retail merchandiser

social media coordinator

seasonal associate

sales associate

seller

Hallmark

Start half an hour before your start time. Work begins at home at anytime if someone calls in that they are not coming into work. Managers text you at all hours. Offices are open practically till when you leave and office staff can enter at anytime. They expect not even one hair left on the floor or will say it was not cleaned. You stay past your shift end to ensure that nothing is forgotten, this is difficult if you are understaffed or if floors throw parties on the same day. Difficult also if you have to train new staff etc... It is difficult if you are keeping up with slow staff or staff that does not like to listen, or staff that does not pay attention to details. You work many unpaid hours and they are never satisfied. When you do get great staff they do not like to stay because of high expectations and not enough time. There is never time to take a break and most days you will leave hungry to obtain what they want achieved. The staff that did stay were there a long time and said that I made the place a better place as they understood what position I was in. eg. One girl gets 4 hours to clean 4 large washrooms, 3 meeting rooms that are expected to be vacuumed everyday. Many desks that are used everyday and need wiping down, glass partitions around each desk that must be fingerprint free, entrance doors on two sides must be clean, light switches, kitchen garbage and garbage cans at all desks. Often they have parties and there is too much garbage. Add on window ledges are expected to be dust free etc... I tried to help the girls as much as I could to avoid complaints in which they appreciated. I would have to stay extra hours to complete cleaning tasks myself unpaid.  

The product orders arrive all through the day and have to be received and dealt with right away. A lot of the boxes are quite heavy (depending on what is in them) and a lot of orders can be over 20 boxes at a time. 

There is no opportunity to use "creative flair" when setting up a display, every product has to go on the right shelf in the right space which uses up a lot of time cross-referencing the planogram for exact placement when time could be better spent on more important things such as just getting the product out for sale. 

The hourly wage is just over minimum with little chance of getting a raise, no matter how well you do the job. Even a keyholder with more responsibility doesn't make more money than anyone else. 

The worst part is the "customer service" expectations. It's more like being pushy and upselling. Management isn't happy to just let people browse around in the store, you have to find out WHY they are there and selling them something. I want to be helpful, but I don't want to make the customers uncomfortable with mindless chitchat that always seems to come off as phoney when I listen to management do it. 

Its frustrating as well to spend time making a display nice then being told 2 weeks later to take it down and put up something else. It just seems like a lot of "make work" projects, especially when this isn't a store that has a weekly flyer that needs you to highlight the "specials" that are changing. 

Too much sales pressure and not enough compensation. Look for something else.

When I first started at hallmark, the manager was amazing, making sure everyone's schedules worked with school and time off. The co-workers were amazing too being supportive and training me well.
It has been years since and my efforts to beg for a raise are always met with a threat to be fired (even though a coworker recieved numerous raises and they have been there for less time, another example of being favored), a new manager who is toxic, purposely favoring the new hires, never giving you enough shifts to sustain yourself for even gas to drive across the city to get there (and if you want to get another job, your shifts will be cut and won't match up with your other job)! The manager refuses to train the new hires who are all clueless and will purposely wander into the back to avoid work, will talk absolute trash about the old manager and gets angry every time someone quits and can't figure out why. Also when you do quit the owner will phone you to question you on why you left and how you are not devoted anymore. You also aren't even allowed to take a 15-minute break even though the store is always dead. This is technically illegal and if you need that break then you have to take it after the manager leaves.

Worked at Hallmark for several years and watched as the company declined in numbers and morals.  Sometimes the conditions were inhumane and it all had to do with the managers that worked there. HR would not do anything about it and a lot of the managers were there because they had worked there all their lives (straight from high school) and had all the experience but lacked managerial/people skills. I, along with several people who no longer work for the company, can attest to the fact that there was a lack of respect for employees and a lot of shady things occurred within the management team that could be said to go against everything Hallmark portrays to value. I willingly left the company as did a lot of people, whether it were for another job or for sick leave (which occurred way too often and had to do with the mental health of employees).  The only good thing to come out of this job, other than a steady income, was the friendships I made with co-workers.

