Company: Microsoft
Date: 2013-04-15
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Junior

False expectations during hiring / training process
Pros: -Money for relatively no work
-Free soda
-Management work schedules follow a corporate rhythm so you always have a set schedule
Cons: -No one wants Microsoft products.  Manager's would have to follow market leaders orders by essentially telling employees to stand in the hall and beg people to come in.
-They will tell you that this is the best retail job ever.  It's not about sales, its about the people.  100% inaccurate.  It is 100% about sales.  Just like every other retailer, there are sales metrics.  The problem with the metrics at Microsoft is that they are unattainable.  They give you quarterly goals that no store can reach so they won't have to pay out any bonuses.  Its called their Own-It program.
-Cons: If you happen to be the the one manager who's schedules follows one of the corporate rhythms, you will have to work every Fri, Saturday, & Sunday.
-Higher ups tend to think that they know everything.  They won't let change happen, even when their retail model is failing
-Unprofessional working environment.  They hire too young, and its like high school all over again.
-The stores have around 30 promotions going at a time and always getting new ones.  People don't remember all of them and they get yelled at for not knowing all of them.