sales associate

department manager

cosmetics manager

associate

cosmetics sales associate

Von Maur

There was a constant pressure for meeting goals despite slow days. Coworkers can be petty and backstabbing for that 1% commission and keeping their job, but you'll find people that are reasonable and feel the mutual suffering. When it was slow which occurred regularly also depending on what department you're in, the environment was like being in a shark tank. 
Customers must be greeted within 30 seconds no matter what. Von Maur doesn't understand that customers become uncomfortable easily because everywhere they walked from one department to the next another random employee would jump out of the racks to say hello and try pull them into a friendly conversation so they'll buy something. Customers will try to walk faster because they've been greeted everywhere and get weirded out by it. When you have trouble flagging people down for sales, you get a critique for your poor efforts and your job gets threatened. 
Another element of goals were contacts. You have to get customers phone numbers to call or write a letter and you had to get a number of them done within a few weeks. I personally trouble with this because customers don't like giving their personal information for good reason and the regulars would already have it with another veteran employee. It was so bad that I had to resort to contacting family and friends to meet those goals like it was an MLM. I felt like I was only talking to those close to me about how they should come in to buy something when I already wasn't getting to see or talk to them much. I felt embarrassed like I was using them and put in a place of feeling more alone.
One year later after not working there somehow I received store notifications about sales and curbside pickup when I never had an account setup or stepped foot in the store ever since I walked out. An employee must have gotten a hold of my phone number out of desperation to fill up their contacts.
It was very offensive to be required to wear a dress or skirt when I had to climb ladders, crawl under tables, bend low to dust for long periods, and activities that are harder to do in a dress. It used to be required to wear pantyhose with a dress/skirt but that was removed from the dress code a few years before I was there. Men had to wear suits. Supportive shoes were not allowed you have to wear dress shoes for your 8 hours walking in circles. One of my toes got messed up from this.
One of the most terrifying issues was their attendance was so strict they didn't care if you were ill. They did not accept doctors notes to excuse your absence. You have a limited number of six unpaid days for the entire year. People would come in sick all the time and spread it to everyone else because it was either come in sick or lose your job. I'll never forget the bloody tissue i saw near the punch clock, fearful for the person's wellbeing and how contagious it is. Another time, I walked with someone trying to clock in she was lethargic, coughing and barely walking but still had to go into work. Sickness would spread quickly to everyone and you were lucky or had a strong immune system if you dodged it. I fortunately was not there for when COVID hit. I fear for anyone that worked there when it came. The rules may have updated due to COVID-19 but the practices before it were in place and it was very unsafe.
To really nail in how much they do not value your life and safety, in January of 2019 the mall caught on fire. All the stores in the mall closed and people were evacuated. Von Maur at first responded with evacuation but immediately turned around to keep it open when the fire was out. The mall was smokey and empty. Everyone was gone and nothing else reopened. I remember it being hard to breathe and getting a splitting headache while standing there for hours. You can die from smoke inhalation, but they didn't care.
They rub the salt in by not paying near enough to survive on your own. I starved a lot while I worked. I remember resorting to dollar tree to squeeze a $4 lunches and pray that i had enough to handle the rest of my bills. 
Leaving the building as an employee would be impossible if you're disabled. You have to take the stairs there is no ramp available or anything for employees that could be disabled even though they have no trouble building an elevator for customers to use but not for employees if you're trying to clock in or out. Water was not allowed you have to go thirsty or drink from a fountain that has been puked on in the past. HOWEVER they would keep a minifridge of little water bottles to give out to customers. We were not allowed to keep our own water but had to give out cold clean water bottles to customers while being tired and thirsty. 
If you have depression, anxiety, or any mental health issues that could impact the ability to do your job. Especially making it worse for the type of pressures and environment they created. Von Maur will throw you away. 
Von Maur represents sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and ablism.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Working here was a frustrating experience. Management consistently prioritized customers at the expense of their employees, to an unreasonable degree. While good customer service is important, it felt like employees were expected to tolerate unfair situations without support.

There was a lack of respect and understanding from leadership, and concerns raised by staff didn’t seem to be taken seriously. The work environment often felt stressful and unsupportive, which made it difficult to stay motivated or feel valued.