I was able to experience many new things at Hallmark. I was able to open the store easily and efficiently. When the manager was not available I took on some of her responsibilities like, overseeing employees, ordering product and store supplies, and delegating jobs she had laid out for all employees. I had a wonderful manager, we worked very well together. I was able to openly share suggestions and criticisms with her and vice verse. Sometimes I found it difficult to delegate to my fellow employees and take on a more disciplinary role when my manager was not present and could not do it herself. I did not feel overly comfortable with it since I was not the manager and because my fellow employees didn't see me as a manager figure therefore they were not accepting of it either. It was great working with many of my coworkers on a daily basis. We all took on our jobs seriously and could work well with each other. I am thankful for my experience with Hallmark.

A typical day at work involved interacting with a wide range of customers, from young to old. Majority of the time it was great and people reciprocated your positive afflictions to them, but a select few customers would come with demands that are beyond the range that policy entails. They would threaten you and your management and write exaggerated reviews and spread negativities for not getting their high requests filled with the air of entitlement trailing them from the moment they walked in. From customers like this, my manager reminded me to stand firm and not give in to unreasonable request. From working here, I built my confidence and developed rapport with customers. The cash register is manual  which slowed things down at times but it was manageable. My coworkers were so kind and gave me useful tips for my shifts to avoid unnecessary stress. The most enjoyable part was during showcases when we ordered pizza. The hardest part was dealing with impatient customers while still trying to learn how to work the manual register.

The part-time gig I had during my school days was a unique experience that I wouldn't categorize as either good or bad. Instead, it occupied a space of its own in my life—a neutral yet valuable chapter. It served as a means of financial support during my academic journey, and in that regard, it was genuinely beneficial.

The tasks associated with the job were undeniably mundane, falling on the spectrum of very boring. However, the silver lining was that they were all manageable and within the realm of my capabilities. This made the overall experience quite tolerable, if not slightly monotonous. The predictability of the tasks allowed me to develop a routine and master the required skills, turning the job into a reliable source of income without the stress of constant challenges.

While the work itself may not have been intellectually stimulating, the fact that it was doable provided a sense of accomplishment. It allowed me to balance my academic commitments with a steady income, 

Most of the time it was just me in the store with a continuous flow of eager customers looking to make an impact on a loved ones special day. I would assist them in choosing cards for the occasion and many times what to write in the cards themselves. I learned to read people and their significant others in short periods of time and how to make connections with a few simple questions. As the assistant manager the only other person above me was the manager them self, and our relationship was full of trust as she would entitle me to many of her own responsibilities such as banking tasks as well as holding the keys for the store aside from regular sales tactics. the most difficult part of the job was that at times the atmosphere could be somewhat dry being the only person in the store, however you had plenty of time to prep the place for upcoming customers.

Loved working at Hallmark. Unfortunately would still be there if the store I worked at didn’t close. I’m a huge seasonal buff so this job was perfect for me. Yes there were slow days and fast days. So the slow days were a little boring but I enjoyed stocking and making up displays The cleaning part wasn’t fun no but most people don’t love cleaning in the first place it just needs to get done form time to time. Yes you always have those difficult customers but you will get that in any retail shop you just have to help them the best you can. Christmas was my favourite time. Busy but so much fun. Seeing people’s faces light up when they saw the ornaments or a perfect gift was the best. My cooworkers were an amazing team to work with also. RIP Kitchener location <3

I like working for Hallmark. You can basically work when you want as long as you do your job so there is lots of flexibility. Sometimes boxes can be heavy if they contain a lot of cards. Around special days like Valentines, Mother’s Day, Easter and Christmas you are expected to work extra hours in the weekend to make sure the department looks neat. Sometimes you come in for only two hours and  it can be that you drive in for only those two hours. You won’t get compensated for travel time. Except when you help out in another store. Christmas start the end of September and gets busier the closer you get to December 25th! You are expected to work according to planograms. Pay is low.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Retail merchandiser 13 salaries reported	$18.50 per hour
Social media coordinator 1 salary reported	$17.50 per hour
Seasonal associate 2 salaries reported	$17.13 per hour
Sales associate 1 salary reported	$17.85 per hour
Seller 1 salary reported	$4,900 per month

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