PETCO Employer Reviews

In the Market Manager position responsibilities included management of 9-20 stores. Assisting the stores in driving top line sales, protecting bottom line profit and providing exceptional customer service. The most enjoyable part of the job was working with the store teams; having the ability to teach and train and see that aha moment when it lights – more...  up in their eyes. – less

I started working at PetCo (Grooming) in 2007 and was there for three and a half years. The day I went in for my interview, the grooming manager asked me a couple of questions then put me to work that day. I was officially hired on as part-time at minimum wage, but never worked less than 30 hours per week. Everyone was professional and friendly. I felt – more...  like my coworkers were my friends and the store had a family vibe. After working there six months, a new store opened up and half the management and workers were moved to the new store to get it running. I stayed because I lived just a fifteen minute walk away. Grooming went without a manager for about a month during which time I did the manager duties. My first problems with the company started when they finally hired a new salon manager. My coworker was originally up for the position, but declined. The new manager was rude and unprofessional to the point I had to have several meeting with store management. She had no respect for the current staff and proceeded to change everything to her liking. The new manager injured several dogs and was told she had to work in front of the security camera at all times, but did not. Regular clients were stolen from myself and others. She would force dogs she didn't like onto other people. Her behavior led my coworker, the one who was originally to take the manager position, to quit. When I was forced to move and would be taking the bus to work, I requested a schedule change. Although it was reasonable to give the hours I needed, my hours were cut to two days a week. I went to corporate about this issue and was completely disregarded, being told that I had been getting full time hours so I had nothing to complain about and since I was in the computer as part-time, they could give me as little time as they wanted. Word of my trouble with the new management got back to my old manager when the new one decided to talk poorly about me at a district meeting. My old manager offered for me to transfer to her store, but I could not arrange transportation. After continued harassment by the new grooming manager I finally ended up breaking and quitting. After a couple of months I was contacted to come work at the new store. It was a new store with a bigger salon. Things went great again until the same thing happened at this store; a new store was built and corporate sent management to open up the new store. I started getting in trouble to things that had never been a problem before, as if they were stretching to reasons to get me in trouble. The new management drove my grooming manager to quit. I unofficially ran the salon for about seven months until they hired a new manager. Again things changed, my hours were cut and clients stolen. A new training program opened for which I denied because I wasn't working enough hours, but I was being refused more hours. I had more incidents due to unsafe practices by my coworkers during my last two months than the entire past three years. After I was repeatedly denied a schedule change (which I needed because I could not find a sitter for my step-daughter) I was told I would be fired if I did not come into to work on a day I had already said I couldn't. I was given the option to quit and be listed at re-hire-able. Though I applied again over a year later, I never got a call back. During those last six months, the entire crew of the store and salon both turned over twice due to the management problems. There are a lot more things that happened, but I think this review has gone on long enough. – less

I did like working at Petco because of the support that they give to the rescue and shelter organizations in their communities. They are there for the animals. I, personally, am not a retail person as it is just too regimented as a type of employment...People make mistakes and retail is not so forgiving, or I might say that the management is not so – more...  forgiving. I did feel like I was employed by the military...However, that being said, I loved the people who were my coworkers, and loved working with the small animals and companion animals. – less

Usually, a typical work day for me consists of working the cashier and covering the floor. The environment is great, and I like my co-workers fine. The hardest part of the job, for me, is answering customer questions pertaining to animal care.

this is a great place to work at if you love pets and you also learn alot from what is going on around the store and everyday is an adventure.

A typical day is very rushed. There is a lot of work to do and they are sometimes understaffed. The management has gone through several changes, but they are generally available.
My co-workers are nice people who also enjoy animals.
The hardest part of the job is trying to get all floor work completed on schedule when also cashiering and helping customers, – more...  which is priority number one. – less

Typical day at work is to walk in and get berated about things that are completely out of your control such as sales for the month or what the night manager didn't do. The pay is horrible. If you work in the grooming salon, you don't get raises. If you work in the store, the highest raise you can get in .25, but the managers say no one can achieve that, – more...  so you're looking at between .05-.20. – less

