Pros
I think it is important to remember that Culligan has been owned by eight plus hedge funds or something similar in the last decade plus. Also, important to remember that Culligan is kind of a smorgasbord of company owned and franchise operations. The result being that what a persons experience might be in one area or state might be completely or totally different in another area or state. My personal experience was that it was a great company with great products and great people. My sensation is that water treatment is a growth industry, especially with all of the well publicized water issues that are either manifesting themselves currently and/or being uncovered by the media. My sensation is the products are top of the line and you do not have to apologize for service or quality.
Cons
Just from reading the reviews on this site. It has reinforced how potentially different the individual Culligan locations can be. My personal experience was that their method of selling and distributing is singularly dimensional and very inefficient. I know that probably because of the various investment group ownership in the last decade plus, they are dangerously behind in their marketing methods. Although "Hey Culligan Man" is an extremely well known slogan amongst baby boomers, younger people, millennials, etc., .............. your growth market are completely unaware of who Culligan is. I don't have an overview of the entire company, but where I worked they are working on this, but solidly behind. This is a segue into another issue which is equally problematic. In my location, although times are changing, they are obsessed with the door to door method of sales. Although inefficient and a scatter gun approach, they have been doing it like that for decades and decades and aren't really receptive to alternatives. In a world where we have "do not call list" and neighborhoods abound with "no solicitation" signs, that is still the tried and true method. My sensation is for all the innovation and technology that Culligan has created, and the increasing need for water filtration that the world is increasingly in need of, their growth will continue to be capped and regulated by a worn method of "getting your stuff out there". I found that because of the structure of the dealership in my particular area there was simply no way to pursue any type of strategy or marketing plan that involved a timetable that would take more than a week to implement, let alone multiple weeks or months. In short, on the sales side, if you are the person who responds well to "bang your head on the wall until you are told to stop" this is a place you should consider. My sensation is that this is a potentially great company with great products. it cheapens and takes value away from the entire process when you rely so much on the door to door approach. You are starting from a position of weakness.