taken care of or my job is on the line. Also this is stupid because you can be terminated for not making your sale goals as well, on a consistent basis even though you're not a sales specialist. Additionally only sales specialist get commission so i feel like only sales specialist should be required to sell. How am i going to sell things if i'm behind a register all day? Or if i'm downstairs back-stocking merchandise ? Makes no sense. Also management doesn't care about your personal life at all and basically they have become just another retailer. All about the dollar. Another mediocre, average, unsatisfying company to work for. Nothing sets them apart anymore from other retailers and this is so sad to say after my years with this company. I know all the changes that happened not only came from my management but from orders higher up and throughout the company, however i wish things had stayed the same.

Dont expect any training if you work here. Training is an after thought at this job. They dont go over any policies or procedures with you, but then get upset when you do something wrong bc you were never told. If you do get lucky enough to get your one day of training, expect to be spoken down to like you're the dumbest person alive and like training you is a burden. 

Work life balance is nonexistent, I would get scheduled 7 days in a row with shifts that are back to back close/12am/2am to opens. They will only give you one break, regardless of how long you work. They only schedule at most 3 people at a time, so it's always a chaotic stressful mess in the store. Don't expect to work there full time either bc they dont make enough sales. You'll be lucky to get 1 day a week sometimes. Unless if you're only looking for 15 hrs max a week, this is not a finacially secure job. Don't expect fair compensation, they will hire you low and the longer you stay you will just get to see everyone get hired on at more than you. Raises are a hassle and will maybe come after a short 4 months of pestering. There is no advancement with the company, the roles are already set so the only way to move up is if you are open to hopping stores. 

Management is the worst. When you come into work it's like going back to high school. Everything is so superficial, gossip rampages through the store to the point where a policy of no gossiping was enstated. After that the managers just love to invalidate any problems in the work environment, like harassment, descrimination and poor work performance, by telling you not to gossip and you're being catty. If you do end up working here I hope you magically become one of the managers favorites bc otherwise you really get the short end of the stick. Also dont expect equal treatment to everyone, as the favorites get special passes like not having to complete work, being able to come in late everyday, and getting to take gossip breaks in the back off the sales floor. They reprimand people they don't like and let everything slide with people they do like. They'll change their policies like attendance with no notice, and won't enforce it until they get upset about something and feel fit to punish you 2 months later. 

Expect to be treated like a criminal. Your stuff has to be checked when you leave, which is not that out of the ordinary for retail. But don't be surprised when management gives you funny looks, comments and tries to make it seem like you're doing something wrong. Everything you have has to be gone through when you leave, every flap, pocket, even your water bottle has to be open to check. 

I have worked at several different locations and they all function basically the same. Poor management that loves to invalidate you. Associates who are just mean and love to gossip. Just all around a horrible work culture. I will say all other stores seem to have no problem giving adequate breaks, only the maple grove location likes to overwork associates like that.

Hate to say it but my experience as a manager at VS is my least favorite company to work for. They do not give enough hours to run the store accordingly up to standard and meet all sales goals. My cortisol levels are constantly high lol because I am not being set up to succeed and do my role properly solely due to them being cheap. They expect you to do so much constant work in a high volume store with as little support possible in comparison to the responsibilities. They do not properly coach or train anyone and it’s not a manager issue it’s a corporate issue. The managers don’t have time to train or even have associates become familiar with product. It’s really unbelievable because they are such a huge brand and have such high expectations that run down the chain yet do not find the hours to support that! You feel defeated. Meanwhile your not being paid enough to be doing that much work. Instead of coaching in the moment they make sure people use iPads to watch videos and PowerPoints to legit train them how to do their job? They are not going to retain all that information and they just end up asking a manager to come over for help continuously bc they literally know nothing. It’s not like our store has much downtime so investing in some extra coverage would actually give them the results they are seeking. Lastly they focus on things that don’t really matter like weekly modules that nobody reads really and it’s so disorganized because nobody is on the same page or has time to take an iPad on the floor and go through a PowerPoint and video while needing to greet customers and help people while knowing nothing? Never worked with such a lazy cheap company. They don’t give as much gratis as they used too and took away commission yet expect you to care about selling full price bras intensely with low pay. They create stressful environments for employees take away incentives to sell and then expects more labor and sales from you during a nearing recession. To cut costs and make things easier for top level they make things more difficult for their employees. That’s the most frustrating part of the experience but there’s definitely more lol. I actually don’t hate it. I love helping people and selling. I don’t like their corporate values and culture. They are lazy and cheap and don’t invest in their employees. They expect way to much for such little pay it doesn’t justify their expectations on top of not having enough people to support all the work. Therefore I know I will learn for some more but already sure I cannot stay long term I hate the way they run things and I’ve never felt so strongly about another retail store before