Overall, I would not recommend this company to anyone looking for a workplace that respects and supports its employees.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
This was a very stressful place to work. The culture strongly emphasizes “the customer is always right,” but in practice, that often comes at the expense of employees.

Even small, minor issues could lead to customer complaints, and it felt like customers knew they could escalate situations and automatically be sided with. Regardless of the actual circumstances, management consistently prioritized the customer’s version of events, with little effort to understand or support employees.

While I understand the importance of customer service, the lack of balance created an environment where employees felt undervalued and unsupported. Over time, this takes a toll on morale and makes it difficult to feel respected in your role.

I would not recommend this workplace to someone looking for a supportive or fair work environment.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment at Von Maur is extremely challenging and, at times, discouraging. While the store caters to a more affluent customer base and maintains high standards, that pressure is placed heavily on employees without adequate support.

There’s a strong emphasis on maintaining a polished customer experience, but it often feels like employee well-being is secondary. Management tends to rely on occasional customer compliments as a form of recognition, but those are difficult to earn and feel more like a token gesture than meaningful appreciation. Small rewards don’t make up for the overall lack of support and respect.

Morale among staff seemed low, and many employees did not appear genuinely happy or engaged in their roles. Over time, the imbalance between expectations and support creates a stressful and unsustainable work environment.

I would not recommend this company to someone looking for a positive or supportive workplace culture.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day at Von Maur felt unsupported and unnecessarily stressful. While coworkers within the same department tried to help each other, there was often a lack of management support when it actually mattered.

For example, there were times when employees needed to take a basic lunch break, but no one came to cover the floor. This created a situation where people felt stuck—choosing between taking a necessary break or risking getting in trouble. That kind of pressure builds quickly.

There also seemed to be a culture of fear. Employees felt on edge because even small mistakes could turn into customer complaints, and those complaints were almost always taken at face value. It gave the impression that customers held more weight than the well-being of the employees, even when staff were overworked and underpaid.

While the company emphasizes customer service, the lack of balance and support creates an environment where employees feel undervalued, replaceable, and stressed. It’s not a sustainable or healthy workplace.

I would like to start by saying that I worked for Von Maur for many years as a Cosmetic Counter Manager… it was an amazing opportunity…at first!  Many of the customers became like friends to me.  I worked very hard, while balancing a family life, to build sales for the counter and for Von Maur. Before mentioning any negatives, I would like to point out some positives. The cosmetic lines are very supportive and will give you every tool possible for success. Von Maur was closed on all major holidays, which provided some work life balance. You were expected to work weekends- 2-3 per month…If you are part time though, and depending on the store and floor managers, this policy didn’t always apply to you- even if it’s a part timer hired for evening and weekend coverage. This creates counter coverage issues at time. Although counter managers are held accountable for counter making all sales goals, they have little to no say over the scheduling of the counter. Counter managers also don’t have say over who is hired to work as sales associates for their counter..at least this was the case at my particular store. This did not make much sense.. A responsibility of working for a cosmetic line is that you promote the brand, and use the products you are selling and share your experiences with your clients. I actually experienced a sales associate telling a customer who walked up to our counter to purchase, yes walked up with wallet in hand, that they did not use our products and recommended another brand… this should be a huge no no.. but very little was done on managements end about the situation. As a counter manager dedicated to her line and to running a successful business for Von Maur, this type of behavior needs to be managed … this does not create a welcoming and professional environment for customers or for fellow sales associates. Our store had a male store manager who was also verbally abusive to me behind closed doors on more than one occasion… this is unacceptable..why this type of behavior is allowed within a company is beyond me. Jim Von Maur- please pay attention to the behavior of your management team. This same store manager went on to be promoted to corporate. I find it hard to believe that no one in upper management knew that this type of behavior from a store manager was going on??! I have worked for several retailers - I am expected to carry out my duties as a counter manager with utmost professionalism, and expect to be treated with professionalism in return. I was truly shocked that this manager got away with this type of behavior. Von Maur- do better! I truly miss Von Maur’s wonderful customers and fellow sales associates,  but not this experience.. The dynamics of cosmetic sales was rapidly changing, with customers reverting to shopping online, as well as the desire to shop multiple lines. This is the reality of the cosmetic industry now. Counter sales goals need to reflect this shift and be realistic. Support your cosmetic counter managers, as they are working very hard for you to make sales goals and to drive counter sales … 

