Before you bother to apply FOR SALES online or in-store to Ashley Furniture, PLEASE READ THIS! I was hired by Ashley at a 5% commission rate and was advised about Ashley's expectations for meeting Sales Goals... Here are a few: namely, meeting a $56,000 volume each month, a 75% rate of close in fabric protection, a 25% closing rate overall, and meeting certain percentage rates in selling mattresses and accessories.
We were also told that there was no tolerance for errors on our worksheets after our probationary (one-month on the floor) period. Our Sales would be "housed" if more than "X amount" of errors occurred in one month. Anyway, after a week of "sales and product training" in a small unventilated room where we were packed like sardines, trained by an abrasive, brassy, Biker-Type Woman who used foul, disgusting language, cussing repeatedly throughout the training presentation, and having to use equipment that was filthy and archaic, we were set off to our designated stores.
A fellow associate that had been working there for years told me that Ashley had hired and fired over 125 Sales people in our store alone since her first day there. She told me to make sure that I adhere to store policy and to 'keep my numbers up". I was thankful for this, and decided to remain on the edge, never to be the unsuccessful, 126th Discharged Sales person. However, from day one, I found that making a Sale is a PAINSTAKING EXPERIENCE.
Not only are the computers old and in need of replacement, but the SYSTEM ITSELF is unreliable and shuts down repeatedly in the midst of a sale, and therefore, starting the sales process all over again is necessary. This is unnerving to customers and the average time to enter data to make a sale is @ 30-45 minutes or more. If a customer purchased accessories, the accessories have to often times, be "unnailed" by the manager before we can even imput them into the system, and the floor designer also has to sign off on them. This means more time to finish the sale.
There are also numerous system quirks that one must overcome in order to "get through" the data input process. It is also a requirement to have the customer sign off in 4 different areas on the Work Order before the manager signs off on it. It is also recommended by management that sales associates draw a picture of the merchandise purchased with measurements and have the customer sign off on it. If a package deal is altered in any way, MATH must be shown on the back of the sales order and the manager signs off on it.
Another fact to keep in mind... I and ALL Ashley associates are now earning a 4.75% commission rate. This started just recently. When presented to us, they management tried to schmooz us with a positive factor: that we now would be earning a 10% commission on accessories sold. This, to me, does not balance or justify the. 25% decrease in the commission rate. Very often, people do not purchase accessories along with their merchandise. One other fact should be mentioned here.
A few of the Sales Associates that I work with are very nice, however, there are about a 1/2 dozen that are continually trying to squelch/crash attitudes. They tell us that we will not make any $, because THEY have not on a consistent basis and they are constantly degrading management tactics. They speak constantly about getting jobs elsewhere. When I am trying to focus on my sales day, they seem to pick up on it and try to crash my positive attitude.
Also, management is always talking NUMBERS. Nearly every meeting is about our performance. Many of the Sales People try to steal customers on an ongoing basis. Ok... NOW YOU HAVE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION of what to expect! To be perfectly candid about the entire ASHLEY SALES REP EXPERIENCE thus far, I must admit that there is a HUGE FEAR FACTOR when I clock in each day.
One new employee was just let go for no apparent reason. It seems they fire people randomly. Based on my recent "NUMBERS", I am constantly in fear of THIS; will I be the next victim? The 126th? IF you can handle the FEAR FACTOR on a DAILY BASIS, WELCOME TO ASHLEY! IF NOT, you may want to think about your future sales career and alternate companies more seriously!
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