Cons

Hard to progress, regardless of potential and work ethic. Being proactive and going the extra mile is seen as a standard and not a way of standing out.
Ideas are dismissed and only their way is seen as the right way although an industry like this is ever evolving and needs to fit the needs of a customer, but most likely at the detriment of the staff.

As a sale advisor for 5 years, we as a team were the best in our region but faced constant waves of pressure to be better and bleed the stone dry even though we had a monopoly of the area.
Words like banter were frowned upon, and with the relationships we created in the sort of blokish atmosphere being in a plumbers merchant creates it was hard to revert to big polite without the customers big alienated.

Service wasn't an issue. Prices and availability was and this is their biggest threat.
Majority of branches were dated and decrepit, so in all honesty why would a member of staff want to look after the branch?

With a 2 year schedule in place to revamp the brand and restructure it's staff and products it's failing to give the hardworking career minded individual any scope for the future. It's headstrong on being like the rivals it's lost its soul identity.

Staff turnover both in low levels and management levels are a joke but when a position is available to progress you won't ever get a chance because the development training was never in place to help you succeed.

I did 5 years. Never received a pay rise, branch achieved the targets monthly and the yearly surplus constantly. Staff appraisal was always 5 out of 5. But nothing.

Good for young person as as a stepping stone between a career. Or someone to far over the hill to care. That's the vibe I get now when I speak to the people I saw on a daily basis.