We are in 2019 and the lack of inclusivity is outrageous. I easily adjust to policies or rules within the workplace but the rules here are crazy. Women only wear skirts, no shoulders out, no facial piercings, tattoos, corduroy, men can’t have piercings, no dyed hair color (unnatural colors), no lace or sheer fabrics , etc. How can we be a store that provides items for self expression when the employees can’t express ourselves in any way, shape or form. I had a customer that saw I had a bandage over my tattoo and I let her know of Von Maurs policy and she was appalled that they have this policy (along with covering my facial piercings). It’s crazy because she was over 65 years old. It’s sad because it seems to me that Von Maur’s target customer is 80+ year olds. They are excluding a lot of people and that’s how Von Maur loses to Nordstrom BIG TIME. One thing that really shows their favoritism to the older/outdated way of business is the fact that they do not provide email receipts. I know people 35 and younger actually prefer email receipts and almost all retail stores have it. Just think of how much paper they’re wasting. The entire database is so behind compared to other retailers I’ve worked at. 90% of the things they have to do on paper can be done through the sales system/computer register. So many things could go much more swiftly with updating their system. They look at the fact that they open a new store every year as an advancement, but in reality the 3rd markdowns is what keeps a lot of customers (old ones too surprisingly) coming back. I am passionate about providing magnificent customer service to customers but I hate that I don’t feel appreciated from my management/company and it really sucks. Von Maur really is excluding a lot of people and that’s a big deal because no one is going to change their lifestyle just for the experience of working here so it will make people not even hesitant to apply just because of the strict dress code rules. HOW DOES MY APPEARANCE AFFECT MY PERFORMANCE???? HOW VON MAUR?? I don’t understand how they expect women to do so much labor as far as go backs, boxing, vacuuming, cleaning mirrors, marking items down, putting items on the floor,  etc in a freaking dress or skirt. There is a lot of bending on a day to day basis and it will get the best of you (and I’m young). Get ready for your feet to kill you if you’re a woman because you basically can only wear closed toe flats or heels. I wear flats and my feet feel like I’ve been walking barefoot all day. I honestly can go on and on because you think retail is more on the funner side of jobs compared to more professional jobs like working in a law firm or something , but this one is not. My biggest issue is the inclusivity though. Their motto is to always help satisfy the customer and look for their best interest, but when that same customer wants to become an employee the care and respects Is no longer valid.

Okay I have been in retail for 15 years and I couldn't believe what I had gotten myself into almost 2 years ago. I was shocked and appalled at the management structure of this company! I couldn't believe that the Dept. Managers had almost no authority whatsoever to run their respective departments. At every other retailer I worked for, the DM ALWAYS interviewed potential candidates. How can a Department Manager build a winning team and NOT have any say in the hiring process??? The week long training was pretty thourough but extremely tedious. Come on now...at the time I had 13 years of high end retail experience and they had a manager shadow me at all times the first week I was there??? Not to mention, I couldn't even ring up ONE SALE for myself??? I remember the first client I helped and she was simply looking for a lipstick...I offered her a seat and I did a full makeover on her and 300.00 sale shortly thereafter. Didn't get one once of credit for it! I learned to ask open ended questions during my time with Nordstrom( The store Von Maur PRETENDS to be AND COPIES!!!) I knew all about customer service and how to build a sale and add to my IPT( Items Per Transaction) before joining Von Maur. Also, my other pet peeve was how everything was 'micro-managed". I don't need a 22 year old Floor Manager breathing down my back to tell me how to do my job! Also, getting into trouble for trying to motivate my staff at my counter??? Management would say to me that I was "Too Hard" and "Too Competitive"....WHATEVER!!!! Also, the out-dated dress code needs to be scrapped! This is 2012 and if Von Maur wants to be fashion forward like Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus then they need to be able to adjust to the times! This isn't 1955 anymore!

Now, there were some bright spots. I consistently ran double digit increases over the previous business year and I absolutely loved the customers! Some of these customers are now my good friends even though I have moved on to bigger and better things work-wise. Also, the benefits were decent and I liked getting time and a half for Sundays worked and being off on major holidays. I also thought that the stores were very clean albiet a little cluttered in smaller locations.

