- Something that I think everyone should know before working for this company is that Forever 21 does not give references, and they won't give you a reason why. Be aware of this before you spend 1+ years working there and a call to them from a potential employer will only grant you a 'Yes, they did work here during that time period. *Click*'.
- The 10% employee discount is beyond worthless. That's as much as a student gets for flashing their SPC card. That's as much as a customer who wants a discount because of the tiny, nearly invisible sensor hole on their clothing gets. And the customer who's subscribed to the email list and whips out their phone to show you a coupon at the cash register? They get 20-40% for doing absolutely nothing. Did I mention that 10% doesn't even cover tax in British Columbia?
- The customer base is truly awful. They're rude, inconsiderate, obnoxious, and will treat you like dirt. They have no problem with dropping an entire rack of clothes on the ground and laughing about it before walking off, throwing legitimate temper tantrums when they don't get their way, and calling you an incompetent idiot if you don't have the item that they want in stock.
- Literally everyone who isn't a manager will openly admit to hating the store and never wanting to come in to work. No one is happy during their shifts, ever.
- There is a huge turnover rate for sales associates. Most quit within a month or two of being hired, and some don't even make it past the first week.
- The pay does not match the work that they expect you to do. Juggling the jobs of three people while attempting to customer service and keep the store looking spotless? Still only worth minimum wage unless you get promoted -- if not, you'll be waiting a whole year after you're hired for a raise. Other jobs will pay you more for less work, and are more reasonable with their expectations.
- Oh, and everyone who isn't management or a visual is part-time, since full-time sales associate positions don't exist. If you're hoping for benefits, look elsewhere.
- Incompetent people are regularly hired for management positions and will make your life hell before they quit.
- Favoritism is rampant. Certain sales associates will receive little to no consequences for repeatedly breaking the rules, showing up more than an hour late to their shifts, or not showing up at all, just because the managers like them. It makes it very hard to respect the management after a while, especially when you know that you'd immediately get written up if you did the same thing.
- Management will outright lie/lead you on with promises of eventual promotion just to get you to stick around/do what they want. The best way to get promoted at Forever 21 is to become best friends with one or more of the managers.
- Sales associates work like slaves on the floor while the managers chill in the back on their phones, only coming out when requested via the walkie-talkie (and even then, it can take a few tries for them to actually answer it), but they'll have no problem telling you to work harder as soon as they've finished looking at Facebook.
- Usually just enough people are scheduled to be able to close the store (ignoring the fact that usually 1 or 2 people will call out for their closing shift) to 'save hours', making closing shifts extremely difficult and stressful, but the managers have no problem doing hours of overtime every single day.
- Managers will give you large, difficult tasks to accomplish by yourself in an unreasonable time frame and then get mad when you (obviously) can't complete them. However, if you do something well, no one will acknowledge it. Only your failures are ever spoken of.
- Management has the attitude of 'if you don't like it, then leave' if you come to them with issues. You're constantly subtly reminded that you are easily replaceable.
- Sales associates regularly break down and cry in the back room/on the sales floor because of how frustrated and angry they are with the store and the management.
- If you ask for a resignation form, the managers will guilt-trip you in an attempt to make you stay and even sometimes refuse to give you the form.
