Clients and Coworkers Can Be Amazing, But It's Not Enough - Department Leader Petco Employee Review

2.0
10 Jul 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Coworkers are generally wonderful; you can find someone you get along with in any location -Clients can be amazing. I had so many make a lifelong impact on me, long after I left -You have the potential to learn and grow your change management and adaptability skills, as long as you're open to it

Cons

-SLT very clearly does not care about their frontline employees; when I left, I had been there 10 years and was in management (not in the location listed here) I was on state assistance at that time because I could not afford the essentials due to the cost-of-living in my area. I was constantly told that pay increases are "not in the budget". I always met or exceeded expectations on annual reviews and never saw higher than a $0.30/hr pay raise -If you were the opening manager and the closing manager called out, and you could not find coverage, you were working a double. This could mean 7 AM until 10 PM with no real lunch break. One time this happened, I missed my first anniversary dinner with my husband and spent half an hour in the back room trying to compose myself to do my job -Questionable hiring and career growth practices; I was overlooked for a promotion, and instead the role went to a re-hire who had previously been fired for stealing. Both the hiring decision-maker and the rehire were later terminated for separate reasons. -Work-life balance is unmanageable; I once spent all night at an emergency veterinary appointment. It was during covid, so I could not enter the veterinarian's office. I slept in my car, and then had to return to the store the next morning to work my scheduled shift.

Explore other reviews about Petco

5.0
9 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Discount was super great as a pet owner

Cons

Coverage was often low as people called out at times or quit

1.0
18 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

DM is a good person who genuinely wants to support the stores, but unfortunately he’s also caught in the middle of all this chaos.

Cons

Literally EVERYTHING! • Extremely limited payroll stores are frequently staffed with only two employees for an entire day, which is not sustainable. • Leadership appears disconnected from store level operations, with little clear direction. Initiatives often feel reactive, as if decisions are being tested without a consistent long term strategy. • Expansion into non pet related products raises concerns about the company’s financial health and overall focus. • Workload is overwhelming, with planogram changes happening frequently sometimes multiple times within the same week. • IT systems are unreliable, and when issues arise, store teams are expected to find workarounds rather than receiving timely support. • Animal care no longer seems to be a top priority at the corporate level. Current setups (e.g., “Desk Pets”) appear inconsistent with the company’s own care standards and guidelines.

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