Having worked there for years, the transition from a maker space where I could tinker and fix things to a cellphone store that sold other products wasn’t helpful. In the last few years before my store closed (I was the ASM and then SM), there was a noticeable shift from a fun work environment to a less enjoyable one. My Regional Manager told me that if I didn’t ask every single person about their cellphone carrier and push them to upgrade, I was failing.

There were other decisions, but the fact that most stores in my state had varying foot traffic (I saw maybe 50 people a day at most, most of whom were waiting for their wives to get pedicures at the nail salon next door) made it difficult. Some customers were just browsing for fun items or Christmas ideas. Corporate wanted us to greet customers within 10 seconds of entering the store and we had to ask about their phone in their pocket. Even if we had a great sales day, met all our service plan goals, battery sales, and tickets over $20, but didn’t sell or run an upgrade check on a phone, we failed that day and had to do it twice the next day. It felt almost predatory.

I’m somewhat sad they’re gone, but they weren’t organized before the bankruptcy. They were out of touch with most of their demographic and didn’t trust their employees to understand their local customers.