sales associate

customer service representative

seasonal associate

warehouse associate

store manager

The Quark Group

I worked at the Kamloops Store for 3 years and the new management combined with Head Office makes this place impossible to work at. Its just a gossip driven team now, with no support from Head Office. The new manager in Kamloops is a joke, she makes all her employees do her work, she is very lazy. This company is an absolute gong show and gives ZERO care regarding their employees. Completely sales driven. They are now cutting costs as the company is not busy enough to maintain what they have. The cutting costs includes them NOT doing anything regarding Covid19. Even for a customer, anything set up at Quarks is a responsibility of the manager. No help from Head Office for supplies, they also do not provide employees plexi glass like every other place has. They also make the front liners take returns and WE ARE TOLD WE MUST TOUCH RETURNED PRODUCT WITH NO GLOVES OR MASKS PROVIDED BY HEAD OFFICE to check if the return is even allowed based on Quarks ridiculous return policies. Every customer comments how the return process alone is snobby and the front liners have to take the heat from everything Quarks has wrong with it. No changes or support from Head Office. HR is a joke with this company. Head office is completely family run so they couldn’t care less about anyone not related to them , aka all front-liners in stores. My manager left at the beginning of the Covid 19 return to work because the maltreatment from Head Office was the worst it’s ever been. Only stayed so long because our manager who left was a perfect manager and she made up for the terrible parts of this company. With her and our amazing asst manager gone due to Head Office and their lack of support, I had to leave as the company did not care about my safety. I also left due to a built up frustration with how this company discriminated their employees. They are extremely judgemental and not accepting if you have : tattoos (better hide those even if you’re overheating no matter what), not natural coloured hair, jeans on, you chew gum, what clothes you wear (nothing to modern or shows skin), etc. 

Overall, DO NOT work here. The only good thing is if your team at the store is awesome, and the discount. However lately, they rarely like you if you buy anything as they are not appreciative for sales. They are entitled, it’s like they think every customer owes them something. I would never spend money here even with a discount, the brands they have are worth supporting directly, as they are the only thing worth getting. Quarks just feeds off other brands reputations. They don’t strive to be better at all. Don’t waste your time working here, keep your sanity and work elsewhere. Also, stay safe from Covid19 by staying away from this store, whether you’re a customer or an employee.

As the title says, I can't speak for the locations I didn't work at. I can only describe what happened at the one I did. 

I'll start with the only good; you earn a little commission, and my manager was very lenient with schedules if you needed time off. Other than that, I learned very little. The main problem at this location was the management; for the most part my coworkers were great to be around. I have NEVER ONCE in two years been given an evaluation of any sort, nor formal or even much informal training, and neither have any of the other employees to my knowledge. As a result, none of us had any concrete idea of exactly what we were supposed to be doing or how we were supposed to be doing it, and we often talked about how we worried because we really had no idea how good we were at our jobs. We just drew from past experiences and tried our best. 

If the manager had a problem with you, it was well known among the staff that she would never tell you. The only way you had any chance to improve was if another employee took pity on you and told you, since the manager would complain about you behind your back. 

Stay away. I worked there for years, did my best, and never even got so much as a nametag. In fact, as a final kick, after being there over a year my hours started being cut with no explanation, and soon multiple people with less seniority were getting far more, even when the manager knew I needed the income and had full availability. I knew as a part timer I wouldn't get a ton of benefits, but I thought I would get better than that.

I'm out as soon as I can.

The job itself is fairly simple, but the people you work with are what will make your life miserable. Easily one of the most toxic work environments I’ve been in. Management only seems drawn to the hardest people to teach the job to as who they hire, and will stick them with their regular staff (non-management) as soon as they can. The ‘competitive wage’ means commission, and it barely makes a difference on your cheque compared to a regular minimum wage job. The expectations of this job just seem to get more intense, and the pay stays the same. Managers are treated great, getting a week in Winnipeg at meetings getting pampered while their employees are in their stores struggling, and we get no recognition for it. Nothing. Not even a thank you. Management pick and choose what rules they enforce, what they want think is important to focus on (normally stupid small rules that make their staff miserable), and let actual issues go. The job is so demanding, especially for a place that doesn’t pay while. The benefits are almost entirely non-existent unless you are management that its embarrassing. Issues are brushed under the rug, and nobody seems to care. Head office rarely responds, nor do they care. Way too strict. Rules for some are not rules for others, and the inconsistency in how management treats employees is a joke.

For my recent years working for Quarks, I have experienced an amazing team with a great work ethic and customer engagement. We have built many customer relationships and gained our customers trust with the quality of our knowledge and products that Quarks sells. The amount of product knowledge offered to the sales associates rewarded in our success to sell our footwear and effectively understanding our customers needs. 