All in all, this company needs to really re-think it's priorities and move into the 21st century! Von Maur needs to stop hiring these young girls barely out of college and promoting them into management only a few months later. It takes time and experience to grow into a management position NOT LOOKS and YOUTH! Allow Department Managers to efectively run their respective departments. Also, stop micro managing and stop being so uptight! Von Maur is chasing away lots of good talent to the competition.

Pros – The department co-workers made this company glorious. Coming in close second was the Medical, Dental and Vision Plans. Lastly, having major holidays off.

Cons – Everything and anything you can possibly think of that grinds your gears.

Management always has an invisible barrier that divides the associates giving demeanor looks when speaking to you and belittling your hard work when done wrong yet when done correctly, they will reward you with more work due to the fact that you are capable of taking initiative and exceeding tasks. They ask tasks of you that they themselves as managers have no idea how to do. Managers play favoritism to those who brown nose. All this given without any incentive accept to not get terminated. and even then, one mistake and you will have a 20% chance of keeping your job.

One makes more money selling in an hour than one makes in a 40hr week of the mesely $10/hr vacation/sick/holiday pay they give you.

This company has groomed stuck up, conceded, high maintenance customers that expect everything to be given to them. When one neglects to give the customer satisfaction, management will not back you up on policies, rules, and regulations that you have been told to uphold as part of your employment. Management will take the word of a customer, no matter how small or absurd, over a 10+ year veteran employee with great credentials in the company and take disciplinary actions which again include termination.

There is no employee hand book with job specifications. Therefore they add and remove tasks and job descriptions as they please and see fit without telling associates. otherwise there will be a meeting everyday for this purpose.

Upper management opportunities,such as floor manager or higher, appear to be favored toward women. Therefore, men don't seem to have a fair chance at advancing in this type of environment.

This company expects to put them first in our life over anything including yourself, your family and your religion. Receiving nothing but head aches from trying to maneuver your life around there tunnel visioned objective of "be grateful we hired you" mentality

Overall, don't get your hopes up when applying or hired. You are only looking in through the window. once inside, you will reconsider your decision

Average Day:
It’s a very easy job because it’s retail, however it’s much more strict. You are expected to keep a customer book and keep in contact with your customers. In cosmetics, you’re expected to cold call monthly for events. The events are always the same: $50-$100 purchase and you’ll receive a bag of samples. Very repetitive, nothing new or exciting really. There are goals for how many phone calls you’re expected to make each month, hourly sales goals that have to be met, etc. If it’s not busy, then act busy so you’re left alone.

Policies:
Dress code is almost business professional. Management will passive aggressively tell you you’re violating it after complimenting you all day. Facial piercings aren’t allowed at all; write ups have been threatened over this (write up=no raise). You are not allowed to have your phone on you or any other personal belongings while clocked in. You’re allowed 5 absences for the year; the 6th is a write up and they do not accept doctors notes. Good luck getting time off when you want it as there are black out periods that are almost impossible to work around even if you have PTO.

Management:
Store management is terrible at communicating. If you enjoy being talked down to, or intimidated and aggressive conversations that aren’t productive, then this might be a good fit! They’ll ask you for your opinion and then completely disregard it. Do as they say without asking too many questions and you’ll be in their good graces. Be prepared to be treated like a child most of the time.

Growth:
Promotions are not given based on ability to lead or manage or work with people, but rather your ability to sell. If you want growth, be prepared to make Von Maur your number 1 priority and give it 120% all the time.

Environment:
You become relatively good friends with the people in your department otherwise you won’t survive the expectations management places on you. It’s a lot for retail. There’s a high school like culture as some associates have nothing better to do than talk about what other people do. Don’t worry your executive management team will come down on everyone about gossip while being a perpetrator.

Great coworkers to work with, and even better immediate supervisors- however, the higher up the supervisor, the worse they seemed to get. Constantly micromanaging and finding something wrong with what you do. Inability to work with a schedule- would as for a day off months in advance or requesting to not work Sundays until after 1:00PM for church service reasons, it would be approved to my face by my manager, then a week before the event I would get my schedule with me scheduled to work anyways. 

