Pros
You'll learn a great deal about customer service.
Cons
I spent 4 years working for Nordstrom and finally left....on a stretcher. The hours expected of you (management) were atrocious and the ways in which you are treated are simply appalling. I was pregnant with twins while working there and was told that "we can't treat you differently just because you are pregnant" (despite a doctors note stating that I was high risk) Therefore I was expected to carry heavy items up and down stairs from stockroom. A customer complained when she saw me on my hands and knees cleaning up tissue paper/forms from the shoe department snd I was reprimanded for not telling someone else to do it (even though my manager told me to) I subsequently lost one of the babies. Often times you are expected to "manage the sales floor" meaning you cannot leave your area so if someone fails to arrive for their shift (or at all!...high turnover!) you are stuck. I had a number of UTIs while working there because I was unable to use the restroom. I think one of the worst parts of the whole experience is that I was told (verbatim) "you'll have a hard time finding employment elsewhere" and was consistently degraded to the point that I BELIEVED I could do no better. Hence, why I stayed for 4 years. Finally the stress was too great and I had a healthy scare which prompted a nearby employee to call 911 and I literally left on a stretcher. After extensive testing including an EKG, it was determined that I was having an accrue stress response. For a retail job???? Really??? It was absolutely horrific. But here's the kicker....2 other employees were hospitalized that same month for stress- related issues.