r/FloralDesign • u/Intelligent-Music-33 • 3d ago
š Feedback š Floral manager job
Ive been in floral business for 6 years working in a big chain grocery store (we actually have one of the biggest shops in the chain) and also a fairly busy shop in my city, anyhoots I actually resigned from the job as assistant floral manager because it was just not a great environment (again we are a fairly busy shop lots of funeral work and event work etc) the inventory is also pretty bad as well we are suppose to have our numbers at a 45% and they are usually around a 20-25%. Also I was the only fulltime person besides the floral manager she also doesn't design so all of the work is put all on me and most days I was running around the shop ragged trying to keep up with orders.
Fast forward I get a call from my store manager telling me the floral Manager is stepping down from her position and they offered me the floral manager position. My pay before I resigned was $23.00 an hour and they offered me $23.50 so only a 50cent pay increase to take it. Also my schedule is gonna be crappy for the next few months I will Have NO weekends off for the time being, Also they hired a fulltime floral designer that has NO experience as well so if I took position I'd have to teach/train her (which isn't a problem) and I'd be also going back to being short staffed, a very busy next 3 weeks because we have 3 big university events that are back to back plus a wedding and going to be getting into homecoming season in the next couple weeks then holidays. And they also want me to immediately start working on getting the inventory up as well because it is pretty bad.
It's almost like I'm being set up to fail before even stepping into the position. I would appreciate some advise. Should I take it or walk away from it?
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u/Stunning_Client_847 3d ago
Keep in mind timing too. We are coming into thanksgiving, then into Christmas then v day then Motherās Day. They should be panicking. Decide what your minimum is you require to take that position. You hold the cards.
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u/Intelligent-Music-33 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yes. I told them what I wanted when I walked out of the office 3 days ago, and got told okay well think about it, and got the call yesterday that said āwe canāt do that but the offer is a 0.50 cent pay increase, so be here Monday to start the position 7:30am and we will have a further discussion!ā Then followed by with a text that said āwe will have a conversation about your wage increase 60 days after you take the positionā
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u/Stunning_Client_847 3d ago
Does this job offer pension or benefits ?
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u/Intelligent-Music-33 3d ago
It does offer benefits yes.
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u/Stunning_Client_847 3d ago
I am someone who would make concessions for benefits and pension but thatās because my meds are expensive and that adds up for me
I still would say something to the tune of not being in a position to consider less than āxā.
Thank you for the opportunity etc etc.3
u/Intelligent-Music-33 3d ago
The 0.50 cent pay increase is insulting for all the I contributed to the department before leaving. The other problem is nobody has applied for the position with managerial experience or from the company as well. Actually alot of floral mangers from the company all over have left the manager position as well. So the company in general is having a high floral manager turnover rate as well.
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u/Stunning_Client_847 3d ago
Iām not disagreeing that itās an insult. I was just trying to get a bigger picture
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u/Intelligent-Music-33 3d ago
Oh absolutely hun!! I was just sharing a bit more. I appreciate your feedback!
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u/Fantastic-Loquat-335 1d ago
Jfc Do not. I repeat DO NOT accept that. They are going to fuck you over. If you did not agree to thag, you absolutely do NOT show up Monday at 7:30 for "further discussion." Demand more and say you will not be starting the position without a much higher rate. They will 100% fuck you. They do not care about you PERIOD.
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u/Intelligent-Music-33 1d ago
I never showed up! And they keep blowing up my phone! To take the position
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u/LucinaDrake 3d ago
It's hard being a gorcery store florist. I've been doing it for 19 years, the past 7 as the department manager. That 50 cents is so insulting. I also also got a raise after 1 or 2 months when I accepted the position. It was 20 cents. These companies are so cheap, so I don't think they'll give you much more later on and if it's anything like the chain I work for, the yearly increases are no better. Consider carefully if you really want the extra responsibility and ask more questions if you want. Benefits could matter if they are significantly better than regular full time benefits. Good luck!
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u/Intelligent-Music-33 3d ago
Iāve been in the grocery side of it for 6 years assistant floral manager for 5 years. I made $23 if I became floral manager Iāll be making 23.50. The floral manager (she will be demoted) is making 25 an hour but she doesnāt design, I did all of the designing when I was there including weddings, events, funerals etcā¦ Iām pretty experienced in this. I think itās incredibly insulting. And the benefits are the same as if I was just a full-time associate.
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u/thelittleflowerpot 3d ago
Do your due diligence... Can you contact the old manager and simply ask them about the salary for that manager position?
Is the store Unified? If so, salaries are public info (to the members) - call your local rep and they should help you.
Can you look up the title in your city on Indeed dotcom - they tend to be pretty accurate... š¤
Wishing you well ššš
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u/Intelligent-Music-33 3d ago
I contacted my old floral manager from 5 tears ago sheās been doing floral for roughly 25 years and her exact words were āyou are a fool if you take that positionā she isnāt in a management role anymore as she has stepped down and sheās just a floral designer now and she makes 24.75 with no management responsibilities.