My managers were very friendly and possibly one of the best role-models I have had in the retail business. They understood the jobs stress levels at times and that work may come first but that a life outside of work also exists too. My team was not only my co-workers but friends that I have created a good relationship with besides the commission that we receive with every product we sell. The Owners of Quarks were fun and inviting when they came to visit our location. They were interested in our feedback and made us want to excel. 

The back where our shoe boxes are stored was always tidy and frequently organized. The sales floor was well kept and inviting to the customers.

Our clientel fell towards older ladies which meant more repeating customers and better connections. 

It was a real joy working for such a company.

A typical day of work at Quarks would be to go in make sure all the displays were right, check your float and open store accordingly. I learned about different quality shoes and how certain shoes fit each person differently. I also learned how to organize store rooms by name, size, color, and fit. My coworkers were awesome to work with as we all learned from each other and helped each other out alot when we were busy. The management of Quarks wasn't too bad but it also wasnt the greatest. We got booked when we weren't available and we were forced to change our availability to meet the stores needs. The most enjoyable part of the job was meeting new people, getting to try on new shoes so we could tell customers about our experiences with them, getting product knowledge and of course discounts. The hardest part of the job was trying to find something to do when we weren't busy in the day.

I cannot emphasize enough what an amazing group of people my coworkers are. The team atmosphere is warm, accepting, genuine, and truly make everyday a fun day, (whilst getting paid)! Flexible scheduling, and an accommodating management who encourages and supports staff along the way. As long as you show up willing to work with a good attitude, it is exceptionally easy to excel in this job and be recognized for it! In addition to this, I learned many skills that varied from sales, customer service, stock/inventory, organization, and product knowledge. Perks to this job include commission on top of wage, unlimited number of employee discount purchases for yourself and spouse, and the opportunity to work alongside like-minded people, providing the chance to make many friendships! Bonuses: annual dinner out that is completely paid for by management, and birthday cards from the Quark Group on your special day! :)

I worked at quarks for 6 months. I was bullied and harassed about anything and everything. The manager was never happy, she would barely do anything in the store and then complain people did nothing but she never told us what she wanted done. If we took initiative and went and did something she would be mad and tell you off for doing it without her go ahead. The main reason I do not work at quarks anymore is due to the inappropriateness of the district manager. She bullied me for not being in dress code, even when I was. Joked about firing me without having a reason saying “ I’m the district manager I could fire you right now” And the biggest part, she discussed my weight with a customer. Yup, you read that right. She joked with a customer about how skinny I was. The customer even got involved and jokingly told me to go eat a cheeseburger. Rude is not even the word, I am absolutely disgusted. I will never step foot in a Quarks again.

I’ve been working here for a couple of years, and let me tell you, the quality of what head office offers to workers is TERRIBLE. A huge situation caused the store i worked at close for a couple of months, and HO absolutely didn’t do anything to help. When it was time to move back to the store, they expected 6 workers to open up a technically brand new store, in 1 DAY!??? A couple of guys ended up coming down to help, but only helped for a few hours, then left.  When it was all said and done, there was no thank you and no acknowledgment for any of the hard work. They also only cared about the money. They say to not see customers as dollar signs, but thats exactly how HO see’s their workers. The owners are so full of themselves, and completely disregard their statement of being “a family company.” Unless you’re a Quark, they will not care about you at ALL. DO NOT WORK HERE!

After moving and starting a new retail job I see just how awful Quark's system is. 
 Your typical day consists of putting away stock, cleaning, assisting customers, organizing the backroom.
 I learnt what terrible management looks like. 
 The workplace culture was very hit and miss. There was a lot of gossiping between management and staff, no formal evaluations on job performance were ever given. I've seen people get screwed over by management and head off for job openings. Favouritism is very apparent. When people from head office or district managers would visit they were often rude and terrible to be around. Managers will fight for commission.
 The hardest part of the job was dealing with a toxic workplace environment. 
 The most enjoyable part of the job was meeting some of my co-workers.

I worked at QUARKS Shoes as a seasonal sales associate in the kiosk. Overview:
1) The manager ONLY hire girls at the store. So if you are a guy and looking for a job at the store, don't even bother to try!
2) Manager DO NOT CARE about your health! She won't provide you a chair at kiosk and you need to stand for straight 8 hours (at the same time, girls can go to the back and take a sit whenever they want)
3) Manager DO NOT care about customers. Many customers need a chair or mirror at the kiosk. The kiosk was working for 3 months and she didn't bother to provide a chair.
4) Manager do not let you take your phone to the kiosk and that is the only thing she cares about!

If you got other options, never work here. if you are desperate, then do it but walk away as soon as you can!

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Sales associate 6 salaries reported	$19.18 per hour
Customer service representative 2 salaries reported	$17.50 per hour
Seasonal associate 5 salaries reported	$16.39 per hour
Warehouse associate 2 salaries reported	$16.50 per hour
Store manager 3 salaries reported	$51,000 per year

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