I wouldn’t have stayed so long (over a decade) if I didn’t see positives in my career, but the list of negatives came fast and hard in the time after reopening from Covid. The company had no idea which direction they wanted to go and had multiple realignments and layoffs. We were expected to be happy and celebrate with each change...losing peers, losing mentors, and changing districts multiple times in the span of a few months. 

Promises for advancement are made by multiple people in the organization but never kept because of the constant realignment. 

Work/life balance is a joke. Working every weekend except one/month and November-December is all blackout, you’re lucky to get two days off in a row. And while “the guidebook” may state that you are “encouraged” to take your weekend off in November, you will be guilted into working or reprimanded for not “working when your business happens.” Well, the business is always “happening,” so maybe don’t tell people they get a weekend off if you don’t expect them to take it. Oh, and that’s only if your store is fully staffed...ha! So, good luck with that. 

Productivity demands are unrealistic. Thousands (LITERALLY) of panties and hundreds of bras need to be perfectly organized, colorized, and sorted by style & size every single day before you leave. So, good luck leaving on time. And, If you ask for more payroll to support this unrealistic expectation, you’re told to “figure it out” like some of the “top performing” store managers have. I’m here to tell you that it is common practice for the “top performers” to work on their time off - often - to not impact payroll and meet these horrific standards. I used to be one of them...then I decided I wasn’t working like that anymore and all opportunity for me to grow went out the window. 
Don’t be fooled by them telling you to “work through your team...” 🙄 I did - everyone was exhausted and sick of this company literally watching every move we make. 

Speaking of, every hour of every day is monitored. You get a phone call from your boss if you’re not selling a certain way. You’re expected to submit pictures and videos everyday that includes how you will sell, how your store looks, etc....EVERY DAY. We get it! You can tell the company is not winning...because they are up your a*s every minute of every day to perform. 

Vacation time? Hahhahahhahhha not if there is a visit sprung on you last minute...or a floorset...or another manager calling out....or an impromptu sale....you get my point. I can’t even tell you how many times I was asked to “just come in for the one day,” to support a visit or the like in the middle of my vacation. And don’t you dare say “no,” to coming in on your vacation, I’ve seen what happens to the leaders who have boundaries....they are out sooner rather than later. 

Receive, store, and issue a variety of merchandise to consumers on a routinely basis. Utilizes issue store documents to select material for shipment. Verify stock numbers, quantity in order to transfer stock to specifically prescribed locations and establish new locations as required. Responsible for performing a combination of company duties such as, receiving, processing, storing and issuing a variety of items and materials. Examined receipts and turn-ins to verify condition status, count and processes prescribed by established procedures. Determined where items should be located within the store to achieve maximum utilization of limited space, full and convenient accessibility for retrieval and protection from deterioration. Responsible for training employees on methods and displayed how to accumulate data for closing procedures. Educated employees on collection procedures concerning materials initiated in training for future employees. Verify payment account and explanation of policy when integrating inconsistencies with the consumer. Responsible for researching problems and/or reviewing issues and requests related to customer service with the customer. Identifying backlogs or major delays and prioritizing work to meet deadlines. Monitor extensively for quality control and assurance that company goals were being maintained daily. Provide production reports to manager on an hourly basis. Assist in multiple projects, performance enhancement with associates and managers. Assist in evaluating completed work for technical soundness and compliance with requirements. I independently accumulated, consolidate, synchronized and systematized a wide variety of statistics utilizing personal computers and electronic data processing skills in support to management. Established and preserve control logs, arrange data in prescribed format and prepare essential forms and working files vital to office operations. Operated store equipment including cash register, personal computer, and various store devices. Prepare statistical spreadsheets reports using various software including electronic mail, databases, and graphics catalogs. Responsible for generating, copying, editing, calculate revises, and publishing an assortment of documents into a finishing form. Acquire inclusive knowledge of specialized obligations to include training, timekeeper duties, personal administration, and financial management relating to special operating procedures. Possess the ability to plan and expedite the workload in situations where numerous diverse demands are implicated.

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