My typical work day would primarily be cashiering, restocking, assisting customers with questions about products and helping them find products that best suit their needs. I learned a large amount about the pet industry. From food, toys, cleaning supplies and the pets themselves. My co-workers were incredible. They took me right in and treated me as – more...  though I'd been there for months. They were very helpful in helping me adjust to the new work environment. The hardest part of the job was that I wasn't really getting the hours I needed to be receiving but the work itself was so pleasant that I was able to overlook it. – less

Although I loved working with animals and talking with customers about their pets needs, the unprofessional nature of the staff was the deal breaker for me. I was accused of taking extended breaks and generally slacking off although I worked very hard each time I worked. I believe that this was due to management feeling threatened by my work ethic and, – more...  fearing I would make them "look bad", decided to blacklist me. I worked there for three months before I finally had enough and resigned, finding a job that I absolutely love and who appreciates all the hard work and dedication I give to my work. Another issue I had with PETCO is that they hired me as a full time department manager, yet cut my hours down to 32 when the inexperienced inventory and receiving manager was given the task of making the schedules and put the store horribly over hours. At my new job, I work full time hours and make more money than I was at PETCO.

If you are lucky enough to have a good, fair, and balanced management team who spends time on training and caring for their store, you will more than likely make this a career. As for me, I have worked in management too long in my life (last job was almost six years before they shut down their company and laid me off) to deal with such petty and unprofessional behavior. I gave this company one star because my experience was something I would much rather forget and erase from my work history. – less

Aided on compant tasks and learned more about kitchen and bath design.

i loved working at Petco they have great management and its not hard to move up in the company. I am a big animal lover so everyday for me was fun and i never thought of it as of work. I learned so many things while there from nutrion to all the diffrent types of breed of animals of all type. It was a great expreince all together from my co-workers – more...  to the work its self and the customers. – less

PETCO was a great place to work until my store got a new GM that was the worst ever. He would tell us everyday that PETCO doesn't care that you have family, PETCO doesn't care that you need to leave to take care of a sick kid. PETCO comes first. This was coming from a guy that has no children and no life outside of PETCO. I was sick one day and ended – more...  up in the hospital and I couldn't go to work. I was fired. I applied for unemployment and PETCO denied it. I appealed it and PETCO denied it. I worked for them for 5 years and I know for a fact that PETCO will do and say anything to avoid paying out unemployment. – less

Every day going to work was something to look forward to. Never did I feel like I was working. Spending time with the animals was a great stress reliever and learning new things about how these animals survive was a great thrill. The time my co-workers took to teach me how the job operated and how to satisfy customers was a great helping hand, they – more...  were always nice and we enjoyed some good laughs. Everyone knew their place and responsibilities. Hardest things about this job is only having to take in the smell of the crickets but not intolerable. Absolutley a great job to be at if you love animals and good labor! – less

A typical day was taking care of the animals, reptiles, and aqua life. Also making sure the store was clean and the pet owners were satisfied with his or her shopping experience. Management was way laid back and not so strict. Co-workers were passionate about what they did. Hardest part of the job was nothing. I enjoyed all that Petco offered me.

if you love animals this is the job to be at,enjoying playing with animals and looking after them

working with all the different animals and learning about them, getting to meet new people and there new or old pets and helping them take care of there pets.

Super fun place to work and very flexible around work and school schedules. Not a lot of hours though but definitely a great first job.

I was a stocker and laborer, management was very dedicated to showing me the ropes of the job. I learned work ethic and how to keepa job

Animals= best part of the day. This corporation has too many regulations. Poor compensation, decent benefits if you can maintain half/full time hours.

I loved working with the animals and the customers. I learned a lot from their training program when it came to dog training. I wish, however, that I had more freedom with the dog training classes. I felt like communication was very poor - I would let the GM know about my classes and when they were scheduled, but it seemed that none of the other managers – more...  would know or remember - even when I posted calendars in their office, so that I would end up on the register with people waiting for me to help them with dog training and the manager wouldn't have anyone else lined up to be on register after me. That was the most difficult part - having to deal with poor communication between workers. The most enjoyable part was everything else - I liked everyone that worked there, I loved caring for the animals and helping customers with their dog training questions, and I even loved being at the register, interacting with the customers and asking them about their pets. – less