Here is my horror story.
I broke my pinky toe on a dresser (it sounds like a tiny injury, but it was bent out at a 90 degree angle and was the worst broken bone I've ever had) during my 90 day probationary period and was told after two weeks on my crutches, that they were UNPROFESSIONAL and I needed to be off of them as soon as possible. I, of course fearful for my job, weened myself off earlier than I should have which caused permanent repercussions to my toe, which now is not straight causes pain in even loose shoes. 
After going to my orthopedic doctor, having my toe rebroke, and being put back on crutches immediately, a regional manager came in, discussed my crutches and the "unprofessionalism" of them with my store manager and HR manager, and decided to put me on a non-pay Leave of Absence ONE DAY before I would have reached the end of my 90 days and would have received paid time off for medical leave and insurance. So, I was left in the cold with no medical insurance (since they put me on leave and that wasn't considered working days), a ton of medical bills, and no pay. After talking with corporate HR for days over the phone trying to figure it out, my lawyer advised me that what they were doing was illegal and against the ADA laws. HR denied this, stopped answering and returning my calls, and was completely rude about it. Needless to say, I put in my two weeks while on leave and would never ever let anyone I knew go to work for them.

Von Maur Wichita has some of the best employees and managers I have worked  with, but their higher ups and corporate offices completely ruined the company for me. Shame on them.

I had only worked there for 2 months before my manager showed me her true colors. I was one of the companys top producers and worked HARD for the recognition, only to have my boss treat me like I was stupid. Always picked up after her, she stole everyone's sales, and threw me under the bus for something SHE knowingly did wrong. 
OH! Not to mention, the girls there are the fakest people you will ever meet. If you aren't by their standards "pretty enough", you will see that the skinny dolled up girls will NEVER get in trouble. That includes their attitudes, bullying & dress code. Before I left, we couldn't show ANY tattoos or have the skirt/dress be revealing/too short or skimpy. Managers and the "pretty girls" of Von Maur would CONSTANTLY never hide their hand and fingers tats, and would wear outfits that the bigger girls would daily be zoned out for. 

I'm heavily convinced that the company has a lot of cleaning out to do, and that most of the customers are just as bad as the workers. It's really sad/hilarious to be a genuinely good, hard working person and to work your hardest to only see your coworkers talking bad about each other, about you as an employee,.and the customers they would've just helped. There were rumors from people I have always just smiled at and nodded to, that I was messing up a coworkers life because I had just moved to Decatur and didn't realize my boyfriend's ex, who has never in her life even talked more than a sentence to me, worked there and resented me, AND hated seeing me. Just because I needed a job. All this stupid, useless, pathetic drama couldn't even be solved because my managers refused to accept the fact any bullying was going around the store. 

Why would a company be SO lazy and fight for the mean girls, when there are amazing girls there who are overlooked and bullied into silence? Idk why anyone would still want to support this company.

Sales associate with extensive knowledge of the fashion and cosmetic industries. Energetic and outgoing with an
innate drive to make sales quota. Retail sales professional who excels in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments.
Retail Sales Associate with three years in upscale retail apparel, shoe and jewelry sales. Enjoys helping customers
find products to meet their needs. Energetic sales associate with a strong background in retail sales, fashion
merchandising and customer service support. Team-oriented retail sales associate who works well in a collaborative
environment, yet thrives on personal sales achievements.
In-depth fashion knowledge
Basic clerical knowledge
Approachable
Dedicated team player
Analytical
Bar code scanning
In-depth beauty knowledge
Excited to learn new things
Good communication skills
Works well under pressure
Capable of taking on management like duties
Reliable and dependable
Positive outlook
Cheerful and energetic
Team leadership
Excellent time management
Easily trained
Hard worker
Can work in a fast pace

Verified that all merchandising standards were maintained on a daily basis. Maintained friendly and professional
customer interactions. Worked as a team member to provide the highest level of service to customers.
Demonstrated that customers come first by serving them with a sense of urgency. Shared product knowledge with
customers while making personal recommendations. Created strategies to develop and expand existing customer
sales, which resulted in a monthly sales increase. Placed special merchandise orders for customers. Opened and
closed the department, including counting cash, opening and closing cash registers and creating staff assignments.
Received and processed cash and credit payments for in-store purchases. Described use and operation of
merchandise to customers.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Sales associate 320 salaries reported	$16.16 per hour
Department manager 110 salaries reported	$20.49 per hour
Cosmetics manager 116 salaries reported	$18.42 per hour
Associate 72 salaries reported	$17.89 per hour
Cosmetics sales associate 79 salaries reported	$16.28 per hour

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