Pros
The items in the store itself are fantastic. The home decor is pleasant, though kitschy and sometimes cheaply-made. The Christmas decorations are lovely. The craft supplies are extensive. My favorite part of customer service was being able to find exactly what a customer was looking for and help them with their projects. I loved showing off my knowledge of crafting and art to help customers reach their goals, and at the same time I learned a lot from them about new techniques I'd never heard of, supplies I'd never tried, and ideas I'd never thought of. The pay was pretty good for a customer service position. I liked having an employee discount since I love crafty stuff and some of the decor. Knowing the sales also meant saving a lot of money. Most of my coworkers were great company, funny, insightful and kind. Besides working with costumers, my favorite tasks were ones like stocking, unpacking, inventorying, and the like, because I could get carried away in the work and my shift would pass quickly. Everyone who works part time gets paid one rate and everyone who works full time gets paid another. No one is in competition for better pay, so relations between employees are friendly on that front. I have no idea what managers get paid.
Cons
The registers are a nightmare. Cashiers must memorize by heart the department, sales, and location of every single item in the entire store so that when a customer comes up with a basketful of nonsense you can input each price and department for each item flawlessly. I've heard rumors the CEO is stoutly against the use of barcodes on the merchandise, and though I'm not sure whether he's a religious nutcase or just an idiot, either way it's a stupid way to run a large retail chain. You will be expected, both by your managers and by your customers, to be fast as a cashier at any other store where items have barcodes while wracking your brain for departments and constantly checking the sales ad to make sure you ring things up at the right price. If there's an item missing its price tag, you'll have to call for help. This happens CONSTANTLY and if you don't have extra employees up front to help you out expect your line to get out of hand quickly. If a new item comes up that you've never seen before, you better guess correctly about what department it belongs in while you call for the price or you will just be wasting everyone's time. Your manager will sigh and roll their eyes at you while you grapple desperately for understanding, so you better pray to your Lord that they are somewhat patient and you have backup or you'll be burning in the deepest depths of retail hell for your whole shift. You will make mistakes. Unless you're a retail savant, you're going to find yourself fumbling over the ads and having to double check departments with your manager. You're going to feel like an idiot every single Monday when the ad is new, and by the end of the week when you have the ad memorized it will change again. Just when you think you understand the patterns the ads follow, something will change EVER so slightly and you'll only realize you've been ringing it up wrong for a week when a receipt-savvy customer comes back with that politely troubled look on their face that you'll see sooooo often. Most customers are decent people who just want to get their stuff and go home, so even if you made a seemingly dumb mistake they'll just stand their watching you scribble on the receipt and accept your apologies with grace, but that will not always be the case. Customers confused by the coupon rules, the sales ad, or the returns policy will stare at you like you're speaking in tongues. You'll call your manager over to explain and they will say the exact same things you say, but for some reason it will make more sense when they say it. A costumer will look directly into the eyes of the manager that dislikes you and is standing a foot away, and they will call you stupid and slow. You will thank them and they will leave the store feeling satisfied. A customer will try to use a coupon on an item that's always on sale, and you will smile with false apology and explain to them that coupons can only be used on regular priced items while they emphatically argue that since the item is ALWAYS on sale then that IS its regular price. They will hate you and curse and make a scene and you will wish them a good day. A customer will come with three carts full of home decor that they used to stage their house they're selling, as if Hobby Lobby were a rental store. They will have six different receipts on as many different credit cards and items on the receipts are labeled with their price and the department "Home Accents." There will be 14 items listed at $14.99 on the receipt and 15 in front of you. At my store, anytime someone called in sick the managers would snicker and make fun of them to other employees. You better believe they'll do it to you too. I'm reasonably sure all the colds I caught were from fellow employees suffering from "contagious presenteeism." When my 18 year old cat died I called out of my shift for the next day, because I knew I'd still be a mess, and my store manager laughed condescendingly at me over the phone. This is the same manager who seemed about to explode from stress most of the time and perpetually stiff as a board. He'd sometimes throw papers in frustration and storm around as if life were hard for him with his rose garden he bragged about and his multiple cars. Overall, I am thankful every day that I don't have to go to work at Hobby Lobby.