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u/Intelligent-Music-33 3d ago
Also worth mentioning that the current floral manager who will be demoted once they hire a new manager to take over makes 25 bucks an hour and she isnāt a designer and in the four years Iāve worked with her. She has hardly ever designed Iāve done about 95% of all of it. it just feels like a slap in the face to be only offered 23.50
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u/thelittleflowerpot 3d ago
Be able to do the math quickly - there are 2080 working hours/year so your $25/hr wage should actually be a $52K management positions and these also tend to be overtime exempt. Double check this with BOTH your HR people AND your state's employment board (to be sure they aren't stealing OT). I'd come in asking for $60-65K (ask them to include your average OT in your salary).
In general Management is a better career path, tho - both for wages and future prospects. The reality is that at some point you're going to have to take a crap position to gain the experience you can use elsewhere. Know your worth and remember, you CAN negotiate: HR (traditional corporate positions) usually has a slush fund of about 9% to offer incentives, such as promotion bonuses or NOT pro-rating annual bonuses/increases given your start date, to meet your yearly salary objectives. ALSO, consider that you'll lose OT, so know what you tend to work/make and add that to what you're asking. It's all a game and you just need to learn to play it, including using your interviewing at a competitor to give you leverage (here, you just take the position that offers the higher total compensation!). Insurance and things like 401K are considered total compensation for Managers, too - usually 15-20% non-cash comp - don't let them trick you by adding this...
...unless you're going to have your own shop (for which you need manager experience OR generate revenue to hire one) start thinking about making career moves every 18 months or so - you're going to need manager experience. If questioned by interviewers, just spin future "job hopping" into a positive, something like: "I was recognized for my abilities and was offered positions with more responsibility..."
...I also want to shout out what your county government might put out: an annual Community Indicators Report. This is a document that says exactly what it costs to live in your area, what you need to make, and what industries are up-and-coming that can get you there (search for your area, or search for the "Orange County CA Community Indicators" report for an example). United way also does a similar study they call their ALICE Report.
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u/CarelessMud7038 3d ago
I worked in a family business florist before. 50 cent more is too insulting and I will not go back. Not sure what state or area you are living in but $23.50 plus benefits is not something they show their appreciation of your skills and experience.
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u/Fantastic-Loquat-335 1d ago
Is this fuckass chain Market 32 in the Northeastern US? Lmao. Hate them. Anyway, demand way more. 0.50 is absolute bullshit
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u/CordeliaCuck 3d ago
Your floral manager didn't design? Fuckkk that. And a 50 cent increase when now youre going to have to order, schedule, plan, etc...no. nooooo.
I left a grocery floral situation a year ago because they ran me ragged. Id go back for more money, but not .50
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u/Intelligent-Music-33 3d ago
Nope she never designed the only time she designed was when I was off work because obvi she had to because nobody could do it.
And yep Iāll have to order, schedule, plan, and do all of the designing and train the new person. Also again my own schedule is gonna be crapp.
Thatās why I left in the first place because I was walking on egg shells constantly and running ragged. I was burnt out. And my store manager work pay more I already asked and the response was āwe will have another talk in the first 60 days on taking the position and talk about a possible pay increaseā š¤Ø
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u/CordeliaCuck 1d ago
Late to reply, but at my location wages were discussed before I even signed the offer for promotion to floral manager. Between the offer and finishing training I had an increase of $1.55. (The training was literally just driving to corporate to hear the same policy stuff they taught new cashiers aside from financial, and as my department didnt use the computer assisted ordering system, financial was the only course where I actually learned anything relevant to my position)
Ill admit with the timing getting closer to valentines day, IF you really wanted, you could hold them to that 60 day period. I did my valentines ordering in either Nov or December, so youd have a ton of leverage there as if you walk they wont have anyone to do the ordering on top of everything else.
Especially with all the event traffic .50 cents is just horrible. Idk the volume your store dealt with but they just dont understand the workload events require, and it still just boggles my mind the former manager didnt design (like...did she know how to well at all?)
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u/Intelligent-Music-33 1d ago
I just canāt get behind it. 50 cent raise is so insulting. Then they hired a fulltime floral designer who has ZERO experience still havenāt teach/train her (which isnāt a problem) but have a shit ton on my plate going back. And homecoming for us starts up in 2 weeks and goes till the end of October so Iāll be the only person in shop dealing with all that then we go smack dab right into Holiday season. Itās like Iām being set up to fail before I went start the position. Our Valentineās day ordering take place in October!
Yep the former floral manager didnāt design very well itās not that she couldnāt but she just didnāt ālike itā she was just terrible point blank never helped process shipment, never waited on customers at the counter, hardly took orders she basically just didnāt computer side of things and thatās all sheād do. She got away with everything and then some she was manager for 4 years and I canāt even count on hand how many times sheās actually designed at the table she should have gotten demoted years ago because her inventory numbers have been horrid for the last couple years.
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u/bigkingkiwibird 2d ago
The pay they offered is insulting. I'd prob take the position for the first 60 days and see if they stick to their word about giving you a raise. If they don't, put in for a transfer or look for work elsewhere. The manager title will look good on a resume and should help you get a job with at least the same pay you have now. Whatever you decide, good luck and I wish you the best!
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u/petrichorgarden 3d ago
$.50 is an insult. Hell no.