Stay far, far away. - OUTSIDE SALES Fastenal Employee Review

2.0
19 Jun 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Benefits were some of the best I have ever had at a company. The salary plus commission structure can allow for some people to make a descent salary but...

Cons

...Very long hours. Average workday is from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm (with other branches having extended hours). Upper management is very strict on sales numbers and will constantly micro manage you in hopes that you will hit your monthly goals. My district manager was very fond of sending the entire district progress reports on how each individual branch was doing and would make it a point to highlight the good and the bad. Product would either come in late or not at all and would force you to constantly apologize to customers. It is very hard to keep customers when you tell them that there order will arrive in the morning, but when they come to pick it up there is nothing there. It is very easy for them to go to other suppliers that stock much of the product that Fastenal has to order. The growth potential at this company is an absolute joke. I worked for the the company for three years and was initially told that branch manager positions open up very often. In the three years I worked there, I saw two positions open and roughly twenty salespeople apply for them. Don't expect a raise. If you want to take a customer to lunch, it comes out of your own pocket and is not reimbursed. The list goes on and on.

Explore other reviews about Fastenal

5.0
6 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

For such a large company, they move fast. If you demonstrate exceptional talent, it is rewarded much more quickly than other companies. Good decision-making gets a lot of attention.

Cons

Low starting pay makes it so that there are not a lot of applicants for entry level positions. Bad employee behavior is tolerated because it's hard to backfill the position.

1.0
6 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I wish if there were anything worth mentioning.

Cons

My contract was changed three times in the span of three months. This is the most disorganized company I have ever worked for. As an employee, you are the least of their concerns expect to be asked to stay late, come in early, and take on tasks outside your job description. Due to chronic understaffing, you're pressured into doing extra work, and if you refuse, they will find a way to let you go.

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