As I mentioned above, the gratis program is slightly flawed in that if you are not scheduled at times when trainings typically occur, you don't get the gratis. This is not always true, but most of the time, it is. And again, certain cast members were less than honest when participating in gratis contests.
Also, the bonus structure only really pays off for leads and above, who get increased percentages as the metrics rise.
Above all, the ridiculous "policy" about not promoting from within the same location because "feelings might get hurt" is offensive. Perhaps that works in cities, or places with many store locations, but in a state with only a few stores that are spread out, you either have to put up with never getting promoted (even though you will be promised this if you show potential), or having to relocate, or worse, having to drive hours out of your way to work at a location where you know nothing about the personalities in the store, or about the setting of the mall. It would be nice to think that hard work and excellent metrics (as shown in survey responses from actual clients) would pay off, and that you would be able to get promoted, when there are openings (as there were in my store), in the same location, instead of them hiring from outside the company to fill managerial roles. I was told that the company would rather shift people around than promote from within the same location. Oh well!
